2021 PGA Championship

[Carolina Speed]

The PGA Championship, the second major, begins today. Several story lines here. Most interesting will be if Jordan Spieth can become only the sixth golfer ever to complete the career grand slam. The five men who have done it are; Nicklaus, Player, Hogan, Sarazen, and Woods.

Can Rory McIlroy win a third PGA. Kiawah Island, SC where this years PGA is, was the site of McIlroy's first PGA win was in 2012.

World number one Dustin Johnson is in his home state. Can he win here? This course is the longest of any Major ever, is 7,900 yards including a possible 4,000 yards on the back nine alone, will be interesting how Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau attack this course. Brooks Koepka a two time PGA winner looking for a third, but has missed the last two cuts with a knee injury.

Phil Mickelson is in the field with a special exemption status. Age and length may have finally caught up with Phil, especially on this course.

...and Rickie Fowler who has fallen to world number 128 is out early in a T3 at -2. Could be a story there?

 

[Carolina Speed]

After the first round, here are the leaders.
1. Connors -5
T2. Bradley -3
T2. Hovland -3
T2. Koepka -3
T2. Wise -3
T 2. Horsfield -3
T2. Davis -3
T.8 Mickelson -2
T16 Fowler -1
T31. DeChambeau E
T31. Rahm E
T41. Spieth +1
T77. Thomas +3
T 97 D. Johnson +4

 

[Carolina Speed]

At fifty years young Phil Mickelson is co-leading the PGA. He becomes the sixth man to lead or co-lead a major after a round in four decades. He joins Nicklaus, Watson, Player, Snead, and Raymond Floyd.
World Number one Dustin Johnson and number two Justin Thomas missed the cut.
T. 1 Mickelson -5
T. 1 Oosthuizen -5
3. Koepka -4
T4. Grace -3
T4. Bezuidenhout -3
T.4 Matsuyama -3
T7. Woodland -2
T12. DeChambeau -1
T39 Rahm +3
T39 Fowler +3
T39 McIlroy +3
T50 Spieth +4

 

[icsept]

The golf has been a good watch today. Phil has been hot, but seems fatigued and limping toward the end. Koepka looks strong. Hopefully they will be the final pairing tomorrow. That would be epic.

 

[Don Wassall]

Yep, it's a great final pairing, can't wait to watch tomorrow. Would love to see Phil add this one to his legacy at the age of 50 but Koepka is a young bull who knows how to win the majors. Hopefully it'll be great theater. Several other golfers are also in the hunt.

 

[white is right]

Yep, it's a great final pairing, can't wait to watch tomorrow. Would love to see Phil add this one to his legacy at the age of 50 but Koepka is a young bull who knows how to win the majors. Hopefully it'll be great theater. Several other golfers are also in the hunt.

It should be as about half a dozen golfers could have a hot day and win the title. While I think Koepka is the betting favorite seeing Mickleson win would be the preferred outcome for myself and most viewers.

 

[Don Wassall]

Phil with a nervous bogey on the first hole while Koepka birdies and is now one up over Phil. Hopefully Phil settles down quickly.

 

[Don Wassall]

Phil birdies the par five second hole while Koepka double bogeys and retakes the lead at -7. Kevin Streelman is now second at -6. Oosthuizen and Woodland are also in the mix.

 

[Don Wassall]

Phil just holed one from the bunker on 5, the large maskless gallery went crazy! Phil now 2 up over Koepka and Streelman.

 

[Carolina Speed]

Phil safely on number 10 green and Koepka with a tough bunker shot. This could be the tournament. A one or two shot swing and it's Phil's to lose.

 

[Don Wassall]

Yep, Phil birdies on 10 to another deafening roar and Koepka bogeys, Phil up by 4 shots with 8 holes to play!

 

[Carolina Speed]

Phil safely on number 10 green and Koepka with a tough bunker shot. This could be the tournament. A one or two shot swing and it's Phil's to lose.

A two shot swing on number 10.
1. Mickelson -8
2. Koepka -4
Four shot lead with 8 to go.

 

[Carolina Speed]

Yep, Phil birdies on 10 to another deafening roar and Koepka bogeys, Phil up by 4 shots with 8 holes to play!

Phil in the drivers seat. Really amazed at how well he's playing. Hard to understand how a 50 year old is beating up these youngsters?

 

[Don Wassall]

Phil's an all-time great and if he wins today and becomes the oldest man to win a major his already legendary career will be that much more illustrious.

 

[Don Wassall]

INTO LEGEND!!!! The People's Champion does it!!

That was awesome beyond words. Just a tremendous accomplishment on a beast of a course against the best in the world at the age of 50. And how about that unabashed adoration of a White athlete? The fans surrounded and nearly trampled Phil on the 18th fairway.

Just an exciting, nerve-wracking and very memorable day, my second favorite golf memory ever after Jack's win at Augusta in 1986.

 

[Carolina Speed]

INTO LEGEND!!!! The People's Champion does it!!

That was awesome beyond words. Just a tremendous accomplishment on a beast of a course against the best in the world at the age of 50. And how about that unabashed adoration of a White athlete? The fans surrounded and nearly trampled Phil on the 18th fairway.

Just an exciting, nerve-wracking and very memorable day, my second favorite golf memory ever after Jack's win at Augusta in 1986.

Well said Don. I couldn't agree with you more.

 

[BeyondFedUp]

I wasn't going to miss chiming in on this! What a great day! What an experience to see Phil do this. Congrats to him and hello to everyone of my comrades at CF.

 

[sport historian]

I remember when Jack Nicklaus won at Augusta in 1986, age 46. The previous oldest to win a Major was Julius Boros in the 1968 PGA, age 48.

Phil Mickelson is a few weeks short of 51 as he won the PGA today. It's one of the greatest wins in sports history!

 

[icsept]

I was at a friend’s house watching the final round, so didn’t get a chance to post. Very entertaining, great golf. Survival of the fittest type of challenge. I noticed the completely maskless, all-White crowd watching great White athletes competing at the highest level of the sport. I can only imagine the pure outrage the liberals, authoritarians, and SJWs were feeling.

 

[Flint]

Awesome! Always been a big fan of Lefty. How great is it that he wins another major? I hope he can win again.

 

[The Hock]

Must have been great to watch too bad my TV is out at the moment. I was under the impression that Mickelson was out of the running any more.

This is a real cherry on top for his career.

 

[Don Wassall]

It was a really smart move for the PGA Tour to rearrange the order of the annual big events a couple years ago. The Players moved from May to March (the month it had been played for a long time before moving to May), and the PGA Championship moved from August to May. When it was held in August, the PGA attracted a lot less interest than the other majors and certainly was the weak link of them as August is the month when football is cranking up and baseball is in the thick of divisional races. Now, the big five tournaments are held one per month each March, April, May, June and July and as a result the PGA Championship has returned to its previous prominence.

 

[white is right]

I remember when Jack Nicklaus won at Augusta in 1986, age 46. The previous oldest to win a Major was Julius Boros in the 1968 PGA, age 48.

Phil Mickelson is a few weeks short of 51 as he won the PGA today. It's one of the greatest wins in sports history!

Nicklaus' win in 86' was very dramatic he was behind heading into the back 9 and hit long putt after long putt, this win was similar to Wood's win 2 years ago at the Masters where Mickleson kept his form while nobody else mounted a serious charge.

For all of the history accomplished yesterday it's been crickets on the sports talk circuit. ESPN had Smith and Kellerman mention it in passing and then got in a Baldrick reference of how Woods can now win at 50.

 

[Booth]

In my opinion, I think Brooks Koepka is trying to take away some of the attention Phi deserves by complaining that some people in the crowd kicked him in his knee. I am sure someone bumped into him but I can't believe it was intentional. Walking nearly 8.000 yds a day for 4 days would make his knee sore.

 

[Booth]

Sunday's round of the PGA Championship destroyed the NBA playoff games on tv and it wasn't even close.
https://dailycaller.com/2021/05/25/tv-ratings-pga-championship-nba/