Rory McIlroy is set to make a dramatic return to action at Whistling Straits this week, with the World Number One among 53 European Tour members primed to compete in the US PGA Championship, the final Major of 2015.
McIlroy has been out of the game since injuring his left ankle on the eve of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, missing his defence of The Open Championship and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational as a consequence.
But after an intense period of rehabilitation, McIlroy now appears ready to defend the third title he won last summer, with the four-time Major Champion grouped with this year’s Major Champions, Americans Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson, for the opening two rounds.
With Spieth winning both the Masters Tournament and US Open, and Johnson claiming The Open Championship at St Andrews last month, the US PGA Championship represents the last chance of European Tour members to capture one of golf’s four biggest prizes in 2015.
Recent history is on their side in that quest, with five European Tour members tasting victory in the US PGA Championship since 2008 – Padraig Harrington (2008), Y E Yang (2009), Martin Kaymer (2010) and Rory McIlroy (2012 and 2014).
It was Germany’s Kaymer who triumphed the last time the Championship was played at Whistling Straits five years ago, defeating American Bubba Watson in a play-off.
Kaymer is grouped with 14-time Major Champion Tiger Woods and 2011 US PGA Champion Keegan Bradley for the opening two rounds, and the 2014 US Open Champion is looking forward to revisiting the scene of his Major breakthrough for numerous reasons.
“For me, Whistling Straits is one of the top three golf course in the world, not because I've been successful there, but because of the whole set-up,” said Kaymer. “It's beautiful to play. It's really, really nice to see the surroundings. You don't mind if you have to wait a few minutes because you can just have a look at the lake, at the dunes.
“It can play a little bit like links style, which I enjoy anyway, and obviously the memories, the experience that I had in 2010, all those combined, it will be a great week. I look forward to standing on the tee on Thursday.”
Ireland’s Shane Lowry heads to Wisconsin fresh from succeeding McIlroy as winner of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational following his superb two shot victory in Ohio last week, and he will be hoping to follow his close friend as US PGA Champion too.
Meanwhile Englishman Justin Rose will be looking to build on his tied third finish at Firestone Country Club, having already finished runner up at the Masters Tournament in 2015, as well as tied sixth at The Open Championship.
There are six European Tour members playing in the US PGA Championship for the first time – English quartet Tyrell Hatton, James Morrison, Eddie Pepperell and Andy Sullivan, along with Argentine Emiliano Grillo and BMW PGA Champion Byeong Hun An. Of the six, Grillo is the only one yet to have played in a Major Championship.
Meanwhile, Søren Kjeldsen will this week become the 30th player in European Tour history to reach the landmark of 500 appearances. A week before he plays in his national Open, Made in Denmark, Kjeldsen becomes the first Dane to pass the milestone, and just the eighth player from continental Europe.
