Nine Australians are in the field for the US PGA Championship, but only two of them can win it.
It’s an exciting time for Australian golf. The country is set for the biggest summer of golf we’ve ever seen and our golfers are no longer just competing, but also winning.
Peter Senior must surely pick up a win on the Champions Tour soon, Mat Goggin on the Nationwide Tour is one win away from an automatic spot back on the PGA Tour and Adam Scott is one of the favourites to win this week’s major, the US PGA Championship.
The US PGA Championship is the smaller, lesser known sibling of the four majors and outside the US, it struggles to have a real identity of its own.
Nevertheless, it is a major championship, and for anyone referred to as “one of the best golfers never to win a major” it would be a welcome victory.
Australia has had three winners at the US PGA Championship since its inception in 1958.
David Graham won in 1979 and went on to win the US Open in 1981. Wayne Grady and Steve Elkington won their sole major at the US PGA Championship in 1990 and 1995 respectively.
But what about 2011?
We have two very fine golfers in very fine form right now. Scott and Jason Day are now ranked in the world’s top-10 golfers and most importantly, both have confidence in abundance.
Let’s take a look at the Aussies in the 2011 US PGA Championship’s field this week and see who has any sort of chance of winning.
These guys can win – Scott and Day. Okay, it’s not really going out on a limb but at $21 and $24, they are good value considering their form.
Day has only played in six major championships which includes three top-10s. One of which was last year’s US PGA Championship.
Don’t rule them out – Robert Allenby, Steve Elkington, Aaron Baddeley
I’m not sure whether I’m more astounded Elkington continues to rank as one of the best dressed golfers or he is listed at 300-1 to win this week. He finished sixth last week after a poor opening round and tends to get up for the PGA Championship.
It was only the fifth time he has made the cut this year but when The Elk is playing well, it often continues for a few weeks.
I’m going to stick with Allenby for a few more weeks. He had some good golf marred by some bad stuff last week. Could contend.
Badds is hot and cold right now. He could miss the cut, or finish top five. I think he’s been too erratic to post a win this week but stranger things have happened.
Can’t see them getting close – Richard Green, Brendan Jones, Geoff Ogilvy, John Senden
I’m off the Dicky Green bandwagon. He made 14 birdies at the WGC event last week, along with 13 bogeys and a double. That won’t get a win in a major.
Jones is capable of a low score but has never put together four good rounds in the US.
Ogilvy is all over the place and is harder to read than Dostoevsky. I yearn for the days when he’s back in contention on Sunday but it’s hard to see it happening this week.
I’d love to see John Senden win a major championship. Alas, I think a solid top-30 is the best bet on Sendo.
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