PGA Championship 2023: Early Predictions for Top Prize Money

Brooks Koepka rediscovered his major form at The Masters, and that could carry over into the 2023 PGA Championship.

The two-time PGA champion owns a quintet of top-five finishes at the event in his career.

Koepka does not carry favorite status like Jon Rahm, but he is expected to be at or near the top of the leaderboard at some point at Oak Hill Country Club.

Rory McIlroy produced the opposite result of Koepka at The Masters, as he failed to make the cut after four top-10 major finishes in 2022.

McIlroy is still searching for his first major trophy since 2014, and his recent results on the PGA Tour do not suggest he will be hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday.

Whichever golfer emerges as the winner on Sunday will come away with a $2.7 million prize. The second-and-third-place finishes will also earn over $1 million.

Brooks Koepka Challenges for 3rd PGA Championship

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ROCHESTER, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Brooks Koepka of the United States stands on the ninth hole during a practice round prior to the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on May 16, 2023 in Rochester, New York. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Koepka returned to his fantastic major form last month at Augusta National Golf Club.

The four-time major winner lost out on the green jacket to Jon Rahm, but the tie for second still marked a big step in his return to major-winning form.

Koepka dealt with injuries and a lack of consistency in 2022. He missed the cut at two majors and did not finish inside the top 50 at the two majors where he made the weekend.

He was a constant fixture in the top 10 prior to his rough patch of results. He produced at least two top-10 major finishes in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021.

Koepka comes into Oak Hill with two top-six finishes on the LIV Golf Tour, and we saw during Masters week that strong LIV results are a good indicator of his form. He won the Orlando LIV event prior to the Masters.

Koepka could storm out to first place on Thursday, like he did at Augusta, when he tied with Viktor Hovland and Rahm at seven-under.

The conditions in upstate New York in May are less favorable than in Georgia in mid-April, but if there is anyone who knows how to battle in tough conditions, it is Koepka, who won one of his U.S. Open titles at one-over.

Rory McIlroy's Struggles Continue

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ROCHESTER, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland chips to the 11th green during a practice round prior to the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on May 16, 2023 in Rochester, New York. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

McIlroy entered Augusta as one of three favored golfers to win the green jacket.

He did not live up to expectations with a missed cut at the season's first major.

He followed that performance up with a tie for 47th at the Wells Fargo Championship, in which he recorded a single round in the 60s.

McIlroy has produced some stellar results despite not winning a major since 2014, but he has experienced some trouble at the PGA Championship in recent years.

McIlroy tied for 33rd in 2020 and tied for 49th in 2021 before he recovered with an eighth-place mark in 2022.

The 34-year-old can draw some confidence from a tie for eighth in the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, but the course has been renovated since then, and his course history may not translate to success.

McIlroy could rebound from his recent results with another high finish, but he is judged on major wins—or the lack thereof—over the last nine years, and anything but a victory would be viewed as a missed opportunity.