As the PGA Championship returns to The Ocean Course at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort after nine years, Rory McIlroy is among the favourites to repeat the winning act he performed at the same course in 2012.
If McIlroy, as expected, succeeds to repeat the show he will be richer by $1.98 million, $430,000 more than his reward for the crowning glory at the same venue. He is fresh from winning the Wells Fargo Championship earlier this month.
The reward off course is for anyone who lifts the glittering trophy on May 23, Sunday.
The Championship prize purse has seen a hike of 37.5% between – up from $8 million to $ 11 million – since the picturesque Island Golf Resort had hosted the tournament nine years ago. Even though the tournament prize purse has not seen any change in the past three years.
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The Championship had recorded the best prize money hike in 2014, when the purse was hiked from $8 million to $ 10 million. Only in 2017 and 2018, the prize was raised for two successive years – by $ 50,000 every time to $ 10.5 mn and $ 11 mn respectively.
The only other time Rory McIlroy has won The Championship was in 2014. However, he has got the best billing in odds for this year. Among the top 10, Rory McIlroy has got odds of +1100, followed by Jon Rahm Jon Rahm (+1500), Justin Thomas (+1600), Dustin Johnson (+1800), Jordan Spieth (+1800), Bryson DeChambeau (+1900), Xander Schauffele (+2000), Viktor Hovland (+2200), Collin Morikawa (+3000), Daniel Berger (+3000) and Hideki Matsuyama (+3300).
Horses for Courses
Averaging 318 yards per shot this year, McIlroy is tipped to have a certain edge at the Ocean Course. It will reportedly play at 7,876 yards – the longest of any major course. Only Bryson DeChambeau betters McIroy with a per shot average of 322 yards.
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