PGA Championship: a secret star or the poor relation of the four majors?

After Rory McIlroy’s epic win at The Masters, it was always going to be a question of follow that!

Having moved from its August slot to May, that burden falls on the PGA Championship, a tournament already perceived by many as the lowest-key Major.

But with so many good storylines going into the second Major of the year – can Rory win again? Will Jordan Spieth match McIlroy’s Grand Slam? Can Scottie Scheffler show why he’s No.1? – perhaps it will produce a classic of its own.

Golf365 writers Mark Townsend and Dave Tindall sat down to give their thoughts on the PGA. Is there love for it or is change needed?

Where do you rank the PGA in the four Majors and why?

Mark Townsend: At four and a distant fourth. Unless you’re a previous winner or a member of the PGA it’s hard to think anyone would say otherwise. That said, I’d have it ahead of The Players and any other events as it does have that special feel about it.

Dave Tindall: I do actually have a couple of mates who love this one the best. Extraordinary in my opinion as, like Mark, it’s clearly fourth by a mile on paper. That said, it can throw up some special editions.

What is your favourite PGA?

MT: Historically it would have to be John Daly in 1991 which I followed from hopping around the Greek islands and buying newspapers a day in arrears before finally watching when we got back home. More recently Phil Mickelson’s win at Kiawah was sensational and definitely deserves more attention. Not so much for his age but more how he did it.

DT: The 2014 one at Valhalla was brilliant. McIlroy (-16) won but Phil Mickelson (-15), Rickie Fowler (-14) and Henrik Stenson (-14) were all in the mix. It was held in August that year and, nodding to the idea that it was seen as the worst major of the fab four, I recall writing something on Twitter about it being like the mid-60s Beatles had all been told to go off and write a new song and Ringo had somehow come up with the best one. I actually went to the 2001 PGA at Atlanta Athletic Club so that stands out. Another DT (David Toms) won at 100/1, even having a hole-in-one. I was gutted as I’d backed a then Major-less Phil Mickelson at 20s and he lost by one. Toms was actually the first golfer I saw when I arrived on site so that remains a tradition: put money on the first golfer I see. It’s never worked since but I’ll keep trying.

How would you make it better?

MT: The easiest fix would be the courses. I watch far too much golf and I still struggle to piece together courses like Southern Hills and somewhere like Bellerive means very little to me. It would be great to move it around the world, the dream would be to play it on the Australian sand belt courses but that’s not going to happen. Personally I’ve no appetite for a matchplay Major though back-to-back men’s and women’s Majors would be great for a multitude of reasons. The Pinehurst US Open was spectacular and I’ve never understood why that’s not been repeated at the right course.

DT: Simple. Move it around the world – Japan, Australia, Korea, Canada. Any good golfing territory. I’d also move it back to August when it was ‘Glory’s Last Slot’. Tennis does a better job of having its Grand Slams spread throughout the year. With the Majors season in golf it’s one a month and far too concentrated.

How many LIV players would you like in the field?

MT: There are 20 players in the field from the PGA Professional Championship so you would be hard pressed to suggest that several LIV players don’t warrant a place. This week there are 15 LIV players teeing it up with several, including Sergio Garcia, having received invites. We need a pathway, with maybe three players from their Order of Merit going into the Championship, to bolster the strength of field. Where it gets silly is when LIV claim the likes of Dean Burmester (yes, I know he’s in) should be part of the week.

DT: It’s a tricky one and is connected with the next question on the list about PGA Pros. I like Mark’s Order of Merit idea with maybe 15 or 20 about right.

Do you like the PGA Pros being part of the field?

MT: Not really and certainly not as many as there are. You very occasionally get a great storyline like Michael Block but that’s such a rarity. This is a Major where it’s always been claimed to have the strongest field and that can’t be the case if there are 20 PGA Pros in there. Five seems plenty.

DT: Five? I think three is plenty! I’d put them in a three-ball at the back of the field. By all means make a fuss of them in the media but, seriously, this is way, way outdated now.

What time of year would you like to see the PGA played?

MT: I don’t mind May but finishing the Major season with The Open in July is far too early. I understand the arguments when competing with other sports but if the PGA were to operate well away from The Open then it would stand more of a chance. I’m also not a fan of players flogging themselves in 100˚ heat so a September Major, purely timing wise, would be lovely.

DT: I like September too but it could be even later than that if held in the southern hemisphere. The current gap between the end of the Open in July and the start of The Masters in April is ridiculously long. You obviously can’t budge the Augusta date – those Azaleas have to be shown off in Spring – so the US PGA is the Major that offers scope to change the golf calendar.

How does Rory play in his first Major after securing the career Grand Slam?

MT: On paper everything seems perfect but I’m still exhausted by what went on at Augusta so I’ve no idea how he can get up for it again. There has to be some sort of pin prick to the whole thing or he wins by six.

DT: He’s a four-time winner at Quail Hollow and, in his own words, is “playing with house money” after removing the burden of being asked if he’d ever win a Major again. But my gut says it seems too obvious and he’ll be almost too relaxed. Best guess is that he makes the top 10 both here and in the US Open and then scores a triumphant victory in front of his home, adoring fans in this summer’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

Who would you most like to see win and why?

MT: The same answer every Major – Tommy Fleetwood. Failing that, Shane Lowry. This is just Ludvig Aberg’s sixth Major and it would be stunning to see him get off the mark. This might traditionally be a US-dominated tournament but this year has been something else in terms of European wins and the Swede might be the best placed to land the Wanamaker Trophy.

DT: I like the Fleetwood shout but would prefer him to win one of the others. Same goes for Lowry, Hatton and Rose. This feels like a very American Major (US players have won the last nine) so I’ll go with Tony Finau. A lovely man, who would surely be one of the most popular champions in history. He’ll have a nice winner’s speech in him too.

Who’s actually going to win?

MT: Again, the same answer to every Major – Scottie Scheffler. I still don’t think any of us have grasped quite how good he is and I could easily see him rattle off two of the three Majors left this year.

DT: Bryson DeChambeau. A long course has been made even longer by rain. Bryson already has two Majors and I can see him adding more quickly.

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