2019 PGA Championship: What you need to know

2019 USPGA Championship: What do I need to know?

• No longer the final Major of the year. The US PGA switches to a May date for the first time since 1949 and will be played at Bethpage Black, host venue for the 2024 Ryder Cup.
• The course’s Major pedigree is limited to just two US Opens (in 2002 and 2009), but it did stage The Barclays (now known as The Northern Trust) in 2012 and 2016.
• The 156-man field will be reduced to the low 70 scorers and ties after 36 holes.
• In the event of a tie after 72 holes, there will be a three-hole aggregate score play-off on holes 1, 17 and 18.
• PGA Championship: How to watch
• PGA Championship: Tee Times/ Pairings
• Bethpage Black: The Five Key Holes

What is the prize fund?

The total prize fund is $11million, and the winner will pocket $1.98 million.

What is Tiger’s record at Bethpage Black?  2002?

Tiger Woods won the U.S. Open at this venue in 2002, and did so as the only golfer to finish under-par when he won by three shots. Seven years later, Lucas Glover held his nerve to win his first and only Major title. Tiger finished 6th that year, but on both occasions, Phil Mickelson finished runner-up. The only other player to finish inside the top 10 at Bethpage Black in 2002 and 2009 is Sergio Garcia. 

Bethpage Black: What is the course like?

Big and bruising. Opened in 1936, The Black was designed by AW Tillinghast and became the first public course to host the US Open in 2002. It plays to a par 70 for Majors and features only two par 5s. Players must negotiate several dog-legs, tight fairways and uphill and downhill shots which characterise Bethpage’s par 4s, billed as some of the best worldwide. Five of them tiptoe over 475 yards and not one is driveable. Throw in the 120 giant bunkers which surround every fairway and green, and you can see why it ranks as one of America’s toughest courses. Hence the sign!

What does the designer say?

Stay out of the sand! Rees Jones, who redesigned the course in 2002, reckons the fairway bunkers, particularly on the 18th, aren’t conventional because of all the noses, fingers and islands, and the many awkward lies you can find in them. “The players hate this stuff,” he says. “That’s what makes these bunkers truly hazards.”

What do the players say? 

The green complexes are somewhat difficult, which makes things a lot more complicated. There’s a lot of up-and-down tee shots or blind shots into greens and stuff like that.” – Jason day

“The course is up there with the hardest, probably top-five courses, I’ve ever played in my life, It’s a fair test, though. You have to work the ball both ways. You have to hit a variety of shots into the greens, different trajectories.” – Jordan spieth

“The greens are a reasonable size so if you can get the ball in the fairway, you should be able to hit the greens. But they are tough to putt. They are challenging.” – Phil Mickelson

“The rough is definitely a penalty. You can get some spots where you can barely wedge it out to the fairway.” Padraig Harrington

“It’s the type of test I like. It’s a long course. Ball-striking pretty much gets rewarded.” Justin Rose

Who are the favourites to win the 2019 PGA Championship? 

At the moment, World No.1 Dustin Johnson is the favourite to win his second major title this week with odds of 10/1. Below, find the list of the current top 10. 

Dustin Johnson: 10/1
Brooks Koepka: 11/1
Rory McIlroy: 12/1
Tiger Woods: 12/1
Jon Ram: 18/1
Justin Rose: 18/1
Justin Thomas: 18/1
Rickie Fowler: 18/1
Jason Day: 22/1
Francesco Molinari: 25/1

Check back for our betting tips later today