'This Golf Course Is Quite Boring' - Angel Yin Raises Eyebrows With Dig At KPMG Women's PGA Championship Host Layout

PGA Frisco's Fields Ranch East golf course has a busy few years ahead with several Majors set to descend on this part of north-east Texas.

It is currently staging the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, having already welcomed the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship shortly after opening in 2023. Two years from now, it will host the PGA Championship on the men's side before returning in 2034.

The home base of the PGA of America was designed by renowned architect, Gil Hanse - the man responsible for Pinehurst No.4, Streamsong Resort's Black Course, The Los Angeles Country Club's South Course and Castle Stuart Golf Links among many others.

Despite such an impressive resume, two-time LPGA Tour winner, Angel Yin apparently does not believe Hanse got everything right at Fields Ranch East.

Following an opening round one-under 71 on Thursday, the American called the golf course "quite boring" and "kind of repetitive."

Initially asked about the expected challenge of playing in hotter conditions on Friday compared to 24 hours earlier, Yin went on to make a dig at the layout overall.

She said: "Yeah. I definitely think it's going to be a challenge. It's going to be good golf-wise because the ball will fly further and make the course a little bit shorter. I like playing on faster greens so I'm going to like that.

"And then, yeah, it's going to be a balancing of hydration and keeping focus because this golf course is quite boring, so..."

The reporter she was addressing followed up by asking what Yin meant by her closing comment. She replied: "That's what I mean.

"It's just kind of repetitive and there are challenges but it's very subtle. Stepping up on the tee, what did I start on, the back nine gets really repetitive on the tee.

"Yeah, I mean, not something that's controversial. I was like shocked. Did I say saying that's going to drop a bomb? Maybe Gil will give me a call. 'How dare you just trash on my golf course?!'

"It's just the way it is. It's subtle challenges, and I think that's also a challenging part."

Yin's criticism did not arrive following a poor round, mind, with the American just three strokes off the lead in a tie for seventh.

It was, however, a frustrating day for the 26-year-old nonetheless after a run of bogey followed by birdie on eight consecutive holes.

Commenting on that sequence, the two-time LPGA Tour winner said: "I made really good bounce-backs because I made a lot of bogeys. My entire last eight holes on the back nine - which is the [course] front nine - was just birdie, bogey, birdie, bogey, which is pretty frustrating.

"It means you played really good but were also a huge idiot most of the time. Half of the time."

Yin's one-under total left her as one of just 15 players from the initial field of 156 to finish under par after the first day's play - a feat that the World No.10 was even more proud of given how tough she said the course has been set up.

Sharing which aspect of the layout she found to be most difficult, Yin said: "Hitting fairways and greens because I think the course, on most of the holes, is designed to bounce in the front of the green and then go up, but then with it being a Major and trying to challenge us, I think they grew the grass up.

"With the Bermuda it gets really sticky, and so you can't just roll it up on the greens; you have to carry it.

"Obviously with the greens being firm and the weather being hot it just kind of rolls off. So I think greenside chipping is most important, but with the Bermuda it's always pretty tough. You have to like just get it in the right perfect chip."

Yin will tee off from the first hole in round two at 1:38pm CDT (2:38pm ET) alongside Lauren Hartlage and Ina Yoon.