The 89^th installment of the PGA Championship starts this Thursday at Southern Hills Golf Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Southern Hills will be the first course to host four PGA Championships, and this tremendous track has also played host to three U.S. Opens.

The 7131 yard, par 70, is not the longest of the major championship courses, but it will still present a stern test to the competitors.  Some are saying that this week’s event, with its difficult rough, tree lined fairways, sloped and slanted greens, as well as the intangible factor of the Oklahoma summer heat, all make Southern Hills one of the toughest sites of the year.  Despite all these factors, Phil Mickelson appears to be an early fan of the set up this week, "I think it’s one of the best set-ups we’ve seen," said the 2005 PGA champion, who visited Southern Hills recently. "The rough is such that you might have a shot at the green or be able to do something with it. It’s going to help to separate the players who are playing well because you can hit some shots instead of just everybody getting the same result (and having to chop out)."

 The PGA Championship is known for some great finishes and great storylines; this week should be no different.  Take 1991 where a virtual unknown, John Daly, burst onto the golf scene and bombed his way around Crooked Stick and into the hearts of golf fans all over the world.  Or there is possibly the greatest final shot in major championship history; Shaun Micheel’s stone cold seven iron to one inch, on the 72^nd hole, to clinch his first major victory.  Then there were the back to back battles in 1999 and 2000.  In ’99, Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods wowed the fans in at Medinah, with a battle that was not only memorable and impressive, but extremely fun to watch as well.  Golf shots that amazed even the savviest of golf connoisseurs, the ’99 Medinah PGA Championship final round was nothing short of spectacular. Then just the next year in 2000, during his dominating stretch, Tiger Woods was nearly humbled by Bob May, a PGA tour journeyman, who played some of the best golf of his life and let us bear witness to one of the greatest duels in major golf history.  This week has the potential to be all of those things and more, as the world’s greatest players are not only competing, but coming to Southern Hills firing on all cylinders. 

 Fresh off of a dominating performance, Tiger Woods has to be the favorite this week.  His work last week at the world golf championships is showing us two things.  One, Tiger is back and playing some of the golf we had become used to seeing from him.   Second he is sending a message to the rest of the golfers that he is primed and ready to capture his next major and get one closer to Jack’s total.  Even though he has been 0 for 3 this year at the majors, he seems to be taking it in stride, “You never want to be shut out," Woods said at the Bridgestone at Firestone Country Club. "You never want to have a year where you don’t win a major championship. This year, I’ve come close in two, and it just didn’t happen. I’ve been in this situation before."  That is not a good mindset for the world number one to have when it comes to the rest of the field.  Tiger typically achieves what he sets his mind to, and if he is gunning to not be shut out, some of the other players are going to have to step up this week and give him a run for his money.

 Players to watch this week should include Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Zach Johnson, Scott Verplank, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, and Sergio Garcia.  All of these players have been playing well as of late and come into the last major looking to tame Southern Hills and last weeks winner, Tiger Woods.  Each has something to prove, but Garcia has the largest monkey on his back right now, after his defeat at the Open Championship.  "It’s been getting better every day," said Garcia. "The first day was really tough, but my head is starting to go a little bit more where I want it to be. I’m hitting the ball well and rolling the putter nicely. It’s just a matter of getting it going.”  Only time will tell if he is completely healed from his wounds that were caused at the Open Championship, one can only wish him some luck.  Hunter Mahan on the other hand is coming into this event brimming with confidence, "You realize, ‘I’m also here to win,’" Mahan said. "I’m here because I can win. And I’m stepping on that tee with a purpose to do that. I’m not here to finish second to Tiger Woods."   You have to like to confidence, just might not want to give Tiger any fuel to get himself even more fired up.  The other above mentioned players all come in playing well, and if they are on top of their game could give Tiger the best run for his money. 

Another interesting aspect of this tournament is the 20 PGA professionals that get to tee it up this week via qualifying through the National Club Professional Championship, or CPC as it is know to the pros.  This event allows the top 20 players to compete at Southern Hills and is the biggest event of the year for the club pros.  It is one of the only remnants of the deal between the PGA Tour and the PGA of America when they amicably split in 1968, due to the increasing popularity of the PGA tour and the issue of sharing the spotlight with the less popular club professionals.  One of the positives from that deal is the accommodation for a number of the club professionals to play in the PGA Championship, a small way to say thank you for all of that work that they do as a club professional.  Keep an eye out for Mike Small,  Erik Wolf,  Chip Sullivan, Ryan Benzel, Tim Thelen, and Butch Sheehan, just to mention a few of the great players that will have the chance to tee it up this week inside the ropes. 

Past winners at Southern Hills include, Dave Stockton (winner of the PGA 1970), Raymond Floyd (winner of the PGA in 1982), Nick Price (winner of the PGA in 1994), Timmy Bolt (winner of the US Open in 1958), Hubert Green (winner of the US Open in 1977), and Retief Goosen (winner of the US Open in 2001).  As you can see there is a varied bunch of winners at Southern Hills, which helps reveal some of its charm and luster.  Anyone can win at this golf course, and that is partly why it is exciting.  It is a fair golf course, where great shots are rewarded.  The winner this week will have all of his skills tested, and he will be the one that handles all of the factors, including the heat, better than anyone else.  Who is going to come out on top?  No one will be able to tell you until Sunday afternoon, but I can tell you that it will be exciting watching all the drama unfold, and find out who the PGA champion, and final major winner for 2007. 

Television Times

• Thursday, August 9   TNT      2PM – 8PM ET
• Friday, August 10       TNT      2PM – 8PM ET
• Saturday, August 11   TNT     11AM – 2PM ET
• Saturday, August 11   CBS     2PM – 7PM
• Sunday, August 12     TNT     11AM – 2PM ET
• Sunday, August 12     CBS     2PM – 7PM