Love hits century mark in majors

ST. LOUIS — When Davis Love III tees it up in Thursday’s opening round of the PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club, it will be the 100th major championship in which he has played.

Only 14 other players — led by Jack Nicklaus at 164, Gary Player at 150, Tom Watson at 145 and Arnold Palmer at 142 — have accomplished that feat.

“It’s amazing to be in that group, to make it that far, and I don’t see very many guys on that list I can catch,’’ Love said Tuesday. “It’s another reminder that you’re getting older and you played for a long, long time, but I’ve been blessed to play this long.’’

Of the 99 majors Love has played, he has one victory, at the 1997 PGA Championship at Winged Foot.

Asked when he first started feeling “comfortable’’ playing in majors, Love said, “Probably from ’97 on, it was a little easier, but you’re never really comfortable. I felt like I belonged more, like maybe in the mid ’90s, but that was obviously well into my career, eight or 10 years. It took a while to get comfortable, but I’m 54 years old and I’m excited for Thursday, you know? And I’m not on the favorites list.’’

Jordan Spieth has some family connections in St. Louis, with his mother’s side of the family living nearby, so he will have some added support.

“My grandpa was born here and raised here, and so it’s a lot of my mom’s cousins, so not like my first cousins,’’ Spieth said. “But there’s a few family members that have traveled from St. Louis and seen me play before, but there will be quite a few out that haven’t that get the opportunity here, which is really cool.

“It’s really fun when you get an opportunity to play in front of family, and my grandpa will be out here this week, and I love having him around.’’