Scottie Scheffler He is the world number 1, he became the father of a boy on May 8 and there is no doubt the man to beat at Valhalla Golf Club, in Louisville (Kentucky), the venue for the US PGA. Scheffler already has four victories this year: the Arnold Palmer, The Players, the Masters and the Heritage. A fifth might be added: Bennett, his first child.
Rory McIlroy He is world no.
The defending champion Brooks Koepkarecovered from a 45th place finish at the Masters by achieving a ‘reparative’ victory at LIV Golf in Singapore.
Jordan Spieth needed by the PGA to become the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam. Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have won the Masters, US Open, British and PGA at least once. Bobby Jones was the first to bring together the then ‘great’ British and US Open and British and US Amateur.
When Scheffler steps off the 1st tee soon, he will try to become the first player since Jordan Spieth in 2015 to win the first two majors of the year (then the Masters and US Open and now the Masters and PGA).
McIlroy arrived at Valhalla the same week he filed for divorce from his wife after 7 years of marriage, in a move few outside his orbit saw coming. In his pre-tournament press conference he refused to take questions on the issue, which was published on Monday. When asked how he feels on a personal level, his response was short. “Last week he shot a 65 on Sunday to beat Xander Schauffele to win his 26th PGA Tour title.” Two weeks earlier, Rory and Shane Lowry won the circuit’s only tag team event in New Orleans. The last player to claim his third straight victory on the ‘major’ circuit was the Northern Irishman in 2014, when he won the British, the world series’ Bridgestone Invitational, and the PGA.
A victory this Sunday for Koepka would mean his fourth PGA title, tying him with Tiger Woods and only one behind Jack Nicklaus in the stroke-play era that began in 1958 (the match was first played). Koepka, who values the ‘big ones’ above all else, has as many wins in those tournaments (5) as he does in regular events in the US and Europe before leaving for LIV Golf in 2022. This also will mark his second straight PGA win. He won his first two at Bellerive and Bethpage in 2018-19. He better compared Valhalla to Bethpage. “Here and at Bethpage, if you miss a fairway, then there’s a good chance you’re not going to get to the green,” he said. “That’s a common trait that the PGA has been playing lately when it comes to preparing courses.”
Spieth hasn’t played much this year – his only top-five finish came at the season-opening Tournament of Champions in Maui, Hawaii – but no one has the gift to do anything quite like Spieth, who has been accumulating the Masters, the US Open and the British Open. Spieth has not won a major since 2017 at Royal Birkdale in England. “I know,” the Texan said of a career-long Grand Slam quest now in its eighth year. “It’s very cool, but I’ll take any and all possible majors wherever they come from,” he added.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Jason Root, a professional writer working with Today Times Live, the premier news website. I specialize in sports writing, covering the biggest stories in the world of athletics. With an eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, I provide engaging and informative articles that capture the key elements of any event or issue. My work has been featured on numerous respected websites and publications around the world.
