The second major of the year, The PGA Championship, started on Thursday at the Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia. World number one Scottie Scheffler and world number two Rory McIlroy have between them won four of the last five majors, so they were the favourites.
Rory won the Masters, so maybe he is on track to be the first golfer in history to win all the majors in a single year, a true Grand Slam.
For those of you who were lucky enough to witness Bryson DeChambeau beat Jon Rahm at the Liv South Africa tournament at Steyn City, maybe Bryson is your favourite. But Liv Golf is not the PGA, and is certainly not a Major.
Of course we would all love a South African to win. In the field for the first time is SA Open Champion Casey Javis, along with PGA players Aldrich Potgieter, Garrick Higgo and Christiaan Bezuidenhout. Jayden Schaper, who won The Alfred Dunhill Championship and The Mauritius Open last year, also made it in for the first time.
Yurav Premlall
South African golfers have traditionally been very strong on the international tours. South African Yurav Premlall (22) won the Catalunya Championship last week by 14 shots from fellow South African Shaun Norris. This is the largest winning margin in DP World Tour history, outside the majors. To add to this incredible feat, he also shot a course record of 63, twice!
Proximity to the hole
It is interesting to look at the PGA tour statistics to determine what statistic equals winning. This can also help in determining what aspect of your game you should be practising. Aldrich Potgieter is the longest off the tee and Scottie is nowhere.
Putting is Jacob Bridgeman, never heard of him either, and Scottie is nowhere. Birdie average per round, Scottie is first, and scoring average per round Scottie is third. So, what is the secret? Proximity to the hole! How close to the hole you hit your approach shot is the secret. So, you should be practising your approach shots, from 150m and closer. Bear in mind that Scottie’s first place average for 2025 is 33 feet from the hole, so be kind to yourself. Also, it doesn’t matter how you get there, or how pretty it is, just do whatever it takes to get close to the hole.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to compare the Liv players statistics with those from the PGA, but maybe The PGA Championship will answer those questions for us.
Plan B
My son, Luke Brown is a professional golfer on the Sunshine Tour, so each week I will give some insights into what his life is like. It is very strange to have a career where everything you do is immediately visible to everybody. Imagine being able to watch your children at work, all the time, but not be able to intervene when you see them making a mistake. It is said that professional golf is one of the toughest undertakings, but I am here to tell you that being the father of a professional golfer is one of the toughest undertakings. Living and dying with every shot and putt, but displaying complete calm and confidence, is a skill learned over many years of watching him play.
In his final year at school, upon announcing his intention to be a professional golfer, he was asked by a father what was Plan B. Luke asked what this father’s child was going to do after school. The man proudly said medicine. And what was his Plan B asked my son? The father was horrified but got the point. Total commitment!
Happiness is a long walk with a putter.
- The PGA Championship began at Aronimink Golf Club with favorites Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, who together have won four of the last five majors; McIlroy recently won the Masters and may pursue a historic Grand Slam this year.
- South African golfers including Casey Javis, Aldrich Potgieter, Garrick Higgo, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and Jayden Schaper are competing, continuing the country's strong international presence.
- Yurav Premlall made headlines by winning the Catalunya Championship by 14 shots and setting a course record twice, marking a historic DP World Tour achievement.
- PGA Tour stats suggest the key to winning is proximity to the hole on approach shots, with top players like Scottie Scheffler excelling in this metric; approach shots from 150m and closer are crucial to practice.
- The article also offers a personal glimpse into professional golf life through the author's son, Luke Brown, emphasizing the challenges of the sport and the mental resilience needed from both players and their families.
Rory won the Masters, so maybe he is on track to be the first golfer in history to win all the majors in a single year, a true
For those of you who were lucky enough to witness Bryson DeChambeau beat Jon Rahm at the Liv
Of course we would all love a
It is interesting to look at the PGA tour statistics to determine what statistic equals winning.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to compare the Liv players statistics with those from the PGA, but maybe
My son, Luke Brown is a professional golfer on the
In his final year at school, upon announcing his intention to be a professional golfer, he was asked by a father what was Plan B. Luke asked what this father’s child was going to do after school.
Happiness is a long walk with a putter.
