One thing is clear from the field for this week’s PGA Championship: there are indeed many decent possibilities when scooping up people who are likely to lift the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday night. The 2021 PGA Championship will be held at the Ocean Course of Kiawah Island.
The Kiawah Island fairways are not as easy as they would seem, especially with the array of players on the ground with various degrees of successes and still hunting for more. Every PGA Championship always presents you with names. If you are neutral, the fun would be the game, but if you’re about to stick your neck out for specific players, the odds will interest you. You should be backing your sentiment with some analysis of who could be winning this weekend’s PGA Championship.
The words are out there, the names have gathered, here is why any of these players could be winning this weekend:
Rory McIlroy:
Rory must win this championship to complete a career Grand Slam after his win at Augusta. Coming off the back of an excellent display in Charlotte, Rory is mentally prepared for this. It will not be an easy run, but the chance to join Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead as a three-time winner of this big championship will be motivation indeed. Although some have felt it would be challenging to produce a back-to-back win.
Jordan Spieth
The season has remained unpredictable, with several first-time winners laying claim to titles and upsetting the apple cart. Some long-time champions are also making a comeback to win one more time. On this premise, if any name should be thrown into the mix, it is Jordan Spieth. After his latest success, finishing top 10 at Byron Nelson, Spieth looks like one player targeting a career Grand Slam at Kiawah.
Xander Schauffele
Schauffele has been knocking on the doors consistently in the last set of championships since winning his last title in January 2019. He has been a top draw in each of the last 15 major championships by recording a top-10 finish on eight occasions. Throughout last month, Xander did not play many games; however, he has been a player who always appears to gear up to the challenge at majors. His speciality in getting sneaky long ‘off the tee’ would put him at an advantage for this championship – he presently ranks 26th with an excellent driving distance of 306.3 yards. Will Xander Schauffele finally find his footing again at Kiawah Island?
Justin Thomas
Two things would count for Justin if he put them to his full advantage. He is not new to winning a major. With the championship, he would be targeting his second career major. Justin is a player who is used to playing in tough conditions, and has plenty of tough conditions experience and a lot of confidence. He has a reputation for taking good shots in these kinds of situations. Besides being a tough guy, Carolinas have always treated him well in majors. This is where he won his first and only major. The only drawback to this championship would be how he recovers from the dreadful performance he had at Augusta. If he must win his second major and shrug off that disappointment quickly.
Jon Rahm
Jon has remained an underachiever by not having a major to his name despite his promise and effort. The clamour for him to get a win always brings some extra pressure at every championship. In recent weeks, Jon has missed the cut at the Wells Fargo and Byron Nelson, where he finished at T34. However before then, he managed to turn up the heat. A top-10 finish in four consecutive tournaments, with one of them being a T5 at a master, cannot be disregarded. This suggests that Rahm, who is a big hitter, is in good standing for Sunday. His perks for hotshot would sync perfectly for Kiawah, where the fairways are generous and suitable for making attacking strides. If there is one place Rahm can secure his first major championship, the Ocean Course looks favourable.
Max Homa
While several names have been tipped – Rahm, Rory, Xander – considerable thought must be given to Max Homa. Homa becomes a contender who should be taken seriously because of who he has on his bag this weekend. Homa has Jim “Bones” Mackay at his disposal, which amounts to a wealth of experience to back him. Bones has survived several major championships, most remarkably riding with Phil Mickelson. This would have a significant impact on him. Besides the technical support available to him, Homa has had an exciting year. He has bagged titles with Tiger Woods earlier in the year and won the Genesis Invitational. All these could culminate in his success and could see him recording seven top 25 finishes in his past ten tournaments. He deserves attention!
