The closing stretch of holes is as long, tough and challenging as any in major championship history. The only thing the players know for sure about navigating that scary stretch, says Steve Eubanks, is that there'll be plenty of drama on Sunday. The kindest words any of the players have for the finishing stretch are "tough," and "a challenge." (Getty Images) By Steve Eubanks, PGA.com Contributor JOHNS CREEK, Ga. -- They all praise the golf course. And why wouldn’t they? As major championship venues go, Atlanta Athletic Club is one of the prettiest, toughest and most pristinely manicured in recent memory. There aren’t the cliffs of Pebble Beach or the lakeside vistas of Whistling Straits, but for the golf purist, the plush, green zoysia fairways and lightning-fast, brick-hard greens make the heart skip a beat. “This golf course is in phenomenal condition,” U.S. Open champ Rory McIlroy said. “The fairways are probably the best I’ve ever seen. Greens are fast. You can’t really get the ball above the hole. I like the way they set the course up here.”