PGA Championship: Tiger Woods grouped with Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari
Tiger Woods is taking some extra time off after winning his 15th major championship at Augusta National, and he’ll return at the PGA Championship in a must-watch group on May 16th.
Woods opted not to play this weekend at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, and is not expected to play the week prior to the year’s second major at the Byron Nelson Classic. When he takes the course once again at Bethpage Black for the 2019 PGA Championship, Woods will play alongside Brooks Koepka, the reigning PGA Champion, and Francesco Molinari, the reigning Open Champion.
Via PGA.com:
“PGA of America Chief Championships Officer Kerry Haigh revealed that this year’s pairings will continue to honor the tradition of putting the current reigning major champions together for the first two rounds.
Following Tiger Woods’ win at the Masters, he finds himself in this major champions grouping for the first time since 2008.”
Woods was unable to take his place in the marquee group in 2008 after winning the U.S. Open that year due to a knee injury. Woods missed the final two majors of the year, but returned and finished second at the PGA Championship in 2009. Woods also recorded a second-place finish in 2018, finishing two shots behind Koepka.
Molinari, of course, just played in the final group on Sunday at The Masters alongside Woods, and collapsed on the back nine.
In the last decade, only Koepka (in 2018) and Rory McIlroy (in 2014) have gone on to win the PGA Championship after starting in the group of champions.