The scenic landscape of Southern Hills Country Club in Oklahoma comes into focus on Friday (AEDT) as the second major of the year, the PGA Championship, tees off.
Scottie Scheffler has opened the favourite after claiming his first green jacket at Augusta last month, followed closely by Jon Rahm, and two previous winners, Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy.
Jordan Spieth will again get another crack at claiming his career grand slam, while the Aussie contingent looks as strong as ever with Cameron Smith, Jason Day, and Adam Scott leading the charge.
Who will walk away with a share in over $12 million USD?
PGA Championship Best Bet
Jon Rahm at $13.00
The Spaniard might not be the most exciting pick, but he does make the most sense from a statistical perspective. The final three holes at Southern Hills are very long par 3’s, calling for a lot of distance off the tee as well as accuracy. Rahm currently ranks fifth on TOUR in the accuracy department, while he’s also well-rested coming off a much-needed win at the Mexico Open a few weeks ago.
PGA Championship Best Value
Shane Lowry at $31.00
The Irishman head to Southern Hills in absolutely sizzling form. Lowry has finished Top 15 in each of his last three events, beginning with a T3 at Augusta on the back of a final round 69. His consistent putting has carried him a long way recently, while he’s also made the cut in nine of his 10 major appearances.
Daniel Berger at $51.00
Berger hasn’t missed the cut since the Phoenix Open in March and is well-rested coming off a T21 at the RBC Heritage last month. He’s untried at Southern Hills, but this course does play similar to Colonial, the site of the Charles Schwab Classic – a tournament Berger won a couple of years ago. Accuracy off the tee is a big plus this week, an area Berger also ranks 20th on TOUR.
Louis Oosthuizen at $67.00
How can you not take a flyer on a guy that finished in a tie for second last year? Oosthuizen hasn’t been seen since he withdrew at Augusta following the opening two rounds, and while he wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire before that, he does rank quite highly in some of the important tee-to-green statistics.
PGA Championship Best Roughie
Kevin Na at $151.00
Another player that has been among the 25 most accurate with the driver. Na has mixed his form in major tournaments, but he is coming off a T14 at Augusta last month. His short game might be what costs him, but a T19 at the PGA Championship back in 2018 also reads well.
Talor Gooch at $91.00
Willing to forget Gooch even played last week in Texas. The American missed the cut following a shocking first round, but his form prior was sound to say the least. The 30-year-old has finished Top 15 on eight occasions so far this year and he’s also been among the best in the Strokes Gained category.
