PGA Championship: Who might increase Ryder Cup qualification hopes with maiden main win at Oak Hill? | Golf Information

Seven of the final 12 majors and eight of the previous 14 PGA Championships have been received by first-time main champions, however will this week’s occasion at Oak Hill produce one other maiden victory?

Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Smith all received their maiden majors final yr, whereas a number of potential candidates wish to add their identify to the record and make the Wanamaker Trophy their first main title.

The PGA Championship comes with simply over 4 months to go till the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Membership, that means a victory for any European or American within the discipline this week will transfer them an enormous step nearer to that includes in Rome this September.

Who’re these seeking to declare a maiden main in Rochester to enhance their Ryder Cup qualification hopes? We check out a few of the Staff Europe and Staff USA contenders…

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Luke Donald says it’s ‘a disgrace’ that some gamers are unavailable for Ryder Cup choice after resigning their DP World Tour membership following their transfer to LIV Golf.

The Europeans

Tommy Fleetwood

Fleetwood continues to be to interrupt his victory duck on the PGA Tour having received six titles on the DP World Tour, most not too long ago on the Nedbank Golf Problem final November.

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Highlights from the fourth and closing day of the Nedbank Golf Problem in South Africa, the place Tommy Fleetwood defended his title

The Englishman retains getting shut – over the previous few months he has completed third on the Valspar Championship and fifth on the Wells Fargo Championship – and it does appear a matter of when, not if the 32-year-old lifts a trophy Stateside.

Fleetwood ended up fifth finally yr’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills and now has 5 top-fives in majors. Making his maiden PGA Tour triumph a significant championship would certainly result in somebody updating the picture on his Wikipedia web page, which stays a snap from 2012!

Tyrrell Hatton

Not like Fleetwood, Hatton has received a PGA Tour occasion, the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational, and on a variety of events this season he come near including to that.

A back-nine birdie blitz at The Gamers in March got here too late to disclaim Scheffler the trophy however did propel him into second place, whereas he heads into the PGA Championship off the again of successive tops fives, on the Wells Fargo Championship and the AT&T Byron Nelson.

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After Tyrrell Hatton’s very good closing spherical at The Gamers, Sky Sports activities Golf’s Andrew Coltart assesses whether or not the Englishman can go on and win a significant.

“I feel most of my sport has been pretty constant,” Hatton stated. “I have been driving the ball fairly properly, which works a great distance, and holing just a few putts. I have been doing extra off the golf course this yr by way of coaching and it has been good see some Positive outcomes. It is simply usually feeling higher in myself. My principal purpose was actually to be a bit extra snug in my very own pores and skin.”

Viktor Hovland

The Norwegian caught the attention together with his golf and style selections at Augusta in April – critically, his floral shirt on day considered one of The Masters is difficult to neglect, nevertheless a lot you strive!

Can Viktor Hovland turn out to be the subsequent first-time main winner?

Hovland went on to complete seventh within the first main of the yr, having ended up fourth at The Open within the closing big-four occasion of 2022.

He has had a quiet few weeks since Augusta, ending exterior the highest 50 on the RBC Heritage after which in a share of forty third place at Quail Hole. Nonetheless, he has the sport to contend at Oak Hill so regulate him…and his wardrobe!

Different potential European breakthroughs

Seamus Energy received on the PGA Tour earlier within the season on the Bermuda Championship and arrives with successive top-20 finishes to his identify, whereas Poland’s Adrian Meronk is contained in the world’s prime 50 after victory on the DS Cars Italian Open earlier this month.

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Highlights from the ultimate spherical of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, the place Seamus Energy claimed victory

Victor Perez began the yr with Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship victory, with Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald wanting on with curiosity to see what number of of his different potential rookies – together with Yannik Paul, Rasmus Hojgaard and Robert MacIntyre – get on at Oak Hill.

The Individuals

Tony Finau

Finau might not have received a significant but however he has turn out to be accustomed to selecting up trophies, together with his triumph on the Mexican Open just a few weeks in the past his sixth PGA Tour title and fifth since August 2021. The American is adamant he has the sport to win a significant and fancies his possibilities at Oak Hill.

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Highlights from the Mexico Open, the place Tony Finau added to his PGA Tour victory tally

“I really feel like a unique participant, extra so than I’ve ever been,” Finau stated in his pre-tournament press convention on Tuesday. “Extra assured in my sport and my talents than I’ve ever been and simply who I’m as an individual and as a participant.

“It is a golf course that matches my model. It is lengthy. You have to hit it within the fairway. These are issues that I’ve carried out properly over this final yr and hopefully I take that proper into this week.”

Max Homa

“Once you’re youthful, you come to those huge, huge occasions and you do not know in case your nice golf sport is nice sufficient to compete. I do know that mine is.”

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Simon Holmes makes use of drive plates and digital camera methods to analyse Max Homa’s swing and share recommendations on easy methods to hit with extra steadiness and stability.

These the phrases of world No 6 Max Homa, who, surprisingly, is but to even crack the highest 10 at a significant. His share of thirteenth finally yr’s PGA Championship is his greatest return so far amid eight missed cuts and 5 different distant finishes.

Like Finau, although, Homa has six PGA Tour wins, most not too long ago on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open in January, a triumph that has since been adopted by claiming second spot on the Genesis Invitational and, just a few weeks in the past, sharing eighth place on the Wells Fargo Championship.

Homa added: “It is good to be right here. I really feel snug, probably not altering a lot or engaged on an excessive amount of.”

Cameron Younger

Within the combine till the top earlier than finally lacking out. It seems to be like being the story of Arsenal’s Premier League season and it has been the story of Cameron Younger’s PGA Tour profession.

Cameron Younger might transfer contained in the world’s prime 10 with PGA Championship victory this week

The genial American continues to be awaiting his first win having hoovered up a variety of second and third-placed finishes on the Open Championship, PGA Championship, Genesis Invitational, Wells Fargo Championship and Dell-Applied sciences Match Play, amongst others, over the past couple of years.

Younger appears extremely snug in main tournaments, together with his runners-up spot at St Andrews final summer season and end of third at Southern Hills within the PGA Championship just a few months earlier adopted by a share of seventh at Augusta Nationwide in April. Might the almost man turn out to be the principle man this week?

“It has been a bummer to return up quick however the extra occasions it is occurred, the extra I’ve tried to make use of it as proof to myself that I can win a golf event out right here and win an enormous one,” Younger stated on Tuesday. “Considered one of these occasions it should work out.”

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Forward of this week’s PGA Championship, try the highest 10 photographs ever performed on the event.

Different American contenders

Patrick Cantlay is the highest-ranked participant on this planet rankings and not using a main title, with the world No 4 ending no worse than twenty first in his final seven PGA Tour begins, whereas Olympic gold medallist Xander Schauffele has 11 top-10 finishes to his identify in majors with out discovering the lacking victory required.

WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play winner Sam Burns will wish to contend and Rickie Fowler has raised hopes of maiden main title after a powerful run of leads to latest months, whereas Sahith Theegala and Kurt Kitayama have the added incentive of making an attempt to impress Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson throughout their pursuit of main glory.

Will we see a maiden main winner at on the one hundred and fifth PGA Championship? Watch all through the week stay on Sky Sports activities. Reside protection begins on Thursday from 1pm on Sky Sports activities Golf.