The fourth and final major of the year, the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club, kicks off on Thursday and will look to live up to the abundant storylines heading into the tournament.
Will Jordan Spieth become the youngest player ever to win the career Grand Slam? How will Phil Mickelson fare in his 100th major competition? Can Jimmy Walker defend his title?
The three above players join a long list of AJGA alumni competing in this year’s field, none riding a hotter streak than Spieth. Spieth’s adventurous final round at The Open Championship earned him the third leg of the career Grand Slam and leaves him with one chance to become the youngest player to ever accomplish the feat. Tiger Woods, another AJGA alum, currently holds the record at 24 years old. With a victory, Spieth would eclipse Woods as the youngest winner by approximately six months.
After the PGA Championship, Spieth will travel home to host his AJGA tournament, the Under Armour® / Jordan Spieth Championship presented by American Campus Communities . For the fourth year-in-a-row, Spieth will put on a clinic for the field.
Mickelson, the only three-time Rolex Junior Player of the Year in the AJGA’s history, played in his first major in 1990, less than two years after his final AJGA recognition. “Lefty” graduated from the AJGA as arguably the most-accomplished junior golfer in history. His success has translated to five major victories and 38 top-10 finishes on the PGA TOUR.
Less than two months before competing on the U.S. Ryder Cup Team, and three months before hosting his first AJGA tournament, Walker broke through in a major way at the 2016 PGA Championship. His one-stroke victory at Baltusrol Golf Club set the scene for an incredible display at the AJGA's inaugural Jimmy Walker Challenge in 2016. Walker brought the Wanamaker Trophy and the Ryder Cup to Texas for juniors to admire and take photos. Walker will host the second Jimmy Walker Challenge in November.
nbd#JimmyWalkerChallenge pic.twitter.com/rbu5SkZEd3
— AJGA (@AJGAGolf) October 22, 2016