PGA Championship organisers have it right in grouping Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and defending champion, Justin Thomas together for the opening two rounds of next week’s final major of 2018 at the Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri.
Woods is a winner of four PGA Chamionships (1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007), McIlroy two (2012 & 2014) while Thomas won brilliantly a year ago at Quail Hollow.
It is a decision that is sure to generate huge crowd interest after Open Championship organisers seem to miss an opportunity by sending Woods out in the fifth last group and just prior to 4pm local time on day one at Carnoustie.
McIlroy responded to the news saying simply: “Nice”.
Three other PGA Champions in Phil Mickelson (2005), Jason Day (2015) and Keegan Bradley (2011) will also be out together for the first two rounds at Bellrieve.
And as is customary at the PGA Championship the three major winners from the year have been grouped together – Masters champion, Patrick Reed, double US Open winnnig Brooks Koepka and brilliant Open winner, Francesco Molinari.
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, and a three-time winner this year, is grouped with the Masters winning duo of Aussie Adam Scott and Bubba Watson.
England’s and World No. 2 Justin Rose finds himself grouped with fellow US Open winning Jordan Spieth and fiesty Spaniard Jon Rahm.
Spieth goes into the 100th PGA Championship needing to win the one Major that would hand him membership of golf’s Grand Slam Club.
Jordan Spieth, who needs the PGA title to complete a career grand slam, will be in good company with world No 2 Justin Rose and No 5 Jon Rahm.
