Nine months after the coronavirus pandemic forced it to be held in August, the PGA Championship reclaims its slot as the second major of the golf season when it gets underway on Thursday.
Adding to the feeling normalcy is slowing returning to golf, a limited number of fans will be allowed on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, much as it was the case for The Masters last month.
The picturesque South Carolina course will set a new benchmark for the longest distance for a course major in history this week, playing at 7,876 yards as it welcomes the PGA Championship back for the first time since 2012, when Rory McIlroy won by a record eight strokes.
The title was the Northern Irishman's second major in less than a year after winning the U.S. Open in 2011. Another PGA Championship and The Open followed in 2014, but major titles have since proved frustratingly elusive for the former world No. 1. The PGA Championship has proved a particularly hostile for the 32-year-old, who has just one top-10 finish in the tournament since 2015.
McIlroy, however, arrives in South Carolina full of confidence after winning the Wells Fargo Championship last week, his first PGA Tour win since November 2019.
At 11-1 with William Hill, FanDuel and DraftKings, McIlroy goes into the tournament as the bookmakers' favorite, closely followed by Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm—the world No. 2 and No. 3 respectively—and Jordan Spieth at 14-1.
Thomas finished tied for 21st at The Masters and has two top-30 finishes in his two starts since, while Rahm is still looking for the first major of his career and has never finished better than fourth at the PGA Championship. Spieth, meanwhile, finished third at The Masters after breaking a four-year wait for a win on the PGA Tour earlier in April and arrives in South Carolina looking to complete his career Grand Slam.
Bryson DeChambeau and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, meanwhile, start the tournament as 16-1 and 18-1 outsiders respectively. DeChambeau broke his major duck last year when he won the U.S. Open and it will be intriguing to see how his powerful game adapts to the Ocean Course.
At almost 7,900 yards, Kiawah Island will present a difficult challenges to players, one DeChambeau is better equipped than others to deal with as he leads the PGA Tour in driving distance with an average of 322 yards.
Conversely, however, DeChambeau is only 172nd in driving accuracy percentage and should he struggle off the tee as he did at The Masters could derail his chances.
Johnson, meanwhile, remains top of the world rankings but his last top-10 finish came at The Genesis Invitational back in February.
Here's all you need to know about this year's tournament.
PGA Championship 2021 dates
The second major of the season begins on Thursday, May 20 and runs until Sunday, May 23.
PGA Championship 2021 venue
The PGA Championship is to be held on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina. The par-72 course will stretch over 7,876 yards this weekend, making it the longest course in the history of major championship venues.
The Ocean Course previously hosted the PGA Championship in 2012, with Rory McIlroy winning by a record eight shots, and it also staged the Ryder Cup in 1991 and the World of Cup of Golf in 1997 and 2003.
PGA Championship 2021 TV schedule
ESPN and CBS will share coverage of The Masters. ESPN will broadcast the first two rounds and the early action on Saturday and Sunday, with CBS taking over at 1 p.m. ET on the weekend.
Here's a day-by-day breakdown of the coverage (all times ET).
Round 1, Thursday May 20
- Live coverage: ESPN, 1 p.m.—7 p.m.
- Replay: ESPN2, 10 p.m.
Round 2, Friday May 21
- Live coverage: ESPN, 1 p.m.—7 p.m.
- Replay: ESPN, Midnight
Round 3, Saturday May 22
- Live coverage: ESPN, 10 a.m.—1 p.m.
- Live coverage: CBS, 1 p.m.—7 p.m. CBS
Round 4, Sunday May 23
- Live coverage: ESPN, 10 a.m.—1 p.m.
- Live coverage: CBS, 1 p.m.—7 p.m. CBS
How to watch the PGA Championship 2021: Live stream and online coverage
There are several ways to follow the PGA Championship online, via ESPN+ and Paramount+. The tournament can also be watched online via fuboTV and SlingTV, both of which carry ESPN.
ESPN+ will broadcast featured holes and featured groups throughout the first day and early action on Thursday and Friday.
Here's a breakdown to keep up with the action online (all times ET).
Round 1, Thursday May 20
- Live coverage: ESPN+, 7 a.m.—1 p.m.
- Featured groups: ESPN+, 7 a.m.—7 p.m.
- Featured holes (16, 17, 18): ESPN+, 7 a.m.—7 p.m.
Round 2, Friday May 21
- Live coverage: ESPN+, 7 a.m.—1 p.m.
- Featured groups: ESPN+, 7 a.m.—7 p.m.
- Featured holes (16, 17, 18): ESPN+, 7 a.m.—7 p.m.
Round 3, Saturday May 22
- Live coverage: ESPN+, 7 a.m.—1 p.m.
- Featured groups: ESPN+, 7 a.m.—7 p.m.
- Featured holes (15, 16, 17): ESPN+, 12 p.m.—7 p.m.
- Live coverage: Paramount+, 1 p.m.—7 p.m.
Round 4, Sunday May 23
- Live coverage: ESPN+, 8 a.m.—10 a.m.
- Featured groups: ESPN+, 8 a.m.—7 p.m.
- Featured holes (15, 16, 17): ESPN+, 12 p.m.—7 p.m.
- Live coverage: Paramount+, 1 p.m.—7 p.m.
