The world’s best golfers have convened in St. Louis at Bellerive Country Club this week for the 100th PGA Championship – the year’s final major. Read along for all you need to know before play gets started Thursday morning!

The Field

Like the other three majors, the PGA brings out golfs biggest names from around the world but unlike the other majors, we will get to see several PGA club professionals suit up in what, for many, will be the biggest moment of their golfing careers. Here is a look at some of the best stories in this year’s PGA field;

Davis Love III

The 1998 PGA Champ will mark a career milestone this week as he tees it up in his 100th career major championship. While Love likely won’t be a popular pick among betters, he has been known to string together strong performances in the ladder years of his career, winning just a few years ago at the Wyndham Championship.

Jordan Spieth

Spieth is the lone man in the field this week who can lock up the career grand slam with a win. After a strong week at The Open a few weeks ago and a golf course this week that is wet and ready to be taken, watch out for Spieth to make a serious run at the grand slam.

Justin Thomas

The World’s number two ranked player is coming in red hot after winning last weekend’s WGC Bridgestone Invitational convincingly by four strokes. Thomas shot all four rounds in the sixties on his way to his third win of the season. Thomas won last year’s PGA Championship for his first major title and is one of the favourites (14-1) to win this years.

Pat Reed

One of two players who finished T-2 in last year’s PGA Championship to go on to win their first major in 2018. Reed will look for his second major of the year this weekend, going in as one of the favourites (40-1). Hopefully no camera crews get in Patty’s way this weekend!

Fransisco Molinari

Molinari is the other player who finished T-2 last year and went on to win his first major title this year. Before last weekend’s WGC Championship, where he placed thirty-ninth. Molinari had two victories (one major) and a second place. Talk about a month of July! Another favourite this weekend (30-1), as he seeks his fourth victory of the season.

The Course

Bellerive Country Club, described by many as a bombers paradise has been struggling through a historic Midwest heatwave that has left many to question the condition of the course, especially the greens. Adding to course concerns is the fact that the course has seen a lot of rain over the last few days, leaving it soft and ready to be attacked.

Aside from the concerns, the par-70 Bellerive presents a terrific test of golf at 7,317 yards, with water and bunkers lurking all over the place. This bombers paradise is just that as the soft course will allow the big hitters to swing freely without much fear of running through fairways or into hazards.

The opening stretch at Bellerive will be key as each of the first three holes offer a good look at birdie but also present the possibility of disaster with water guarding two of the first three greens.

Hole 1 – 438 yards – Par 4

A generous starting hole, where position off the tee is paramount. Expect to see many of the players hit less than driver off the tee as they try to avoid the fairway bunkers that guard either side of the fairway to set up an approach to the undulating green.

Hole 2 – 411 yards – Par 4

With water down the entire left side of this short par-4 look for the field to once again go with less than driver. Expect plenty of birdies on this hole from players in the fairway.

Hole 3 – 176 yards – Par 3

Lots of opportunity for fireworks on this par-3. With much of the green guarded by water an errant or poorly hit tee shot will lead to a big number but with most of the field hitting just a short iron into this green, expect a number of birdies and maybe even an ace!

Nick’s Picks

Rory McIlroy (12-1)

Coming off a strong week last week in Akron to follow up a good week at The Open, McIlroy, who is the statistically speaking the longest on Tour is tough to pick against.

Tommy Fleetwood (28-1)

The gritty Englishman has been a staple in big tournaments over the past year, finishing no worse than 17th in the previous three majors and I would expect nothing less this week.

Henrik Stenson (50-1)

One of the best ball strikers on the PGA Tour, Stenson is well known for his accuracy off the tee and his ability to piece rounds together when his game isn’t clicking on all cylinders. The key to Stenson’s success will be in his putter, if it gets hot expect to see him in contention come Sunday.

Ian Poulter (100-1)

The outspoken Englishmen has just found out that he will not qualify for this year’s European Ryder Cup Team based on points and will instead need to rely on a captain’s selection, making this week and the final few more important for Poulter. His game has been rounding into top form as of late and has been solid since he won in Houston this year to earn his spot at Augusta the following week.