PGA Championship 2016: Latest Expectations for Golf's Top Favorites and Sleepers
The fourth and final major of the year is upon us as the best golfers in the world compete in the 2016 PGA Championship.
Coming into the year, many expected the trio of Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy to dominate the big events like this, but that hasn't been the case. Danny Willett surprised many with his win at the Masters, followed by Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson winning their first majors at the U.S. Open and British Open, respectively.
There are definitely favorites coming into this week at Baltusrol, but you also shouldn't count out the sleepers who can surprise fans with a great four days. Here is a look at the top odds to win the upcoming major and some players to watch.
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| Dustin Johnson | 8-1 |
| Rory McIlroy | 9-1 |
| Jason Day | 9-1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 14-1 |
| Henrik Stenson | 14-1 |
| Phil Mickelson | 18-1 |
| Sergio Garcia | 25-1 |
| Justin Rose | 28-1 |
| Adam Scott | 33-1 |
| Bubba Watson | 33-1 |
| Rickie Fowler | 39-1 |
| Matt Kuchar | 40-1 |
| Patrick Reed | 43-1 |
| Branden Grace | 49-1 |
| Brandt Snedeker | 49-1 |
| Brooks Koepka | 50-1 |
| Charl Schwartzel | 50-1 |
| Martin Kaymer | 50-1 |
| Zach Johnson | 50-1 |
| J B Holmes | 64-1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 66-1 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | 66-1 |
| Jim Furyk | 66-1 |
| Danny Willett | 66-1 |
| Lee Westwood | 66-1 |
| Shane Lowry | 80-1 |
| Steve Stricker | 80-1 |
| Justin Thomas | 94-1 |
| Jason Dufner | 100-1 |
| Russell Knox | 100-1 |
| Tony Finau | 100-1 |
| Rafael Cabrera Bello | 100-1 |
| Andy Sullivan | 100-1 |
| Paul Casey | 100-1 |
Favorites
Dustin Johnson
No one in the world is playing better golf than Dustin Johnson at the moment. He most notably won the U.S. Open, but he also followed that up with a win at the Bridgestone Invitational.
The golfer's last couple of months have been impressive, as the PGA Tour noted:
His tie for ninth at the Open Championship was his worst showing in this stretch, while he is also coming off a tie for second at the RBC Canadian Open. He is driving the ball far, getting to the green in regulation and putting well enough to rack up birdies.
None of this guarantees a victory—he still needs to put together four good rounds in Springfield, N.J.—but it would almost be a surprise to see Johnson outside of the top 10 based on how well he has played.
Jason Day
The biggest problem with Jason Day this season is how well he ended last year. The Australian became the No. 1 player in the world thanks in part to a run that featured a win at the 2015 PGA Championship as well as victories at the Barclays and BMW Championships.
This has been another great year for Day, with three tournament wins including The Players Championship. However, he hasn't been able to add to his one major championship he had a year ago at this time.
As Day explained, his expectations have led to tremendous pressure, per Ewan Murray of the Guardian:
"It’s coming into the crunch time for me pressure-wise, because being kind of the favourite going into each tournament and expectation levels are high and then all that amounts to pressure you put on yourself and stress you put on yourself. You’ve got to somehow manage yourself, manage your ego; then somehow execute the shot, execute the gameplan, and go out there and try to win.
"
If he can handle the pressure, he should remain a top contender to win this week. He has put together some strong performances; it just comes down to consistency.
Day has been held back by one or two bad rounds each tournament, including a 76 at the RBC Canadian Open, but if he plays solid golf for four days, he can defend his title.
Sleepers
Sergio Garcia
The theme of this year in golf has been breakthrough performances in majors.
Johnson has been one of the best ball-strikers in the game for a long time but it took until this year to get his first major title. Stenson had seven top-five finishes in majors, including three top threes in the British Open, before finally breaking through with a title. This doesn't guarantee success for another first-time winner, but the recent results might be inspiring to someone.
This includes Sergio Garcia, who some believe is the best golfer without a major in the world. Shane Bacon of Fox Sports noted how close he has come to accomplishing this goal in the past:
Garcia finished in fifth place in both the U.S. Open and Open Championship this year and if not for an 81 in Round 3 at Augusta, could have had a much better showing at the Masters.
Although he isn't the biggest sleeper in the field, the Spanish star has a chance to surprise many with a win this weekend.
Brandt Snedeker
If you are going by who is playing the best at this point of the year, Brandt Snedeker is certainly high on the list. He isn't always consistent, but his strong performances help him rank fifth in the FedEx Cup standings.
Snedeker has one win this year at the Farmers Insurance Open, but he had a chance at another title this past weekend at the RBC Canadian Open. He led going into the final round before Jhonattan Vegas closed with a 64 to take the title.
Still, Snedeker showed he is in good form coming into the PGA Championship, utilizing his solid all-around game to post lots of birdies and avoid too many bogeys.
He doesn't have the length or accuracy off the tee as some others on this list, but the American is good enough to contend for his first major title.
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