2019 PGA Championship Preview

2019 PGA Championship Preview

2019 PGA Championship Preview

Dates: May 13-19, 2019
Where: Bethpage, New York
Course: Bethpage State Park (Black Course; 35-35—70/7,459)
Defending champion: Brooks Koepka
FedExCup: 600 points to the winner
Field size: 156
Format: 72-hole stroke play

Things to know

  • Bethpage State Park to host the PGA Championship for the first time (two U.S. Opens, two THE NORTHERN TRUSTs)
  • Tiger Woods (2002 U.S. Open), Lucas Glover (2009 U.S. Open) and Patrick Reed (2016 THE NORTHERN TRUST) have won events at Bethpage and are in the field
  • The PGA Championship is Tiger Woods’ first opportunity to tie Sam Snead’s record for 82 PGA TOUR wins
  • Brooks Koepka aims to become first to successfully defend title since Tiger Woods in 2007
  • Jordan Spieth can become the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam and first to do so at the PGA Championship
  • Event will be played prior to the month of August for just the second time since 1971 (2016 moved to July due to Olympics)

2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive Leaderboard / Notes

Pos. Player R1 R2 R3 R4 Total
1 Brooks Koepka 69 63 66 66 264 (-16)
2 Tiger Woods 70 66 66 64 266 (-14)
3 Adam Scott 70 65 65 67 267 (-13)
T4 Stewart Cink 67 69 66 67 269 (-11)
T4 Jon Rahm 68 67 66 68 269 (-11)
  • At 264, Brooks Koepka set PGA Championship record for best 72-hole score (previously 265 by David Toms/2001)
  • Last year’s win at Bellerive Country Club marked Koepka’s fourth career win on the PGA TOUR
  • Tiger Woods claimed 31st runner-up finish on the PGA TOUR and seventh in a major championship
  • Playing as a PGA of America special invite, Adam Scott (3rd) claimed best finish on PGA TOUR in two years

More on Brooks Koepka

  • In 100th start on the PGA TOUR, became just the fifth player to win the U.S. Open and PGA Championship in the same year (Gene Sarazen/1922, Ben Hogan/1948, Jack Nicklaus/1980, Tiger Woods/2001)
  • Became the first player to win two major championships in the same season since Jordan Spieth (2015 Masters, U.S. Open)
  • Making his seventh start in the PGA Championship, with other top-five finishes coming in 2015/T5 (Whistling Straits) and 2016/T4 (Baltusrol GC)
  • In first start of the 2018-19 PGA TOUR Season, claimed his fifth TOUR title at THE CJ CUP @ NINE Bridges
  • Making his 12th start of the 2018-19 season. In addition to the victory in Korea, finished T2 at The Honda Classic and Masters Tournament. Comes off a solo-fourth at last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson

PGA Championship and the FedExCup/Wyndham Rewards

  • The PGA Championship is the 30th event in the 43-tournament PGA TOUR Regular Season schedule. Three FedExCup Playoffs events will follow in August, the final event being the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta where the FedExCup will be awarded.
  • Matt Kuchar leads the FedExCup standings by 468 points over Xander Schauffele on the strength of two wins and a total of six top-10 finishes this season. Only Schauffele (468 behind) and Rory McIlroy (498 points behind) can mathematically move to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings with a win this week
  • Ten of the 11 different FedExCup champions are in the field: Tiger Woods (2007, 2009), Vijay Singh (2008), Jim Furyk (2010), Brandt Snedeker (2012), Henrik Stenson (2013), Billy Horschel (2014), Jordan Spieth (2015), Rory McIlroy (2016), Justin Thomas (2017) and Justin Rose (2018). Bill Haas (2011) is not in the field
  • The last eight winners of the PGA Championship have advanced to the TOUR Championship. Last year’s winner Brooks Koepka went on to finish ninth in the final standings after East Lake
  • The current top five players in the FedExCup have accounted for seven wins and 27 top-10 finishes
  • Top 10 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the PGA TOUR Regular Season will share a $10 million bonus pool through the Wyndham Rewards Top 10 program

Wyndham Rewards Top 10 – Current top 10 in the FedExCup standings

Pos. Player Points
1 Matt Kuchar 2,030
2 Xander Schauffele 1,562
3 Rory McIlroy 1,532
4 Paul Casey 1,370
5 Brooks Koepka 1,256
6 Dustin Johnson 1,242
7 Rickie Fowler 1,197
8 Jon Rahm 1,136
9 Gary Woodland 1,102
10 Charles Howell III 1,086

Player Notes

Tiger Woods

  • Four-time PGA Championship winner (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007) one shy of the record held by Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus
  • Making his 20th PGA Championship start, with five top-10 finishes in addition to his victories
  • Won the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park (Black) and was T6 at the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park
  • Finished T38 at THE NORTHERN TRUST at Bethpage State Park in 2012 (Did not compete in 2016)
  • Making his seventh start of the 2018-19 season with top-10 finishes at the Masters (1st), WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (T5), WGC-Mexico Championship (T10)
  • In search of his 82nd PGA TOUR win to tie Sam Snead for all-time record
  • In search of his 16th major championship victory
  • With a win, would have won two majors in a season for the first time since 2006 (Open Championship, PGA Championship)

Justin Rose

  • Reigning FedExCup champion poised to make his 17th start in the PGA Championship
  • Best of three top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship is T3 in 2012
  • Missed the cut at the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black (Did not compete in 2002)
  • Finished T46 (2012) and T31 (2016) at THE NORTHERN TRUST at Bethpage State Park
  • Winner of 10 PGA TOUR titles, including the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open
  • Looking for second major championship title (2013 U.S. Open)

Matt Kuchar

  • Current FedExCup points leader to make 11th PGA Championship start
  • Three top-10 finishes in the PGA Championship: T7/2015, T9/2017, T10/2010
  • Remains in search of first major championship title in 54th start
  • In search of his 12th top-10 finish in a major championship; best showing is solo-second at the 2017 Open Championship
  • Captured eighth and ninth PGA TOUR victories this season at the Mayakoba Golf Classic and Sony Open in Hawaii
  • Most recent of 12 runner-up finishes on TOUR came in his last start (RBC Heritage)

Dustin Johnson

  • Making his 10th start in the PGA Championship with top-10 finishes in 2009 (T10), 2010 (T5), 2013 (T8) and 2015 (T7)
  • In search of his second major championship title (2016 U.S. Open) in his 40th start
  • Winner of 20 PGA TOUR events, including 2019 WGC-Mexico Championship
  • Finished T40 at the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park
  • Finished T3 (2012) and T18 (2016) at THE NORTHERN TRUST OPEN at Bethpage State Park

Rory McIlroy

  • 2012, 2014 PGA Championship winner to make his 11th start in the event
  • Additional top-10 finishes came in 2009 (T3), 2010 (T3) and 2013 (T8)
  • Additional major championship titles came at the 2011 U.S. Open and 2014 Open Championship
  • Making his 42nd major championship start
  • Finished T10 at the 2009 U.S. Open and T24 (2012) and T31 (2016) at THE NORTHERN TRUST at Bethpage State Park
  • Among eight top-10 finishes in 10 starts this season was his 15th TOUR victory (THE PLAYERS Championship)

Phil Mickelson

  • 2005 PGA Championship winner making his 27th consecutive start in the event, dating to 1993
  • In addition to the 2005 win at Baltusrol Golf Club, has eight top-10 finishes
  • Finished runner-up at the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park
  • Making his 106th major championship start with five wins: Masters Tournament/2004, 2006, 2010, PGA Championship/2005, The Open Championship/2013
  • Has a total of 38 top-10 finishes in major championships
  • Most recent of 44 PGA TOUR titles came at the 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Xander Schauffele

  • Making his third start in the PGA Championship (MC/2017, T35/2018)
  • Has finished no worse than T6 in four of eight major championship starts; best are T2s (2018 Open Championship, 2019 Masters)
  • In 26 career starts at top tournaments (majors, THE PLAYERS, World Golf Championships, FedExCup Playoffs), has two wins, three second-place finishes, nine top-10s and 17 top-25s
  • Is one of three players to win a WGC and a FedExCup Playoffs event in the last three seasons (Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas are the others)
  • In search of his fifth career TOUR title and third of the season (WGC-HSBC Champions, Sentry Tournament of Champions)
  • Lone missed cut this season in 12 starts came at THE PLAYERS Championship

Jordan Spieth

  • Three-time major champion would be the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam with a victory (joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods) and the first to do so at the PGA Championship
  • Will be 25 years, 9 months, 22 days old on Sunday, May 19th; only Woods completed his fourth leg before turning 26 (24 years, 6 months, 23 days at 2000 Open Championship)
  • Major titles: 2015 Masters Tournament, 2015 U.S. Open, 2017 Open Championship
  • Finished runner-up in 2015
  • Has one top-10 in his last 26 PGA TOUR starts (T9/2018 Open Championship) and currently stands 150th in the FedExCup standings

Miscellaneous PGA Championship Notes

  • Since the PGA Championship a stroke-play event in 1958, the third-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win 35 times in 61 events, including four of the past five champions
  • Largest winning margin: eight strokes by Rory McIlroy/2012
  • Lowest final-round score by winner: 64 (7-under-par) by Steve Elkington/1995
  • Most appearances:
    • 37 – Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer
    • 33 Tom Watson
    • 31Raymond Floyd, Davis Love III

PGA Championship Format (from PGA of America)

Seventy-two holes of stroke play, four rounds of 18 holes. Following the first 36 holes of play, the field of 156 players will be reduced to the low 70 scorers and ties. Those players will advance to complete the final two rounds. In the event of a tie for first place after 72 holes, there will be a three-hole aggregate score playoff on holes 1, 17 and 18. If a tie still remains, there will be a hole-by-hole playoff beginning on No. 18, and, if necessary, on to holes 1, 17 and 18 repeated until a winner is determined.

PGA Championship preview via PGA TOUR


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