Featured Groups: PGA Championship

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jordan Spieth will begin his quest for the career grand slam by playing with the other two major winners this season in the traditional featured group at the PGA Championship. Spieth, last month’s Open Championship winner, will play with Masters champ Sergio Garcia and U.S. Open champ Brooks Koepka in the first two rounds at Quail Hollow. Spieth had the same honor two years ago at Whistling Straits after winning the season’s first two majors. He played with then-Open champ Zach Johnson, along with Rory McIlroy, who was the defending PGA champ. Spieth, incidentally, finished second that week to Jason Day. The PGA Championship begins Thursday, with television coverage on TNT scheduled from 1 p.m.-7 p.m. ET in the first two rounds, and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday. CBS will pick up coverage on the weekend starting at 2 p.m. With the FedExCup Playoffs beginning in two weeks, the PGA Championship offers an opportunity to make a move inside the top 125 who will advance to the Playoffs. FedExCup points are increased this week, with 600 points going to the winner. Here’s a look at some of the featured groups in the first two rounds (FedExCup rankings in parentheses): MORE: Tee times Jordan Spieth (2), Brooks Koepka (7), Sergio Garcia (20) – Since 2000, four previous winners of a major that season have gone on to win the PGA – Tiger Woods in 2000 and 2006, Padraig Harrington in 2008 and Rory McIlroy in 2014. This is the second consecutive year that Spieth and Garcia have been paired in the first two rounds of the PGA. Meanwhile, Spieth and Koepka are paired together for the first time in 2017. Tee times: Rd. 1 – 8:25 a.m. ET off 10th tee; Rd. 2 – 1:35 p.m. ET off 1st tee Dustin Johnson (3), Jason Day (52), Henrik Stenson (84) – Each player will be trying to get their mojo back. Johnson was the dominant force going into the Masters, with three straight wins, but has struggled to match that form since the off-course injury at Augusta. Day hasn’t won since the 2016 THE PLAYERS Championship, and Stenson hasn’t won since last year’s Open Championship. Tee times: Rd. 1 – 8:35 a.m. ET off 10th tee; Rd. 2 – 1:45 p.m. ET off 1st tee Jason Dufner (22), Phil Mickelson (45), Jimmy Walker (98) – Walker, the defending champ, showed signs of life in the first two rounds last week at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational before sliding back on the weekend. Dufner’s best major is usually the PGA – he has a win and two other top-5s. Mickelson has never won at Quail Hollow, but he does have nine top-10s in 13 career starts. Tee times: Rd. 1 – 1:25 p.m. ET off 1st tee; Rd. 2 – 8:15 a.m. ET off 10th tee Jon Rahm (5), Rickie Fowler (6), Rory McIlroy (43) – Based on his course history, McIlroy might be the favorite this week – in seven starts at Quail Hollow, he has six top-10s, including two wins. Fowler also has won at Quail Hollow, and was fourth at the Wells Fargo Championship a year ago. Rahm, meanwhile, is making his first start at the course. Tee times: Rd. 1 – 1:35 p.m. ET off 1st tee; Rd. 2 – 8:25 a.m. ET off 10th tee Other notables Hideki Matsuyama, Sunday winner at Bridgestone after his sizzling final-round 61, is playing with Ernie Els and Ian Poulter … Past PGA Championship winners Davis Love III, Keegan Bradley and Padraig Harrington are in the same group … Reigning PLAYERS champion Si Woo Kim is paired with Billy Horschel and Matthew Fitzpatrick … Matt Kuchar was the runner-up at The Open Championship; Justin Rose was the runner-up at the Masters. They’re together with Brandt Snedeker, who has nine career top-10s in majors.

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