The PGA Championship is the final major in the golf calendar. Quail Hollow Club will play host to this year’s Championship. So far, we have seen wins for Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koekpa & Jordan Spieth in the majors this season. The PGA Championship has seen four different winners in the last four years. As a result, it is hard to pick a winner for 2017, but let’s have a look at some names in the frame

The signature 17th hole at Quail Hollow

Meet the Defending Champion

Jimmy Walker was a surprise winner back in 2016, at Baltusrol Golf Club. Walker led from the front on Day 1, with a 65 (-5) which saw him lead by 1 shot overnight. He subsequently followed this up with a 66 but was joined by Robert Streb who fired a major tying record 63 to move to -9. Dangerous weather conditions did not hinder Walker’s progress as a 68 on Day 3 concluded with a move to -11. He held a one shot clear of 2015 Champion Jason Day. A bogey free final round, which saw Walker make 9 consecutive pars on the front 9 led to a 1 shot victory despite Day’s best efforts. Walkers victory meant for the first time since 2011, that all four major golf championships were won by first-time winners.

The Contenders

Jordan Spieth – Our Open winner from Royal Birkdale. Spieth shot -4 for 5 holes in a crucial stretch of the back 9. his ability to handle the pressure, after a wayward tee shot at 13, epitomized his character. Spieth is arguably the best putter on tour, and his ability to consistently hole key putts in his round, make him a key contender.

Matt Kuchar – Kuchar always seems to bring his top form to the Golfing Majors. Consistently in the top 10’s, and a recent runners up finish at Royal Birkdale. In fact, Kuchar has finished in the top 10, 9 times in Majors since 2010.

Hediki Matsuyama – Matsuyama ended the 2016 season on fire. Victories at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Japan Open followed by another at the WGC-HSBC Champions. In addition, he won two more titles before the start of 2017. He has just recently won the Bridgestone Invitational with a final round 61.

The PGA Championship is wide open with arguably 20 names on the contenders list. Mickelson, Koekpa, McIlroy, Day and Johnson will all be looking to add the last major of 2017 to their collection.

PGA Championship Quickfire Statistics

• Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus hold the record for the most wins (5)
• Jack Nicklaus was a runner-up 4 times
• Lowest 72-hole score in relation to par: –20 (record held by Jason Day)
• Gene Sarazen holds the record for the youngest winner
• Greatest winning margin in the stroke play era: 8 strokes (Rory McIlroy in 2012)

Competition Time

As always, we are running our Major Competition, where you can win a free lesson with one of our PGA Professionals. All you have to do, is pick which player you think will win The PGA Championship in 2017 and give us their score. To enter, please email your answers to info@duncanlmabertgolf.com. Entries will close after the first group has started their round on. Good Luck.