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Morning 9: Does this PGA Championship deserve an asterisk? | Harding Park history | Tiger update | PGA Champ odds

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6 years ago

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1. Feinstein: No * for the PGA champ
This year’s winner won’t deserve this (*) next to his name, writes John Feinstein…“The player who wins this week’s PGA Championship at Harding Park will be a major champion just as surely as that tree [that falls in a forest with nobody around] made a sound.”
  • “There are some wondering if the absence of spectators caused by the COVID-19 virus will somehow make this PGA not as major as normal majors played in front of thousands of spectators. There are others, noting the absence of players like three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, 2018 Open Championship winner Francesco Molinari and frequent major contender Lee Westwood-not to mention John Daly and Vijay Singh, past PGA champions who now compete as senior citizens-as somehow meaning that an asterisk should be placed next to the champion’s name come Sunday evening.”
  • “They are wrong-completely wrong and totally wrong. How’s that for redundancy?...It’s there to make a point. Almost no major golf tournament is played with a perfect field-or under perfectly fair conditions.”
2. Harding Park’s deep roots
Excellent writing by PGATour.com’s Sean Martin looking at the underappreciated golf history of a venue (and a city)…“San Francisco’s municipal gem is home to an important championship on an annual basis, and while the San Francisco City Championship isn’t considered one of golf’s Grand Slam events, it is one of the game’s most unique.”
  • “The tournament affectionally referred to by locals as simply “The City” has been held every year since 1916. Its endurance through the World Wars allows it to claim the title of golf’s oldest consecutively-played championship. Its former competitors range from World Golf Hall of Famers to taxi drivers, NFL quarterbacks to airport baggage handlers. The doctors and lawyers who are members at the Bay Area’s prestigious clubs play alongside bartenders. It’s not unusual to see a player turn to alcohol to steady his nerves or to witness a former U.S. Golf Association president carry his own clubs through a downpour.”
  • “San Francisco is a city that prides itself on its diversity. Its amateur golf championship is no different.”
  • “The tournament, conducted on San Francisco’s public tracks in the wet and cold of Northern California’s winter, attracts only the most passionate participants.”
  • …”San Francisco’s golf heritage is underappreciated, often overshadowed by its neighbors to the south, who are the beneficiaries of interminable sunshine. But the City by the Bay can boast of major champions and world-famous courses, as well.”
3. Bubba hires a coach…sort of
Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…“Watson was seen working with Claude Harmon III, son of Butch and instructor to Brooks Koepka, on the practice putting green after his third round of the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational on Saturday at TPC Southwind.”
  • “I’m really good friends with Claude and Brooks and them, so my manager and Claude are really good friends. So my manager (Jens Beck) said, ‘Hey, you should definitely talk to him.’ And all it is is it’s about, ‘Hey, man, do you see anything that me and Teddy are missing?’ ” Watson explained. “There’s no range stuff, if that makes sense. I know people don’t understand that. I’m trying to score better. I feel like my physical part is there and how do you score better. That’s why I asked him.
  • “I call him my life coach is what I call him.”
4. Observations from Tiger’s Monday practice
Via Geoff Shackelford, one of the few fortunate souls on the ground at Harding Park, and he sees a focused and free-swinging Woods…
  • “Not that I’m saying he’s come to some events unprepared, but there was definitely an urgency to the Monday proceedings at Harding Park. Getting comfortable on the green was the primary focus, particualrly given that his swing, ball-striking and body all appear ready to go. “
  • “Short game consultant Matt Killen went nine holes with him and they discussed his putting at times. “
  • “He played one of his approach shots as if a real putt, but with Joe LaCava giving his read first, then consulting the green reading charts, before putting.”
  • …”Flexibility appeared excellent despite the cool conditions. No 80% swings as we’ve seen in run-ups or early week of majors.”
5. Daly among COVID-19 WDs for PGA Championship
Golf Channel’s Will Gray…”A total of 156 players will tee it up this week at TPC Harding Park in the first men’s major championship since Shane Lowry left Royal Portrush with the claret jug 13 months ago. But the alternate list has gotten an extensive workout to keep the field full, with more than a dozen players withdrawing for various reasons.”
  • “That list includes 1991 winner John Daly, whose withdrawal was announced Sunday. Daly will miss the PGA for the first time since 2013, and he subsequently tweeted that the decision was based on safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic…”
6. Lynch: (75% of) everything to play
Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch…“That fact should be borne in mind by those journeying to San Francisco this week to commence a major championship season that ought to have already concluded last month in England. Our compromised calendar kicks off with the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park and wraps with the Masters three months hence, with the USGA’s delayed showcase in between. (The R&A opted to sit out the year after realizing it had missed the two-week window that represents a British summer.)”
  • “In short, as bastardized as 2020 has been, there is still 75% of everything to play for.”
  • “The three majors that will (hopefully) be played this year will count on someone’s résumé just as much as the 451 contested previously. But some players may need to hit a reset button on that reality before action gets underway Thursday. Consider what Rory McIlroy said last week about the PGA Tour events staged since the resumption of play two months ago.”
7. It’s time for…
…the best player without a major debate…or so say multiple outlets as we have finally arrived at a major championship at the latest point in a calendar year in golf history (?)…
Here a the top 2 from Golfweek’s Steve DiMeglio…
“Xander Schauffele…”While he hasn’t won in 19 months, he’s a big-time player on golf’s biggest stages. Three of his four PGA Tour titles came in the 2017 Tour Championship, the 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions and the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions. Was a stud in the 2019 Presidents Cup. He also lost in playoffs in the 2019 HSBC Champions and the 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions. In the majors? He has five top-6 finishes in 11 starts, including four of the last seven played. He tied for second in the 2018 Open Championship, tied for second in the 2019 Masters and tied for third in the 2019 U.S. Open. He finds fairways, finds greens and quickly finds a way to get the ball in the hole. Great temperament, too.”
“Jon Rahm…In brutal U.S. Open-like conditions and facing one of the strongest fields in memory at this year’s Memorial, Rahm became the fifth youngest player to become No. 1 in the world with his win at Jack Nicklaus’s Dublin, Ohio, gem. It was his fourth PGA Tour title to go with six victories on the European Tour – all before turning 26. The Spaniard is a bull who doesn’t have a weakness in his game, or as Phil Mickelson said, is a great driver of the ball, has plenty of firepower, is a great iron player, strong putter, superb around the greens. Anger management issues have plagued him but he has gotten a better hold of his inner rage of late, though mini outbursts remain. Mickelson said it wouldn’t take long for Rahm to become a top-10 player after he turned pro in 2016 – and Rahm became just that in 2017. Now it seems it’s just a matter of time before he adds a major championship triumph to his already impressive resume.”
8. PGA x BetMGM
How things have changed. Remember when PGA Tour players were barred from wearing betting or DFS company logos on course…it’s a different world now…PGATour.com staff reporting…
  • “The PGA TOUR announced today that BetMGM has signed a multi-year content and marketing relationship to become an Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR.”
  • “By joining the TOUR’s Official Betting Operator program, BetMGM will have rights in the United States to use PGA TOUR marks, rights to advertise within TOUR media and TOUR partner platforms, plus content and video rights allowing BetMGM Sportsbook platforms to create pre-game and post-game betting programming, as well as distribution of highlights to users who have placed bets.”
  • “BetMGM is part of a premium brand that is deeply connected to golf through sponsorship of various PGA TOUR players and tournaments,” said Norb Gambuzza, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President, Media and Gaming. “Through the power of the BetMGM brand and resources, this new relationship will help accelerate our sports betting strategy, and enable the TOUR to reach new fans and further engage current fans who enjoy betting on golf.”
9. PGA Championship odds
Our Gianni Magliocco…It’s PGA Championship week, and following his win at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, Justin Thomas has been installed as the joint favorite alongside defending champion Brooks Koepka to claim the year’s opening major.
“European duo Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy are next in the betting, while Tiger Woods, who resumes his quest for major number 16, has been chalked up as a 28/1 chance to get his hands on the Wanamaker Trophy.”
“Check out the full list of 2020 PGA Championship odds (As of August 3rd) courtesy of BetOnline.ag”
Brooks Koepka 10/1
Justin Thomas 10/1
Jon Rahm 12/1
Rory McIlroy 12/1
Bryson DeChambeau 14/1
Dustin Johnson 20/1
Xander Schauffele 20/1
Patrick Cantlay 25/1
Collin Morikawa 28/1
Tiger Woods 28/1
Webb Simpson 28/1

 

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Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

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How much each player won at the 2026 PGA Championship

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2 weeks ago

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Aaron Rai upset the odds to win his first major championship on Sunday at Aronimink, firing a final round of 5-under par to see off his competitors and claim the winner’s check for $3,690,000.

Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley were the best of the chasing pack, with both men sharing runner-up spot which was good enough for each to receive a check for $1,804,000.

With a total prize purse of $20.5 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 PGA Championship.

Players who missed the PGA Championship cut each received $4,300 each.

1: Aaron Rai, $3,690,000

T2 : Jon Rahm, $1,804,000

T2 : Alex Smalley, $1,804,000

T4: Justin Thomas, $843,866

T4: Ludvig Aberg, $843,866

T4: Matti Schmid, $843,866

T7: Cameron Smith, $637,050

T7: Rory McIlroy, $637,050

T7: Xander Schauffele, $637,050

T10: Kurt Kitayama, $496,707

T10: Chris Gotterup, $496,707

T10: Justin Rose, $496,707

T10: Patrick Reed, $496,707

T14: Matt Fitzpatrick, $364,762

T14: Scottie Scheffler, $364,762

T14: Max Greyserman, $364,762

T14: Ben Griffin, $364,762

T18: Maverick McNealy, $229,128

T18: Jordan Spieth, $229,128

T18: Stephan Jaeger, $229,128

T18: Padraigh Harrington, $229,128

T18: David Puig, $229,128

T18: Harris English, $229,128

T18: Min Woo Lee, $229,128

T18: Joaquin Niemann, $229,128

T26: Nick Taylor, $125,523

T26: Alex Noren, $125,523

T26: Cameron Young, $125,523

T26: Andrew Novak, $125,523

T-26: Daniel Hiller, $125,523

T26: Tom Hoge, $125,523

T26: Sam Burns, $125,523

T26: Hideki Matsuyama, $125,523

T26: Bud Cauley, $125,523

T35: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, $78,805

T35: Patrick Cantlay, $78,805

T35: Ryo Hisatsune, $78,805

T35: Daniel Berger, $78,805

T35: Ryan Fox, $78,805

T35: Haotong Li, $78,805

T35: Aldrich Potgieter, $78,805

T35: Si Woo Kim, $78,805

T35: Martin Kaymer, $78,805

T44: Chris Kirk, $53,743

T44: Matt Wallace, $53,743

T44: Shane Lowry, $53,743

T44: Jhonattan Vegas, $53,743

T44: Denny McCarthy, $53,743

T44: Chandler Blachet, $53,743

T44: Taylor Pendrith, $53,743

T44: Dustin Johnson, $53,743

T44: Nicolai Hojgaard, $53,743

T44: Michael Kim, $53,743

T44: Kristoffer Reitan, $53,743

T55: Collin Morikawa, $34,186

T55: Corey Conners, $34,186

T55: Andrew Putnam, $34,186

T55: Brooks Koepka, $34,186

T55: Mikael Lindberg, $34,186

T60: Sami Valimaki, $29,218

T60: Sahith Theegala, $29,218

T60: Rico Hoey, $29,218

T60: Rickie Fowler, $29,218

T60: Brian Harman, $29,218

T65: Casey Jarvis, $26,900

T65: Jason Day, $26,900

T65: Rasmus Hojgaard, $26,900

T65: Keith Mitchell, $26,900

T65: Sam Stevens, $26,900

T70: Luke Donald, $25,070

T70: Ryan Gerard, $25,070

T70: John Parry, $25,070

T70: William Mouw, $25,070

T70: Kazuki Higa, $25,070

T75: Elvis Smylie, $24,158

T75: Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, $24,158

T75: Alex Fitzpatrick, $24,158

T75: Daniel Brown, $24,158

79: John Keefer, $23,970

80: Ben Kern, $23,930

81: Michael Brennan, $23,910

82: Brian Campebll, $23,900

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