Golf fans look set to be spoiled this week, with Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau amongst those vying for the PGA Championship title at Quail Hollow.
The PGA Championship could have hardly asked for a better build-up than the one it has had in the last few weeks. Both Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau won on their most recent starts.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy triumphed at The Masters last month. It was his third victory of the year already, and Quail Hollow is a course in which he has managed to win four times previously.
Those who believe that hitting the ball a long way will be vital, particularly given the weather in Charlotte at the start of this week, will struggle to look past McIlroy and DeChambeau for the winner.
The PGA Tour player who can hit shots like Rory McIlroy
But Scheffler made a real statement at The CJ CUP Byron Nelson. The world number one won by eight at TPC Craig Ranch. It was almost as though he had won the tournament on Saturday and spent Sunday simply sending a message to those he will face off against this week.
McIlroy and Scheffler have rarely found themselves in serious contention at the same event over the last few years. And perhaps there is a good reason for that.
Speaking on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast about the big difference between McIlroy and Scheffler, Padraig Harrington suggested that it is perhaps Xander Schauffele who has more in common with McIlroy when it comes to some of the shots he can produce.
“This is the thing with Rory. Players can win, a good few players can go and win the PGA. But there’s not very many who can run away with it, maybe himself and Bryson would be the only two if Bryson really hits form. Scottie could probably run away with the tournament, but he won’t be doing things – the thing with Scottie is as good as he is, he doesn’t do things that everybody looks at and goes, ‘I can’t do that’. He does them relentlessly.
“He hits shots that are unbelievably good, but you’re going ‘my best shot is as good as that’. Whereas Rory’s best shot, there’s only Bryson that can compete with that, maybe Xander. Xander is pretty damn good, and remember Xander won twice last year.”
Xander Schauffele feels like the forgotten man heading into the PGA Championship
It is slightly surprising that Harrington puts Schauffele in a similar bracket to McIlroy. It does not feel as though Schauffele has put together a highlight reel of breathtaking shots from his career.
Instead, he is someone who always seems to put himself in the mix and not make the kind of mistakes that some of his rivals simply cannot avoid.
That arguably sounds a lot more like Scheffler, who is yet to finish outside of the top 25 this year on the PGA Tour.
With McIlroy, Scheffler and DeChambeau in great form heading into the PGA Championship, Schauffele is surely going to need to live up to Harrington’s praise if he is going to stand any chance of retaining his title.
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