5 contenders to win the US PGA Championship
Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma will stage the 104th US PGA Championship from May 19-22.
Here, the PA news agency looks at five contenders to win the second major of the season.
Jon Rahm
Rahm had always looked a major winner in waiting and got over the line in style with a birdie-birdie finish to win the 2021 US Open at Torrey Pines, just 15 days after being forced to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament after testing positive for coronavirus.
Rahm recorded four top-eight finishes in last year’s majors and bounced back from a tie for 27th in April’s Masters by winning on his next start in Mexico.
Jordan Spieth
Former Masters champion Spieth missed the cut at Augusta National for the first time in his career but also rebounded immediately, winning the RBC Heritage nine days later.
The 28-year-old Texan needs to win the US PGA to become only the sixth player to have won all four major titles and will be a big threat if he can ally some impressive approach play with an improvement in his unusually poor putting – he ranked 186th in strokes gained putting for the season even after his win at Hilton Head.
Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler’s incredible run of form in 2022 has seen him replace Rahm as world number one, the American’s four wins in 57 days capped off by a first major title in the Masters, despite four-putting the 72nd hole.
Scheffler’s record in the US PGA is also pretty impressive with a tie for fourth on his debut at Harding Park in 2020 and another top 10 at Kiawah Island last year.
He also won the Big-12 Championship at Southern Hills in 2015 while competing for the University of Texas.
Tiger Woods
Naming someone a contender whose last two competitive individual starts were more than 500 days apart and separated by a life-threatening car accident would normally be ridiculous, but not when the player in question is Tiger Woods.
Woods defied the odds by even competing in the Masters and amazingly carded an opening 71 before fading. He has not played since but took a recent scouting trip to Southern Hills with the club’s director of golf Cary Cozby as his caddie.
“I think he can contend,” Cozby said. “Whoever wins here is going to have to be a great chipper and he is still that.”
Rory McIlroy
McIlroy’s runner-up finish at the Masters has to be assessed in the light of a closing 64 when the pressure was off and a three-stroke margin aided by Scheffler’s four-putt on the 72nd hole.
However, there is no denying McIlroy is putting up some impressive numbers on the PGA Tour as he ranks third in strokes gained off the tee, fifth from tee to green and 17th around the green.
A third US PGA title for the 33-year-old would come as no surprise.
Latest
-
Videos
WATCH: Young woman steps up confidently to drive – and loses club behind her
Golf’s influencer girls can make it look easy.
-
Equipment
Pros give their verdict on Callaway Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X balls
Callaway staffers have now had a good period of time to get used to their new ball offerings, the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X.
-
Videos
WATCH: 7 times the pros horribly fluffed their shots like the rest of us
Just when you think you have it all figured out.
-
Equipment
Collin Morikawa switches his putter again – and marvels at ‘incredible’ results
Collin Morikawa isn’t a professional who changes clubs lightly but he also isn’t averse to moving with the times.
-
Videos
WATCH: Kid pulls off unbelievable flop shot over his dad’s head
The flop shot is all about getting up and down with precision and this kid has it all.
-
Equipment
The clubs that helped Peter Malnati end his title drought at the Valspar Championship
Titleist staffer Peter Malnati ended his long wait for another championship at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course.
-
Videos
WATCH: Amateur golfer takes hacking to a new level – leaving crowd in fits of laughter
Hackers are going to hack.
-
Courses
Four of the best golf clubs to play in Singapore, a year-round golfing haven
Here we look at four golf clubs or resorts that sport at least two stunning courses.