Jon Rahm, to continue making history in a pending subject for Spanish

So far, the second single position for the Castellón native Sergio Garcia in 1999 -second only to Tiger Woods– continues to be the best finish by a Spanish golfer in US PGAthe younger brother of grand slamwhich is being played for the fourth time since this Thursday (Movistar Golf live) at Oak Hill CC, in Rochester (NY). Sergio also tied for 2nd in 2008 -he led by three shots with 9 holes remaining and was won by Irishman Padraig Harrington- and 3rd ex aequo in 2006. Then a tie for 4th for Txema Olazabal in 2000 and the 4th also ex aequo of Jon Rahm in 2018. Seve Ballesteros he was 5th in 1984.

The truth is that the PGA continues to be banned as a result of Spanish golf, the pending issue, the only major tournament missing from the Armada, although Rahm, with four wins this season, including Augustan Mastersis closer than far to winning this Grand Slam and repaying an old debt in addition to making history.

In his first tournament since finishing second in his title defense at the Mexico Open at Vidanta, Rahm is looking to become the first player to win back-to-back majors since Jordan Spieth I did it in 2015 (Masters, US Open). Rahm has made the cut in the last 16 majors, the longest active streak (last missed cut in a major: PGA Championship 2019).

A month after his victory at Augusta, the number one in the world is the top seed in the PGA Championship, with permission from Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, as well as leaders of the dissident LIV circuit. Everyone wants to put up a lot of battle with him.

When it comes time to hit the ball on the 10th tee this Thursday at 2:33 pm Spanish peninsular time, there will be three notable absences at Oak Hill, near Rochester, in New York state, on the border with neighboring Canada: Tiger Woods, the 15-time major winner who underwent repeat surgery on his right ankle last month to treat arthritis from a post-traumatic talus fracture; Sergio García, several times leading 10. Surprisingly, the talented actor of the 1999 edition in Medinah (Chicago). AND Will Zalatoriswho lost against Justin Thomas in a tiebreaker last year — he’s the only top-100 absent from Oak Hill this week while recovering from back surgery.

For the rest, Rahm will try to win his third Grand Slam, after the inauguration of his account in US Open in 2021. But it is rarely put on green jacket in Augusta and then follow up with the USPGA title. Only Sam Snead (1949), Jack Burke Jr (1956) and the legendary Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1975) have done so..

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, whom he replaced on the world throne after sprinting to three in the first quarter, are his great rivals. Scheffler finished 5th at his hometown Byron Nelson last week. Scottie, who won the TPC by five strokes in March, has two top-10 finishes in three starts at the PGA Championship (Q4/2020, Q8/2021; cutoff/2022).

Rory McIlroy, a two-time winner of the PGA Championship (2012 and 2014), finished in the top 10 at all four majors in 2022 but missed the cut at Augusta. 17th in the FedExCup standings, he boasts this 2023 victory and two other top-three finishes (T2/Arnold Palmer Invitational, 3rd/WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play) in eight tournaments this season.

Defending champion and two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas (2017, 2022) is looking to become the first player to successfully defend a major title since Brooks Koepka at the 2019 PGA Championship.

with a winner, Jordan Spietha 13-time winner on the PGA Tour, will be sixth player to win the Career Grand Slam, joining Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen. Spieth won the 2015 Masters, the US Open the same year and the 2017 British Open. This is his seventh PGA appearance and the closest he came was in 2019 (tied 3rd). He arrived with a wrist injury.

Oak Hill will host its seventh Grand Slam, but the first since the 2013 PGA Championship, which was won by Jason Dufner. The course, designed by Donald Ross, was renovated by Andrew Green in 2020. It will be played some 250 meters longer than it was 10 years ago and includes three completely new holes. Only seven players in this week’s field of 156 players played the 2003 game at Oak Hill won by Shaun Michael. Only once in the past decade has a player ranked outside the Top 50 in the world won the Wanamaker Trophy: collin morikawa in 2020, entering this week in 16th place. Brooks Koepka holder of the tournament record for strokes: 264, set in 2018. And dustin johnson is coming off a win at LIV Golf Tulsa.