What to Watch on Day 1 at PGA Championship: A Star-Studded Group, the Quiet World No. 1 and Beer

Like last month's Masters, the world no. 1 is once again flying under the radar and may very well deliver a similar result.

Author:
Colin McDonald
Publish date:
May 18, 2022

As the action gets underway at Southern Hills, here are three things that have my attention.

1. First are the groupings. Big names and featured pairings have become the norm at majors but this week’s lineup seems to be as stacked as any in recent memory, highlighted by the threesome teeing off at 8:11 a.m. local time on Thursday.

If I offered you the chance to watch a made-for-TV special featuring only Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, any golf fan would be hooked. That’s exactly what we have on tap Thursday and Friday along with a supporting cast of 153 other competitors.

Woods, McIlroy and Spieth are arguably the three biggest names in the sport and boast a combined 22 major titles amongst them. Each of them is hungrier than ever to add another for their own reasons. Tiger to repeat the history he created when he won at Southern Hills 15 years ago and punctuate another unbelievable comeback from injury. Rory to reboot his run of major championships that had a Tiger-esque feel out of the gates. And Jordan to quietly (if it were possible) takes another crack at becoming just the sixth player in history to complete the career grand slam.

These three will have several thousand fans accompanying them around Southern Hills. Remember the crowds Tiger drew at Augusta last month for his practice rounds? Many players falter amongst the Tiger crowds but McIlroy and Spieth are no strangers to the spotlight.

2. Scottie Scheffler managed to fly under the radar in the lead-up to the Masters despite being the top ranked player in the world. By the time the final (four) putts dropped, he was impossible to ignore, having dominated the field.

So it would seem impossible that the World No. 1 and winner of the green jacket could arrive incognito at the very next major, but here we are again. Even over the weekend at Augusta, one could get up close and personal to the leader as the masses followed Tiger Woods several holes ahead. A similar dynamic may present itself throughout the week at Southern Hills where Scheffler is paired alongside Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa. Come Sunday, Scheffler might just sneak out of Tulsa with a second consecutive major and that would be impossible to ignore.

3. One of the dominant storylines early in the week has been the prices of beers at the concession stands. While The Masters is famous for their low prices, the PGA is more in line with the price of gas lately as a beer will cost you $18 this week.

That price tag has caught the attention of several players with differing philosophies. 2017 PGA Champion, Justin Thomas called out the PGA in a tweet saying they need to do better by the fans. Another Wanamaker winner, Brooks Koepka said, “drink enough of them and you’ll be fine,” and Shane Lowry who delivered perhaps the afterparty of all afterparties following his British Open win noted the price wouldn’t deter him from having a few.

Surely the beers will flow nonetheless and as Justin Thomas noted, they could be playing for a far bigger purse this week if beer money was factored in.

The first tee shots will be in the hot Tulsa air shortly. So dig into those pockets, enjoy a cold one and soak in the second major of the season.

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