The first wave.
England. Texas.
The road begins.

The story: 25 miles south of central London, on a chalk-and-sand plateau, Walton Heath is golf's quietest cathedral. Herbert Fowler — an amateur — designed the Old Course in 1904. The list of championships hosted reads like a fever dream: the 1981 Ryder Cup, five European Opens, the 2011 Senior Open, the 2023 AIG Women's Open (won by Lilia Vu on a composite of the Old and New).

"The first really fine inland golf course designed from start to finish by an amateur golfer."— Tom Simpson, on Walton Heath

The test today: Heather and gorse line the corridors. Greens are small, often elevated, and demand a Scottish-style ground game. For 2026 Final Qualifying, the USGA is expected to use a composite layout drawing the strongest 18 from the Old and New, similar to the 2023 Women's Open setup. The wind off the heathland defines the day; even on a calm morning, gorse takes errant shots permanently.

The story: In 1963, the PGA Championship came to Dallas Athletic Club. Jack Nicklaus, 23 years old, won it in suffocating Texas heat — his first PGA title, a two-stroke decision over Dave Ragan. Twenty-three years later, the club brought Nicklaus back, this time as the architect: he redesigned the Blue Course in 1986 and the Gold in 1989. Chet Williams added further renovations in 2015–2016. Today's Final Qualifying uses both courses across the 36 holes.

The test today: 419 Bermuda fairways. Bentgrass greens. Heat into the high 80s already by the time the morning wave finishes. The Blue's signature 5th — a 428-yard dogleg right with a waterfall fronting the green that Nicklaus added in '86 — is the conversation piece. The Gold is the more strategic of the two, with more water carries on the back nine.