The last major of 2017 is upon us. I am pretty excited about the 2017 PGA Championship due to the proximity. I won’t be able to make it up to the event, but Quail Hollow is a course I have walked around plenty. It will be a great challenge to the pros and always seems to crown impressive winners.
Before I get into the picks, I wanted to take a moment to address the recent news that the PGA Championship is going to move to May. I think this is a great idea for a few reasons.
First, it opens up the tournament for many more venues. Courses in the south and west can definitely host more easily. One thing I like about the PGA is that it tends to go to newer venues even though the US Open has been changing its tune on that front. The new date may allow viewers to see tracks they wouldn’t otherwise. Let’s get back to Riviera and Champions Golf Club. Let’s see new places in California, Texas, Oklahoma, and the Carolinas.
Second, football is king in September. NEWSFLASH!!! I’m not the first person to share this opinion, but golf should end by early September and give these guys a break. I miss the Silly Season and Fall events that are low stress for everyone but guys fighting for their cards. I want to see more mixed team events, more events with players mic’ed up, and more events that are just different from 72-hole stroke play. Bonus opinion: Will this allow us to bring back the Skins Game? Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Third, this sets up an action-packed stretch of golf from March to August. The Players, The Masters, and onward. I’m all for it! Then when the calendar hits September I can be all-in on football with the exception of the Presidents/Ryder Cups. Coincidentally those tournaments make for great tailgate viewing.
Alright, now on to who I think will take home the hardware. I will stick with my initial pick at the beginning of the year. Rickie Fowler kicks in the door and wins. My reasoning? Quail is a place he has had success and I just think his time in coming. If not now, within the next two years.
Other players that I think will be in the mix…
- Rory McIlroy – He should live at Quail Hollow. He plays the course extremely well and seems to always be in contention here. I almost wanted to pick him to win.
- Hideki Matsuyama – Guy is just on fire right now.
- Jordan Spieth – He always seems to be around the lead anyway, but I don’t think he completes the Career Slam this time. Contrary to popular belief, it is hard.
I’m not picking a dark horse is going to win this tournament. A lot of big-name guys have decent form coming into the tournament. Let’s sit back and enjoy what hopefully is a great event at the 2017 PGA Championship.
Jimmy, well stated. Fowler keeps knocking on the door and one of these days he’s going to break it down. I agree on Spieth; all the pressure is on him to be the youngest to get the career grand slam and he’s a great pressure player but it’s too much to ask. I’ll go with Rory this week in a tight one over Dustin Johnson.
Great points on the new schedule. They are also cutting the playoffs from four to three events which is good. Truth be told, I wouldn’t care if they eliminated the playoffs all together because it’s always been about major victories.
Thanks and enjoy the action!
Brian
I like the playoffs as long as they’re done by early September.
Don’t understand this logic re opening up more courses to host the PGA. Mid-may…..will Whistling Straits, Oak Hill, Hazeltine, Oakland Hills, or other new courses in those types of areas be in tip top shape by mid-May? Maybe they will (perhaps they will just not allow any play prior to the PGA, but you still need weather to cooperate–a late winter into mid-April could be a problem). Also, I remember the PGA Tiger won at Southern Hills. It was a million degrees. I feel like you can still host tourneys at a lot of these tracks and put up with the heat–I imagine Charlotte is going to be 90 and as humid as a swamp. Let the fellas wear shorts if the mercury goes above 90. I do agree, though, that it makes this major a bit less of a dud. But I also am not sure how I feel about having the British be the last major of the season. I love the British (probably second after the Masters), but it is often hard to watch a lot of it given the timing. I don’t like the last major of the season being one that is the hardest to watch–it is like you do not get a proper goodbye to the major season.
I think those courses would be fine. They don’t get much play and their budgets are hefty. I actually read an article on how Bethpage looked in May and it would seem to be fine. If they are a bit flexible with May date most places would be fine by mid to late May. Those hot PGA’s are fine, but those courses are in better shape in May. I think the flow of the schedule is better and I am not really beholden to the order. The British is only hard to watch during the week. Just gotta get up early on the weekends!