PGood luck to the world of golf, Scottie Scheffler will dispute the PGA Championshipsomething that was in doubt until the same week of the tournament, since his wife gave birth to their first child on May 8 and the world number one neither confirmed nor denied whether he would attend. Valhalla. When it appeared in Louisville, not only the organizers breathed; also his rivals because, today, a tournament is not the same without the participation of the player of the moment. Nor without the current champion, Brooks Koepkao one Jon Rahm that links one ‘top 10’ after another in the LIV Golf, but that does not finish finishing off in its new adventure.
Of course Scheffler will not lack opposition, starting with Rory McIlroy, who is pursuing his long-awaited fifth major after 10 years of trying. The Northern Irishman He has two victories in a row and he was precisely the last golfer to win a ‘major’ after such a streak.. The most curious thing is that won the 2014 PGA Championship, in Valhalla no less, when he had just won the British Open and the WGC Bridgestone Invitational. Too many coincidences? The way Rory won at Wells Fargo suggests that both he and Scheffler are at another level. His 65 in the final round also silenced any detractors.
But if the numbers speak in favor of any player, it is Scheffler. He has won four of his last five tournaments(Arnold Palmer, The Players, the Masters and the RBC Heritage. Note, for example, that he was the first golfer to retain the title at the TPC Sawgrass. In addition, he, Tiger and Nicklaus are the three who have won the Players and the Masters more than once in their career strong>At 27 years old, only the aforementioned Woods and Nicklaus had worn the green jacket more than once. s from Seve. And if we talk about statistics, forget about everything seen so far: he dominates in too many. Only a bad day with your putt can prevent you from winning.
From the LIV, the best placed in the bets are Koepka (winner in Singapore) and the ‘Lion of Barrika’. In this group of favorites they are also trading upwards Xander Schauffele and Ludvig �berg. For his part, the Spaniard has been clear from the first day that it is costing him more than necessary to achieve a victory in the current circuit in which he plays because a player of his consistency usually get more out of four-round tournaments than three-round ones. In this sense, you have no choice but to adapt your mentality to this format.
Of course, the defense of the green jacket did not go as he would have wanted (45th place). For one reason or another he did not seem completely comfortable. The little activity that the LIV offers him does not help, nor does the fact of competing away from players like Rory, Scheffler or the young Aberg.. ‘Rahmbo’ is second in the general classification of the 54-hole league – Niemann leads – and is by far the one who makes the most birdies. A year ago he went to the PGA under the same halo that illuminates Scheffler these days, but this Thursday the Biscayan is presented as the alternative to the three big favorites.
Fourth PGA in Valhalla
The former number one believes he will be able to take advantage of the adverse weather conditions this week: “I grew up in the north of Spain, where we saw more days like this than sunshine, so I feel like I have a lot of experience in this regard”. A tournament with a low result is expected despite the changes implemented on the field. The three PGAs played in Valhalla have been won with double negative digits: Mark Brooks with -11 in 1996; Tiger Woods with -18 in 2000; and Rory McIlroy with -16 in 2014. Scheffler believes that this trend will continue: “I think it will be won with a low score because it is a course that rewards good shots”.
‘Rahmbo’ will not be the only Spaniard in the legendary field that hosted the 2008 Ryder. They will also be there Adrián Otaegui and David Puig. The first has just won the China Open and the Catalan, the truth is that he must be measured more by his performance in the Asian Tour than by his results in the LIV. Since last summer, Puig has made progress and has two wins and has come close on three other occasions. The young man trained at Arizona State has something that will try to take advantage of this showcase.
A more moderate Tiger Woods
Looking ahead to this PGA Championship, Tiger Woods’ expectations are more limited. El Tigre became emboldened at Augusta, a course he knows every inch of, and before the tournament he motivated himself by stating that he was there to try to win and not to test himself or shoot. He didn’t get off to a bad start, but it took a long time. On this occasion, the winner of 15 majors is more restrained.
“My body is fine. It is what it is. I wish my game was clearer with myself and I haven’t done many competitive rounds, so I have to rely on what I’ve done in my practice sessions and doing things well here“, he expressed. The last tournament he played was the Masters, where he made the cut, but finished last among those who had made it. In the PGA Championship he has not played 72 holes since 2020.
However, the Californian is confident that things will turn out well despite his handicap: “I need to be physically and mentally well at the beginning and that’s why I’ve been here since Sunday, to do my job and on Thursday to be able to be focused.”. I will always feel pain and stiffness in my back, but I accept it. “I just need other parts of my body good to start feeling better.”
