Here’s a have a look at a handful of golfers who this yr may take house the large Wanamaker Trophy.
- In all seven males’s main championships which were held at Southern Hills, the chief after 36 holes has gained the event. In 5 of the seven, the chief after 18 holes gained the event. Suffice to say, a sizzling begin could be so as right here.
- The final 16 PGA Championship winners made the lower of their earlier tournaments. Three of these golfers had been coming off a win, seven completed in the high 5 and all however two completed in the high 20. So we’re on the lookout for robust type, as we frequently do with majors.
- Five of the final seven PGA Championship winners had been ranked inside the world high 10.
- The PGA additionally has been a frequent place for gamers to choose up their first main victory, with eight of the final 13 winners hoisting a grand slam trophy for the first time of their careers.
Southern Hills lately was renovated, with famous course surgeon Gil Hanse’s crew bringing again a few of its historic qualities whereas modernizing issues to provide as we speak’s fashionable golfers a sterner problem. The greens are small and topped, and lots of strategy pictures might be rolling off. The fairways are extensive and undulating, elevation adjustments are all over the place, the tough is current however not penal and there’s water on 15 holes. That sounds loads like Augusta National, and strategy and round the inexperienced might be paramount.
Odds taken Monday from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Scottie Scheffler (+1200 to win)
Scheffler has performed solely twice since his Masters triumph, tying for fifteenth eventually week’s Byron Nelson and tying for 18th at the Zurich Classic, which is a staff occasion. But Scheffler’s win at Augusta was his fourth in six tournaments, and proper now he’s onerous to fade till a falloff presents itself. Scheffler features on strategy and round the inexperienced at almost each event, which can translate properly at Southern Hills.
Thomas has not misplaced strokes on strategy at a stroke-play event since a missed lower in February 2021 at the Genesis. He was in rivalry on Sunday at the Byron Nelson earlier than ending in a tie for fifth, and he tied for eighth at the Masters, simply his second high 10 at Augusta.
McIlroy misplaced strokes round the inexperienced in his final event, the Wells Fargo. It was the first time he’s completed that since the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational final August, and he nonetheless completed fifth. If he can get proper along with his putter, McIlroy may very well be hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy for the third time.
Spieth’s placing additionally hasn’t been nice, nevertheless it barely mattered at his final two tournaments, a win at the RBC Heritage and a second-place end at the Byron Nelson. Here’s how Spieth completed in the tournaments that instantly preceded his three main wins: second (2015 Masters), third (2015 U.S. Open), win (2017 British Open).
Matthew Fitzpatrick (+4500)
The Englishman has performed in 28 majors in his profession. He’s completed in the high 10 precisely as soon as, at the 2016 Masters. But this yr he ranks twenty fourth in strokes gained: strategy and nineteenth in strokes gained: round the inexperienced, and he was final seen tying for second in dire situations on a really robust course at the Wells Fargo.
Burns has alternated tough performances (missed cuts at the Byron Nelson and the Masters) with nice stuff (successful the Valspar in March, second at the Zurich staff occasion in April). He was completed in by one dangerous spherical final week, capturing a 6 beneath on Friday to just about make the lower after a dismal Thursday. It’s a bounce-back week for him.
Young at all times appears to wrestle on the greens, however like Spieth, it hasn’t mattered all that a lot of late. The 25-year-old’s final two outcomes had been a tie for second at the Wells Fargo and a tie for third at the RBC Heritage, and he’s gained strokes round the inexperienced in 5 straight stroke-play tournaments.
The 24-year-old Norwegian is again in the state the place he performed faculty golf at Oklahoma State, and he’s made the lower at eight of his 9 main appearances. But Hovland ranks 210th out of 210 in strokes gained: round the inexperienced, a talent that might be wanted this week.
Zalatoris might be extraordinarily widespread this week as a result of he’s completed amongst the high eight in 4 of his eight profession majors and has performed very properly this season, with 5 high 10s this calendar yr. But he missed the lower eventually week’s Byron Nelson due to the a part of his recreation that at all times appears to let him down: his putter. Zalatoris misplaced 2.13 strokes on the greens.
There was a time the place a +4500 quantity subsequent to Koepka’s title would make him an computerized guess. This shouldn’t be that point. Koepka has both gained or completed second in six of the previous 12 majors and added three different high 10s at grand slams over that span, however he additionally hasn’t performed since lacking the lower at the Masters and has missed the lower in six of his 13 tournaments this season. He nonetheless appears to be coping with knee and hip accidents which have plagued him over the previous couple seasons, and that makes him a keep away.
What about Tiger Woods (+6500)?
Simply by advantage of his title, Tiger Woods goes to be a particularly widespread guess although he’s performed solely as soon as — a Forty seventh-place end at this yr’s Masters — since struggling extreme accidents in a February 2021 automobile crash. Yes, the movies of him enjoying apply rounds at Southern Hills over the previous few weeks have been encouraging, and sure, he gained this event on this course in 2007, however that was a a lot completely different Woods and that was a reasonably completely different course. Woods was nice from the fairway however dangerous at just about all the pieces else at Augusta, significantly along with his brief recreation, which goes to be very important this week. I’m not touching him.
