USPGA Championship The strongest field of the season has gathered to contest this week’s USPGA Championship. 110 of the top 112 players on the Official World Golf Ranking will tee it up at Bellerive CC in Missouri. Defending champion Justin Thomas comes into this event having won last week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. World Number 1 Dustin Johnson is also on good form, having won the RBC Canadian Open the week before that.
Masters champion Patrick Reed, U.S. Open winner Brooks Koepka and Open champion Francesco Molinari are among the players on the start sheet. Reed and Molinari were runners up to Justin Thomas last season. Tiger Woods is making his first USPGA start since 2015 and he comes into the event after recording his first top-10 Major finish since 2013 in The Open at Carnoustie. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy will look to build on strong performances at Carnoustie and at Firestone as he seeks his fifth Major title and third USPGA victory. McIlroy tees it up in a feature grouping together with Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods. The origins of the PGA Championship date from 1916 and the founding of the professional golfers’ association itself. The inaugural championship was contested only seven months after the organisation began and a trophy was donated by department store owner Rodman Wanamaker. Until 1957 the tournament was played to a matchplay format. Dow Finsterwald was the first strokeplay winner in 1958. American players dominated for most of the 20th century but in recent years the list of champions has had a more international feel. Padraig Harrington of Ireland won in 2008 and, since then, South Korea’s Y.E. Yang, Germany’s Martin Kaymer, Northern Ireland’s Rory Mclroy and Australia’s Jason Day have been winners. Last year, Justin Thomas claimed his first Major title at Quail Hollow. The 25-year-old comes into this year’s event on the back of victory in last week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. The PGA of America runs this tournament and as such, there are 20 places in the field reserved for club professionals. Qualifying is via the Club Pro Championship which took place in June in California. Ryan Vermeer of Omaha, Nebraska led the qualifiers. This will be the third Major Championship to be held at Bellerive CC. Gary Player completed his career Grand Slam by winning the U.S. Open at Bellerive in 1965 and Nick Price won his 1992 USPGA title at the Missouri venue. Jordan Spieth can emulate Gary Player in sealing a career Grand Slam at Bellerive this week. If he manages it, he will become the second youngest player to claim victory in all four Majors – after Tiger Woods. Players to watch: A good amount of focus will be on defending champion Justin Thomas, World Number 1 Dustin Johnson and former World Number 1 Tiger Woods. That might allow others to fly under the radar, including: Rory McIlroy – Twice a champion in this event, McIlroy has been closing in on a return to his very best form. He was second at Carnoustie and in contention at Firestone last week until a disappointing final round. Francesco Molinari – He’s in tremendous form and has won three times in his last seven starts (including The Open). He was runner-up in last year’s USPGA and has never missed the cut in the tournament.
Tommy Fleetwood – The Englishman is a regular presence on Major Leaderboards with three top-20s this season so far, including a narrow miss at Shinnecock Hills for the U.S. Open. Has been playing consistently good golf in recent weeks. | 
