SPIETH PRAYS FOR A MISSING MAJOR

NOT for nothing is Tulsa, Oklahoma known as the buckle on America’s Bible Belt.

The billboards advertising preachers and churches take their place on the city’s skyline alongside the attorneys and gun shops. A pair of 60fthigh hands in prayer, cast in bronze, stand at the entrance of Oral Roberts University.

For Jordan Spieth, who hails from just across the state border in Texas, the answer to his prayers this weekend would be the completion of a Career Grand Slam.

Just as the Masters is Rory McIlroy’s missing Major, the US PGA Championship is the gap in Spieth’s collection – and, arriving in form after a runner-up finish last week at the AT&T Byron Nelson, he might well never have a better chance of completing it.

“If you just told me I was going to win one tournament the rest of my life, I’d say I want to win this one,” said Spieth (above).

“It would be cool to say that you captured the four biggest golf tournaments in the world. You feel like you kind of accomplished golf when you win a Career Grand Slam.

“I’ve come close a couple times and I feel good heading into this

week. I enjoy playing this course and I like where I’m coming in with where my game is at.”

The 104th US PGA was supposed to be staged at Trump Bedminster, but the storming of the Capitol prompted the PGA of America to switch it away from the former president’s course to Southern Hills. Not exactly an act of God, but a bonus for Spieth who is as familiar as anyone with the distinctive Bermuda grass and prevailing winds.

The complication could be the distractions around his rock-star grouping with Tiger Woods and McIlroy in the first two rounds.

“They’re both just great to play with,” said Spieth. They’re quick. They’re positive. And I’ll get to tell my kid some day, I got to play with Tiger in a Major.”

The PGA used to be regarded as the soft touch in the Major Championship family, but not this time. “When the wind picks up, par is going to be a great score,” predicted Spieth.

Bryson DeChambeau has pulled out after failing to recover fully from a hand operation.

His place, in a group including Tyrrell Hatton and Max Homa, goes to American Denny McCarthy.