...in the Gateway to the South.
No, it's not an episode of Game of Thrones, it's the USPGA Championship at the Valhalla Club in Louisville, home of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Superb course, a Jack Nicklaus layout, and one that has produced two thriling finishes - both playoffs - in the two majors it has hosted to date, so fingers crossed for similar drama next weekend.
Predictions.
1. Dustin Johnson won't win.
2. Form horses - McIlroy, Garcia and Fowler all seem to have carried their Open form over from England, given last night's scoring at the WGC Bridgestone event. If Fowler finishes top ten here he will be the first player to finish in the top ten of all 4 majors in a season since 2005, and I've got a feeling that both he and Garcia will be more desperate to win their first one than McIlroy will be to win another. Each, in their own way, is overdue, Garcia by a decade or so. As always I shall be rooting for Sergio right through his final-day collapse.
3. Past form - Thomas Bjorn was 3rd here 14 years ago, and was in winning form earlier in the year, but doesn't seem to be doing much at the moment. At the 2008 Ryder Cup held here, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose seemed to enjoy the course, and so too did Jim Furyk, and all of them could be worth a small amount each-way. The last winner here (almost inevitably) was Tiger Woods, but if Tiger was in any sort of form he'd be ripping up the Firestone course this weekend (where he's won eight times) and he isn't, so for once I'm discounting him.
4. Others to look for - Japan still hasn't produced a major champion, and Hideki Matsuyama won around the Memorial Course in May (a similar Jack Nicklaus layout at Muirfield Village). Could be a pointer there. Both the previous PGAs at Valhalla have thrown unknown players onto the top of the final-day leaderboards - Kenny Perry, Bob May - so don't be surprised if this week again pulls someone unknown out of the pack. Russell Henley and Brian Harman are from Georgia, so I guess could be better suited to Kentucky conditions in August.
No, it's not an episode of Game of Thrones, it's the USPGA Championship at the Valhalla Club in Louisville, home of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Superb course, a Jack Nicklaus layout, and one that has produced two thriling finishes - both playoffs - in the two majors it has hosted to date, so fingers crossed for similar drama next weekend.
Predictions.
1. Dustin Johnson won't win.
2. Form horses - McIlroy, Garcia and Fowler all seem to have carried their Open form over from England, given last night's scoring at the WGC Bridgestone event. If Fowler finishes top ten here he will be the first player to finish in the top ten of all 4 majors in a season since 2005, and I've got a feeling that both he and Garcia will be more desperate to win their first one than McIlroy will be to win another. Each, in their own way, is overdue, Garcia by a decade or so. As always I shall be rooting for Sergio right through his final-day collapse.
3. Past form - Thomas Bjorn was 3rd here 14 years ago, and was in winning form earlier in the year, but doesn't seem to be doing much at the moment. At the 2008 Ryder Cup held here, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose seemed to enjoy the course, and so too did Jim Furyk, and all of them could be worth a small amount each-way. The last winner here (almost inevitably) was Tiger Woods, but if Tiger was in any sort of form he'd be ripping up the Firestone course this weekend (where he's won eight times) and he isn't, so for once I'm discounting him.
4. Others to look for - Japan still hasn't produced a major champion, and Hideki Matsuyama won around the Memorial Course in May (a similar Jack Nicklaus layout at Muirfield Village). Could be a pointer there. Both the previous PGAs at Valhalla have thrown unknown players onto the top of the final-day leaderboards - Kenny Perry, Bob May - so don't be surprised if this week again pulls someone unknown out of the pack. Russell Henley and Brian Harman are from Georgia, so I guess could be better suited to Kentucky conditions in August.
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