PGA Championship 2018: Latest Expectations for Golf's Top Favorites and Sleepers
Expectations grow for the 100th PGA Championship as the days count down to Thursday's first round.
The tournament itself is expected to produce a wealth of intriguing storylines, including Justin Thomas' attempt at back-to-back titles and Tiger Woods' continued quest for first major victory since 2008, among others.
As for the individuals taking the course at Bellerive Country Club, they have a high set of expectations as well, especially those who come into St. Louis as the favorites in the eyes of the oddsmakers.
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Even though most of the attention is deservedly put on the pre-tournament favorites, there will be a few sleepers who creep into the top 10 throughout the competition as well.
Below is a glance at the expectations for the top contenders and sleepers at the final major of the golf season.
Expectations for Favorites
Dustin Johnson
If Dustin Johnson isn't sitting near the top of the leaderboard as he hits the back nine Sunday, it'll be seen as a disappointment.
As a player with 10 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour and the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking and FedEx Cup standings, Johnson enters Bellerive with a ton of pressure.
The 34-year-old's been able to live up to the high standard he's created in most majors, as he possesses eight top-10 finishes since 2015.
Although he's been in contention at most of the big tournaments, Johnson only has one major title to his name, from the 2016 U.S. Open.
It will be difficult for Johnson to claim his second major crown with a loaded field fighting for the top prize, but few golfers can match the form the American is in.
Expectation: Top 5 finish
If you exclude Rory McIlroy's struggles at the U.S. Open over the last three years, he's been a fixture on the final day of major championships.
Although he's achieved more success at The Masters and The Open during that span, the PGA Championship is the only major he's won more than once.
McIlroy ran away with his first PGA crown in 2012 at Kiawah Island, as he won by eight strokes. In 2014 at Valhalla, McIlroy beat out Phil Mickelson by one shot to take the title.
Since his triumph at Valhalla, McIlroy's come close to securing his fifth major, but the best finish he attained was a tie for second in July at Carnoustie.
McIlroy followed up his strong performance at The Open by taking sixth at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, which puts his expectations as high as any golfer entering the PGA Championship.
Expectation: Top 5 finish
Expectations for Sleepers
Kevin Kisner
A tie for second at The Open was a rare success story at a major for Kevin Kisner.
The only other major in which the 34-year-old placed in the top 10 was the 2017 PGA Championship, where he earned a tie for seventh.
Even though his recent results suggest an uptick in major form, Kisner won't be looked at as a top contender because of his poor overall track record.
Add in a handful of disappointing performances before and after The Open and Kisner doesn't look like a solid pick to even finish in the top 25.
Since his collection of major results and recent form hasn't impressed too many people, Kisner is the perfect sleeper pick because he's shown the ability to contend at majors twice in the last 12 months.
Expectation: Top 15 finish
Thorbjorn Olesen
Thorbjorn Olesen hasn't achieved much success at the PGA Championship, but his recent results suggest that might change at Bellerive.
The 28-year-old from Denmark ended up in a tie for 12th at The Open and tied for third at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
While it's a small sample size, those two results suggest Olesen will play decent golf at Bellerive over four rounds.
Olesen must be considered a sleeper because he's never finished inside the top 25 at the PGA Championship, but he's made the cut in four of his five appearances.
There's also an extra bit of motivation driving Olesen at Bellerive, as he sits fifth in the European Ryder Cup standings.
If Olesen plays better than fourth-ranked Tommy Fleetwood, he could move closer to securing his spot on the Ryder Cup team.
Expectation: Top 20 finish
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from PGATour.com.
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