These four players dominated in Texas, and that momentum will carry on as they tee it up in the 105th PGA Championship.
Some of the world’s best teed it up last week at TPC Craig Ranch for the Byron Nelson. It was the perfect tune-up before the PGA Championship and proved worthwhile for some of those players. The week before a major championship doesn’t always have the best fields, but that wasn’t the case in Texas.
Multiple guys are in the field for the PGA Championship that played well, but these four guys were on a different planet.
Oak Hill Country Club will undoubtedly challenge this field. But the way these four golfers are playing right now, they could have the momentum to do something special.
4. Si Woo Kim
A Dallas resident that played well at TPC Craig Ranch was Si Woo Kim, who finished solo second and one shot off the winner, Jason Day. Kim is the only guy on the list who has a victory this season after taking home the Sony Open in January. Since then, he hasn’t played terribly, missing just two cuts in 13 starts, but only recorded two top 10’s.
He makes the list because of how well his game looked in Texas. Kim went 65-66-68-63 and was close to taking the title. To shoot a 63 on a Sunday is no pushover so that confidence will hopefully carry on into this week.
Despite the PGA Championship being one of his weakest events, with a T13 in 2020 being his highest finish, Kim could see that change in New York. He has missed the cut in three of his last five PGA Championship starts, but this will be his first trek to Oak Hill, which could bode well for Kim.
3. Tyrrell Hatton
The next player on this list is Tyrrell Hatton, who is looking to claim his first major championship. In Texas, he finished T5 at -20 overall. As the tournament progressed, his scores got better. Hatton shot a 64 Sunday. That give him his second straight top-5 finish. He has five top 10’s on the season.
Hatton is No. 5 in strokes gained total and No. 11 in strokes gained off the tee and approach to the green. Those three things must be consistent at Oak Hill. He could be taking on this monster at the perfect time because Hatton is one of the best on tour in those three areas.
The highest score he has shot in the past three events is a 70, so Hatton is someone to keep an eye on this week. He could be finding his momentum to win his second PGA Tour event. As long as Hatton can keep his cool and avoid any meltdowns, fans could see him record his best PGA Championship finish yet.
2. Adam Scott
Among the guys on this list, Adam Scott finished the lowest in Texas but still earned a spot. He went on to shoot -19 overall and make a T8 finish — his second of the year. However, those two top 10’s came in back-to-back events as he went T5 at the Wells Fargo Championship. Scott is finding his game at the right time, as he is another player who knows Oak Hill well.
Shooting two 63’s in a week means he is playing good golf, and having a 71 be the highest score he has shot in two weeks is even more noteworthy. In 2013, Scott finished T5 with Scott Piercy and five shots off the winner.
Scott could be someone to consider if he can remain as consistent as he has been the last two weeks. Despite missing the cut the previous two years at the PGA Championship, he has six top-10 finishes at the event, with his best finish coming in 2018, where he earned a solo third. The 2013 Masters champion could be eying his second career major.
1. Jason Day
The 2023 Byron Nelson champion is, of course, on this list. After shooting 64-69-66-62 to beat Kim by one shot, it’s hard not to include Jason Day. The 13-time winner on tour has to feel strong about his game after this performance. Not to mention having seven top 10’s on tour this season is enough not to overlook him at Oak Hill.
A final round 62 is incredible, and it shows when Day is healthy, he can hang with the best of them. The former World No.1 went five years between wins as he battled chronic back pain. Day’s last win came in 2018 at the Wells Fargo Championship, but now that the drought is over, he could be one of the next guys to go on a hot streak.
He won the 2015 PGA Championship, which elevated him to No.1. Can he win his second Wanamaker Trophy this week in Rochester, NY? The last time he played at Oak Hill in 2013, Day finished T8, so this course fits his game when he plays well. Add him to the list of guys that could have a good week because anything is possible for Day after that performance in Texas.
