The golf world once again takes center stage, with the second major of the season set to begin. The PGA Championship takes place at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., and with it comes all the storylines major includes. Add in that the LIV golfers are here, and there are a ton of different ways to attack One and Done selections. A major means serious money up for grabs, with $15 million in the purse and $2.7 million for that top spot. Let’s dive into potential One and Done candidates for the 2023 PGA Championship.
PGA Championship One and Done Picks and Targets
The biggest issue here is how many people already have used Tony Finau this year in One and Done. However, if available, Finau is playing fantastic golf in 2023, finding the weekend in every event and a win in Mexico just a few weeks ago.
The irons are carrying the load, with ball-striking numbers that jump off the page and that will translate anywhere. Given the apparent difficulty this course brings, Finau needs those ball-striking numbers to have any hope of competing. Add in that bentgrass is Finau’s best putting surface, and this could be his breakthrough moment at majors. He has one of the highest made-cut percentages of anyone in this field, and the “can’t win” label is being disproven with each trophy Finau adds to his resume.
Contrarian Pick: Dustin Johnson
The LIV golfers have been the wild card for One and Done this year, as they only play the biggest tournaments. One and Done availability is probably not an issue since Dustin Johnson has only played The Masters, but his form is much sketchier due to the lack of reps on the PGA tour. Johnson looked look fantastic on LIV last week in Tulsa, and that win probably relieves some of the recent form worries people may have. Johnson was a non-factor at Augusta, but he has shown for decades that he can handle a track like Oak Hill.
Ben’s One and Done Pick: Sungjae Im
Ultimately the course is an unknown until the tournament begins. That is the added risk in majors like this, where they rotate courses. A golfer like Sungjae Im is less affected by the unknown, as his game is so well rounded that he can thrive anywhere. It is not to say he does not have preferences, but he gains strokes in all four categories and has no glaring weakness.
Im is playing quality golf, with a seventh-place finish at Heritage, followed by an eighth place at Wells Fargo. The biggest concern is he played last week in South Korea, which makes travel a factor that it normally would not be. However, this guy plays all the time, and that is more noise than anything else. Im should play well in any conditions, making him a logical choice for One and Done.
