The PGA Championship has been dominated by American golfers over the past decade, but who is primed to stop that run continuing at Aronimink Golf Club this week?
Each of the last 10 winners of the Wanamaker Trophy have come from the United States, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler returning as defending champion after last year’s five-shot victory at the Quail Hollow Club.
Scheffler is the pre-tournament favourite to defend his title and register a fifth major victory in as many seasons, having followed a runner-up finish at The Masters last month by claiming second in each of his next two PGA Tour appearances.
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Highlights from the final day of The Masters, where Rory McIlroy held off Scottie Scheffler and Justin Rose to defend his title
Bryson DeChambeau has finished as runner-up at the last two PGA Championships and Xander Schauffele is challenging for a second win at the event, two years on from his maiden major title, with both likely challengers to Scheffler for major victory.
Jimmy Walker (2016), Justin Thomas (2017, 2022), Brooks Koepka (2018, 2019, 2023) and Phil Mickelson (2021) have also won the PGA Championship during the 10-year streak of American success, with plenty in contention to extend that run in Pennsylvania.
Another American PGA Championship win ahead?
Scheffler’s cumulative score to par in majors since the beginning of 2022 is 30 shots better than anyone else, with the 29-year-old’s dominance in recent seasons leaving him with the chance to complete the career Grand Slam next month at the US Open.
Jordan Spieth can also follow Rory McIlroy into the Grand Slam club with victory this week, his 10th attempt at winning his elusive major, although he arrives outside the world’s top 50 and without a worldwide top-10 since last June.
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Jordan Spieth has a chance to make history this week at the PGA Championship, the only major missing from his golfing CV
“He’s not trending, but I would love to see Spieth win the Grand Slam,” former Ryder Cup player Chris Wood said on the Sky Sports Golf podcast. “He takes you on a roller-coaster ride with his golf, but it’s entertaining, and I think he gives great insights to people watching.
“After that form he showed over those few years, where he was contending in almost every major he played in, he almost deserves the career Grand Slam. The PGA set-up probably isn’t quite suited to his game, but who knows if he gets the putter going. He might have a chance, but it’s a long shot!”
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World No 3 Cameron Young has already won The Players and the Cadillac Championship this season, while former FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay is another showing signs of form and looking for a maiden major title.
“He [Cantlay] is trending,” Rob Lee told the Sky Sports Golf podcast. “In his last four tournaments, he has three top-10s and a 12th at The Masters. Without making any noise, he has quietly got game again.”
A European winner at Aronimink?
Australia’s Jason Day was the last international winner of this major, beating Spieth to victory at Whistling Straits in 2015, while McIlroy is a two-time winner of the Wanamaker Trophy and is one of just three Europeans ever to lift the trophy.
McIlroy won the 2012 and 2014 editions before completing the Grand Slam at The Masters last April, ending an 11-year major drought, then defended his title last month and now hopes to become the first player since Jordan Spieth to win the first two majors of a calendar year.
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As Rory McIlroy looks to claim a third PGA Championship this week, take a look at a selection of his best shots in the tournament
“McIlroy’s a dynamic player and, having spoken to him, he loves the golf course [Aronimink],” Sky Sports’ Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley said on Sunday. “It [the course] is wide and I know how much he’s looking forward to it.
“I think he will be very hard to beat and I would be surprised if he’s not seriously in the hunt on Sunday afternoon.”
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick has three PGA Tour wins already this season, and FedExCup champion Tommy Fleetwood is frequently touted as a major contender and Justin Rose finished T3 at The Masters last month. All three players are among the Europeans challenging for PGA Championship victory.
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Highlights from the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where the Fitzpatrick brothers claimed an impressive team win
“[Tommy] Fleetwood, [Shane] Lowry, [Jon] Rahm, [Matt] Fitzpatrick, [Justin] Rose, [Bob] MacIntyre – there’s a host of them [European contenders],” 2002 champion Rich Beem told the Sky Sports Golf podcast. “You just go back and look at the last Ryder Cup team and go down the list.
“It wouldn’t surprise me to see a leaderboard with a bunch of different flags other than Americans on Sunday. I think this golf course will allow that and I think we’re going to see a lot of guys fighting coming down the stretch to get this win.”
Who will win the PGA Championship? Watch throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage from the opening round begins on Thursday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.
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