Woods the one to beat at Bethpage
Tournament favourite chasing a 16th Major crown but has some serious challengers
IT is just weeks since Tiger Woods announced his return to the top of the sport in full cry with his most outstanding victory at the Masters. That was his 15th Major title and the first in 11 years, underlining a remarkable come back from injury, poor form and personal issues.
This week, the golfer who many believe is the best that has ever played the game, will have the world spotlight trained squarely on him yet again. And like so many times in his now illustrious career, particularly the first decade as a pro, Woods will start the PGA Championship as the one to beat.
But in the season’s second Major, to be hosted at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course in Farmingdale, New York from Thursday, Woods will also have no shortage of pursuers and the quality of that posse will be as good as any that came before.
World number one and fellow American Dustin Johnson will lead the charge of those expected to give the 81-time PGA Tour winner Woods his toughest test on a course where the latter won the 2002 US Open crown.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, ranked fourth in the world, and defending champion Brooks Koepka are tipped to be behind Johnson to challenge Woods for what would be a 16th Major title and leave him just two shy of Jack Nicklaus’ all-time record of 18.
Another local lad Justin Thomas and England’s Justin Rose are also being touted as contenders for an event that has been moved from being the fourth Major of the season played in August to the second in the new golfing calendar.
Spain’s Jon Rahm, 11th in the world standings and Rickie Fowler (10th) are both seeking a breakthrough Major win and tipped with outside chances of claiming the title next Sunday.
So too are British Open champion Francesco Molinari of Italy, Australian Jason Day and Xander Schauffele, the 25-year-old American who already has four PGA Tour victories to his credit, including a World Golf Championship title in Shanghai and was joint runner-up at the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club four weeks ago.
But it’s the first two on the “challengers list” who appear to be Woods main threats, and even then they are most likely to find the face of golf in an unyielding mood.
Woods’ win at the seasonending Tour Championship last year was the most prominent indicator that he was returning to his best after a series of back surgeries and the Master triumph merely confirmed to the sporting world that he was indeed back to his old self.
Now the obvious take is that he will be focused on adding to his Major collection and doing so as best as he can in the knowledge that time is not on his side at 43.
Some of his fans have pointed out that if Nickluas won his last Major when he was 46, Woods still has another 12 to 15 attempts to match the great man, and maybe even surpass the record that stood since the 1986 Masters.
Johnson, for his part, has shown good enough form and character this season, more so at the Masters, to know that if he can get off to a fast start at Bethpage and stay up there, he could well be within a second major title of his own.
The top-ranked Johnson, along with Koepka and Schauffele, were just one shot off Woods winning tally at Augusta. That is how fine the margins are, and the world number one indeed, has the game to match and beat anyone on his day.
For McIlroy it will be another chance to add to his four Major titles. He began the Masters as the outright favourite but again fell rather short . Perhaps, coming into the PGA Championship without the heavy load of expectations he could prosper and maybe win one of golf’s big ones for the first time since the second of his two PGA Championship crowns in 2014.
Koepka might start a little off the top at Bethpage but not many are writing him off just yet. Indeed, more than a few have him on their lists to be contending on Sunday and in with a decent of winning a fourth Major title in eight attempts.
Koepka’s finish for second place at the Masters came after three wins and place for sixth in seven starts in the Majors.
Also among the favourite are Rose and Fowler. These are hugely popular players and success for them in New York would not surprise many.
Rose, the 2013 US Open winner, is seen by a majority as being long overdue for another Major title, while a win for Fowler would be his maiden Major victory.