RIATH AL-SAMARRAI picks out his Oak Hill pointers: Jon Rahm might be set for one more shootout with Scottie Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood can tame the demanding course… and beware the LIV rebels at US PGA Championship
- Rahm is prime of the world rankings after 4 wins from 11 occasions in 2023
- World No 2 Scheffler gained the distinguished Gamers Championship at Sawgrass
- LIV rebels Johnson, Koepka and Smith will fancy their probabilities this week
Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler are vying for favouritism forward of the one hundred and fifth US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.
Rahm is prime of the world rankings after 4 wins from 11 occasions in 2023, together with succeeding Scheffler as the Masters champion after claiming his second main title at Augusta Nationwide.
Scheffler made a profitable title defence within the WM Phoenix Open and in addition gained the distinguished Gamers Championship at Sawgrass, leaving him simply behind Rahm within the rankings however a full two factors away from Rory McIlroy in third.
However LIV rebels Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith will fancy their probabilities after having fun with a return to type.
Mail Sport’s RIATH AL-SAMARRAI picks out his Oak Hill pointers.
Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler are vying for favouritism forward of the US PGA Championship
The favorite
Jon Rahm. The Masters champion has 4 wins this yr, however might want to drive like he did at Augusta to keep away from the penal tough. Simple to foresee one other shootout with Scottie Scheffler, who has completed no decrease than twelfth in 12 begins since November.
Every-way punt
Tommy Fleetwood. A prime 5 final week at Quail Hole and his tee-to-green recreation is great, which is important on such a decent, demanding course.
Rory issue
You’ll by no means write him off, however his type has nosedived in current months and he has been conspicuously subdued this week.
The insurgent alliance
Dustin Johnson is coming in scorching after profitable in Tulsa on the weekend. As are Cameron Smith, the Open champion, and Brooks Koepka, who got here so shut on the Masters.
The monster
The toughest gap on the East Course at Oak Hill is the 503-yard par-four sixth
The East Course at Oak Hill has the potential to be a brutal problem, with thick tough and slender fairways, which have up to now this week been a devilish mixture in tandem with the windy and chilly situations.
Robert MacIntyre described it as a ‘monster’ and the toughest course he has performed.
The toughest gap on the course is the 503-yard par-four sixth. It has a slight dogleg with fairway bunkers on the left and Allen Creek operating down the appropriate, meandering throughout the green after which left of the inexperienced.
A controversial in-course out of bounds to the appropriate discourages any chopping of the nook.
