The PGA Championship is set to tee off at Southern Hills in Tulsa. Tiger Woods is returning to the scene of his 13th major triumph, but Phil Mickelson will not be defending his title.
We answer some frequently asked questions about this year’s second major.
When is the tournament being played?
The 2022 PGA Championship will be held May 19-22.
Where is it being held?
Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The venue last hosted the PGA in 2007, when Tiger Woods won by two strokes ahead of Woody Austin.
Is Tiger fit and ready?
Just 14 months after a terrible car accident, Tiger returned to action at the Masters in April and made the cut. He found the hilly terrain at Augusta National tiring and faded over the final two rounds, shooting consecutive rounds of six-over-par 78. The PGA Championship will be just his second start of the season, but will be a much easier walk.
And Tiger this week said he is feeling a “lot stronger” than he did at the Masters. The 46-year-old said: “We started ramping up a week ago, played a bit more golf and it was good. Everything is better.”
Who won in 2021?
Phil Mickelson shocked the golfing world when he won the 2021 PGA Championship at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. It was his sixth major and his first in eight years. At 50 years, 11 months and seven days old, he became the oldest major champion of all time.
Why is Phil not playing?
He has decided not to defend his title as he continues his sabbatical from golf which began in February after he made controversial comments about the new Saudi-backed golf tour. The PGA of America had invited him to play but he declined.
Who are the favourites to win?
World number one Scottie Scheffler is joint favourite with the man right behind him in the rankings, Jon Rahm. Then comes Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy, followed by 2020 champion Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth.
Why is this such a big week for Jordan Spieth?
Just like Rory at the Masters each year, Jordan Spieth has a chance to win the career grand slam of winning all four majors if he wins the PGA Championship.
What are his chances?
Very good. In his last two PGA Tour starts, he won the RBC Heritage and finished in second last week at the AT&T Byron Nelson. This will be the fifth time he has attempted to complete the slam.
What are the featured groups to look out for?
Thursday (local times)
9:11 am: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth
2:14 pm: Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas
2:36 pm: Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa
Friday
8:49 am: Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas
9:11 am: Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa
2:36 pm: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth
What’s the golf course like?
The course will look quite different than it did in 2007, after renowned architect Gil Hanse and his design partner Jim Wagner restored it in 2018 to get it ready to host another major. The course is par 70, and covers 7,556 yards.
Famously nearly every hole either bends left or right off the tee. There are plenty of risk/reward holes and the 18th is a great finishing hole. It’s uphill and a 491-yard par 4 with a creek running through the fairway. Then the green is extremely tough, so expect plenty of three-putts. Tiger parred it in 2007 as did Tommy Bolt at the 1958 US Open. They are the only two players who have closed out major victories here with a par.
What are the keys to success on this course?
Being a big hitter will help, with two par 5s over 600 yards. The 5th is 656 yards and Rory McIlroy reached it in two shots in practice. But having a sound approach game to the greens will be key to winning the Wanamaker trophy. Players who aren’t careful could see their approaches roll on then off the putting surfaces.
How many players are in the field?
156 players will take part. 14 of those players are former winners. The event is limited to professionals, so amateurs cannot qualify. After the cut, the top 70 players will fight it out over the weekend to see who wins.
If the final scores are tied, who wins?
The PGA of America uses a three-hole aggregate format for the playoff. If players are tied after those three holes, they then go to a sudden-death playoff hole.
What does the winner get?
The winner receives the Wanamaker Trophy, the largest trophy handed out among the four men’s major championships.
What’s the prize money?
The PGA of America, which runs the event, hasn’t announced what the purse is for 2022. In 2021, Phil Mickelson received a top prize of $2.16m, which was 18 percent of the total $12 million purse. The runner-ups, Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen, got $1.29m. Third received $816,000. The player who finished in 70th and last place got $19,600.
What other perks does the winner get?
The winner gets automatic invites to the three other majors, the US Open, The Open, and the Masters, and the Players Championship for the next five years. They also get PGA Tour membership for the next five years and DP World Tour membership for the next seven years. And the winner will be invited to play in the PGA Championship for life.
What will the weather be like?
With the new May date for the event, temperatures will be cooler than in 2007. The forecast is looking good with a temperature of around 27C on Thursday and Friday with only a 10 percent chance of rain. Things could change a little over the weekend with temperatures dipping slightly and the chance of rain increasing. Scattered storms on Sunday is a possibility.
Who has won the most PGA Championships?
Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen have both won five.
