The 97th PGA Championship is officially upon us. Whistling Straits will host the event for the third time in the course’s history, making it only the eighth track to host the tournament three or more times.
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There’s plenty to talk about as we enter the final major of the season. Will Jordan Spieth become the third player in golf history to win three majors in one year? Can Rory McIlroy defend his number one world ranking in his return to the course? Will Dustin Johnson exorcise his bunker demons from the 2010 PGA Championship?
We all know golf is an unpredictable sports, so while people are busy repeating themselves on those topics, let’s look at some of the more unexpected possibilities for this week at Whistling Straits.
Rickie Fowler Will Win the 97th PGA Championship
Jun 5, 2015; Dublin, OH, USA; Rickie Fowler walks to the seventeenth hole during the second round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Rickie Fowler has been knocking on the door of his first major victory for quite sometime, but this is the week Fowler breaks his maiden.
While all of the focus is on Rory McIlroy’s return and his potential rivalry with Jordan Spieth, Fowler will be busy enjoying life under the radar.
He placed in the top 5 of all four majors in 2014 and even though that hasn’t been the case this season, he’s still been pretty darn good. He tied for 12th at the Masters, missed the cut at the U.S. Open (blame it on being paired with Tiger), and tied for 30th at The Open Championship.
While those aren’t the greatest of outcomes, Rickie’s still been playing some of the best golf of his career and is peaking at the right time.
He silenced his critics earlier this year with a win at THE PLAYERS Championship and missed the cut in his next two starts, but has gotten back on track entering the PGA Championship. He was runner up at the Quicken Loans National last week and held his own at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, finishing tied for 10th.
Of his last eight events worldwide, Fowler has finished first or second in at least three of them. He continues to put himself in contention week in and week out. Don’t be surprised to see him hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy come Sunday. (20/1 on Bovada.com)
Henrik Stenson will be the 54-Hole Leader
Jun 13, 2014; Pinehurst, NC, USA; Henrik Stenson acknowledges the crowd after making a putt on the 15th green during the second round of the 2014 U.S. Open golf tournament at Pinehurst Resort Country Club – #2 Course. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Henrik Stenson has fallen off a little since his hot start to the season, but is starting to find his form again. In his five starts to begin the year, the Swede had four top five finishes and five top 25s.
Stenson hasn’t made too much noise on the PGA TOUR since then, but has had some nice outcomes on the European Tour. In his last 35 starts on the European Tour, Stenson has 14 top 5 finishes and only one missed cut. Henrik also leads the TOUR in consecutive cuts made with 22.
He showed a lot of promise at Firestone Country Club for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational finishing tied for sixth. Playing against most of the golfers that will be in the field of the PGA Championship, Stenson placed in the top 5 with four consecutive rounds in the 60s.
He also leads the TOUR in greens in regulation with 74.23% of GIRs hit, something that will be helpful when he heads to Whistling Straits. (25/1 on Bovada.com)
Jason Dufner Will Place in the Top 5
Jun 7, 2015; Dublin, OH, USA; Jason Dufner prepares to tee off at the third hole during the final round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Yes, yes indeed. The Duf is going to dig deep into his 2013 roots and make a run for another Wanamaker Trophy. He’s had a rough season, with his best finish coming at the AT&T Byron Nelson where he tied for 8th, but he had a nice showing at the U.S. Open.
While most golfers faltered under the conditions of Chambers Bay, Dufner seemed to benefit from them. He opened with a 68 and held on to finish tied for 18th.
Whistling Straits isn’t anything new for Dufner. Back when the PGA Championship visited in 2010, Dufner enjoyed the links-style setup. After opening with a 73, he posted 66-69-71 to tie for fifth which was the best finish of his season.
It wouldn’t be anything new for him to place in the top five at a PGA Championship hosted by Whistling Straits, so there’s no reason he can’t do it again. A Dufner resurgence is on the rise and rightfully so. Golf deserves to have his excitement back in the game. (100/1 on Bovada.com)
Jul 19, 2014; Wirral, Merseyside, GBR; Jason Dufner walks from the 7th tee during his third round at The 143rd Open Championship at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Ian Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports