There have been a few surprises leading up to this year’s final major. Making the start of the PGA Championship yesterday in Louisville, Kentucky even more dramatic.
As Tiger Woods declared himself fit and ready to play Wednesday, Jason Dufner and Matt Kuchar were forced to admit their bodies weren’t up to the challenge on Thursday.
Despite the dropping in and out of players, the PGA Championship is gearing up to be one incredible event. Here’s a look at GolfOnline’s top 4 reasons to watch this weekend.
Get yourself Psyched for the Ryder Cup in September
With the end of summer rapidly approaching the final major is the last opportunity for the American players to win their spots on Tom Watson’s team.
Dufner was pushing himself to play in order to secure his Ryder Cup place but yesterday withdrew after nine holes at Valhalla due to a neck injury. An issue the Titleist player believes will take six to eight weeks away from the course to sort out.
“I’ll play golf again when I’m healthy,” said last year’s PGA Champion. “I refuse to be out here and not be healthy and not give myself a chance to be competitive.”
With Dustin Johnson taking himself out of the Ryder Cup running last week and Woods still not 100% from his surgery earlier this year, spots are open and you can be assured those players on the cusp of the top 9 in FedEx points will be going all out to secure their automatic bid to Gleneagles.
Rory’s on Fire
It’s the comeback people were starting to think would never happen. But Rory McIlroy looks to have left behind the equipment and personal issues that plagued his career last season. Winning back-to-back victories at last month’s Open Championship and last week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
The question on everyone’s mind is will McIlroy, who currently holds the number 1 ranking in the world, be able to make it three-in-a-row come Sunday?
The 25-year-old didn’t have the best start on Thursday, picking up a double bogey on the 10th hole and then bogeying the 11th. But McIlroy quickly bounced back to birdie five of his last seven holes and finish with a solid 66, one stroke behind the current leaders.
“I was really annoyed,”
Rory McIlroy told reporters about his back-nine start.
“The second shot on 10 was actually a bit of a shock, it's the worst shot I have hit the last few weeks. It came out of the blue and knocked me off track but to come back the way I did was great.”
Adding, “I really needed that and it shows mentally where I am at with my game.”
The Nike player will now be hoping to carry the momentum forward in his bid to capture his second PGA Championship title.
Will Sunday Finally be Sergio Garcia’s Major?
He’s played second fiddle to McIlroy’s last two wins. Proving his game is in good form and consistent but will
Sergio Garcia actually be able to take hold of the top spot this weekend and finally capture his first major win?
“Obviously, finishing second is not the greatest but the only guy that loses is the one that has a chance of winning,” Garcia said earlier this week. “I’d rather finish second and lose than be 50th and not have a chance.”
The TaylorMade player led by 3-strokes going into the final round last weekend at Bridgestone but was unable to curtail McIlroy’s charge to the front. Leaving some, including Jack Nicklaus, to label it “bad timing” for Garcia so soon after Woods was no longer a competitive factor for the Spaniard.
“I can see what Jack is referring to in a way, but all I can do is try to play the best I can. If somebody else plays better, the only thing I can do is congratulate him and move on.”
And while the TaylorMade player would love to have a major on his resume he doesn’t feel overly anxious about it just yet.
Stating, “I’ve always wanted to win at least one, but I would never say I felt urgency about it. If I get to 45 and I haven’t won one I’ll probably start worrying a bit more.”
Perhaps Valhalla will be the course to put an end to the 34-year-old’s waiting.
Tiger’s Ready to Play but will his back Cooperate?
After withdrawing from last weekend’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational due to a back spasm, many wondered whether
Tiger Woods would even be able to make this week’s PGA Championship.
But the Nike player caused quite a stir on Wednesday when he showed up at the Valhalla Golf Club declaring he was fit and ready to take on the final major of 2014
“It was a pinched nerve. But once they put the bone back in place, it was fine,” said Woods. “The pain was not in the site of the surgery. It was different than it had been before.”
Woods struggled during yesterday’s opening round, shooting a lack-lustre 3-over 74.
“A lot of bad shots and I never got a putt to the hole,” Woods said afterwards. “I hit them all my lines. Just for some reason I thought they were going to be a little bit quicker, and I didn't make the adjustment well enough.”
The 38-year-old spent last night having his back worked on in the hopes he can turn it around today. But only time will tell whether or not Woods will be a factor come Sunday.
