PGA Championship predictions 2023: 5 last-minute bold predictions for Oak HIll

4. Max Homa earns his first Top 10 in a major at 2023 PGA Championship

There has been an undeniable jump from Max Homa to being one of the elite players in golf. The only thing holding him back from wholly affirming that status is real contention in a major championship.

To date, Homa has just one finish inside the Top 20 at a major, incidentally at the PGA Championship last year (T13). Beyond that, he hasn’t finished better than T40 in a major. For him to reach that elite status, he has to get better than that in the biggest tournaments of the year.

Oak Hill is going to demand ball striking, long and accurate driving, and a great short game. This is a place that should be perfect for Homa and he’s started to find his form again recently after some down weeks. He’s clealry been motivated to prove himself and, while a win would be nicer, his first Top 10 in a major will have to suffice.

3. Matt Fitzpatrick ends up in the final group on Sunday at PGA Championship

While there were people early in the week at Oak Hill trying to compare this venue to Winged Foot, more detailed breakdowns have started to look at The Country Club in Brookline as one of the best overall comparisons. And who won the US Open there (and the US Amateur years ago too)? That would be Matt Fitzpatrick.

Perhaps because of his injury earlier in the year, Fitzpatrick has faded from golf consciousness a bit over the past few months, but he’s proven that he’s healthy again, and not just with winning the RBC Heritage. Over his last 16 measured rounds, he’s gaining 1.58 strokes with his ball striking and more than 0.7 with his putting. He’s an all-around player who should fit this perfectly.

So given that Southern Hills comp and the form Fitzy is quietly showing, he’s going to contend to win his second major championship at the 2023 PGA Championship.