On Thursday, May 16th, the 106th edition of the PGA Championship begins, a golf tournament at the Valhalla Golf Course in the United States. For four days, the best golf players in the world will give it their all on this turf, with the climax on Sunday, May 19th. Read here how this championship will unfold and who is most likely to win.
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship golf tournament is annually organized by the American PGA, the Professional Golfers Association. In addition to the Masters, the US Open, and the British Open, the PGA Championship is also one of the four Majors of the golf season. The winner of the tournament receives the so-called Wanamaker Trophy. It’s only recently that the tournament’s date shifted to May. Until 2019, it was always played on the third weekend of August.
The winner of the PGA Championship is automatically invited to the other three Majors, the Players Championship for the next five years, and also gets a lifelong invitation to the PGA Championship. The PGA is the only of the four Majors where almost only professionals participate. Most victories are held by Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus, both with 5 victories. The latter is also the designer of the golf course where this year’s edition will take place. The prize money for this championship amounts to around 20 million euros, of which the winner receives about 3.6 million dollars.
Favorites
Scottie Scheffler is certainly the biggest favorite this season, and the world number 1. In each of his last five PGA Tour appearances, he either won or finished second. In April, he won the Masters Tournament, his second in three years, which means he’s in good spirits. Whether the birth of his child will play a role in his participation in this tournament is not yet clear.
Defending champion Brooks Koepka is also back this year. He has already successfully defended a major championship twice and won a LIV tournament two weeks ago in Singapore. Koepka has won the PGA Championship three times.
The last time the PGA Championship was played at the Valhalla Golf Course was in 2014. Rory McIlroy won then, and he is also one of the favorites now. He arrives at Valhalla in excellent form after securing his 26th victory on the PGA Tour last week at the Wells Fargo Championship. He is also ranked 2nd in the world and has already won the PGA Championship 4 times.
The world number 3, Xander Schauffele, is still looking for his first major title. He has already achieved 19 top-10 finishes since his PGA Tour victory at the Scottish Open in 2022. At the Wells Fargo Championship, he was able to build up a reasonably large lead at one point, but Rory McIlroy still prevented his victory.
Golf legend Tiger Woods will also be participating. He previously won at Valhalla in 2000, and by winning the 2001 Masters, he immediately secured all four major Majors. Over the years, Woods has accumulated 4 victories at the PGA Championship. He will also compete in the US Open next month, the third Major of the season.
The Course
The Valhalla Golf Course covers a total of about 6172 meters and is played on average in 72 strokes. Of course, not all 18 holes are the same: read here the different holes and statistics.
- The Post: 453 meters, par 4
- Winning Colors: 485 meters, par 4
- Honest Abe: 192 meters, par 3
- Mine That Bird: 343 meters, par 4
- The Sun Shines Bright: 421 meters, par 4
- Long Shot: 453 meters, par 4
- Genuine Risk: 549 meters, par 5
- Float Like A Butterfly: 174 meters, par 3
- Twin Spires: 379 meters, par 4
- Big Red: 544 meters, par 5
- Holler: 192 meters, par 3
- Sting Like A Bee: 448 meters, par 4
- The Limestone Hole: 325 meters, par 4
- On The Rocks: 233 meters, par 3
- Julep: 398 meters, par 4
- Homestretch: 471 meters, par 4
- Straight Up: 434 meters, par 4
- Photo Finish: 526 meters, par 5
Magic Betting live
Do you want to make this competition even more exciting? Take a look at the Magic Betting App or via the website www.magicbetting.be for the best online sports bets. Be sure to check out the various promotions. Take your chance and win!
