I never went over my thoughts on the changes to the PGA Tour schedule that went into effect for the 2018-2019 season. It just seemed that everyone had said it all. That being said, the PGA Championship moving to May was the biggest outcome of the changes.
People are not used to change but with the PGA Championship, we should be. It’s been played in almost every month on the calendar in its history. Hell, the format used to be match play. With that history, moving to May fits.
Personally, I like the move. For better or worse, the tournament was languishing in August. People kept treating it as the least important major. I don’t like that treatment at all but everything is tried in the court of public opinion these days. Slotting it as the second major amplifies the importance of the event. When you add the fact that we are coming off of Tiger’s Masters win, the PGA couldn’t be happier.
Additionally, the move should open the tournament to new venues. New York in May is not ideal for this version of the tournament but Southern courses should be back in the running. Previously, trying to go South in August made for brutally hot conditions. I’d love to see PGA’s on the West Coast and throughout the Southeast. Can’t wait to see what we have in store on that front.
As far as picks for this week, like any other time, who knows? I don’t like the forecast for Tiger. Cooler temps mean he won’t be as loose. Also, backing up a major is supremely difficult. Brooks Koepka seems to be rounding into form like usual. I think he will be a factor in majors for a long time to come due to his power game and sufficient putting.
Other than my thoughts on those two, I like the chances for Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy. Really going out on a limb! Bethpage is long and difficult and you need to hit the fairways. Those guys fit the bill. Enjoy the tournament this week. In the meantime, check out my tour of Bethpage here.