International contenders
- Tuesday, 5 August 2008
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International contenders
Adam Scott (Aus)
World ranking: 8
Best PGA Championship finish: T3 (2006).
Last five PGA Championship finishes: T23, T9, T40, T3, T12.
Adam Scott won his first tournament for two years at January’ s Qatar Masters, and he currently lies in 4th place in the World Rankings. With decent finishes in all three Majors this year, and with Tiger Woods not contending, Scott must be well-placed for his first Major victory at Oakland Hills… but we’ve said that before.
- Championship odds: 25/1
Vijay Singh
World ranking: 4
Best PGA Championship finish: 1st (1998, 2004)
Last five PGA Championship finishes: T34, 1st, T10, MC, MC
The 45-year-old arrives here brim full of confidence after winning his first WGC title at the Bridgestone Invitational last week. With no Tiger in the field Vijay has to fancy his chances, especially given his fantastic record at the PGA. The Fijian may have occasional lapses on the green but with his belly putter back in the bag things are looking good. Given his consistency, he has to be worth an each-way shout here.
Championship odds: 20/1
Ernie Els (RSA)
World ranking: 5
Best PGA Championship finish: 3 (2007)
Last five PGA Championship finishes: T5, T4, DNP, T16, 3.
With three Major titles to his name, Ernie Els must be one of the favourites this week on paper. A victory at the Honda Classic this year was followed by a solid showing at the US Open, where he finished in a tie for 14th place. He also finished tied for 7th at the Open Championship at Birkdale, despite shooting a dreadful 80 in the first round. Having said all that he hasn’t looked like a Major champion for some time and will need a significant shift in his short game fortunes.
Championship odds: 16/1
Geoff Ogilvy (Aus)
World ranking: 7
Best PGA Championship finish: T6 (2005,2007)
Last five PGA Championship finishes: T27, T24, T6, T9, T6.
Geoff Ogilvy has a terrific record in the PGA Championship, finishing in the top 9 for the last 3 years. A man for the big occasion, Ogilvy has already shown with his victory at the 2006 US Open that he is more than capable of handling high-pressure situations. He has also tasted victory in 2008, winning the WGC-CA Championship in March. He is a due another good showing, having been blown away at Birkdale.
Championship odds: 28/1.
KJ Choi (Kor)
World ranking: 12
Best PGA Championship finish: T6 (2004)
Last five PGA Championship finishes:T69 ,T6, T40, T7, T12.
KJ Choi is the most successful male Asian golfer of all time, with 14 professional wins, including the 2008 Sony Open in Hawaii. With 2 more top-10s this year, he looks on the verge of his first Major. However, he faded away badly at Birkdale when in contention and it will be interesting to see whether he has recovered.
Championship odds: 33/1.
Trevor Immelman (RSA)
World ranking: 17.
Best PGA Championship finish: T6 (2007)
Last five PGA Championship finishes: T48, T37, T17, T34, T6.
Victory at the US Masters was the 10th professional victory of Trevor Immelman’s career, and further proved that he is a truly world-class golfer. His win was all the more remarkable given that he had a benign tumour removed from his diaphragm just three months earlier. Perhaps understandably his year has been relatively slow ever since but he gave flashes of a return to form at Birkdale.
Championship odds: 66/1.
- Odds may vary, those quoted correct at time of going to press from Sky Bet.
