For the first time in a decade, the PGA Championship returns to the iconic venue of Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. The club has hosted three U.S. Opens, three PGA Championships, plus a Ryder Cup and two U.S. Amateurs. Yet the golf course that pros will see this week has a completely new look due to an incredibly well-received 2019 restoration by Andrew Green. The claustrophobic, tree-lined golf course that Jason Dufner triumphed at in 2013 is long gone, as Green removed upwards of 600 trees from the property. Players will now face far more open sightlines, with new angles of attack into the completely re-modeled Bent-grass putting surfaces.
Justin Thomas will return to defend his 2022 title, and he will be challenged by the strongest field in golf. Storylines are abound this week in upstate New York. Can Jon Rahm continue his historic season? Can Rory McIlroy finally end his major drought at a golf course where he is an honorary member? Can Brooks Koepka or Phil Mickelson carry forward their momentum from strong Masters performances? Can Jordan Spieth complete the grand slam? Can Scottie Scheffler re-claim World No. 1 with his second major championship victory? However it plays out, we are certainly in store for some fireworks in Rochester.
