For many, real prize of PGA is a ticket to Ryde
ST. LOUIS — There are two major championships taking place at the Bellerive Country Club this week.
Sure, the PGA Championship is the last of this year’s four majors, but there’s a lot more than the Wanamaker Trophy and personal legacies at stake for many of the players who will tee it up this week.
There are massive Ryder Cup implications in the balance — even though the intense biennial competition does not begin until the last week of September in France.
By night’s end Sunday, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk and European captain Thomas Bjorn — both of whom were scheduled to compete this week before Bjorn pulled out Wednesday because of a back injury — will have the top eight of his respective 12-man team set, leaving the captain’s picks to come next month.
“It’ s stressful ,’’ Fury ks aid. “You’re already on edge going into a major championship with an opportunity. We put a lot of pressure on players. It’s like there’s two scoreboards — one for playing, and one you’re getting at home checking out the guys around you.
“I’ve been [though] that — I think I came to the PGA in the seventh or eighth spot a couple times. You’re trying to figure out how No. 9, 10, and 11 played. It definitely becomes that tournament within a tournament. But what you have to keep reminding yourself as a player is you really have a job to do this week. If asked, that’s what I would remind players.’’
Speaking of stress, Furyk has been paired for the first two rounds with Xander Schauffele and Tony Finau, two players who are just on the outside of the top eight on the Ryder Cup points list (No. 11 and 13, respectively) and in position with a strong showing at the PGA to move into the top eight.
Furyk insisted he “didn’t ask for’’ that pairing, but acknowledged, “I think it’s a great pairing for me. It probably isn’t the best pairing for them.’’
Furyk already has played some practice-round holes with some of his prospective players, including the polarizing mad scientist Bryson DeChambeau, who was over-the-top criticized for a temper tantrum he threw while practicing after a disappointing opening round at the British Open last month.
DeChambeau sits at No. 9 on the points list. Phil Mickelson is 10th. Tiger Woods is 20th.
Anyone who doesn’t believe Mickelson and Woods will be captain’s picks should they not vault into the eight automatic qualifier spots by Sunday probably believes John Daly will win another major championship and donate his winnings to Gamblers Anonymous.
Among some themes already put in place this week are the mind games of the two captains.
“World-class players,’’ Bjorn gushed about the current top eight on the U.S. points list, which includes Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Webb Simpson. “I’ve been part of Ryder Cups since 1997 and I’ve not gone into a Ryder Cup where the United States don’t have a great team. So it doesn’t come as a surprise to me or to the team that’s going to play for the European side, but the American team is going to be great.’’
Furyk called the competition “a battle of two giants,’’ citing the world rankings littered with Americans and Europeans.
“They’re going to have a really strong team — in theory, possibly the strongest team Europe’s ever fielded ,’’ Fury ks aid .“We have our hands full. Partisan crowd, a golf course that they know and love very well. They have the home-course advantage. They’ve had a lot of success, not only in the Ryder Cup, but a ton of success at home.’’
It’s been 25 years since the U.S., which possesses the chalice at the moment, has won a Ryder Cup on foreign soil — 1993 at the Belfry in England.
“We’ll be looking to try to break that,’’ Furyk said.
The Ryder Cup doesn’t begin for several weeks. But what takes place this week — in the game within the game — could go a long way toward shaping what takes place come September in France. mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com