Spieth chasing career slam, SA players laying low at PGA Championship

Jordan Spieth, chasing a career Grand Slam, confirmed on Wednesday that he will play in the PGA Championship after two days of practice at Oak Hill testing his injured left wrist.

The three-time major winner smashed tee shots, short irons and wedges from the thick rough and played nine-hole rounds with defending champion Justin Thomas on Wednesday.

Spieth skipped last week’s PGA Tour event in his hometown of Dallas due to “severe pain” in his wrist but pronounced himself ready for the challenge of a major showdown.

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“I wouldn’t play if I didn’t think I was in good enough shape to play,” Spieth told The Golf Channel. “I just don’t have the reps I’d like to have going into a major but I’m happy to be able to play because I certainly didn’t think so a week ago.”

Spieth will make a seventh attempt to join the players who have won every major at least once, a list that includes Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan.

Spieth’s best result in the event was a runner-up finish in 2015 and his best showing with the career Slam at stake was a share of third in 2019.

Cold conditions and possible frost are in Thursday’s forecast with rain predicted to arrive Friday night with showers through the weekend.

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World number one Jon Rahm, who won last month’s Masters, tries for his second consecutive major victory.

Second-ranked Scottie Scheffler, last year’s Masters champion and this year’s Players Championship winner, would overtake Rahm for the rankings lead with a victory. 

Third-ranked Rory McIlroy, a four-time major winner from Northern Ireland, seeks his first major crown since 2014. He took a mental health break after missing the cut at the Masters and played only one tune-up event before the PGA Championship.

SA quartet

South Africa’s top-ranked golfer, world No 77 Christiaan Bezuidenhout, will lead a low-key South African charge, as four players look to spring a surprise by putting up a fight.

Bezuidenhout will be playing in the ninth Major of his career and his fourth successive PGA Championship. The SA contingent also features 26-year-old prospect Thriston Lawrence, who has won three times on the European Tour; experienced campaigner Dean Burmester, who finished in a tie for 11th place at last year’s British Open; and Ockie Strydom, making his top-flight debut.

It’s a long shot, but the SA quartet will be looking to claim the first South African victory in more than 50 years at the PGA Championship.

They will also be dreaming of ending a lengthy Majors drought. While the country lifted 22 top-flight trophies between 1949 and 2012, it has been more than a decade since the nation secured a Major title.

SA players tee times, round one (Thursday)

1.16pm – Thriston Lawrence

2.06pm – Ockie Strydom

3.12pm – Dean Burmester

7.14pm – Christiaan Bezuidenhout

LIV players

There will be 16 players from the LIV Golf League competing this week in the first PGA Championship since the breakaway series began last June after luring several big names from the PGA Tour with record purses.

That includes six major champions with a combined 15 major triumphs.

The tour banned LIV players and a court fight ensued with a trial planned for next May. Until then, majors remain the only place where LIV and PGA stars can compete against each other.

Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson and four-time major winner Brooks Koepka shared second at the Masters while two-time major winner Dustin Johnson is coming off a victory in last week’s LIV event in Tulsa.

“The game is in good form,” Johnson said. “Did everything really nicely last week. Had a couple good practice days here. Really looking forward to the test this golf course is going to provide.”