Golf Sports News

There seem to be two major storylines accompanying the start on Thursday of the PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis.

First, can Justin Thomas win this event in back-to-back years, a feat accomplished only twice in the 60 years it has been a stroke play event (both by Tiger Woods)?

Second, can Jordan Spieth, fighting through a disappointing season, somehow put it all together to capture the last leg of a career grand slam?

Second guy first.

Spieth hasn’t won since the 2017 British Open, nor has he finished in the top 20 in any of his last eight events. He was erratic at this year’s British Open and just plain bad at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

He has won the Masters, the U.S. Open and the aforementioned British Open. But he’s not winning now.

“I’m a little under the radar this year, and I don’t mind it,” he said. “But at the same time, this tournament will always be circled until hopefully I win it one day.”

Thomas won that WGC event last week and has five victories since he captured the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Rest assured he will get plenty of attention when he begins play on Thursday, because his partners are Woods and Rory McIlroy.

That will bring even more attention and big galleries. Let’s turn the pressure up a notch.

“It will be pretty crazy out there,” Thomas said. “There’s going to be a lot of people, I know that.”

There’s also history to be made and it will take 72 holes (or more) for someone to make it.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman