US PGA Championship – Five things to know presented by OCEANTEE

The DP World Tour heads to the state of New York this week as historic Oak Hill Country Club plays host to the 105th edition of the US PGA Championship. Here are your five things to know.

Thomas returns as defending champion

Justin Thomas claimed his second US PGA Championship title in a play-off against fellow American Will Zalatoris at Southern Hills Country Club last year. On a dramatic final day, Thomas fired a three-under 67 to reach a five under total before Zalatoris soon matched him, with 54-hole leader Mito Pereira squandering a one-shot advantage heading down the last with a double-bogey. Thomas then played the three-hole aggregate play-off in one under to edge Zalatoris by one shot – courtesy of a birdie at the par-four 17th – and claim his second Wanamaker Trophy in Tulsa. "I kept telling myself I've been here before,” said Thomas, who equalled John Mahaffey's record of coming from seven behind to win the 1978 US PGA title, also in a play-off, at Oakmont. The 30-year-old, who won his maiden Major Championship at Quail Hollow in 2017, is bidding to join Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as just the third player to be a three-time winner since the event changed from match play to stroke play in 1958.

Rich history at Oak Hill

Oak Hill’s East Course in Rochester, New York, is hosting its fourth US PGA Championship, making it second only to last year’s venue, Southern Hills, for the most in the tournament’s history. It first played host in 1980 when Jack Nicklaus won the penultimate Major of his career. Since then, American pair Shaun Micheel and Jason Dufner have lifted the trophy in 2003 and 2013 respectively. But its tradition for hosting major golf events extends beyond the US PGA Championship, having staged the 1995 Ryder Cup when Europe snatched a dramatic 14.5-13.5 victory to take the trophy back across the Atlantic after winning seven of the 12 final-day singles matches. Oak Hill is the only club to have played host to the US PGA Championship, U.S. Open, Ryder Cup, U.S. Amateur, Senior U.S. Open and Senior PGA Championship.

New test awaits world’s best

Almost a decade on from Dufner’s victory in 2013 – when his ten under total set a new low 72-hole score – the 156-player field arrive in search of a Major title at a course that has undergone an overhaul. In 2019, the par-70 East Course underwent a restoration by architect Andrew Green. The ten-month project saw every green, fairway and landing zone altered to resurrect the original character of the Donald Ross-designed layout. An extensive tree removal programme has also changed the aesthetic complexion and improved visibility for spectators. A new par-three fifth has been created, while the previous fifth hole has been extended to become the par-four sixth, which can now play in excess of 500 yards. In addition, the par-three 15th has been repositioned and no longer has a pond guarding its right side.

Debutants on show

The second Major Championship of the season features six DP World Tour members making their debut appearance. Completing the full sweep of contesting all four Majors is Adrian Meronk, who won his third DP World Tour title and second of the 2023 campaign at the DS Automobiles Italian Open earlier this month. The Pole is joined by Yannik Paul who has also made a strong start to the season – registering three consecutive top tens to help him into an automatic qualifying spot for this year’s European Ryder Cup team. South African Ockie Strydom is set for his Major debut after victories on home soil at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and at the Thailand Classic in the opening months of the campaign, while countryman and three-time Tour winner Thriston Lawrence is also in the field as a member of the world’s top 100. After a near four-year absence from the Major scene since the 2019 Open, Callum Shinkwin is also in action as is World Number 100 Kazuki Higa, who won the Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit last year.

Harrington still a force 15 years on from memorable triumph

Among the past US PGA champions in the field is Pádraig Harrington, who in 2008 became the first European to win the title since 1930. Victory at Oakland Hills also saw him claim back-to-back Majors, after he successfully defended The Open a month earlier, and was his third in his last six Majors. In a terrific battle with Sergio Garcia that stirred memories of their Open play-off at Carnoustie a year earlier, the Irishman made three birdies in a four-hole stretch after the turn before he gained sole leadership at the 17th with a birdie, sealing victory with an 18-foot par putt at the 72nd hole. Fifteen years on and the 51-year-old continues to be a force, playing on the DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR with the over-50s Legends Tour and PGA TOUR Champions, where he won four times last year. The 2021 Ryder Cup Captain, who will be inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame next year, put himself into contention to become the oldest winner in the history of the DP World Tour at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January, finishing fourth at Yas Links.