Check in each day of this week’s PGA Championship for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topic in the tournament, and join the conversation by tweeting us @golf_com.
After a soggy Saturday at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., we finally have some clarity atop the PGA Championship leaderboard. Four-time major champ Brooks Koepka leads at six under, Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners are both one stroke back and Bryson DeChambeau is three behind. Other threats lurk, too: Justin Rose and Scottie Scheffler are four behind and Rory McIlroy, at one under, is five back. So, who wins the second major of the year come Sunday night?
Jack Hirsh, Assistant Editor (@JR_HIRSHey): Brooks Koepka is going to shoot a two-under 68 to hold off Rory McIlroy by two strokes. I think the golf course is going to play as easy as it has all week, having been softened by Saturday’s rain. I don’t think it will be a full-on birdiefest just based on how tough the course is, and the fact that there will still be gusts over 20 mph. But then again, Koepka just shot two 66s on what were supposed to be the toughest days. I say a 65 is out there, and it comes from McIlroy, but Koepka will be too far out ahead to catch, having learned from his mistakes a month ago.
Josh Sens, senior writer (@JoshSens): Koepka sure has the air of inevitability about him. But since inevitable is boring, I am going to have to stick with my pre-tournament pick of Corey Conners, if he can only catch some putting magic. So, there it is: Conners in a playoff over Scheffler, who bounces back with a hot round to catch Conners at six under.
Alan Bastable, executive editor (@alan_bastable): My heart says Michael Block, but my head, abs and glutes say this one is Koepka’s. Earlier in the week, BK admitted to staying up all night after losing the Masters, replaying in his head what went wrong — a process that continued for days afterward and, he said, resulted in some learnings about his missteps and how not to repeat them. I believe him. I think that Masters Sunday really stung him, and now, with another golden major opportunity before him, I don’t see Koepka kicking away another chance. This big, burly course will get the big, burly champ it deserves.
Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): Listen, guys, I spent the last 20 minutes trying to figure out how to pick against Brooks Koepka here — because it’s no fun picking the favorite — but I came up with nothing. He’s done literally everything well this week, won four majors already and I can’t imagine he has another slip away like he did at Augusta last month. I’ll say there’s a slight chance Rory or Scottie go low and make it interesting, but I can’t go against Koepka come Sunday at Oak Hill.
James Colgan, news and features editor (@jamescolgan26): I picked Viktor Hovland a week ago today, and I’m sure not getting off the wagon now. He’s playing lights-out with his irons and has a sneaky amount of late-major experience. Sunday, he climbs back to hold off Brooks Koepka and snag his first major. Book it.
