Second Major of the year begins this week

American golfing great Phil Mickelson will not be defending his US PGA Championship title at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, USA this week.  Last year at the seriously ripe age of 50 years, 11 months and 7 days left-handed golfer Mickelson became the most senior golfer to have ever won a Major in the history of golf.

 

Even so, the honour of becoming the 2022 US PGA Champion will be fiercely fought in Oklahama by a field of 156 golfers, young and ripening, starting on Thursday, 19th May.  Four days later there will be a prizegiving of the enormous Wanamaker Trophy and a whopping great cheque for the new champion.

 

So who is in the running this year?

 

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy won his first PGA Major title in 2012 when he shot a record-breaking eight-shot victory at Kiawah Island.  Two years later his rich vein of form continued when he won the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, followed by his first WGC title at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, and then scooped his second Wanamaker Trophy in the US PGA.  As runner-up in this year’s Masters, McIlroy is looking in very good shape for Southern Hills CC.

 

America’s Jordan Spieth could complete a super career Grand Slam if he wins this week.  The 28-year old from Dallas is on good form following five previous attempts to win the title.  His best finish was a tie for third place after Brooks Koepka won the event at Bethpage in 2019.

 

The World Number One golfer Scottie Scheffler is as hungry as ever to sew-up the proceedings at Southern Hills CC.  But the 25-year old Texan golfer has Spain’s Jon Rahm breathing down his neck.  A victory for Rahm in the 104th US PGA Championship could knock Scheffler off his World Number One spot.  Watch this space!

 

A gathering of US PGA Champions from the last few years will also be teeing-up.  Just take a look at this golfing talent and their scores:

2020                   Collin Morikawa (USA) – 267

2019                    Brooks Koepka (USA) – 272

2018                    Brooks Koepka (USA) – 264

2017                   Justin Thomas (USA) – 276

 

And if you were to add to this illustrious list some of the names of runner-up players, then you’ll see just how delightful the likes of Dustin Johnson (USA), Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa), Paul Casey (England) and Tiger Woods (USA) sparkle in this line-up.

 

Blasts from the past

 

Previously always played on the third week of August on Labor Day as the last of the four Majors, the US PGA Championship was rescheduled to become the second Major of the year in May 2020.

 

Most wins ever are credited to Americans Walter Hagen who had five victories between 1921 and 1927 and Jack Nicklaus who won the Wanamaker Trophy five times from 1963 to 1980.  Even the inaugural winner James Barnes from England won the first two tournaments in 1916 and 1919.

 

After 78 years, Irishman Padraig Harrington became the first European to win the US PGA Championship in 2008.  Due credit to the 50-year old born in Dublin who was in a highly-respectable tie for fourth spot last year along with Shane Lowry (Ireland), Paul Casey (England) and Harry Higgs (USA).

 

All I can say is tune in to the golf and enjoy the US PGA Championship.  It is sure to be thrilling!

 

Wendy Hoad

Editor

 

 

MAIN PHOTOGRAPH: Alas, 2021 US PGA Champion Phil Mickelson will not be getting in the swing for this year’s event but there is a wealth of talent waiting to be crowned the 104th PGA Champion.