And They're Off! Your Guide to The 2022 PGA Championship!

As 13-time Major winner Bobby Jones (1902 – 1971) said, “There are two kinds of golf: golf and tournament golf … and they are not at all the same.” If Jones could have that quote back, I would bet that he would say, “There are three kinds of golf: golf, tournament golf and Major golf.”

While I admit that I watch more than my share of “regular” golf throughout the year, I am a Major junkie. You just can’t compare the pressure of winning the Valspar Championship at the Innisbrook Resort in March to any of the four Majors. You can see it on the players faces. Winning the Valspar Championship is great for the resume as well as the bank account, but winning a Major is life changing, an historical feat that won’t be forgotten. Majors are MUST-SEE TV.

And if truth must be told, I find that putting a few dollars on the Majors adds a bit of excitement to my hours on the couch. Below you will find some of the information and opinions I will use to determine where my money is going.

2022 PGA Championship Tournament Information

Date: May 19 to 22.

Course: Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa. Course Length: 7,556 yards. Course Par: 70. There will only be two par 5s, both measuring over 630 yards. The course, which was opened in 1936, was designed by Perry Maxwell. In 2018, the layout received an extensive renovation from Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner. Trees were removed, new bunkers added and fairway widths were restored from 28 yards to 40 yards.

Purse: $12,000,000 – 1^st place: $2.16 million; 2^nd: $1.29 million; 3^rd: $816,000.

Defending Champion: Phil Mickelson

Past Champions In The Field: Collin Morikawa, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Jason Dufner and Tiger Woods.

The Betting Odds For The Five Previous Winners Of The PGA Championship: 2021 – Phil Michelson (250-1). 2020 – Collin Morikawa (30-1). 2019 – Brooks Koepka (10-1). 2018 – Brooks Koepka (18-1). 2017 – Justin Thomas (35-1).

Here is the list of men's Majors at Southern Hills along with the winners:

BETTING ODDS (As of May 17th)

Past Major winners are in boldface.

So who is going to win the year’s second Major? Here is what the writers and odds makers are saying:

Kyle Porter, senior CBS golf writer: Winner -- Shane Lowry (30-1): I've been trying to push away the idea of Lowry stealing a Major out from underneath Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, but I can't resist it any longer. Lowry has been a top-five ball-striker so far in 2022 (Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Will Zalatoris and Justin Thomas are the other four), and he's an elite iron player with a tremendous short game who played quite well at the Masters.

Patrick McDonald, CBS golf writer: Winner – Hideki Matsuyama (28-1): Firm and fast conditions -- where iron play and around-the-green prowess are required -- scream Matsuyama to me. The 2021 Masters champion already has two wins on the season and finally looked like his normal self at the AT&T Byron Nelson after suffering from a neck injury. The key will be his putter -- as it so often is -- but these bent grass greens should be to his liking. He has nine top-26 finishes in his last 10 major championship appearances and possesses one of the higher floors among the game's elites.

Kyle Boone, writer: Winner -- Jon Rahm (12-1): Rahm hasn't quite played at the level this season that maybe he did the last few seasons, and yet … last we saw of him he was winning on Mexico's soil. He's still got it. He ranks first on the PGA Tour this season in strokes gained off the tee, which should serve him well at Southern Hills, and he should be in the mix down to the end if the other nuances of his game come together. If I can bet on his putter to break through, I'll happily do that.

Anita Marks, ESPN betting analyst -- Winner: Scottie Scheffler (11-1): This is Scheffler's tournament to lose. He is the hottest golfer on the planet right now, winning four of his past seven starts. The course metrics are set up nicely for him. He can hit it long. Accuracy won't be a problem with the wider fairways. He ranks third in greens in regulation (GIR) and is a tremendous putter.

David Bearman, Sports Betting deputy editor, ESPN.com -- Winner: Justin Thomas (14-1): I will be playing both Thomas and Rory McIlroy, but I am giving the edge to Thomas based on his overall body of work this season. McIlroy had an incredible Sunday at Augusta last month, but Thomas has better approach stats and has been more consistent all season.

Nick Piastowski, Golf Magazine – Winner: Scottie Scheffler (11-1): This could be the continuation of something special, and you don’t want to say afterward: Why didn’t I just pick the hottest golfer on the planet? His game plays anywhere, too.

My Pick – Winner: Jordan Spieth (20-1): I love that you always know what he is thinking and feeling. And right now, he is feeling pretty good about his game. After shooting a fourth-round 67 and finishing second to K.H. Lee in last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson, Spieth said, “I’m striking it better, consistently. I feel like I’ve got every shot.” And there is special motivation. A PGA Championship win would give him the career grand slam. As my friends all know, the smart money always follows my picks. Bet Away!

Down The Fairway,

Allan Stark