2022 PGA Championship: Will Zalatoris, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy play for history entering Motion Day

TULSA, Okla. – It always takes a few days at pro tournaments before the focus of the tournament comes on, and the 2022 PGA Championship is no different. After 36 grinding holes in the Southern Hills and two days of constant hand-squeezing about the consistency of the sand, the length of the grass on these slow green lawns, and how strong the Oklahoma wind blows across the path, some plot great has appeared.

Will Zalatoris lead the league after scoring 66-65 in the first two rounds, and will he play with Mito Pereira, who is back, coming off the bench at the weekend. Each will be looking for their first PGA Tour win, which is a serious hit (not to mention rare) feat to be achieved at a major championship.

Zalatoris is the type of ball hitter who can be completely clingy. That’s definitely not the question. The story surrounding Zalatoris is whether his sometimes shaky shot (to put it kindly) can hold up the last few rounds with low oxygen at the top of the big leagues. For the week, Zalatoris has yet to miss within 10 feet (18 of 18) and ranks first in the field for strokes hit on push. Sure, that won’t last, but it also might not matter because his ability to get from tee to green could make it completely unimportant.

Pereira is a lower version of the only man he follows. He excels from tee to green but combines that with a hot and cold short. Pereira is trying to become the first Chilean to win the men’s soccer tournament, but more importantly for him, he is trying to win for the first time at this level. He and Zalatoris have one thing going for them, which is that historically it’s been an extremely difficult place to play from behind in the pro leagues. All seven big winners at Southern Hills have either a lead or a joint lead after 36 holes.

However, it will be the biggest test of that statistical reality given the caliber of players following the top two.

This PGA is a little different from last year when Phil Mickelson led after 36 holes. In that case, the leader is the and that never changes as the weekend goes on. This year, however, while the two leaders are a headline with two days left in Tulsa, there are many other plots (including some that only came out over the weekend) around them. Let’s take a look back at the six most important stories that differ from the other two at the second major championship of the year.

1. Great opportunity of JT: This is perhaps Justin Thomas’s best shot to win his second major since his triumph at Quail Hollow in 2017. While he’s not a favorite, maybe he should go for it. the way he flies his ball and think his way around the Southern Hills in the first two days. Thomas’ wave has been handled in the tougher conditions by two strokes in Rounds 1 and 2, and he is one of only two golfers who started early or late in the first two days to be in the top nine currently across the board. ratings.

The feeling around Thomas was that he was too talented to sit in on a major championship win. The only two players in front of him have never won, and they will be even in terms of conditions for the duration of the game. JT had a look all week, and now he has the opportunity to move into the category of players reserved for Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka. Zalatoris and Pereira are playing for the PGA this week; Thomas is playing for a historic leap.

2. What can Rory summon? Friday was a disappointment for McIlroy, who led Thursday’s first round. He was only able to score 71 on a day when both of his playing partners – Spieth and Tiger Woods – broke the score. McIlroy, like Thomas, had a legacy that didn’t last for a while. He finished on the field with the racer in Round 1 but didn’t give himself any scoring opportunities in Round 2 – he only had two birdie searches within 15 feet and made one of them. He will have to improve on that approach play on Saturday and Sunday to stand a chance, but the result here is that he may be in the best position to potentially join JT in the final game. on Sunday – if the top two fail – in what will be one of the most anticipated grand finale matches of the past 10 years.

3. Tiger is still the proudest champion: While the early part of Woods’ career – in which he rips people apart like a predator – provides thrilling entertainment, this edition is more inspirational on the emotional side. On Friday, Woods made his way to the 69 that took him to a weekend he probably shouldn’t have taken. Now that he’s excelled at the first two major tournaments of the year, that’s something none of Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Dustin Johnson or Xander Schauffele could have predicted.

Tiger was fun to watch in 2000 and 2005, but now he’s emotionally connected to an older generation. In 2022, when he cuts through nothing but irritation and determination, his industrious drive to do what he once did as best he can is the most believable thing in the world. It was a joy to watch on Friday, and although he won’t win on Sunday, the final two days will be a celebration of what it means to be an all-time great on your own. As McIlroy said Friday night, “He’s the ultimate pro.”

4. A third for Bubba? Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson has only had three other top 10 finishes in 55 major championship appearances and only once since he won the Masters 2014 (2018). He has laps for the week so far with 63 on Friday, an inning where he made two bogeys, played in mid-range with his putter, and dealt quite a bit of damage from tee to area. green area. His nine birdies were his career best in a major round, and his 63 shots marked the course record at the Southern Hills. Watson, who sits in fourth after two innings, probably won’t last. But if he somehow manages to take 3rd place at the age of 43, it will certainly change the way we think about his historical relevance. While he is almost certainly already a famous golfer, a win here would be without a doubt.

5. Redemption Story: During the 2001 US Open at Southern Hills, Stewart Cink missed a hit from less than 2 feet into the last hole he should have entered Monday’s playoffs against Mark Brooks and Retief Goosen. Now 21 years later (!), 48-year-old Cink is T8 on the board and legal in the mix with 36 holes to go. That almost certainly won’t happen, but the story of Cink trading that nightmare in 2001 for a dream ending to his major championship career will be very special.

6. Cameron Smith hides: The person I’ve been keeping an eye on all week is Smith. He’s behind 68 on Thursday and 70 on Friday, and although his T10 status on the leaderboard may not be impressive, he leads the field in terms of approach and miss hits. What from a short match is usually the best or the best in the world. He has 65 in person on Saturday, and if that happens, he could play his way into one of the last few pairs on Sunday afternoon.