Contenders aplenty as PGA Championship descends on Tulsa

Golfing was really unique in 2007, the last time the PGA Championship was played at Southern Hills State Club.

The PGA Championship was performed in August again then, and the temperatures during match week were being more than 100 levels just about just about every working day. The weather conditions forecast is contacting for temperatures some 20 levels cooler this week in Tulsa, Okla., for the 104th PGA Championship.

Tiger Woods ruled the planet in 2007, successful that PGA in the oppressive heat, which was his next begin in a exceptional 12-match run that manufactured 9 wins and extended into the 2008 period.

Phil Mickelson was just one of the most revered figures in the sport, owning won a few of his 6 vocation majors by then.

The planet order is alternatively distinct this yr at Southern Hills, which has been tweaked by renown system architect Gil Hanse.

Woods, 46, has performed at the time considering the fact that his in close proximity to-loss of life car or truck crash in February 2021, generating the reduce final month at the Masters and ending tied for 47th. Woods’ 2007 PGA victory was his 13th key championship and one of 4 Wannamaker Trophies he has won as the PGA champion.

Mickelson, 51, withdrew from the championship amid the controversy bordering derogatory responses he produced about the PGA Tour and a new Saudi-backed rival league. Mickelson has been in exile because his explosive and controversial comments criticizing the PGA Tour and the Saudi-driven Greg Norman-fronted LIV Golfing Invitational Sequence were designed public back again in February.

Here’s a glance at the new get in the activity:

Scottie Scheffler won the Masters in April for his first career major title.
Scottie Scheffler received the Masters in April for his very first vocation significant title.
AP

Scottie Scheffler, who at age 25 had no PGA Tour victories right up until he won the Phoenix Open up in February, enters this week with 4 job wins — like, by the way, the Masters — and is rated No. 1 in the globe.

Jordan Spieth, 28, wants just a PGA Championship title to full the uncommon vocation Grand Slam, one thing just five gamers have attained. Spieth has been in increasing type he received at Hilton Head and has performed effectively this past week at the Byron Nelson.

Spieth said he played Southern Hills in a U.S. Novice, “but it altered so a great deal and I was 15 or 16 decades previous, so I just desired to see it.’’

So, he went for a recon observe round not too long ago with Justin Thomas “to take possibly some worry off practice rounds … and be able to possibly do nine every single working day as a substitute of experience like I obtained to go out and master a good deal.’’

Spieth appreciated what he noticed.

Jordan Spieth would complete the career grand slam with a victory at the PGA.
Jordan Spieth would comprehensive the job grand slam with a victory at the PGA.
Getty Illustrations or photos

“I believed the golfing class was fantastic,’’ he reported. “I beloved it. I assume the inexperienced complexes are correctly fitting to the holes. It was a good exam. I truly savored actively playing it.’’

The full CBS expertise crew masking the PGA — which include Jim Nantz, Dottie Pepper and Nick Faldo — all imagine Spieth is moving into this 7 days in potent form.

“I like the way he’s coming into this, not just due to the fact he gained at Hilton Head, but because he’s not the lead tale going for the vocation Slam,’’ Nantz said.

“I imagine a ton of items [are] trending, to get a get, and when the putter wasn’t [going well], but the scrambling was so darned excellent,’’ Faldo explained of Spieth winning Hilton Head in spite of his balky placing.

“I considered the assertion of the complete 7 days at Hilton Head [from Spieth] was that, ‘I gained devoid of a putter,’ ’’ Pepper reported. “It reveals you how proficient he is and how a lot his ball-placing has enhanced. That [he’s] coming in with some self confidence from that get that was scratchy at ideal actually places him in a very good spot to consider to end the task here and get that elusive previous important.’’

Among the the other top rated gamers who cannot be discounted this 7 days is Jon Rahm, who experienced the No. 1 ranking wrested away from him by Scheffler, but stays in terrific sort immediately after winning in Mexico just lately. Rahm tied for eighth at Kiawah Island at very last year’s PGA Championship and tied for 13th at Harding Park in 2020.

Viktor Hovland, who performed faculty golfing at Oklahoma State, will have a residence-condition edge.

Rory McIlroy, a two-time PGA Championship winner, who hasn’t gained a main championship since 2014, is hungry and irritated at possessing to proceed answering thoughts about the drought. He’s coming off back-to-back again top-five finishes at the Masters and Wells Fargo Championship.

Justin Thomas is one more major player who has publicly expressed disappointment in his efficiency in big championships. His only main happens to be the 2017 PGA Championship.

Cam Smith, the peaceful Aussie, has two wins this period, together with The Gamers Championship.

Collin Morikawa can't be ignored. He received the 2020 PGA at Harding Park in his to start with PGA Championship begin and has 6 top rated-10s in 10 PGA Tour commences this period.

Patrick Cantlay has quietly nestled into the dubious role as the just one of the greatest players in the environment without having a big championship victory. He tied for 3rd at the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black and, additional not too long ago, experienced potent performances at Hilton Hear and the Zurich Typical, which he won with teammate Xander Schauffele.

Contenders aplenty as PGA Championship descends on Tulsa

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