3 minute read
How the Australian hopefuls stack up with the leading contenders at this week's US PGA Championship in San Francisco.
PLAYERS TO WATCH AT THE 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park starting in Friday (AEST):
AUSTRALIANS
ADAM SCOTT
Age: 40
World ranking: 9
US PGA Tour wins: 14
Best finish in a major: win (2013 Masters)
PGA Championships played: 19 (15 cuts made)
Best PGA Championship: third (2018)
Odds: $61
Why he can win: Won a PGA Tour event in February and has three top-10s in the past five major championships.
Why he might not: Has not played a US PGA Tour event since March.
JASON DAY
Age: 32
World ranking: 42
US PGA Tour wins: 12
Best finish in a major: win (2015 PGA Championship)
PGA Championships: Played: 8 (6 cuts made)
Best PGA Championships: win (2015 PGA Championship); second (2016)
Odds: $36
Why he can win: Has won the event before and is coming off three consecutive PGA Tour top-10s for the first time since 2016.
Why he might not: Has not featured in the past two PGA Championships.
MARC LEISHMAN
Age: 36
World ranking: 19
US PGA Tour wins: 5
Best finish in a major: tied second (2015 Open Championship)
PGA Championships played: 9 (7 cuts made)
Best PGA Championship: tied 12th (2013)
Odds: $81
Why he can win: Won on the US PGA Tour in January and contended in the 2015 WGC-Match Play at this week's venue TPC Harding Park.
Why he might not: Has two missed cuts and had three other poor results in the five events he's played since the US PGA Tour resumed in June.
CAMERON SMITH
Age: 26
World ranking: 51
US PGA Tour wins: 2
Best finish in a major: tied fourth (2015 US Open)
PGA Championships played: 4 (3 cuts made)
Best PGA Championship: tied 25th (2015)
Odds: $301
Why he can win: Won on the US PGA Tour in January and rises for the majors, owning top-five results in the Masters and US Open.
Why he might not: Has missed five cuts in nine events since winning the Sony Open in January.
MATT JONES
Age: 40
World ranking: 88
US PGA Tour wins: 1
Best finish in a major: tied 21st (2015 PGA Championship)
PGA Championships played: 5 (4 cuts made)
Best PGA Championship: tied 21st (2015)
Odds: $501
Why he can win: Won his second Australian Open in December.
Why he might not: Has never cracked the top 20 at a major.
LUCAS HERBERT
Age: 24
World ranking: 72
US PGA Tour wins: 0 (1 European Tour win)
Best finish in a major: tied 51st (2018 Open Championship)
PGA Championships played: 1 (1 cut made)
Best PGA Championship: tied 71st (2019)
Odds: $601
Why he can win: Has the length to compete with the big bombers around TPC Harding Park and won the European Tour's prestigious Dubai Desert Classic in January.
Why he might not: Has only played in a major three times and hasn't cracked the top 50.
BIG NAMES
TIGER WOODS (USA)
Age: 44
World ranking: 15
US PGA Tour wins: 82
Best finish in a major: win (5 Masters, 4 PGA Championships, 3 US Opens, 3 British Opens)
PGA Championships played: 20 (16 cuts made)
Best PGA Championship: win (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007)
Odds: $36
Why he can win: Returned to the major winners' circle last year with a fifth Masters victory and 15th major title.
Why he might not: Has played just one PGA Tour event since February.
JUSTIN THOMAS (USA)
Age: 27
World ranking: 1
US PGA Tour wins: 13
Best finish in a major: win (2017 PGA Championship)
PGA Championships played: 4 (4 cuts made)
Best PGA Championship: win (2017)
Odds: $11
Why he can win: Won last week's WGC event in Tennessee for his 13th PGA Tour title and is a past victor of the PGA Championship.
Why he might not: Simply how difficult it is to back up a PGA Tour victory the following week especially when that's a major.
BROOKS KOEPKA (USA)
Age: 30
World ranking: 6
US PGA Tour wins: 7
Best finish in a major: win (2 PGA Championships, 2 US Opens)
PGA Championships played: 7 (7 cuts made)
Best PGA Championship: win (2018, 2019)
Odds: $11
Why he can win: Has won the past two PGA Championships and finished second at last week's WGC event in Tennessee.
Why he might not: No player has won three straight PGA Championships since 1926.
RORY MCILROY (IRE)
Age: 31
World ranking: 3
US PGA Tour wins: 18
Best in a Major: win (2 PGA Championships, 1 US Open, 1 British Open)
PGA Championships played: 11 (10 cuts made)
Best PGA Championship: win (2012, 2014)
Odds: $15
Why he can win: Is back to his brilliant best and arguably golf's greatest driver, which will be essential at TPC Harding Park.
Why he might not: Hasn't won a major in six years and the pressure is mounting to fulfil his potential.
JON RAHM (ESP)
Age: 25
World ranking: 2
US PGA Tour wins: 4
Best finish in a major: tied third (2019 US Open)
PGA Championships played: 3 (2 cuts made)
Best PGA Championship: tied fourth (2018)
Odds: $15
Why he can win: In form and his supreme driving and ball-striking set up for the narrow fairways and thick rough at TPC Harding Park.
Why he might not: Many believe the hot head has not yet developed the maturity to win a major.
