Ranking the Big Four at Baltusrol
McIlroy in top form heading into final major, but Day, Johnson and Spieth close behind
SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — The top four players in the world are the favourites this week at the PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club. Jon McCarthy dissects each of their chances to win:
Jason Day (World rank: 1)
Day hadn’t stepped foot on the golf course until Wednesday, giving him the least prep time of any of the top players.
“I haven’t played a practice round. I haven’t seen the course. I don’t know what it looks like,” he said Wednesday morning.
The Day family spent Monday at a local arcade in a planned day off. Tuesday, the World No. 1 rescheduled his news conference and never made it to the golf course.
“Dash and Lucy are sick right now, and kind of Dash passed that on to me a little bit,” Day said. “I’m OK, I’m fine. I’m just a little under the weather.”
None of this sounds particularly good for his chances at Baltusrol, but Day does have a few things going for him: Despite not winning a major, he’s had a good year with wins at three big events: The Arnold Palmer Invitational, the WGC Dell Match Play and the Players Championship. He also has a win and four top 10s in his past seven starts.
If there is a major venue where you can get away without much preparation, Baltusrol is it. There are no tricks — what you see is what you get. It’s a classic parkland layout on flat terrain that wears you down with long par 4s and long par 3s. Players don’t see a par 5 until hole Nos. 17 and 18.
Pound the ball off the tee, leave your approaches below the hole and make putts.
After Day’s only practice round of the week Wednesday, PGATour.com’s Ben Everill tweeted he played one ball and shot an unofficial five-under 65.
Current odds: 9/1
Dustin Johnson (World rank: 2)
Johnson is the only member of the Big Four to have won a major this season.
Johnson saw the course for the first time Tuesday, but thinks the shape of many of the holes set up well for his natural power fade. The 7,450-yard Lower Course at Baltusrol has a way of wearing down players with its long, difficult par 4s. For Johnson?
“It’s par 70, but it’s quite long. I feel like I wear out my 8- and 9-iron on the par 4s.”
The golf world has long imagined how good Johnson could be after he puts it all together and wins his first major, and now is finding out. With eight top 10s and a win in his past 12 majors, the time is now for the 32-yearold American.
Current odds: 8/1
Jordan Spieth (World rank: 3)
Spieth is sick of hearing he hasn’t followed up his double-major breakthrough 2015 season very well, but finally seems able to admit it.
“I set my own expectations so high,” Spieth said, “so have I met them this year? Not yet.”
Spieth has won twice this season, but unless he wins this week, 2016 will be remembered for a quadruple-bogey that threw the Masters away on Sunday and a surprising 10-round stretch in majors where he failed to break par.
His greatest strength is on the greens, but his putter hasn’t been as hot this year. What also sets him apart is his ability to figure out a difficult course faster than his competitors.
But there isn’t very much to figure out about Baltusrol.
Current odds: 14/1
Rory McIlroy (World rank: 4)
McIlroy arrives looking to win his third PGA Championship. Only Jack Nicklaus, Walter Hagen, Tiger Woods, Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen have won the championship three or more times.
“I feel like a lot of the courses that I’ve played in PGA Championships have been very fair,” McIlroy said. “Everything is straight out in front of you. There’s no real hidden secrets to it.”
The Big Four is loaded with talent but many believe if every player plays their best golf, McIlroy comes out on top. The 27-year-old’s four majors equal the total won by the three others combined. But it’s been just over two years since he won his last major and he seems to be growing tired of hearing about his challengers.
For all his talent, McIlroy has often been his own worst enemy on the golf course with one bad round per week or one big mistake at a key moment.
Which brings us to this week and Baltusrol, where course management takes a back seat to power and shot making. McIlroy has been in top form during the practice rounds.
Current odds: 8/1