The First Look: PGA Championship

In the modern era, five golfers have achieved the career grand slam. As in only five. You can count them on one hand. Yet, when Jordan Spieth sets out on his second quest to become the sixth at this week’s PGA Championship, he wouldn’t be the first to complete the task at Bellerive Country Club, site of the 100th edition of the season’s final major. One year after Spieth, who turned 25 on July 27, failed to become the youngest career grand-slam champion – Tiger Woods set the record at the 2000 Open Championship when he prevailed at 24 years of age  – he can join Gary Player, who secured his grand slam at Bellerive in 1965 when the current site was the youngest host of the U.S. Open just five years after it opened. Even though Bellerive hosted the 2008 BMW Championship – that debut of Rees Jones’ modernization of his father’s original build was the first attempt to host PGA TOUR competition since the 2001 World Golf Championships event on the course was canceled because it was scheduled to begin two days after the tragedies of September 11 – the 12 in that field who are scheduled to play this week should get a proper chance to play the course as it’s intended to challenge. For an explanation as to why, what should be expected and much more, scroll past the special full-field ranking. In the bull’s-eye of the best kind of converging trends as the defending champion and winner at Firestone where he ranked third in total driving, T2 in greens hit and first in proximity. Corrected course after a missed cut at Glen Abbey. Fifth at Firestone while co-leading the field in distance of all drives and ranking first outright in strokes gained: tee-to-green, GIR and par-5 scoring. Back-door T3 at the WGC-Bridgestone joins wins at TPC Southwind and Glen Abbey as well as a solo third at Shinnecock Hills in his last five starts. Five top 15s in eight starts in the PGA. While he sat out the WGC-Bridgestone with back spasms, ongoing discomfort didn’t get in the way of him winning the gold medal in Rio two years ago this week. T2 in last start at Carnoustie. The 2015 champ has five straight top 15s in this tournament. Bellerive also caters to his length, but his stronger weapon is his short game and putting. T12-T17-T10 in last three starts. The two-time PGA champion (2012, 2014) stumbled in challenging late at both Augusta National (T5) and Firestone (T6) this season. That’s the only reason why he’s not slotted higher here. Tied for 10th in last week’s WGC-Bridgestone debut. Top 10s in the first three majors of 2018. Ranks 15th in strokes gained: tee-to-green and 24th in proximity to the hole from the rough. The Open champion and three-time winner in his last seven starts has unfinished business at the PGA where he’s perfect in every edition since his debut in 2009. Placed T2 last year. With a T17-2nd-T12 run in the majors, he’s been a persistent presence. Since The Open, he’s added a T6 in Glen Abbey debut and a T14 at Firestone. Tenth in strokes gained: tee-to-green. With PLAYERS title and top 20s in first three majors, he’d be an instant contender for Player of the Year honors with a win at Bellerive. Sixth in strokes gained: putting and leads TOUR in scrambling. It’d be news if he didn’t have our attention. For as common as it is for all touring pros to struggle putting four rounds together, the focus is sharper on him until he wins his first major. Among the best tee-to-green and with muscle. He’s 19th in distance of all drives and 15th in GIR. Second in proximity in Firestone debut en route to a T6. Four top 15s in last five starts. Fifth straight competition since the Scottish Open. Punctuated the same scheduling last year with a T2 in the PGA Championship. Won Masters in April and finished fourth at the U.S. Open. Always lurking and always dangerous on the biggest stages. Co-runner-up last year at Quail Hollow. Seven top 25s in last 10 starts. Ranks 30th in total driving and T2 in proximity. Balanced attack slides well into the profile of what this tournament almost always rewards. Top 15s in two of last three starts. Also 6-for-7 in the PGA Championship with a pair of top 15s. Missed the cut in the last two majors, but placed fourth at the Masters where length can be more valuable than precision off the tee. Currently 11th on TOUR in strokes gained: tee-to-green. Continues to get the most out of his game. The 42-year-old Brit is 24th in strokes gained: tee-to-green and T17 in proximity. A T10 at Firestone where he opened with 62 was 11th top 25 in last 14 starts. A regular on most leaderboards, he’s recorded only one top 10 in 15 appearances at the PGA Championship (T10, 2016). Ranks ninth in adjusted scoring with 11 top 20s in 15 starts this season. Fulfilled his projection at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational with a T3, his fifth top-12 finish since winning the Italian Open two months ago. Ranked T5 in the all-around at Firestone. A constant threat with five straight top 20s upon arrival, including in both of the last two majors. Ranks 28th in strokes gained: tee-to-green and T6 in proximity. Most comfy on bentgrass. POWER RANKINGS: PGA CHAMPIONSHIP RANK PLAYER COMMENT WILD CARD Jordan Spieth … Lost amid his inconsistency is that he actually has improved about one stroke per tournament in putting in the last two months. In terms of results, the anomaly was a T9 at Carnoustie where ShotLink doesn’t measure performance. It’s impossible for him not to think about achieving the career grand slam at Bellerive, but that sets up as a bonus as he’s “distracted” by working on the X’s and O’s necessary to yield it. In that sense, it’s a challenge within a challenge, and that just might bring out his best. NOTE: The remaining 135 golfers in the field of 156 are segregated as seen below. The groupings include all 12 who competed in the 2008 BMW Championship at Bellerive and all 34 tournament debutants. CHALLENGERS If you’d prefer, label them as the snubs from the Power Rankings. Each could appear and few would argue. Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (* – former champion; 2008 BMW Championship finish) Alex Noren *Keegan Bradley Tyrrell Hatton *Tiger Woods Kyle Stanley Matt Kuchar Charl Schwartzel Ryan Moore *Phil Mickelson (T17) Bubba Watson (T28) Hideki Matsuyama Xander Schauffele Bryson DeChambeau Henrik Stenson Kevin Na Adam Scott (T50) SLEEPERS Because it’s a major, loosen the restraints as to who qualifies as a Sleeper. Ignore current world ranking, distant victories in majors and recent inclusion in team competition. Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (* – former champion; ^ – debutant; 2008 BMW Championship finish) Brandt Snedeker Kevin Kisner Gary Woodland Russell Henley Byeong Hun An Branden Grace Russell Knox Chris Kirk Stewart Cink (T60) *Jimmy Walker Thomas Pieters Billy Horschel Anirban Lahiri Brian Harman Ryan Fox *Jason Dufner ^Austin Cook Peter Uihlein ^Justin Harding Andy Sullivan QUESTION MARKS This cuts both ways. For golfers who have yet to scale to a position from which they can disappoint, they remain full of promise. On the other side of the ledger are talents, many of whom household names, who present negatively for any number of reasons. The doubt includes, but is not limited to, form upon arrival, course fit, history in majors, overall career trajectory and relative inexperience in the face of higher expectations. ARROW UP Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (* – former champion; ^ – debutant; 2008 BMW Championship finish) Si Woo Kim Rafa Cabrera Bello Charles Howell III Charley Hoffman (T60) ^Beau Hossler ^Joaquin Niemann Luke List Kiradech Aphibarnrat Danny Willett ^Paul Dunne Eddie Pepperell Shane Lowry Jamie Lovemark Chris Wood Hao Tong Li Dylan Frittelli Brian Gay (T13) Jason Kokrak ^Julian Suri ^J.J. Spaun Nick Watney ^Ollie Schniederjans Scott Brown ^Andrew Putnam Chris Stroud ^Andrew Landry Yuta Ikeda ^Mike Lorenzo-Vera ^Michael Kim ^Seungsu Han ^Jorge Campillo ^Adrian Otaegui ^Whee Kim ^Shugo Imahira ^Mikko Korhonen Troy Merritt (since winning the Barbasol Championship, had surgery to remove a blood clot in his left arm) *Vijay Singh (T44) *Y.E. Yang ARROW DOWN Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (* – former champion; ^ – debutant; 2008 BMW Championship finish) Matthew Fitzpatrick Pat Perez Kevin Chappell J.B. Holmes (T33) Emiliano Grillo Brendan Steele Daniel Berger Chesson Hadley Ross Fisher Jhonattan Vegas Cameron Smith Scott Piercy Sergio Garcia (T20) Patton Kizzire James Hahn Brandon Stone Alexander Levy *Martin Kaymer Bill Haas Ted Potter, Jr. Jordan L. Smith *Davis Love III ^Ryuko Tokimatsu *Padraig Harrington (T55) Satoshi Kodaira ^Shubhankar Sharma Jim Furyk (T3) ^Matt Wallace Chez Reavie (T33) ^Yusaku Miyazato Adam Hadwin (withdrew before the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational with a hip injury) *Shaun Micheel *John Daly Thomas Bjørn *Rich Beem DEBUTANTS The last five first-timers who weren’t slotted in a previous grouping are ranked below. Unlike other tournaments and majors, the PGA Championship doesn’t discriminate against the absence of experience. As a point of reference, 11 of the 75 who survived last year’s cut were making their tournament debuts. Jordan L. Smith (T9) and Grayson Murray (T22) led the charge. Notables included Patrick Cantlay (T33), Bryson DeChambeau (T33) and Jon Rahm (T58). Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence Aaron Wise Alexander Björk Ryan Armour Sungjae Im Brice Garnett SENIOR PGA Paul Broadhurst qualified when he won the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in late May. The Englishman, who will turn 53 on Aug. 14, missed the cut in the PGA Championship in both of his previous appearances (1997, 2006). He’ll go into the record books as the last automatic qualifier via that senior major before the PGA Championship shifts to May in 2019. Next year’s Senior PGA Championship will be held on May 23-26, the week after the next edition of the PGA Championship. PGA PROFESSIONALS Twenty PGA professionals are included in the field of 156 every year. Their national championship was conducted in June. In the last six editions of the PGA Championship, only Brian Gaffney (71st, 2015) and Omar Uresti (T73, 2017) survived the cut. Uresti is unique in that he also has Veteran Membership on the PGA TOUR, so he collected FedExCup points at last year’s PGA Championship. He’s back again this year. One of the most intriguing qualifiers is Michael Block, who is making his third appearance. With his son, Dylan, on the bag for the first time, Michael wound up advancing to Bellerive via a 9-for-5 playoff. He was raised and went to high school nearby. Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (@-current PGA TOUR member; %-former PGA TOUR member; # of prior appearances in parentheses) @Omar Uresti (3) Matt Dobyns (4) %Bob Sowards (9) Ryan Vermeer (1) Michael Block (2) David Muttitt (3) Danny Balin (4) %Matt Borchert (0) Johan Kok (3) Jason Schmuhl (1) Sean McCarty (0) Jaysen Hansen (1) %Craig Bowden (0) Marty Jertson (2) Brian Smock (1) Rich Berberian, Jr. (2) Craig Hocknull (0) Zach J. Johnson (0) … Note the inclusion of his middle initial. This is so as not to be confused with two-time major champion Zach Johnson. Ben Kern (0) Shawn Warren (0) NOTE: Graham DeLaet (back surgery), Bernd Wiesberger (wrist) and Lee Westwood (undisclosed) are not competing due to injury. After waiting seven years post-9/11 to host the BMW Championship in 2008, Bellerive’s anticipation extended an additional day due to the impact of Hurricane Gustav. Thanks to the limited field, all four rounds were completed within three days for the traditional Sunday finish that yielded Camilo Villegas’ breakthrough victory in wire-to-wire fashion. However, his winning score of 15-under 265 didn’t reflect the bite the Bellerive had promised. The field of 68 in 2008 averaged 69.371 on the stock par 70. Targets off the tee played wider, thus surrendering more than nine fairways hit per golfer per round. Furthermore, the bentgrass greens, which are quite large but segmented, were also quite receptive as the field averaged nearly 12.5 greens in regulation per round. If you dove further to examine between the lines, the data not only would support those broad strokes, it would reveal even easier opportunities to score. So, it’s not overstating to suggest that even the most patient of golfers and fans finally get to see what makes Bellerive tick. Thankfully, mostly favorable weather conditions are expected throughout the tournament. Warm and muggy St. Louis air will blanket the 7,316-yard layout. Wind won’t be a factor. Not unlike Augusta National Golf Club, most of the holes at Bellerive that bend turn to the left. Only the 597-yard par-5 17th curves to the right. After navigating “The Ridge” – holes 14, 15 and 16 known for primo viewing locations – it’s on the penultimate hole where the field of 156 will want to be in position to prevail. The par-4 18th ranked as the hardest in the 2008 BMW. It tips at 457 yards this week. With unfamiliar greens for most of the field, putting takes a back seat to total driving and proximity to the hole. Because of the size of the surfaces, great putters will have opportunities to shine, but they won’t want to be lining up approaches from three-inch fescue rough that frames most sightlines off tees. Water hazards also are in play on eight of the holes. Put it all together and course management sits atop the list of priorities to capture the Wanamaker Trophy. When the tournament concludes, the shortest turnaround time before the next PGA Championship in a couple of generations will begin. Bethpage State Park’s Black Course will host the next edition on May 16-19, 2019. It will mark the first time since late February of 1971 when the PGA Championship isn’t contested in the summertime. Its move to May means that it will slot as the second major of the 2018-19 season. It’ll be the first time since 1949 that the tournament will be held in the month. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton reviews and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Fantasy Insider, Facebook Live WEDNESDAY: One & Done * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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Editor’s note: Contributions can be made via GoFundMe at www.gofundme.com/jarrod-lyles-girls. These funds are intended to be rolled into a trust for Jarrod’s daughters, Lusi and Jemma. On the first tee at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in mid-November 2013, Jarrod Lyle could feel the tears forming in his eyes. It had been 20 months since he’d played in a competitive golf tournament, and there he was, inside the ropes, family and friends watching him prepare to hit his opening drive in the Talisker Masters, a PGA Tour of Australasia event. Everybody understood the significance of the moment, but kids tend to really bring out the emotion. So, when daughter Lusi, not quite 2, reached out from her mother’s arms to give her dad a hug, Lyle’s vision became blurry. “That was the end of me, once that happened, I was an absolute mess,â€� Lyle told the media afterward. “I hit that first tee shot with tears all through my eyes.â€� On that overcast day in Melbourne, Lyle had to fight back tears. Then again, fighting was something Lyle had become accustomed to since he received his initial leukemia diagnosis as a teenager. For more than half of his life, Lyle dealt with and fought the disease that begins in the bone marrow cells and spreads through blood. The battle, which lasted nearly 20 years, into adulthood and for a good part of his professional golf career, ended with his death Wednesday at 8:20 p.m. local time at his home in Melbourne, surrounded by his wife and daughters. Lyle was 36, and while doctors said he was cancer-free, his body had been ravaged by years of medication and just last week he chose to end treatments and leave the hospital. “It breaks my heart to tell everyone that Jarrod is no longer with us,” his wife Briony wrote in a statement from the family. “He passed away peacefully at 8.20 p.m. last night having spent his final week in Torquay among his family and close friends. “(Daughters) Lusi, Jemma and I are filled with grief and now must confront our lives without the greatest husband and father we could ever have wished for. “At the same time, we have been blessed and overwhelmed with the messages and actions of support from around the world and feel comforted that Jarrod was able to happily impact so many people throughout his life. Our humble thanks to you all. “Jarrod was able to take in many of the unbelievably kind and generous acts and words in his final few days and was overwhelmed by the emotional outpouring. “He asked that I provide a simple message: ‘Thanks for your support, it meant the world. My time was short, but if I’ve helped people think and act on behalf of those families who suffer through cancer, hopefully it wasn’t wasted.’ “We will hold an intimate and private family service in the coming days. There will be a public memorial service at The Sands in Torquay at a date to be announced later. As per Jarrod’s wish, please donate to Challenge in lieu of gifts or flowers.â€� For weeks, the PGA TOUR community had braced for the awful news, but it didn’t make it any easier to accept. “We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Jarrod Lyle. Jarrod was a true inspiration in the way he faced cancer with a persistently positive attitude and he carried himself with incredible grace, dignity and courage through the recurrences of this relentless disease,â€� said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Despite facing such adversity, Jarrod maintained his passion for golf and continued to pursue his professional career and we were fortunate to have him on the PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour. I’m sure Jarrod’s strength and ability to persevere can be largely attributed to love and devotion to his family, as well as the support of his many friends, including his fellow professionals. “The entire PGA TOUR family offers our heartfelt sympathy to Jarrod’s wife, Briony, and daughters, Lusi and Jemma. We pledge to them that Jarrod will never be forgotten; we will continue to honor his life and legacy, and that includes helping to support the needs of his family in the months and years to come.â€� As a professional golfer and a public figure, Lyle openly lived with his cancer, during both treatments and remission. As a 17-year-old, Lyle generated media attention with his sickness because of the promising golfer he was and because of the relationship he developed with PGA TOUR player and fellow Aussie Robert Allenby. Lyle’s idol, Allenby took an interest in the teenager while Lyle was confined to bed for nine months while undergoing chemotherapy treatments at Royal Children’s Hospital. Allenby, who was inspired to get heavily involved in a charitable foundation called Challenge Cancer Support Network when a childhood friend died of cancer, provided encouragement to the 17-year-old Lyle to continue pursuing his golf dreams. Though it took him a full year before he had the strength and energy to walk a golf course again, Lyle did Allenby proud. At 20, he accepted a golf scholarship to the Victorian Institute of Sport, which only helped progress his career. With his cancer in remission, Lyle won the prestigious Lake Macquarie Amateur in Australia in 2003, then he successfully defended in 2004. Lyle turned pro later in ’04 and within a year, people began taking notice when he tied for third at the European Tour’s Heineken Classic in Melbourne, finishing a stroke out of the Craig Parry-Nick O’Hern playoff. Two weeks later, Lyle was playing in back-to-back Web.com Tour events in Australia and New Zealand, his 67-67 start at the New Zealand PGA Championship raising additional eyebrows when he held a share of the 36-hole lead with Peter O’Malley. Though he would eventually fade into a share of 22nd, Lyle had acquitted himself nicely in a field that include future PGA TOUR winners such as Brandt Snedeker, Bubba Watson, Charley Hoffman, Jason Dufner, and fellow Aussie Steven Bowditch, who lost in a playoff to O’Malley that week, but embraced a long-time friendship with Lyle. “Your fight, courage and demeanor is something that generations will look back at, admired and taught,â€� Bowditch recently tweeted. “Your legacy will forever live on. Rest easy, mate.â€� The good play in New Zealand helped open doors for Lyle, who became a full-fledged Web.com Tour member in 2006. He played in 21 tournaments, made 17 cuts, and posted seven top-10s, including a tie for fourth at the Jacob’s Creek Open and a tie for second at the ING New Zealand PGA Championship in his first two starts as a member. At 24, Lyle was a professional golfer on the rise and while his 18th-place finish on the Web.com Tour money list brought him a PGA TOUR card for 2007, the real highlight to his ’06 season came when he earned a spot into The Open Championship via an international qualifier. Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England, was the venue that summer and while a blistering sun enveloped everyone, it shined brightest on Lyle and his idol, Allenby, as they played a practice round together. “This is what I want to do. It’s all I wanted to do,â€� Lyle told a pair of reporters off the 18th green. “I’ve come a long way.â€� Though his rookie year on the PGA TOUR didn’t go well – Lyle finished 183rd in the inaugural FedExCup standings – he tackled his return to the Web.com Tour in 2008 with an upbeat sense of confidence that would become his trademark. There was a breakthrough with two victories, beating Matt Every by five in the Mexico Open, and defeating Chris Kirk in a playoff at the Knoxville Open. Following his victory in Morelia, Mexico, Lyle said, “Today was by far the best I’ve played in a long time. I was never out of position. I was never in danger of making a bogey. It was one of those days when everything seemed to come together at the right time. This victory is for my family who has been so supportive of me. I’m just a little sad they’re not here to see it.â€� Lyle returned to the PGA TOUR in 2009 and was primarily a PGA TOUR player after that, recording five top-10s between 2009 and 2012. At the 2012 Mayakoba Classic in Mexico, Lyle posted two rounds of 69 and tied for 37th despite playing the weekend at El Camaleon Golf Club with an abscess on his arm that hampered his swing. While Lyle thought it was merely the result of an insect bite, Allenby – who went on to lose the tournament to John Huh in an eight-hole playoff – encouraged his friend to see a doctor. “The first thing I told him was to head back to his home in Orlando and see a doctor,â€� Allenby wrote in a tribute to Lyle in Players Voice, an Australia sports publication. Allenby said doctors in Orlando didn’t detect anything, but he insisted his young friend go back home to Melbourne. “You’re heading back for the birth of your baby anyway. Golf will always be here. Don’t worry about that. Your health is the most important thing.â€� Down Under, the news was crushing. The cancer had returned, so at 33, Lyle got back into the fight. His unyielding spirit strong as ever, he battled brilliantly and returned to competitive golf at the Talisker Masters in 2013. He played in four Web.com Tour tournaments in 2014, then 10 PGA TOUR stops in 2014-15 and 10 more in 2015-16. It was a brutal challenge, however, as cancer had sucked away so much of his strength. It just didn’t put a dent in his attitude. “Jarrod was just one of the best blokes there is,â€� said fellow Aussie Adam Scott. “I haven’t met a more positive person.â€� The positive attitude was infectious. You felt honored to be in Lyle’s company, even as you realized the battle he was waging was taking its toll. The PGA TOUR bestowed on Lyle its Courage Award in 2015, only the second time it had presented it to a player (two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton the other). That same year, the Golf Writers Association of America named Lyle the organization’s Ben Hogan Award winner, presented to a person who continues to be active in golf despite a physical handicap or serious illness. It was the third recurrence of the cancer that led to more treatments and ultimately Lyle’s death, though not without more fight. In early December 2017, Lyle once again underwent stem-cell transplant surgery. A month later, the PGA TOUR announced it had launched a fundraising campaign for the Lyle family to help defray costs associated with his treatment, that included a third bone marrow transplant. “It’s of utmost importance for the PGA TOUR family and the golf community to come together and help Jarrod and his family both spiritually and financially during ‘January for Jarrod’ month,â€� said PGA TOUR Executive Vice President and Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer Andy Pazder, at the time. “Jarrod would be the first player to support others in their time of need, and now it’s our turn to help.â€� The PGA TOUR community responded and even as the news out of Australia grew increasingly bleak this summer, his fellow pros echoed words of strength, knowing Jarrod Lyle had shown nothing less. “Someone like Jarrod, he’s someone that no matter what’s going on with him, how he’s feeling, how he’s playing, he made your day better,â€� said Rickie Fowler, who joined with the entire 71-player field at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational last week to wear yellow ribbons in honor of Lyle’s fight. “He’s given everything he’s had from the first time he (was diagnosed) with leukemia.â€� Perhaps no one stood in Lyle’s corner more fervently than Allenby, who joined colleagues in wearing yellow ribbons at the Barracuda Championship in Reno, Nev. The words were tough to speak, but Allenby’s emotions poured forth in his beautiful essay in Players Voice. “It’s hard to think right now,â€� Allenby wrote. “My mind has been so bloody clouded these last few days. All the emotions. I haven’t been myself for quite a while. But here’s what I do know: In life, you don’t have too many top-quality friends, ones you can trust, ones you can call upon. You can count them on one hand. Jarrod’s on that hand for me. There’s a bond and a trust that I will cherish forever. “I love him like a brother and count myself fortunate that I have had him in my life for this long. He’s a top bloke and an inspiration to millions. He is loved and admired all around the world. I hope he is pain-free and at peace. He is, and will always be, my hero.â€�

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He hasn’t played much the past five months. The playoffs are coming. There are two more majors in 2020. So how does Tiger Woods prepare for what’s next?

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