The final Major of the year always seems to produce compelling storylines, records and moments: from YE Yang taking down Tiger in 2009, to Shaun Micheel's incredible 72nd hole victory in 2003, to Keegan Bradley winning as a rookie in 2011. So what drama are we in store for this week? Europeantour.com's Jamie Kennedy has picked five potential Sunday headlines.
"Spieth completes greatest Major season"
Whilst Jordan Spieth’s dreams of the Grand Slam were ended in St Andrews, the 22 year old still has history to play for this week. Having finished first, first and fourth in the first three Majors of the year, a win for Spieth would give him statistically the best Major year in modern history. Whilst Rickie Fowler finished in the top five in all four Majors last year, it’s Tiger Woods who has had the best statistical year thus far. In 2000, Woods finished fifth at the Masters Tournament and then won the US Open Championship, The Open Championship and US PGA Championship. He faced 656 opponents in Majors that year, and lost to just four. So far in 2015, Spieth has only lost to Zach Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman, who battled it out in a play-off at St Andrews.
Notable Majors seasons:
Arnold Palmer in 1960: 1st, 1st, 2nd, 7th
Tiger Woods in 2000: 5th, 1st, 1st, 1st
Jack Nicklaus in 1971: 2nd, 2nd, 5th, 1st
Gary Player in 1974: 1st, 8th, 1st, 7th
Greg Norman in 1986: 2nd, 12th, 1st, 2nd
Tiger Woods in 2000: 5th, 1st, 1st, 1st
Phil Mickelson in 2004: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th
Tiger Woods in 2005: 1st, 2nd, 1st, 4th
Rickie Fowler in 2014: 5th, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd
Jordan Spieth in 2015: 1st, 1st, 4th, ???
"American Slam"
WhilstEuropeans have enjoyed recent success at the PGA Championship, it is the Americans who have won all three Majors so far this season. With Jordan Spieth picking up the Green Jacket and US Open trophy, and Zach Johnson taking home the Claret Jug, there is potential for all four Majors to reside in America for the first time since 1982. That year, Craig Stadler won the Masters, Tom Watson then won the US Open and Open Championship and Raymond Floyd completed the sweep at the US PGA Championship. The last time the Americans had a chance to win all four Majors in a year was 1998, when Vijah Singh won the US PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club.
"Rory makes history with third Wanamaker Trophy"
When Rory McIlroy tees it up on Thursday, he will do so competitively for the first time in almost two months, following an ankle injury sustained the week before the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. Having won the Wanamaker trophy in two of the last three years, McIlroy will have the opportunity to become first player to win the US PGA Championship three times in the space of four years since Walter Hagen won four in a row in 1927.
"Kaymer: King of the Straits"
Five years ago, a 25 year old German arrived at Whistling Straits on the back of consecutive top ten finishes at the US Open and Open Championship. He went on to win a play-off, and thus the Major career of Martin Kaymer took off. Having since added the US Open trophy to his mantlepiece, Kaymer will have the chance this week to become just the second player to win the Wanamaker trophy twice at the same course, joining Tiger Woods who accomplished the feat by winning both the 1999 and 2006 US PGA Championships at Medinah Country Club.
"Anchorman"
This year’s US PGA Championship will be the final Major that allows the use of an anchored putter. Whilst several notable 'anchor-users’ have switched to traditional length putters in recent months, Adam Scott has continued to use the putting method that saw him take home the Green Jacket in 2013. With four consecutive top 15 finishes at the US PGA Championship and 13 top 15 finishes in his last 15 majors, Scott will be one of the favorites this week at Whilsting Straits. Since the start of 2011, the 35 year old is 32 shots better than anyone else in the Majors, yet he only has one win in golf's big four event. Will he retire his long putter after a US PGA Championship victory? It would be just the fourth Major won with an anchored putting method (after Scott in the 2013 Masters, Simpson in the 2012 US Open, Els in the 2012 Open Championship, and Bradley in the 2011 US PGA Championship).
