Form Guide: 2009 US PGA Championship

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2009 US PGA Championship | Preview | 12 Aug 2009

This week the longest layout in the history of major championship golf faces the 2009 US PGA Championship field at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.

The following players are considered, on paper at least, to be amongst the the leading chances.

Tiger Woods
Woods finished runner up to Rich Beem in this event at this venue in 2002 in case any further convincing of his chances this week was required. Woods is looking for his 15th major championship and if he was to do so this week he would join Jack Nicklaus and Harry Vardon as the only two winners of five PGA Championship titles. Following his recent win at the Buick Open and another brilliant win last week in Ohio he is the man they all have to beat.

Padraig Harrington
Harrington is the defending champion. A week ago there would have been few prepared to say he had any chance of successfully defending the title he won at Oakland Hills last year, but a resurgent and impressive Harrington appeared at Firestone last week.

Phil Mickelson
Mickelson was a little underdone last week when he teed it up at the Bridgestone event. That was his first start in nearly two months and he did well enough early in the event to suggest he will be significantly improved by the week.

Kenny Perry
Perry has yet to win a major championship but in the past two years he has done everything but. He lost this event in a playoff 13 years ago but at the age of 48 he is playing even better now than he was then. He played well in the lead up event in Ohio and his great driving will play a key role this week. I expect him to again do well.

Lucas Glover
Glover may have surprised many with his win at the US Open but like Perry he is a great driver of the golf ball and on courses like Bethpage and this week at Hazeltine National, that ability will be invaluable. With a few weeks to get over the fact that he is now the US Open Champion, Glover played reasonably well last week in Ohio. The odds against him winning the US Open and PGA in one season would have been astronomical earlier in the year but it is now not beyond the realms of possibility.

Steve Stricker
Stricker is not a long hitter but is more than capable of handling long golf courses as he generally keeps it in play and is a great scrambler. He had a very good week last week in Ohio and should be a factor this week.

Sergio Garcia
Garcia had a shocking week with the driver last week in Ohio and this golf course will eat him up if he has not addressed that in the interim. He has been solid enough in the last few months without being spectacular but if he is to contend things will need to take a significant turn.

Paul Casey
Casey is under and injury cloud after withdrawing from last week’s Bridgestone with a pulled muscle in the ribcage area. There is too much uncertainty for him to be backed with confidence, if indeed he plays.

Stewart Cink
Cink is coming back to earth after his first major championship win in Scotland three weeks ago. He had a very good week at the Bridgestone last week and while he has seldom contended in this event he will no doubt have a greater self belief in his capacity to do so as a result of having the Open Championship to his name.

Hunter Mahan
Mahan has played very well in 2009, regularly putting himself in contention. His great week at the US Open, where he so nearly won, highlights his capacity to handle golf courses such as Bethpage and Hazeltine and in my mind he stands a very good chance of another great week. He had a very solid warm up week last week, adding to his prospects.

Lee Westwood
Westwood has claims for his first major title having played beautifully in recent weeks. He was a little disappointing, especially early, last week, some poor driving in particular costing him any real chance of contending but a brilliant last round of 65 has him arriving in Minnesota with momentum.

Henrik Stenson
Since his win at the Players Championship in May, Stenson has not been quite the same. He had a reasonable week last week at the Bridgestone but he does not seem at the peak he was earlier in the year.

Geoff Ogilvy
Ogilvy has been a little disappointing in the major championships this year especially given his great start to the season. He did show last week however that things might be about to get significantly better with a third round of 67 and a good week overall. Ogilvy has not missed a cut in six starts at the PGA Championship which typically provides US Open style setups and he is, of course, a US Open Champion.

Jim Furyk
Furyk had a good week when 9th at Hazeltine in 2002 and although his last few starts in 2009 have yielded little he is the sort of player who Hazeltine may just suit. Some might say the golf course might be a little long for him but he knows how to play demanding layouts. He did not play well last week and has not won in two years but if he found a way to contend this week few would be surprised.

Ian Poulter
Poulter was a major disappointment at the Open Championship after making elevating his status earlier in 2009, but it may be he had reached the point of being golfed out by then. With the benefit of a two week break he played much better last week in Akron where he finished 15th.

Retief Goosen
Goosen has been in rare form of late with numerous top tens and had another good week last week. Surprisingly Goosen has had only one top ten in eleven starts at the PGA Championship but his record in US Open events on not dissimilar golf courses is first class. He can be expected to do well.

Anthony Kim
Kim has played well in recent weeks, although perhaps a little out of his comfort zone at the British Open. He returned from there to finish 3rd at the Canadian Open and had a reasonable week last week when midfield at the Bridgestone.

Mike Weir
Weir plays the tough golf courses well and at last week’s event in Ohio gave an indication that he was approaching some very good form. He is not the best driver of the golf ball but he seems to find a way to make things happen all the same.

Angel Cabrera
Cabrera’s form since his win at Augusta has been a roller coaster but the last three starts, especially last week in Ohio, have indicated he is back to where he was at The Masters. If that is the case then on this long golf course the long hitting Argentinean stands a chance of adding a third major to his name.

Robert Allenby
Allenby produced a very strong finish at the Bridgestone last week for a share of second place and now that his putting appears back on track he is such a good driver of the ball that he must be a consideration for his best finish in a major championship. His previous best finish at this level has been 7th in more than 50 major championships so to contend would be a big step but he is obviously close to his best.

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