US PGA Championship

USPGA Championship 2023 Player Guide: Profiles of the top 50 in the betting

Matt Cooper
15 May 2023, 10:22
12:00 min read

Golfer Jon Rahm — Can Jon Rahm complete back-to-back success in the majors?

Who has their eye on the Wanamaker Trophy? Who's the best bet in New York? Who has the best form? Before striking your bets read Matt Cooper's guide to the leading players chasing glory at Oak Hill...

Profiles of the top 50 USPGA Championship contenders
Includes full tournament records
Sportsbook & Exchange betting options for each player

Jon Rahm

PGA record: 58-4-MC-13-8-48

Ahead of the Masters the form which had seen the Spaniard win five times in eight starts slipped away, prompted by problems off the tee. A change in driver worked a treat and not even that four putt on the first hole of the week could stop his march to a second major championship triumph. Slow starts in his only two appearances since were costly, but he still carded a 64 at Harbour Town and a 61 in Mexico, where he reported that he was managing his time ahead of this week.

Angle: He's never been inside the top 20 at halfway in this event but if he can get in the mix he has an excellent final round record (sub-69 in the last four).

Scottie Scheffler

PGA record (most recent result on the right): 4-8-MC

The fact he finished T10th on defence of the Masters in April and was deflated says much. "I did a lot of weird stuff," he said. "And still had a chance to be in position to win this tournament." Getting involved is something he understands in the majors, with seven top 10s in 11 starts since he joined the PGA Tour. He's never visited Oak Hill but did play Rochester as an amateur. "It was June and cold is all I remember," he recalled. Texas-based, he was born in New Jersey and the galleries will likely lap that up.

Angle: He contends: has been within three shots of the lead after 18 or 36 holes in seven of nine strokeplay starts this year.

Rory McIlroy

PGA record: 3-3-64-1-8-1-17-MC-22-50-8-33-49-8

Rory McIlroy at the Travelers.jpg

"It sucked, it sucked," McIlroy repeated when he re-emerged following his missed cut at the Masters. "Just incredibly disappointing. I needed some time to regroup and focus on what's ahead." The reappearance came at Quail Hollow, a favourite course, and while he carded a first round 68 he never broke 70 again to finish T47th. That's three straight failures to land a top 40 in strokeplay events.

Angle: There's quite a split in his event history: five top 10s in his first six starts and just two in his last eight. But it's worse than that because he's never been closer than nine shots off the lead with 18 holes to play in those last eight efforts.

Brooks Koepka

PGA record: 70-15-5-4-13-1-1-29-2-55

The 33-year-old's second placed finish in the Masters was his eighth top two finish in his last 21 majors (four of them wins) and he said afterwards: "I expect to contend in the other three this year." His form also remains superb. He's finished 1-2-11-3-5 since the start of April and eight of his last 16 rounds were 65s (including round one at Augusta).

Angle: In conceding a big lead at Augusta National he also reminded us that he's not infallible in the majors. His fourth win (in 2019) saw a seven shot 54-hole lead diminish to two in the final round and he was also out-duelled by Phil Mickelson in this championship in 2021.

Justin Thomas

PGA record: 18-66-1-6-37-MC-1

His final round performance last year was quite something because in the 21st century not one of the other 90 major winners made up as many shots as he did (seven) - and, in the American majors, none of them made up more than four shots. Can he win again? He'll need to find form. He's made one top five all season, hasn't ranked top 10 for Strokes Gained Approach since the US Open and hasn't ranked better than 10th for Putting since his win 12 months ago.

Angle: Is seven top 10s in 29 major championship starts what you would expect from a player of his undoubted ability?

Patrick Cantlay

PGA record: 33-27-3-43-23-MC

Patrick cantlay at the RBC Heritage.jpg

The Californian did leave Augusta National having made an impact but maybe not in the manner anyone would want to: he was basically the golfing equivalent of a middle lane hogger. He also logged a third major championship top 15 in a row, however, relative riches for a fellow who hasn't transferred his PGA Tour form to elite level competition. He's made eight top 25s in a row, four of them top four, and says: "I've been playing well for a while now and haven't really got any victories."

Angle: He's not broken 73 in seven of his last 10 tournament rounds and his last three Thursday scores have been 73-73-76.

Collin Morikawa

PGA record: 1-8-55

It seems that one minute the 26-year-old was winning both this Championship and the Open at his first try (in 2020 and 2021), and also registering six professional wins in his first 61 starts. Then either side of New Year he became a choker, blowing a five shot pre-final round lead at the Hero World Challenge and a six stroke advantage at the same stage of the Tournament of Champions. Also (small sample size alert), he's 0-for-3 at making the top 50 in New York and New Jersey.

Angle: For all his recent woes, he remains a prolific logger of major top 10s: seven of them, in fact, in 13 starts (and six in his last eight).

Tony Finau

PGA record: 10-MC-44-42-64-4-8-30

After completing victory in the Mexico Open last month he cheerfully said: "We'll just continue to stack up some wins and hopefully some majors in the future." It was his sixth PGA Tour win but his fourth in his last 19 starts and each time he was impressive. He first turned a five shot deficit into a three shot win, then converted a shared lead into a five shot triumph before comfortably maintaining two leads, the latter when chased by Jon Rahm.

Angle: Time for a regression to mean? He landed seven major championship top 10s in 13 starts from 2018 to mid-2021, but has now gone seven appearances without one.

Viktor Hovland

PGA record: 33-30-41

The Norwegian has relatively high hopes ahead of last year's championship because it was held in Oklahoma, the state he went to college and in which he now resides. Alas, it was a third time that he's never really got going - he's yet to be within nine shots of the 54-hole lead in this championship. Since then, however, he has shared the third round lead at the Open and was third at the same stage in Augusta. He's also been third in THE PLAYERS Championship.

Angle: He's played four rounds of golf in every strokeplay start since early July and is 11-for-12 at making the cut in majors.

Xander Schauffele

PGA record: MC-35-16-10-MC-13

"I'm playing really solid, just had a flat Sunday unfortunately," the Olympic champion said after failing to mount a strong final round challenge in the Wells Fargo Championship two weeks ago. He's right that he's solid. Since missing the cut at the 2022 Masters he's always played four rounds (when fit) and has 18 top 20s in 21 individual starts. 13 of those were top 10s (and two wins).

Angle: This is his weakest major. He is 3-for-6 at registering top 10s at the Masters, 5-for-6 in the US Open and 1-for-5 in the Open with top fives in all of them. At the PGA he is 1-for-6 with a best of T10th.

Cameron Young

PGA record: 3

Home turf, more or less, for the New York native whose precocious ease in the majors echoes the efforts of Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Will Zalatoris before him. "I don't know why but I am really comfortable in them," he said at Augusta. "They just suit my game quite well and I've proven that to myself." Like Zalatoris he is yet to win one and he's been similar in taking his time winning on the PGA Tour - he's now up to eight top three finishes without the W.

Angle: He's boom or bust in the majors: seven starts, four missed cuts, a second, a third and a seventh.

Jordan Spieth

PGA record: MC-MC-2-13-28-12-3-71-30-34

The Texan had to pull out of last week's AT&T Byron Nelson with a wrist injury that he said needed evaluation "week to week". It wasn't a good sign as he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam off the back of fourth place at the Masters and play-off defeat when defending the RBC Heritage a week later. He might also have noted that Colonial Country Club specialists have a fine record at Oak Hill - and he is very much a Colonial specialist himself.

Angle: It has to be the wrist - was the early withdrawal last week a precautionary move or is this a serious problem?

Matthew Fitzpatrick

PGA record: 49-MC-MC-41-MC-23-5

Matt Fitzpatrick wins the US Open.jpg

His near-miss in this championship last year (he was second with 18 holes to play before finishing fifth) was not only a first top 20 (and just a second top 40) in seven attempts, it also set him up for a major championship breakthrough in the US Open. Injury and poor form dogged him after that but he turned it around to win the RBC Heritage where he said: "I can retire now. Other than the majors, of course, there isn't a higher one on my list than to win and that's the truth."

Angle: Last year's opening 68 broke a run of six failures to break 72 in round one. Five times he's been outside the cut mark after 18 holes.

Max Homa

PGA record: 64-MC-MC-13

His major championship record continues to baffle. At the Masters he has no top 40 in four visits, ditto the US Open, at the Open he has missed one cut and been T40th, and in this championship he has one top 40 in four appearances - his T13th last year at Southern Hills. Against of all that, he's a two-time winner this season, including at the major-hosting Torrey Pines, and he was eighth last time out at another major hosting venue (another he has won on), Quail Hollow.

Angle: No less than 17 of his 28 pre-cut rounds have needed 73 strokes or more.

Cameron Smith

PGA record: 25-MC-56-64-43-59-13

After the brilliance of his fve wins in 2022, his return to action this year was tardy with just one top 20 in his first five starts. A return home for the LIV Adelaide sparked his form however. He was third there, seventh in Singapore and only defeated in extra holes last week in Tulsa.

Angle: He's won the Open and has four top 10s at the Masters but, after finishing fourth on debut in the US Open in 2015, the travelling US majors seem to have flummoxed him. He hasn't made a top 30 in six US Opens since that start and has done so only twice in seven PGAs (even they were only T25th and T13th).

Dustin Johnson

PGA record: 10-5-MC-48-8-7-MC-13-27-2-2-MC-MC

A flat 2023 was transformed last week in Tulsa when DJ defied the lack of one top five finish in six previous starts to shoot 63-63-67 to make a play-off he won against Cameron Smith and Branden Grace. Back issues had been causing him problems and contributed to a 78-75 finish at the Masters but might be now follow Koepka's lead and contend in a major off a LIV win?

Angle: His last four PGA Championships have been rich or poor: two runner-up finishes followed by 76-74 at Kiawah Island in 2021 and 73-73 at Southern Hills to miss the cuts.

Jason Day

PGA record: 10-MC-MC-8-15-1-2-9-19-23-4-44-55

The Aussie is a past winner of this title (in 2015) and he has five top 10s in all. He's also in fine form, opening 2023 with seven straight top 20s. A final round 80 at the Masters followed (having been top 10 all week) and he revealed afterwards: "I had vertigo and it was not fun." He added: "I've been playing a lot better so there's more stress which compromises your immune system. That makes the vertigo worse and it really kicked my butt at Augusta." Take a bow then, Jason: he won last week in Dallas and in fine style.

Angle: That form is very impressive but can he keep the fitness under control?

Sam Burns

PGA record: 29-WD-20

Having won the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play, Burns sat sixth after 18 and 36 holes in the Masters and it seemed that he was set to finally land a first major championship top 10. Then he carded 78-72 to finish T29th which means his T20th in this tournament last year remains his major best. It's something of a mystery why he has failed to impose himself while Will Zalatoris and Cameron Young have done the opposite - might it be that his year-on-year strength is with the putter while there's is with driver?

Angle: Will he finally contend or should he continue to be swerved until he shows more at the top table?

Sungjae Im

PGA record: 42-MC-MC-17

The Korean star missed last year's championship and struggled in the final two majors of 2022 (MC-T81st) but he has been ultra-consistent ever since in recording 15 tops 20s (nine of them top 10s) in 21 individual starts.

Angle: He's struggled away from Augusta in the majors. Last year's first and second round at the PGA are the only times in 10 non-Masters majors that he ended a round within four shots of the lead.

Hideki Matsuyama

PGA record: 19-36-37-4-5-35-16-22-23-60

Hideki Matsuyama shades 1280.jpg

Since he won either side of New Year 2022 Japan's golfing hero has had every move forward stymied by injuries and yet has somehow managed to throw in the odd fine performance. He was fourth in last year's US Open, fifth in this year's PLAYERS Championship and fifth with 18 holes to play at the Masters. He hadn't been seen since then before he posted a promising T23rd at last week's AT&T Byron Nelson.

Angle: He's never missed a cut in the PGA Championship and has a fine second round record - ahead of last year's Friday 72 he'd carded 67-64-69-68-67-68.

Shane Lowry

PGA record: MC-57-47-MC-MC-48-12-8-66-4-23

After winning last autumn's BMW PGA Championship the Irishman has found it difficult to find fourth gear and left Augusta National frustrated with T16th after spending the first three and a half days in the top 10. "My putter let me down and I love these weeks so much," he said. "I've only probably got another six or seven at my peak or at max."

Angle: Four PGA Championship top 25s in his last five starts and he does "get" major weeks - another good run at a triumph is well within him if he can just control expectations.

Talor Gooch

PGA record: MC-44-20

It briefly seemed like the red-hot LIV performer would miss out this week until the PGA of America invited him to play and if he comes even close to his recent efforts he'll be high in the scoring. He led the LIV Adelaide by 10 after 36 holes before overcoming a blip to win by three and defeated Sergio Garcia in extra holes in Singapore before a flat effort last week (when he had many off course duties in his home state).

Angle: His form suggests a first major top 10 (in his 10th start) is within him but that form has come on easy tracks and Oak Hill won't be that.

Tyrrell Hatton

PGA record: 25-10-MC-10-48-MC-38-13

The Englishman played nicely in Dallas last week to finish fifth, just a week after he was third at the Wells Fargo Championship. Good stuff and yet he actually said after his Quail Hollow effort: "I felt so uncomfortable over the ball this weekend. I stood over tee shots feeling like I was going to snap hook. I naturally fade the ball, so that's not a nice feeling."

Angle: He's chiselled his way to three top 15s with good weekend golf in this tournament but in the two travelling US majors (this and the US Open) he has never entered the final 36 holes within six shots of the lead (and only twice been within seven) in 14 attempts.

Adam Scott

PGA record: MC-23-23-9-40-3-12-MC-MC-39-7-11-5-15-MC-18-61-3-8-22-MC-MC

"This business is all about results," the elegant Aussie said two weeks ago, revealing his frustration at his inability to produce them before his fifth place in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, his first top 10 of 2023 and one he immediately followed with another last week. He has significant course experience: he was T23rd in the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill and fifth 10 years later.

Angle: The horse might have bolted but he was the joint first round leader in 2013 and ended the first day in the top seven in three of his last four starts including a 63 for tied second last week in Dallas.

Tom Kim

PGA record: MC

Reality has hit a little for the 20-year-old Korean who had a superb time of it last year on the PGA Tour, winning twice and regularly racking up top 10s. Despite the downturn he did make an impressive debut at the Masters, finishing T16th, once again reminding us of his talent and ability to thrive on the biggest stages.

Angle: His first win on the PGA Tour came last August on a Donald Ross design at Sedgefield just a week after he'd been seventh on another Ross layout in Detroit. He's highly unlikely to card 63 and 61 final rounds as he did on those two occasions but might yet another Ross design fit his eye this week?

Tommy Fleetwood

PGA record: MC-MC-61-35-48-29-MC-5

TOMMY FLEETWOOD 1280.jpg

In last year's profiles we noted that his tournament record was a little better than it seemed at first glance given that he had been third after 18 holes in 2019 and second at halfway in 2020. At Southern Hills he saw the week out to grab fifth and added fourth in the Open. "My game is trending so well," he said recently. "I keep reminding to let it happen." He's right about that. He was third at Innisbrook, fourth after 54 holes at Harbour Town and fifth at Quail Hollow.

Angle: Time for another top 10? That major form is solid and he looks a better fit for them away from Augusta.

Joaquin Niemann

PGA record: 71-MC-MC-30-23

The Chilean finished T16th at the Masters which was something of a surprise on two scores. First of all it was a major championship career best finish which seems little short of remarkable for a player of his talent (and he's had 16 goes at them too). It was also among his better efforts in recent months because after peppering his early LIV log book with top 10s he went three events either side of Augusta without breaking the top 25.

Angle: "I think I've got the game to win a major," he said at the Masters and it's true but he needs experience of contending first unless he has a truly remarkable week.

Keegan Bradley

PGA record: 1-3-19-MC-61-42-33-29-MC-17-48

The 2011 PGA Championship winner has been enjoying his golf for 18 months now. He threatened to win the Wells Fargo Championship 12 months ago, landed the Zozo Championship in October and was second in the Farmers Insurance Open in January. Against that, he hasn't made a top 10 since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. Good vibes? He was T19th at Oak Hill in 2013 and he's won on a Donald Ross track at Aronimink (he was also fourth at Pinehurst).

Angle: He broke 70 in the third round when winning on debut but since then he's played Saturday nine times and not returned to the 60s (flipside - he's never gone 74+).

Patrick Reed

PGA record: 59-30-13-2-MC-MC-13-17-34

"We're competitors playing golf and they treated us all the same way," he said of the patrons at Augusta National and their attitude to LIV golfers. How will the notoriously raucous New York/New Jersey galleries treat Reed? Many will continue to see him as something of a patriotic everyman, others will want to get under his skin (for various reasons). He was an excellent fast-finishing fourth at the Masters, one of three top four finishes in his last five starts.

Angle: In the past he has loved playing in New York and New Jersey: he's 9-for-12 at landing a top 25 there with two wins.

Corey Conners

PGA record: 64-MC-17-MC

Further to the debate about new performers either suiting or not suiting major championship golf, the Canadian fits alongside Zalatoris and Young in being an early good fit and it all being down to the consistently high quality of his ball-striking. He's a three-time top 10 finisher at Augusta and in 2021 held the first round lead in this event and was fourth with 18 holes to play in the Open. A winner of the Texas Open this year he was also eighth last time out at Quail Hollow.

Angle: He's a bit feast or famine in the majors: in his last 13 he's missed seven cuts and the other six were all top 30s, five of them top 20s.

Sahith Theegala

PGA record: Debut

The 25-year-old underlined his excellent rookie campaign on the PGA Tour last year by finishing ninth in his Masters debut and he was also top 10 at halfway in last summer's Open.

Angle: He's also played major courses well this year: fourth at Torrey Pines, sixth at Riviera and, while he did little after making the cut at Quail Hollow, he was seventh after 18 holes.

Bryson DeChambeau

PGA record: 33-MC-MC-4-38

The newly slim DeChambeau missed out on the this event 12 months ago and his record in it is a little better than it first appears because he was seventh with 18 holes to play when T38th on his last start. Prior to last week he had a 2023 best of T16th but he was impressive when fifth in Tulsa.

Angle: Three of his last six major rounds have been 74s but one of those came when eighth at the Open.

Rickie Fowler

PGA record: 58-51-MC-19-3-30-33-5-12-36-MC-8-23

RICKIE FOWLER NOV 2018.jpg

A renaissance for the popular Californian who landed just four top 10s in the three seasons before this one but has equalled that tally in 2022/23 already. He's also played the event well in the past, finishing third in 2014 and being top 10 at halfway for four consecutive years from 2016.

Angle: Top 20 maybe: he has 10 from 14 starts this season and 18 in 46 major appearances including five in 13 at the PGA.

Cameron Davis

PGA record: 59-48

The Aussie got off to a sparkling start on his championship debut, carding a 69 in 2021 that had him in second on the leaderboard. Since then, however, he's done little. He broke a run of five missed cuts with sixth at THE PLAYERS and was also seventh in the RBC Heritage.

Angle: He's got a nice record on Donald Ross courses with two top 25s at Sedgefield and a win and T14th at Detroit.

Justin Rose

PGA record: 23-MC-MC-41-12-9-MC-MC-MC-3-33-24-4-22-MC-19-29-9-8-13

The Englishman was impressive in winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am early in the year and backed it up with sixth at THE PLAYERS. He spent all week in the top 20 at the Masters and was second at halfway in the RBC Heritage. He's not been seen since however.

Angle: Another top 20? He has four in his last five event starts, five in his last 10 majors and four in nine 2023 starts.

Wyndham Clark

PGA record: MC-75

An impressive winner of the Wells Fargo Championship two weeks ago, the fact he achieved it on a major championship quality track will be a big boost to his confidence. It was his 16th consecutive event playing four rounds and a fourth top six in half a dozen starts.

Angle: He's still yet to land a top 70 as he plays his sixth major and has broken 70 just once in 14 rounds (at St Andrews last July).

Abraham Ancer

PGA record: 16-43-8-9

It's been a strange year for the Mexican who spent most of last year's championship in the top five. In the majors he missed the US Open, was a fast-finishing T11th in the Open and flat at this year's Masters. On LIV he is yet to land a top five. And he went wire-to-wire in winning the Saudi International in February.

Angle: With the exception of the win he's gone backwards in every final round he's played this year.

Chris Kirk

PGA record: 34-57-MC-MC-MC-31-MC-5

After winning his fifth PGA Tour title earlier this year in the Honda Classic he noted: "Apparently as I get older I'm getting better at hard golf courses." He also said after finishing fifth in this event at Southern Hills last year: "I love Colonial so much and this is like a big-boy version of Colonial."

Angle: The win might be beyond him but Colonial specialists have a very good record at Oak Hill too.

Gary Woodland

PGA record: 12-42-74-MC-MC-22-6-8-58-38-34

GARY WOODLAND October 2018.jpg

The 2019 US Open champion is having a solid but slightly frustrating year. His best result is just ninth at Riviera, but he's missed only two cuts and has regularly flirted with posting a genuinely good effort.

Angle: He's struggled in the final round this season with only one sub-70 score in 12 attempts. He also averages 72.78 in round three at the championship.

Phil Mickelson

PGA record: 6-3-MC-8-29-34-57-9-2-34-23-6-1-16-32-7-73-12-19-36-72-2-18-33-MC-MC-71-71-1

In one (inaccurate) sense this is a delayed defence of the trophy after slapstick diplomacy spurned the chance last year and he said after his excellent second place at Augusta: "I was playing well, I just wasn't getting a score. I'm hopeful this catapults me into the rest of the year."

Angle: This seems a bit weird but, on Donald Ross originals since 1996, if he breaks 72 in round one he has never bettered it in round two.

Russell Henley

PGA record: MC-MC-12-22-71-50-37-71-60

"I wanted my best finish in a major," he said after his fourth at the Masters. "That was my goal." It was, in fact, a first top 10 in 33 majors so little wonder this four-time PGA Tour winner was keen to get to grips with the top level of the sport.

Angle: They are shorter, easier courses but it remains the case that Henley has finished top 10 in his last four starts on Donald Ross courses (at Sedgefield and Detroit).

Tom Hoge

PGA record: 58-64-9

"I played well, it was a good grind," Hoge said after finishing ninth in last year's PGA Championship, a result that was not just a first top 10 in the majors but actually a first top 40 and it remains that way because he's missed three cuts in them since. A sparkling third round 62 helped him to third in THE PLAYERS Championship but he has struggled since.

Angle: That poor record in the majors: one top 40 in nine starts.

Si Woo Kim

PGA record: MC-WD-MC-MC-13-MC-60

The Korean was impressive in finishing second last week, a first strokeplay top 20 since he won the Sony Open in January. If Donald Ross form transfers from Sedgefield - and there's good reason to think it probably won't - Kim will be happy. He's a four-time top five finisher there including victory in 2016.

Angle: He broke 70 in every round when T13th in this event in 2020 but six of his 17 laps have been 75+.