Five headlines heading into the 2023 PGA Championship

The 2023 PGA Championship starts on Thursday from Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York, a suburb of Rochester. Here are five headlines heading into the second major of the year.

5) Six Canadians entered

There will be six Canadians competing at the 2023 PGA Championship. That ties the record for the most Canadians entered in a single major golf championship. The Canadians participating are Corey Conners of Listowel, Ontario, Mackenzie Hughes of Hamilton, Ontario, Nick Taylor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Adam Hadwin of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Taylor Pendith of Richmond Hill, Ontario, and Adam Svensson of Surrey, British Columbia. The previous time six Canadians participated a single major was the 2022 United States Open. Last year the six entered were Conners, Hadwin, Hughes, Taylor, Roger Sloan of Calgary, Alberta and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ontario.

4) No Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods, the 47-year-old legend from Cypress, California, will not be competing at the PGA Championship due to recent ankle surgery. Woods has won four PGA Championships in the past. They happened in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007. Of the top 100 golfers in the world, 99 will be competing in Oak Hill. The only player absent is world number nine Will Zalatoris of San Francisco, California, who had recent back surgery.

3) Jordan Spieth competing

Three-time major champion Jordan Spieth of Dallas, Texas was a question mark after missing the AT&T Byron Nelson a week ago due to a wrist injury. However, he has confirmed participation. The PGA Championship is the only major Spieth has not won in his career. He previously won the 2015 Masters, 2015 United States Open, and 2017 British Open.

2) Red hot Jason Day

Australia’s Jason Day, the 2015 PGA Championship winner, is entering the 2023 PGA Championship having won at the Byron Nelson just a week ago. Last week at TPC Craig Ranch, Day posted a four round score of -23. With the win, Day moved up 15 places in the Official World Golf Rankings from 35th to 20th.

1) Golf’s top three are clearly the best there is

The top three players in the world are Spain’s Jon Rahm, American Scottie Scheffler and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy. They have combined for seven major titles, and 1372.56618 total points in the Official World Golf Rankings. Don’t be surprised if the champion comes from one of these three.