Ahhh August. The heat, the summer fun and the last major of golf season; the PGA championship. Though this has been a part of mid-summer for many years, it was established one hundred and two years ago. Since its inception, it has been played at different times of the year. Starting next year it will be played as the second major of the year in the month of May. So for the second week in a row, a historical match is being played for the last time in a place or time that people are used to it being in. Some say change is good, but others love tradition and keeping things the same. Time will tell if fans and players alike agree with and like the changes or not. Until then, let’s take a quick review of the 2018 PGA Championship.
PGA Championship 2018: A Quick Review
Can’t Golf Without a Course
The PGA Championship is being played on the rich Bellerive Country Club, in St. Louis, Missouri. This is the third time the PGA championship has played on this course, and the biggest time as well as it is the 100th anniversary of the event. Golf has a long history steeped in tradition. This course is considered to be one of the best in Missouri and can certainly set the stage well for golf’s elite to perform on. This weekend is predicted to be sunny and very hot, good conditions for the greens to be quick and smooth. But the players must be sure to take care of themselves so they don’t tire quickly.
Rewards of Winning
Of course, winning in itself is an award, for pride, for bragging rights, for the self-confidence in knowing you have excelled in your sport and can best your peers. On top of all that, winning the PGA championship not only can get you noticed by sponsors and news shows, it gets you invited to other prestigious matches next year. This is your ticket in, even if you have a mediocre year so you truly want to be on that list.
Also, a win in any major is going to give you points towards the FedEx cup. Push your standings to be on the Ryder Cup team. Generally, push your overall rating higher than the average win will do. And of course, let’s not forget the largest trophy physically, the iconic Wanamaker trophy. So this is a stage you certainly want to dress up for.
Who Will Walk Away With the Win
We all have our favorites, and we all have our guesses. However, for all our watching and predicting, golf is amazingly unpredictable. Someone who hasn’t had a win all season can get his A-game on at the PGA championship and walk away with a win in a major being his only win of the season, which few would complain about. One of the best groups to watch in the early days is the group of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas. All three of these men have a PGA championship under their belts, so obviously they are names to watch.
However, Justin Thomas is in another trio as well. He along with Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson are the only ones with three wins apiece this season. Certainly, that makes them favorites as well to pull out a victory here. But, golf is evil, beautifully, mysteriously evil at times and with that comes to no guarantees.
Last Word
For the last word is a reminder that this is the last major of the year. There are still plenty of matches after this, but for one of the big wins that everyone covets, this is it for 2018. Tiger is fighting father time and doing amazingly well so far in coming back but has yet to close the deal. Those who want to cement their invitations for next year have one last pass attempt. There are sure to be many highlights over the weekend. Sit back and practice your golf clap.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
