2021 PGA Championship: Pro Golf Now Picks to Win

The season’s second major takes place this week when the 2021 PGA Championship begins at Kiawah Island. Collin Morikawa is the defending champion and is in the field along with nearly all of the world’s best players.

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Rory McIlroy won this event the last time it was hosted here, and he’s a popular picks this week. Jordan Spieth will be another player to watch in this week’s event.

The writers at Pro Golf Now have made their picks, which can be seen below.

Tommy Fleetwood

Josh Chandler

Tommy Fleetwood was my pre-season pick to win the 103rd PGA Championship and he has not done anything to deter me from sticking with him in this spot. Tommy is another whose game could set up nicely for Kiawah and who has had a fair amount of success on links courses, including at the last Open in 2019 where he finished runner-up to eventual winner Shane Lowry. His form has been a bit hit or miss in recent starts, but he has shown an improvement in the ball striking department lately and he quietly rates out as one of the better short-game players in 2021, ranking 7th in strokes gained around the green.

Viktor Hovland

Joey McCusker

Rory McIlroy

Mike Randleman

Rory McIlroy got his groove back at one course he’s devoured in the past, Quail Hollow. He hung tough at a big ballpark to win for the first time in 25 events. Now he finds himself at another long layout that suits his eye in Kiawah Island. It was vintage Rory here in 2012 when he one his first of two PGA Championships and second of four majors. Oh, what he’d do to snap his seven year major drought. McIlroy fired 67-75-67-66 to run away on Sunday to win by eight shots. His 75 on Friday wasn’t as bad as it looked. Vijay Singh, of all people, was the only one to break 70 on a brutally windy day.

Tim Letcher

McIlroy won for the first time in 18 months at the Wells Fargo. Now, he returns to another site where he has won before, Kiawah Island. Things just seem to be lining up here for Rory.

Xander Schauffele

Hans Geevers

Jordan Spieth

Kathy Bissell

Jordan Spieth finally gets the Grand Slam.

Josh Mullenix

Nobody has been better on Tour in 2021 from a strokes gained perspective than Jordan Spieth. He’s striking the ball beautifully, has found a go-to shot off the tee and has a creative short game that is second to none. Betting on Spieth to win this week is betting on him to do something only five other players have done in history. Winning all four majors is the most elite club golf has and his game is in the right place for him to get it done at Kiawah.

West Valentine

Jordan Speith. I don’t have a good reason. I just really want him to win. If he gets his driver to behave he has the short game to win at what will be a brutally tough course.

Justin Thomas

Chris O’Day

Matt Wallace

Bill Felber

I’m going off the chart this week, but with logic. In Majors, I really like a guy who ranks near the top in Strokes Gained Approaching the Green. There’s a strong correlation between that and a player’s stroke average. The top five in that category this season are Morikawa, Thomas, Zalatoris, plus Matt Wallace and Russell Henley. Of those five, Wallace is the hottest with four top 25s and two top 10s in his last five starts. So I’m taking Matt Wallace; I’m guessing I’ll be the only one.

2021 PGA Championship: Top 10 power rankings at Kiawah Island. dark. Next

Will Zalatoris

Michael Ellis

Past success at the biggest venue in golf (2nd at the 2021 Masters) only reaffirms this selection at the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. Zalatoris seems to play his best on the biggest stage and the moment never seems too big. Zalatoris this week reminds me a lot of when Justin Thomas captured his first major, the 2017 PGA Championship at the age of 24. Zalatoris, 24, has the moxie and elite ball-striking ability to win this tournament. Zalatoris ranks 3rd in strokes gained approach-the-green, and 7th in strokes gained tee-to-green. I really like his chances this week at the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

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