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2011 US PGA Championship

The Highlands Course, Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek, Georgia, USA

August 11 - 14

This year’s PGA Championship will be the 93rd and is expected to include players from at least 22 different countries who between them will make up almost half of the 156 player field.

The Highlands Course at Atlanta Athletic Club will become only the fifth club in the United States to have hosted at least three PGA Championships (1981, 2001 & 2011) when this season's final major is staged at the renowned home club of the legendary Bobby Jones

Founded in 1898, the AAC is the only club in the southeast to have also hosted both men's and women's U.S. Opens.

At 7467 yards the par is 70.  The front nine tends to be a little more open but coming home, the course narrows and tightens with demanding yet short par 4 dog legs coming into play. The original front nine was designed by Joe Finger and the back nine by Robert Trent Jones which may well explain the different “feel” to the out and inward nines. Rees Jones has also been involved in renovating the layout in 2003.  The finishing 4 holes are a severe test and will be the make or break of many a good score...

The general feeling is that 6 or 7 under will be the winning 72 hole score...Watch this space!!

DAY 1

An impressive start from the 4 x 40 year olds, but the day saw McIlroy hit a tree root at impact on the 3^rd, which left him having to have treatment on course and strapping to his arm and the blow outs of Woods (77, his worst opening round in a major) and the new Open Champion, Clarke, who hit 78. 

63   Steve Stricker, US.  44 years old at 7 under, a majestic round of golf from the World No. 5.  Winner of 8 Tour events and Ryder Cup player in 2008.

65   Jerry Kelly, US.  44 years old 3 time Tour winner, but not since 2009.

66   Shaun Micheel, US. 42, winner of this championship in 2003, but nothing before or after.

67   Scott Verplank, US.  47, 5 time winner and ex Walker Cup player (1985) and Ryder Cup (2002 and 2006).

68   Brendon de Jonge, Zimbabwe.    Simon Dyson, Eng.    Bill Haas, US.    Anders Hansen, Denmark.    Brandt Jobe, US.    Davis Love III, US.    Matteo Manassero, Italy.    John Senden, Australia.

Other scores include:

69   Stewart Cink, US.    Adam Scott, Australia.   

70   Luke Donald, Eng.   Rory McIlroy, NI.  Nick Watney, US.  Jason Dufner, US.

71   Keegan Bradley, US    Jason Day, Australia.   Ross Fisher, Eng.   Jim Furyk, US.   Martin Kuchar, US.   Phil Mickelson, US.   Justin Rose, Eng.   Carl Schwartzell, SA.   Lee Westwood, Eng.

72   Martin Kaymer, Ger.   Sergio Garcia, Sp.   Paul Casey, Eng.   Hunter Mahan, US.

74   Ricky Fowler, US.   Graeme McDowell, NI.   Ian Poulter, Eng.

77   Tiger Woods, US.    78   Darren Clarke, NI.

DAY 2

Woods hits 73 to miss the cut for only the 3^rd time in a Major since turning pro.  He’s joined by Kaymer, McDowell, Clarke and Cink.  McIlroy carries on playing but loses further ground with a 73 and Stricker takes 11 more shots than he did on the previous day.  The best of the day comes from Keegan Bradley (64), Jason Dufner (65) and Jim Furyk (65).

There’s a very strong presence of US players at the top of the leader board at the halfway stage.  Could this be a US winner at last, of a Major?

135   Keegan Bradley, US.  64.   5 under par at the halfway stage.   25 years old, turned pro in 2008 and won for the 1^st time this year at the Byron Nelson Championship.  His first Major.                      Jason Dufner, US.  65   34 years old, started golf at 15 and turned pro in 2000.   Yet to win on Tour.

136   Jim Furyk, US.  65.   D A Points, US.  67.   John Senden, Aus.  68.   Scott Verplank, US.  69

137   Anders Hansen, Den.  69.   Brandt Jobe, US.  69.   Brendan Steele,US.  68.   Steve Stricker,US.  74

138   Jerry Kelley, US.  73.   Adam Scott, Aus.  69.   Jhonattan Vegas, Ven.  68.

Selected others:

139  Davis Love III, 71.   Lee Westwood, 68

141  Luke Donald, 71.  Sergio Garcia, 69.   Phil Mickelson, 70.   Nick Watney, 71

142  Padraig Harrington, 69.  Martin Kuchar, 71.  Miguel Angel Jiminez, 73.  Matteo Manassero, 74.  Ian Poulter, 68.  Charl Schwartzell, 71.

DAY 3

After 14 holes, Luke Donald gets to within 1 shot of the lead but a bogey on 16 and a double bogey on 18, pushes him right down to 6 behind the 3^rd round leaders.  Those last 4 holes are killers...

203   Jason Dufner, 68.     Brendan Steele, 66 – getting better every round having started with a 69 followed by 68.  28 years old, he turned pro in 2005 and won his 1^st Tour event this year, the Valero Texas Open.

204   Keegan Bradley, 69.     205   Scott Verplank, 69     206   Steve Stricker, 69.

207   Anders Hansen, 70.   D A Points, 71.

208   Charl Schwarzell, 66.   Robert Karlsson, Swe. 67.   Adam Scott, 70.   John Senden, 72.   David Toms, US.  65.

6 US players in the top 7, this is looking good for the US – a Major at last??

209   Ben Crane,US  66.   Brenden de Jonge, 69.   Luke Donald, 68.   Jim Furyk, 73.  Nick Watney, 68.   Spencer Levin,US. 68.   Lee Westwood, 70.

DAY 4

As Westwood drops a shot on the 72^nd and final hole after another poor day on the greens and finishes with a 68 for a -3 total of 277, Dufner on the 12^th makes birdie to go to 10 under, 1 ahead of Bradley, 2 ahead of Karlsson and 3 ahead of Hansen.  Toms and Verplank are on -6.

Dufner makes another birdie on 13 to go 2 ahead.  Having missed his 4 previous cuts, today looks like it’s going to be his day...Up ahead on 16, Karlsson drops a shot and goes back to -7 with Hansen.

On 14, Dufner makes an easy par to stay at 11 under as Bradley blows up on the 15^th and drops 3 shots to go back to 6 under, 1 behind Hansen and now 5 behind Dufner.  Today is certainly not looking like his day.

It looks like the US has a Major champion at last when Hansen misses a 5 footer on 16 and drops back to -6 with Karlsson, Verplank and Bradley.

To his credit, Bradley birdies 16, but he will surely live to regret that 6 on the previous par 3.

On 15, Dufner finds water but puts his 3^rd shot to 10 feet and holes for a bogey 4 and he’s still 4 shots clear at 10 under with just 3 holes to play.

Dufner finds the middle off the 16^th tee as both Bradley and Verplank birdie the hole and on 17 Hansen makes 2, so all 3 are on -7, just 3 behind.

Dufner’s second shot finds sand and as he drops another shot at 16, Verplank hits into the water up ahead, but Bradley makes the green.  Meanwhile, Hansen hits a great drive up 18.

Bradley then holes his monster 30 footer for his second successive birdie and goes to 8 under and he’s now only 1 behind.  What appeared to be a foregone conclusion just a little while ago is now anything but...

Dufner just makes the carry onto the short 17^th and then proceeds to 3 putt and Bradley is now level with him having been 5 behind just a few holes earlier.  Absolutely incredible!

Having hit a safety 3 wood off 18, Bradley has a long and difficult second shot, which he plays superbly to within 20 feet.

Hansen had just made 4 for a 66 and 7 under – 1 behind and leader in the clubhouse.

Bradley goes close then taps in for 4 and 68, 8 under and the new leader in the clubhouse.

Dufner hits 2 great pressure shots into 18 and has a long birdie chance but it just slips by and he settles for a 4 and 69 and a 3 hole playoff is going to decide the last Major Champion of 2011.

So it’s Jason Dufner, the 34 year old journeyman pro, who has never won a tournament having lost a ply off for the Phoenix Open earlier this year, against Keegan Bradley, a 25 year old rookie who won his maiden PGA Tour event in May at the Byron Nelson Championship.

It’s the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th holes to be played and both hit excellent drives and second shots into the green.  Dufner from 6 foot misses, Bradley, just inside him holes.

On the short 17^th, both on but Dufner from a long way out pulls it way left.  Bradley misses his putt but so does Dufner and he’s now 2 behind with just 1 to go.

Both hit the fairway and both just make the carry over water onto the 18^th green.  Dufner goes first and he holes it!  Bradley just misses but he taps in the 1 footer with his long belly putter and becomes the 2011 US PGA Champion.  What a truly dramatic ending to a fantastic final Major of the year.

272  Keegan Bradley 68  3 3 4 after 3 hole playoff with Jason Dufner 69  4 4 3

273  Anders Hansen 66

275  Robert Karlsson 67  David Toms 67  Scott Verplank 70

276  Adam Scott 68

277  Luke Donald 68  Lee Westwood 68

278  Kevin Na 67  D A Points 71

279  Trevor Immelman 68  Gary Woodland 68  Sergio Garcia 69  Bill Haas 69  Nick Watney 70   Charl Schwartzell 71  Steve Stricker 73

280  Brian Davis 69  Phil Mickelson 70  Ryan Palmer 70  Matt Kuchar 70  John Senden 72       Brendan Steele 77           

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