Tiger, Phil and expensive beer: Things you need to know about this week’s PGA Championship

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/05/2022 (1584 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The PGA Championship marks the second men’s major of the year and a return to the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.

The field of 156 is led by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who has already won four times on the PGA Tour this season, including the Masters.

There are plenty of storylines as we get closer to Thursday’s opening run — including Jordan Spieth gunning, again, for the career grand slam — but here are the five key things to know this week.

Tiger’s there

Tiger Woods is back in action this week at another major championship.

After a scouting mission of Southern Hills Country Club a few weeks ago, he felt fit enough to play after making the cut at the Masters — just 14 months after suffering a myriad of leg injuries after a horrific car crash.

Don’t think this is a ceremonial start, however. Woods’ killer instinct was on display during his pre-tournament press conference.

“I feel like I can, definitely. I just have to go out there and do it,” said Woods when asked if he thought he could win this week.

Woods admitted his injuries have limited his ability to practise and given how much “hardware” is in his body there are going to be limitations to his output.

“But I’m going to get stronger. I don’t know how much that is or how much range of motion I’ll ever get back,” said Woods. “But (it) sure is a hell of a lot better than it was 12 months ago.”

This marks Woods’ 22nd PGA Championship start. He’s won the Wanamaker Trophy four times including in 2007 at Southern Hills.

Phil’s not

This year marks only the third time a reigning titleholder is not here to defend his PGA Championship trophy as Phil Mickelson continues his exile from the game after comments directed at the PGA Tour and on the new Saudi-backed golf series, LIV Golf.

Mickelson was still the talk of the tournament early in the week, however, with many of the world’s best chiming in.

“It’s unfortunate. It’s sad,” said two-time PGA Championship winner Rory McIlroy. “I don’t know what else I can say.”

The six-time major winner hasn’t teed it up on the PGA Tour since January. He also missed the Masters, and there has been no indication for when he’ll play again.

Mickelson won last year’s PGA Championship at age 50, becoming the oldest major champion in history. This year was set to be a celebration of a great golfing achievement.

Woods and Ben Hogan are the two other golfers to not defend their PGA Championships. Woods won the Wanamaker Trophy in both 2006 and 2007 but was unable to tee it up in 2008 as he recovered from a leg injury. Hogan won in 1948 but did not play in 1949 after getting hit by a bus in February of that year.

Spotlight on Southern Hills

Southern Hills Country Club wasn’t originally supposed to host this year’s PGA Championship, but it was moved from Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey following the Capitol Hill riots that saw former president Donald Trump’s supporters cause chaos there on Jan. 6, 2021.

Southern Hills hosted the Senior PGA Championship last year and most of the infrastructure — including volunteers and club support — was already installed.

It last hosted the PGA Championship in 2007, won by Woods, but the course is completely different these days. Noted golf architect Gil Hanse completed a restoration in 2019 that reflects more of the original design from 1936.

The course will play as a par 70 and measure over 7,500 yards, with the two par 5s both playing over 630 yards.

The Stanley Cup?

You wouldn’t initially tie the Stanley Cup with Tulsa but Wednesday at the PGA Championship Lord Stanley was next to the Wanamaker Trophy on the first tee of Southern Hills as ESPN broadcaster Marty Smith interviewed players.

The Stanley Cup’s visit was a collaboration between the NHL, the PGA of America, and ESPN. The network is in its third year of broadcasting the PGA Championship, but its first year of broadcasting the NHL and the Stanley Cup playoffs.

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From pour to poor …

A photo of the concession prices at Southern Hills Country Club was posted to social media on Monday and immediately caused a firestorm online and off as plenty of players were talking about it.

A can of Michelob Ultra is being sold for $18 (US) this week, while seltzers, imported beer and signature cocktails are $19. A bottle of water goes for $6.

“It’s pretty crazy. I saw that and thought, ‘those poor fans,’” said Canadian Mackenzie Hughes. “It seems unnecessary because we know that’s not the cost of a beer. It’s unfortunate.”

For comparison, the most expensive concessions item at the previous men’s major, the Masters, is $6.