Charlotte (AFP) – Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and defending champion Xander Schauffele — the world’s highest-ranked golfers — tee off together Thursday morning in a showcase group certain to seize the spotlight at the PGA Championship. Top-ranked Scheffler, coming off his first triumph over the year two weeks ago, joins third-ranked fellow American Schauffele and new Masters champion Rory McIlroy off the 10th tee at 8:22 a.m. (1222 GMT) at Quail Hollow.
McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam by capturing his fifth major title last month at Augusta National, returns to where it all began, the site of his first PGA Tour triumph in 2010 and a course where he has won four times, most recently last year. “Always nice to come back to Quail Hollow,” McIlroy said. “I have great memories from this place. First win on the PGA Tour 15 years ago. Winning last year, I probably played my best golf of last year here, especially at the weekend.”
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The electric trio of favorites should bring out the best in each other over the first two rounds, according to US star Scheffler. “I’m playing with two guys that are playing some of the best golf in the world,” Scheffler said. “It should be a lot of fun. I’ve seen that pairing before and we have a good time out there, and it’s competitive. I think when I look back on my career, these will be some of the fondest memories — getting to play with some of the best players in the world and compete to try to win tournaments.”
Scheffler won nine times last year, including Paris Olympic gold, but injured his right hand preparing Christmas dinner and missed a month of the season. He showed a return to form with a win two weeks ago at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, matching the PGA record for low 72-hole stroke total. Schauffele, who also won last year’s British Open, missed two months with a rib injury but the American shared eighth at the Masters and 11th last week. “It has been a process coming back,” Schauffele said. “Game is coming along slowly but surely. Just getting as many reps in as I can.”
Not since Jordan Spieth, seeking a win this week to complete his own career Slam, took the 2015 Masters and US Open has a player captured the first two majors in the same year, as McIlroy is attempting. Only four Europeans have ever won the PGA Championship, none since McIlroy in 2014, with Americans capturing the past nine in a row. Rain has soaked the course for four days, but forecasts are warm and dry for the tournament, and players expect lightning-fast greens. “With how soft it is, I think you have to be super aggressive off the tee, and then you have to pick your spots going into the greens,” said McIlroy.
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