Who will be in the spotlight at the PGA Championship? Here’s a look at the contenders for this week’s competition.
Golf’s PGA Championship has always had to fight for its spot in the sun. Even though it’s not the newest of the Majors (it had an 18-year start on the Masters), the PGA is often viewed as the red-haired stepchild, the Australian Open of Golf or the Ringo of Majors (and before the Beatles came to the U.S., the Zeppo Marx — look him up at your leisure). In the 21st century. we should probably update the PGA as the… “Joey?” I can see golf’s elite cringing hearing Matt LeBlanc’s “How you doin’?” in their heads as they process this. The move from August to May in 2019, while departing from a tradition in place for over 60 years (they held the 1971 PGA in February due to anticipated oppressive August heat in Palm Gardens, Florida … go figure) made sense and should help this tournament on multiple fronts. One, the courses, in theory, will be in much better shape during May than in August (think heavy heat and scorched greens). Second, clubs reluctant to apply for an August date due to losing two weeks in the summer (and a Major tournament is big enough to take over everything, from the course to the tennis courts to the locker rooms) won’t mind losing two weeks in May when their members’ kids are in school. Lastly, the PGA in May means they won’t have to compete with the NFL Preseason. Speaking of the spotlight, the 21st century has given us two players who have commanded it with their play and personalities. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have combined to win 21 Majors with different trajectories. Tiger had already captured the career grand slam before Phil won his first Major, but once Mickelson started winning at age 33, he posted five more Major victories while Woods has taken just one Major after turning 33. Each also stole the stage from the next generation with recent victories (Tiger in the 2019 Masters and Phil last May in the PGA). But instead of defending his title in Tulsa’s Southern Hills Country Club, Phil is nowhere to be found and Tiger is the senior statesman of the Tour. Mickelson’s absence can be traced to comments leaked by the author of the recent book, “Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf’s Most Colorful Superstar.” Mickelson was talking about leaving the PGA Tour for the startup, Saudi Arabia-backed Super Golf League and managed to insult the Saudis as well as the Tour. Instead of celebrating a victory lap for being the oldest man to win a Major, Mickelson is conspicuous by his withdrawal last Friday from the event. Meanwhile, Tiger is sticking with the PGA Tour.
“I understand different viewpoints, but I believe in legacies, I believe in Major Championships, I believe in big events … comparisons to historical figures of the past,” Woods said at Tuesday’s news conference. “There’s plenty of money out here, the tour is growing.”
Woods’ four PGA Championship victories are second-most to his five Masters (and one behind Jack Nicklaus/Walter Hagen’s five PGAs for the most at that Major). He’s repeated as champion not once but twice (1999-2000 and 2006-2007), and his 2007 victory came at Southern Hills. But that course measured 7,131 yards, and this year, it’s measuring 7,556.
“It has a lot more shot options, that’s for sure. And we’re going to be tested around the greens a lot,” Woods said. “But it still puts a premium on putting the ball in play and on the fairway and keeping the ball somehow below the holes in the right spots.
