2021 PGA Championship: Groups to Watch Thursday and Friday

The 2021 PGA Championship begins on Thursday at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. As would be expected at any major championships, there are a number of outstanding groups to watch over the first two rounds.

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Here are our picks for the top five groups to watch on Thursday and Friday.

Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas (Thursday, 8:33 ET; Friday, 1:58 ET) – This is a group full of major championship winners. Koepka has won four majors (PGA in 2018 and 2019; U.S. Open in 2017 and 2018). McIlroy has claimed four majors (U.S. Open in 2011; PGA in 2012 and 2014; Open Championship in 2014) and won the PGA the last time it was at Kiawah. Thomas won the PGA in 2017 and will be the highest-ranked player in this group, as he currently sits second in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Bryson DeChambeau, Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa (Thursday, 8:44 ET; Friday, 2:09 ET) – Another group filled with major champions. DeChambeau won the U.S. Open in the fall and he will look to bomb and gouge his way around the Ocean Course. Matsuyama won the most recent major, taking the green jacket at Augusta last month. Morikawa is the defending PGA champion, having won at Harding Park last fall.

Webb Simpson, Jordan Spieth, Will Zalatoris (Thursday, 1:58 ET; Friday, 8:33 ET) – Simpson won the 2012 U.S. Open and is the 10th-ranked player in the world. Another major should be coming for him soon. Spieth has had a bounce back season in 2021 and appears to be ready to add to his major championship haul. A win here would give him the career Grand Slam. Zalatoris made a splash by finishing second at this year’s Masters.

Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed (Thursday, 1:25 ET; Friday, 8:00 ET) – Two players still looking for that first major championship are paired with a player who has one. Fleetwood is among the best players that Europe has to offer and a major championship would not be a surprise. For Rahm, it’s just a matter of when, not if, he will win a major. Reed won the 2018 Masters and would love to add another major to his resume.

Rickie Fowler, Tyrrell Hatton, Adam Scott (Thursday, 7:38 ET; Friday, 1:03 ET) – Fowler and Hatton are also looking for their first major championship titles. Fowler, who has struggled all year, has slipped to 128th in the OWGR. Hatton has plenty of game and could contend here, especially if the wind kicks up. Scott seems to quietly contend at majors regularly, although he has won only one, the 2013 Masters.