Tiger Woods hasn't performed because the Masters in April.
AP
Golf was very completely different in 2007, the final time the PGA Championship was performed at Southern Hills Nation Membership.
The PGA Championship was performed in August again then, and the temperatures throughout event week have been over 100 levels virtually daily. The climate forecast is looking for temperatures some 20 levels cooler this week in Tulsa, Okla., for the 104th PGA Championship.
Tiger Woods dominated the world in 2007, profitable that PGA within the oppressive warmth, which was his second begin in a outstanding 12-tournament run that produced 9 wins and prolonged into the 2008 season.
Phil Mickelson was one of the revered figures within the sport, having received three of his six profession majors by then.
The world order is fairly completely different this 12 months at Southern Hills, which has been tweaked by renown course architect Gil Hanse.
Woods, 46, has performed as soon as since his near-death automobile crash in February 2021, making the reduce final month on the Masters and ending tied for forty seventh. Woods’ 2007 PGA victory was his thirteenth main championship and one in all 4 Wannamaker Trophies he has received because the PGA champion.
Mickelson, 51, withdrew from the championship amid the controversy surrounding derogatory feedback he made concerning the PGA Tour and a brand new Saudi-backed rival league. Mickelson has been in exile since his explosive and controversial feedback criticizing the PGA Tour and the Saudi-driven Greg Norman-fronted LIV Golf Invitational Sequence have been made public again in February.
Right here’s a have a look at the brand new order within the sport:
Scottie Scheffler, who at age 25 had no PGA Tour victories till he received the Phoenix Open in February, enters this week with 4 profession wins — together with, by the way in which, the Masters — and is ranked No. 1 on the earth.
Jordan Spieth, 28, wants only a PGA Championship title to finish the uncommon profession Grand Slam, one thing simply 5 gamers have completed. Spieth has been in enhancing type; he received at Hilton Head and has carried out properly this previous week on the Byron Nelson.
Spieth stated he performed Southern Hills in a U.S. Newbie, “but it surely modified a lot and I used to be 15 or 16 years previous, so I simply needed to see it.’’
So, he went for a recon observe spherical just lately with Justin Thomas “to take perhaps some stress off observe rounds … and be capable of perhaps do 9 every day as an alternative of feeling like I acquired to exit and study so much.’’
Spieth appreciated what he noticed.
“I assumed the golf course was incredible,’’ he stated. “I cherished it. I believe the inexperienced complexes are completely becoming to the holes. It was an important check. I actually loved taking part in it.’’
Your entire CBS expertise crew overlaying the PGA — together with Jim Nantz, Dottie Pepper and Nick Faldo — all imagine Spieth is getting into this week in robust form.
“I like the way in which he’s coming into this, not simply because he received at Hilton Head, however as a result of he’s not the lead story going for the profession Slam,’’ Nantz stated.
“I believe a whole lot of issues [are] trending, to get a win, and when the putter wasn’t [going well], however the scrambling was so darned good,’’ Faldo stated of Spieth profitable Hilton Head despite his balky placing.
“I assumed the assertion of the whole week at Hilton Head [from Spieth] was that, ‘I received and not using a putter,’ ’’ Pepper stated. “It exhibits you ways proficient he's and the way a lot his ball-striking has improved. That [he’s] coming in with some confidence from that win that was scratchy at finest actually places him in an excellent place to attempt to end the job right here and get that elusive final main.’’
Among the many different prime gamers who can't be discounted this week is Jon Rahm, who had the No. 1 rating wrested away from him by Scheffler, however stays in terrific type after profitable in Mexico just lately. Rahm tied for eighth at Kiawah Island eventually 12 months’s PGA Championship and tied for thirteenth at Harding Park in 2020.
Viktor Hovland, who performed school golf at Oklahoma State, can have a home-state benefit.
Rory McIlroy, a two-time PGA Championship winner, who hasn’t received a significant championship since 2014, is hungry and irritated at having to proceed answering questions concerning the drought. He’s coming off back-to-back top-five finishes on the Masters and Wells Fargo Championship.
Justin Thomas is one other prime participant who has publicly expressed disappointment in his efficiency in main championships. His solely main occurs to be the 2017 PGA Championship.
Cam Smith, the quiet Aussie, has two wins this season, together with The Gamers Championship.
Collin Morikawa can't be neglected. He received the 2020 PGA at Harding Park in his first PGA Championship begin and has six top-10s in 10 PGA Tour begins this season.
Patrick Cantlay has quietly nestled into the doubtful function because the top-of-the-line gamers on the earth and not using a main championship victory. He tied for third on the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black and, extra just lately, had robust performances at Hilton Hear and the Zurich Traditional, which he received with teammate Xander Schauffele.
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