PGA Championship 2012: Tiger Woods Won't, Rory McIlroy, David Feherty Will

So it’s been hot and sunny, then hot and windy, and on Saturday, it was hot, breezy and eventually like a scene from the Wizard of Oz.

Yes, it’s been an interesting three days at the Kiawah Island Resort off the coast of South Carolina, and the discussion hasn’t even come to the actual golf yet.

The PGA Championship sometimes suffers from its place on the yearly golf calendar, sometimes suffers from the quality of venues it’s played on and sometimes just doesn’t have the zip of the other majors.

None of those apply this year as the 94th PGA Championship has a great buzz about it thanks in equal parts the players and the very difficult Ocean Course.

Saturday’s storm wrecked the schedule, but in reality, it set up a long day on Sunday of spills and thrills for millions to watch on TV.

With that in mind, here are some predictions about what’s going to happen today, things I feel very strongly about.

Go Ahead, Rory; Try to Do That Again!

You won’t see another golf ball embedded in a dead tree branch like Rory McIlroy’s drive on No. 3 did on Saturday. The tee on the shortish par four was moved up to encourage players to take a chance on driving the green, and McIlroy did just that.

The tree in question is a dead one that still stands about 30 yards short of the green. Thanks to the overhead shot from a blimp, the ball was able to be tracked to the tree, and when the camera zoomed in, there was the ball.

The search was about to be called off until a TV technician rushed up to tell McIlroy where the ball was.

It was seemingly impossible for that ball to stop there, and it’s impossible for it to happen a second time.

Kiawah Island's Ocean Course Should Be a Slam Dunk for Another PGA

By the time the last putt drops Sunday night (assuming that it will drop Sunday night), there will be, at the very least, a very strong handshake agreement to bring the PGA Championship back to Kiawah.

The boys should be coming back to the island as soon as possible.

No waiting—the first available date should be given. That would be 2018, and the event would be the 100th.

It’s been too good, too challenging, too fun not to be back soon.

Tiger Woods' Majors Total Won't Move off 14 at the PGA Championship

That was then; this is now.

Don’t take it to the bank that Tiger Woods will wake up early this morning, having rid himself of the demons that showed up in his game Saturday and caused him to drop three shots, falling to one over par.

As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t bet a nickel that Woods will turn things around and be a serious contender by late afternoon.

He has this weekend disappointment thing going, having now gone six straight Saturday and Sunday rounds without breaking par.

The majors record chase total stays at 14 until at least April.

Tiger Woods Should Pack Some Extra Gloves When He Goes Back to the Course

Just to be safe, Tiger will pack an extra couple gloves in his bag for today.

He hit two spectators on the same hole Saturday and autographed gloves for each of them.

While that might be viewed as negative thinking, the way Tiger has played on the weekend and how wacky the winds have blown, better to be safe than sorry.

Rory McIlroy Will Be a Very Popular Champion Late Sunday Afternoon

When Rory McIlroy becomes the last man standing late Sunday afternoon, he will become a very, very popular champion.

McIlroy became golf’s great elixir when he convincingly won the 2011 U.S. Open.

He was what the sport needed, a breath of fresh air. When he disappeared for several months, the game bogged down again.

Had Woods or someone like Vijay Singh been the one raising the trophy at the end of play, it just wouldn’t have been the same.

Club Professionals Should Always Be Part of the PGA Championship

None of the 20 club professionals who qualified for the PGA made the cut, and that will fire up the cries for the elimination of that perk for the men and women who spend most of the year working in pro shops.

This will not happen for a very simple reason: The club pros are the very core of the PGA of America.

So eliminating those 20 spots would do what? Open up spots for more guys like John Huh (13 over par), George McNeill (11 over) and Marcus Fraser (11 over)?

I don’t think so.

Adam Scott Will Contend Today, but Probably Won't Be Able to Win

As much as Adam Scott deserves to be a major champion, Carl Pettersson does not.

I’m thrilled to see Scott in contention heading into Marathon Sunday, but I don’t think he’s had enough time to heal from the heartbreak of those final four holes in the Open Championship.

He’s a great guy to root for, but I’m not sure he’s ready to do it so quickly.

Pettersson, on the other hand, is not of major championship stock and won’t be able to handle the heat coming down the stretch. A good professional, just not a major champ.

Bo Van Pelt Will Make Noise on Kiawah Island, Has the Game to Win a Major

Bo Van Pelt has had a dozen top 20 finishes this season, including a tie for 17th at the Masters.

He will get one of these things soon, and expect a top-five finish from him tomorrow.

He’s another of those “second-tier” guys on the PGA Tour but can play and handles pressure well.

Northern Ireland's Wee Lad, Graeme McDowell, Shouldn't Be Counted out

It’s hard to call the winner of the 2010 U.S. Open an under-the-radar guy, but while Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Vijay Singh, et al, are thrashing around at the top of the leaderboard, Graeme McDowell is somebody those guys should keep an eye on in their rear-view mirrors.

He has top-five finishes in two majors this year and thought he should have won both.

Some of that fabulous low country seafood would go well Sunday night with a couple of those pints McDowell loves so well.

David Feherty Will Be a Star on Today's Day-Long PGA Championship

David Feherty’s knowledge of the game is sometimes overshadowed by the hilarious things he says on the air.

It’s going to be a long day for everyone Sunday, and here’s something you can count on:

Feherty’s going to step up and be a superstar throughout the broadcasts.