Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York welcomes a 156-player roster with every one of the top 100 players in the current Official World Golf Rankings, something that has never happened before in one of golf’s major championships. The field features 34 major champions, 69 international players representing 27 countries, and 12 players who have been ranked No. 1 in the world. They will compete for the Rodman Wanamaker Trophy as Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, hosts the PGA Championship for the first time.
It is the first PGA Championship conducted in May since 1949 when Ben Hogan triumphed in Richmond, Virginia, and the first PGA staged on Long Island since 1926 when Walter Hagen won at Salisbury Golf Links in Westbury, New York.
Defending Champion Brooks Koepka, the world’s No. 3-ranked player, heads 17 past PGA Champions in the field. He is joined by Rich Beem (2002), Keegan Bradley (2011), John Daly (1991), Jason Day (2015), Jason Dufner (2013), Padraig Harrington (2008), Martin Kaymer (2010), Davis Love III (1998), Rory McIlroy (2012, ’14), Shaun Micheel (2003), Phil Mickelson (2005), Vijay Singh (1998, 2004), Justin Thomas (2017), Jimmy Walker (2016), Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, ’06, ’07) and Y.E. Yang (2009).
The 34 major champions competing at Bethpage Black own a combined 67major championships. Along with the past PGA Champions, they are: Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, world-No.1-ranked Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Francesco Molinari, Louis Oosthuizen, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Charl Schwartzel, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson, Jordan Spieth, Henrik Stenson, Bubba Watson and Danny Willett.
Bethpage Black hosted two previous major championships, with Tiger Woods capturing the 2002 U.S. Open and Lucas Glover triumphing in the 2009 Open.
The PGA Championship field also includes 20 PGA Club Professionals, led by reigning PGA Professional Champion Alex Beach, a PGA Assistant Professional at Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, located about 45 minutes from Bethpage Black. The 20 earned a berth on May 1, at the 52nd PGA Professional Championship at Belfair in Bluffton, South Carolina.
Golf’s best professionals began competing for the PGA Championship’s Rodman Wanamaker Trophy in 1916. Past Champions include both the legendary and recent stars of the game: Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka.
WBGD Predictions:
Some books have Tiger Woods as the favorite–most have Brooks Koepka. Woods has won at Bethpage, he won the U.S. Open there in 2002 and Koepka has won the last two U.S. Open and defends his 2018 PGA Championship victory. He’s also coming off a nice tune-up at the AT&T Byron Nelson–he finished solo fourth. Of the other top 30 favorites at the PGA Championship, only Koepka, Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed played in the Byron Nelson. Spieth is highly motivated, he can complete the career grand slam with a win at Bethpage.
WBGD Picks:
Tony Finau +30
Kiradech Aphibarnrat +200
Jordan Spieth +50
Betting Odds:
Brooks Koepka +1000
Dustin Johnson +1000
Rory McIlroy +1100
Tiger Woods +1100
Jon Rahm +1800
Justin Rose +2000
Rickie Fowler +2000
Jason Day +2200
Francesco Molinari +2800
Tommy Fleetwood +2800
Xander Schauffele +2800
Tony Finau +3000
Bryson DeChambeau +4000
Hideki Matsuyama +4000
Patrick Cantlay +4000
Sergio Garcia +4000
Adam Scott +5000
Bubba Watson +5000
Jordan Spieth +5000
Matt Kuchar +5000
Paul Casey +5000
Gary Woodland +5500
Henrik Stenson +7000
Louis Oosthuizen +7000
Patrick Reed +7000
Phil Mickelson +7000
Webb Simpson +7000
Ian Poulter +8000
Marc Leishman +8000
Jason Kokrak +10000
Kevin Kisner +10000
Rafa Cabrera-Bello +10000
Aaron Wise +15000
Alex Noren +15000
Billy Horschel +15000
Branden Grace +15000
Brandt Snedeker +15000
Byeong Hun An +15000
C.T. Pan +15000
Cameron Smith +15000
Charles Howell III +15000
Charley Hoffman +15000
Daniel Berger +15000
Eddie Pepperell +15000
Emiliano Grillo +15000
Graeme McDowell +15000
Hao Tong Li +15000
Jhonattan Vegas +15000
Jim Furyk +15000
Joel Dahmen +15000
Keegan Bradley +15000
Keith Mitchell +15000
Lucas Bjerregaard +15000
Lucas Glover +15000
Martin Kaymer +15000
Matt Wallace +15000
Matthew Fitzpatrick +15000
Pat Perez +15000
Ryan Moore +15000
Ryan Palmer +15000
Scott Piercy +15000
Shane Lowry +15000
Si Woo Kim +15000
Sung Kang +15000
Sungjae Im +15000
Thomas Pieters +15000
Tyrrell Hatton +15000
Zach Johnson +17500
Abraham Ancer +20000
Chez Reavie +20000
Corey Conners +20000
J.B. Holmes +20000
Jason Dufner +20000
Joost Luiten +20000
Jorge Campillo +20000
Julian Suri +20000
Justin Harding +20000
Kevin Na +20000
Kiradech Aphibarnrat +20000
Kyle Stanley +20000
Lee Westwood +20000
Luke List +20000
Max Homa +20000
Russell Knox +20000
Thorbjorn Olesen +20000
Adam Hadwin +25000
Andrew Putnam +25000
Brian Harman +25000
Cameron Champ +25000
David Lipsky +25000
Erik Van Rooyen +25000
J.J. Spaun +25000
Jimmy Walker +25000
Joaquin Niemann +25000
Kevin Tway +25000
Michael Thompson +25000
Tom Lewis +25000
Beau Hossler +30000
Chesson Hadley +30000
Danny Willett +30000
Dylan Frittelli +30000
Lucas Herbert +30000
Michael Lorenzo-Vera +30000
Mikko Korhonen +30000
Richard Sterne +30000
Ross Fisher +30000
Ryan Fox +30000
Sam Burns +30000
Steve Stricker +30000
Troy Merritt +30000
Brian Gay +35000
Danny Lee +35000
Harold Varner +35000
Jazz Janewattananond +35000
Adrian Otaegui +40000
Kurt Kitayama +40000
Padraig Harrington +40000
Patton Kizzire +40000
Adam Long +50000
Alexander Bjork +50000
Brandon Stone +50000
Brendan Jones +50000
Bronson Burgoon +50000
Kelly Kraft +50000
Michael Kim +50000
Richy Werenski +50000
Ryan Armour +50000
Satoshi Kodaira +50000
Shaun Norris +50000
Shugo Imahira +50000
Vijay Singh +50000
Y.E. Yang +50000
John Daly +100000
Martin Trainer +100000
Alex Beach +200000
Andrew Filbert +250000
Ben Cook +250000
Brian Mackey +250000
Casey Russell +250000
Cory Schneider +250000
Craig Bowden +250000
Craig Hocknull +250000
Danny Balin +250000
Jason Caron +250000
Jeffrey Schmid +250000
John O’Leary +250000
Justin Bertsch +250000
Marty Jertson +250000
Rich Beem +250000
Rich Berberian Jr. +250000
Rob Labritz +250000
Rod Perry +250000
Ryan Vermeer +250000
Shaun Micheel +250000
Stuart Deane +250000
Tyler Hall +250000
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