The new year means fans of golf will be looking forward to the second half of the PGA Tour, with the Masters scheduled to start in April at iconic Augusta National, Georgia. But, as every year, there is much more on the calendar worthy of attention than just the Majors, beginning with the Sentry Tournament of Champions, Kapalua Resort in sunny Hawaii.
It’s time to take a look ahead at the main events and schedule, and see who is in contention for the big titles and which young players are looking to make an impact; as well as casting a look back to 2021’s golfing action. Here’s everything you need to know about the PGA in 2022.
2021 Highlights
There was plenty of exciting action last year. We saw Hideki Matsuyama follow up his maiden Majors title with more success – the reigning Masters champion secured a win on home soil.
In October, Rory McIlroy won the CJ Cup at The Summit Club in Las Vegas, Nevada by one stroke – this marked his record 20th PGA event win, earning him life membership.
But a name that keeps popping up is that of Talor Gooch. The 30-year-old is the FedExCup leader and looks to be reaching the next level of his game, having claimed his first PGA Tour win at The RSM Classic, the final official event of 2021.
Social media crossover star Max Homa proved that he’s just as good on the green as on the net, taking victory in the Fortinet Championship in September.
And, in the end, though not on the PGA Tour, the legendary Tiger Woods warmed the hearts of golf fans everywhere, playing in the PNC Championships alongside his son, Charlie.
2022 Main events
The winter break has been the first interval in the golfing calendar due to rescheduling in the wake of coronavirus-related disruptions. That means we are all eagerly awaiting the Masters at Augusta National on April 7th, often considered the 16 best rounds of golf played throughout the entire year.
This doesn’t mean that we’ve forgotten about the other Majors – the PGA Championship begins on May 16th at Southern Hills, Oklahoma; the US Open takes place at the Country Club, Brookline, Massachusetts week of June 13-19; and the Open Championship will be hosted, as always, by St. Andrews in Scotland in July, and this will be driving not only a lot of passionate golf fans, but also dedicated bettors from around the world (Ireland, Canada, UK, America, where you’re at?) who are willing to place a few bets. And an online catalogue of golf betting sites and the latest PGA news, like the one found on irishluck.ie, will definitely be helpful for them to follow the action.
Defending champions
After securing his first Majors title in 2021, Hideki Matsuyama will be looking to defend his title at Augusta. Matsuyama became the first Asian golfer to win a Major, finishing one stroke ahead of Will Zalatoris. Both will be contenders during the season.
Spaniard Jon Rahm, on the other hand, has been rated by some the best golfer of the last five years, although his title tally doesn’t reflect this, despite winning the US Open in 2021 – he’ll be hungry to build upon that success.
Veteran and legend in the making Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship by two strokes over Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen, becoming the oldest winner of a Major title in history. Lefty may not be a betting favorite, but you can never write him off, and Collin Morikawa won the Open Championship, adding it to his PGA Championship title of 2020.
Rookies
Every season sees fresh faces appear amongst the familiar ones, as younger players make their debut on the PGA stage. There are a few rookies appearing this year that could well make a splash and upset some of the established players, and could contend for the coveted Rookie of the Year award. Here are just three of them:
Taylor Pendrith
A 30-year-old Canadian to watch, Pendrith is a big driver (323.3 yards on average) and ranked 5th in birdie average, and is in the top 20 in total driving, ball striking, and the all-around ranking. His putting is pretty respectable (T-36 in putts per green in regulation (1.75)), although possibly the one area of his game that needs attention.
Aaron Rai
This 26-year-old from the UK is making a name for himself – two wins on the European Tour, the 2018 Honma Hong Kong Open, and the 2020 Scottish Open. He is noted for his approach play, having ranked in the top 25 on the DP World Tour in greens in regulation the last five seasons.
Mito Pereira
One of the numerous alumni of the Korn Ferry Tour, with three tournament wins on the tour to add to his five other professional titles. In August 2021, Pereira finished in a tie for 3rd place at the Olympic Games, representing Chile – he took home a bronze medal.
Plenty of upcoming action for golf fans, with many smaller tournaments surrounding the Majors during spring and summer. And as always, there are plenty of contenders for the titles, too.
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