PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

The PGA Championship returns to Oak Hill in upstate New York for the fourth time. It feels more like a debut.

Part of that is because of the golf course. Oak Hill kept getting so far away from its Donald Ross roots that it finally took on a restoration project so thorough that three holes were not part of the famed East Course when the PGA Championship was held there 10 years ago.

And a big part is the calendar.

The PGA of America announced in 2017 it would be moving its premier championship to May, which likely would eliminate any northern courses f rom consideration. Oak Hill already was locked in for 2023, the last hurdle before a lineup of courses in warmer climates.

Can a major really be played in May on a course about an hour east of Buffalo?

Kerry Haigh, the PGA’S chief championships officer, for months started every conversation with the Oak Hill staff with a familiar question:

How’s the weather?

“The last six weeks there have been more conversations with the superintendent than normal _ to your point, checking on the weather, checking on what’s growing and what’s not,” Haigh said, noting the Rochester area had nearly 50 inches of snow this winter.

Temperatures are expected to be in the 60s when the 105th PGA Championship is played Thursday through Sunday, pleasant enough for players not to have to bundle up in pursuit of the Wanamaker Trophy.

What hasn’t changed is the field.the PGA Championship is known for having the strongest field of the four majors, and this year was no exception with 99 of the top 100 players in the world ranking expected at Oak Hill.

That includes 18 players who have signed on with Saudi-backed LIV Golf, the same number that was at the Masters. And it includes 32 players who have played at Oak Hill the last two times (2003 and 2013). They might not remember the course when they get there.

THE COURSE

Oak Hill already had Robert Trent Jones tweak the Ross design ahead of its first two U.S. Opens. But then Lee Trevino became the first player with four sub-70s rounds when he won in 1968, and the club brought in George and Tom Fazio who created three new holes. Each change took the course further away f rom its roots. Andrew Green was hired to restore the spirit of the Ross design, and the reviews have been strong. It also included some tree removal, providing more open views and recovery options.“i think Andrew Green’s done a really good job,” Rory Mcilroy said. “I think the renovation has hopefully restored the East Course back to its former glory. I’m just hoping for a good weather week.”

RORY AND OAK HILL

Mcilroy was the defending PGA champion when he first went to Oak Hill in 2013. Now the connection is even stronger. He is a member of the venerable club from time spent in Rochester, where wife Erica grew up. He is among the few with experience on the restored East course. But for all his talent, he has gone 31 majors since last winning one at the 2014 PGA Championship. The longerthe drought, the greater the attention.

LIV OUTLOOK

The question going into the year was how LIV Golf players would fare against bigger fields and stronger competition in the majors. If the Masters was any indication, they’ll do just fine. Brooks Koepka had the 54-hole lead. He finished second with Phil Mickelson, and Patrick Reed tied for fourth.

STARS AND SLUMPS

Masters champion Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler have separated themselves as the best two players in golf this year. Rahm already is a four-time winner in 2023. Scheffler has two wins and has yet to finish worse than 12th. Justin Thomas, meanwhile, hasn’t won since the PGA Championship last year at Southern Hills. Over in the LIV Golf world, Dustin Johnson has yet to finish closer than five shots of the winner.

Masters champion Jon Rahm, right, and Scottie Scheffler have separated themselves as the best two players in golf this year.