PGA Championship 2019: Preview and predictions

1. Dustin Johnson

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson comes to Bethpage Black as the favorite despite struggling in his most recent outing at Harbour Town, where he finished tied for 28th. That course really doesn’t suit his style of play but Bethpage should fit him nicely. He didn’t finish well in the last major here (40th at the 2009 U.S. Open), but he did finish tied for third at The Barclays in 2012 and carded another top 20 in 2016. His length is always an asset and that will come into play. DJ has already had a great 2019 with two wins and five additional top-10 finishes, including a tie for second at The Masters last month.

2. Justin Rose

Following an uncharacteristic missed cut at Augusta, Justin Rose fought back nicely with a third-place finish at Wells Fargo. He comes into the PGA Championship looking for a little redemption. The world’s second-ranked player has played some great golf in 2019 but doesn’t have the best track record at Bethpage. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open in 2009, tied for 46th at The Barclays in 2012 and tied for 31st in 2016. His driving accuracy has fallen off a bit this season and that could be a problem on this golf course. However, his putting has been stellar and could keep him in contention if he can’t stay in the fairway.

3. Brooks Koepka

It’s the week of a major championship so we know we’re going to be talking about Brooks Koepka as the week progresses. He has won three of the last eight majors (three of seven for him because he missed The Masters last year) and is the defending champion of this event. And let’s not forget he was in prime position to win at The Masters last month even after an errant tee shot at the 12th found Rae’s Creek. His only appearance at Bethpage came at the 2016 Barclays, when he tied for 60th, but he’s certainly a different player these days. The setup is going to be tough and Koepka thrives on tough. He knows how to close out majors and has finished outside the top 20 in a major only three times in his last 16 appearances. He’ll be a factor.

4. Rory McIlroy

The PGA Championship hasn’t been overly kind to Rory McIlroy over the last few years but let’s not forget he has won this championship twice. It’s crazy to think the 2014 PGA Championship was his last major victory, but this could be the week that he gets major number five. He had a big win at The Players in March and has finished outside the top 10 just once in his last nine starts. That was actually a tie for 21st at The Masters and he played quite well after an opening 73. He was too far out of it to make any real noise on the weekend. If the course isn’t rolling, McIlroy’s length off the tee, which is almost all carry, would be a huge advantage.

5. Justin Thomas

Unfortunately, world number five and 2017 PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas had to withdraw on Monday due to a wrist injury. He’ll be the only player in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking to miss the tournament and was replaced by Kelly Kraft.