Harrington: Tough test
It's nearly more US Open-type than the US Open is at the moment. It's actually like they switched the two of them around this year.
Padraig Harrington
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Double Open champion Padraig Harrington says the upcoming USPGA has been set-up more like a tough US Open course.
Oakland Hills in Detroit will stage the final Major of the season and it has seen some changes since Harrington last played it during the 2004 Ryder Cup.
The par 70 course has had 300 yards added to it along with more bunkers and tougher rough makes it a much sterner test than usual at the USPGA.
"It's just a bigger golf course," said Harrington.
"Since we have come back, there's more drivers off the tee, it's enclosed with more bunkers, I suppose most of them were there the last time but I think that you got to hit driver, you've got to hit it straight."
Greens
"And the greens, while they're incredibly difficult to putt on, they're at least a little bit more receptive than they were back in the Ryder Cup.
"The usual set-up for the US PGA is more like a tough US tour event.
"This year, and the last couple years, it's got more like a traditional US Open-type test. It's nearly more US Open-type than the US Open is at the moment.
It's actually like they switched the two of them around this year."
Harrington thinks the United States Golf Association and the PGA of America are criss-crossing in their set-ups for their own big events.
While the US Open remains tough, there is a fairer aspect about it, while the US PGA seems to be getting harder and harder each year.
"The last two set-ups for the US Open, I don't think there's a player that wouldn't want to play golf courses like that every week - brilliantly set up, very fair, different grades of rough as you get away from the fairway," added the Irishman.
Set-up
"I think this golf course is set up more like what a US Open was set up three or four years ago where missing the fairway by a couple of yards is the same as missing it by 10 yards.
"There is no difference once you go off, there's no first cut, second cut, third cut of rough.
"So this is a tougher test in that terms, and it's a more intimidating test and more punishing in the sense that a slight miss is just as bad as a big miss.
"Maybe even a big miss might get away with more.
"So it will be an interesting golf course to see shot management out there and whether to be aggressive or not, or whether to play very cautiously."
