If you are at least 40 years of age or older, the Kiawah’s Ocean Course might have taken you back to the time of the ultra-competitive 1991 Ryder Cup. However, in case you are younger, the non-competitive 2012 PGA Championship might be what you have in mind. At the least, the games that took place in South Carolina where Rory Mcllroy won by eight shots will remind you of the 2012 season.
However, there was much more to this season that you have perhaps forgotten the nitty-gritty stuff already. As a relief to most bettors who wagered on the best sports betting sites for golf fans, Dustin Johnson took home the Tour Championship, marking the end of the 2020-21 PGA Tour season. However, pay no heed to the major pairs we are yet to witness. Here are five things you need to know about the golf season that just got over.
But before we get to it, let’s take a look at the major dates to be aware of in 2020-21.
The 9 Important Dates of 2020-21 Season for Sports Fans
September 17-20, 2020 – U.S. Open at Winged Foot
November 12-15, 2020 – The Masters
March 11-14, 2021 – Players Championship
April 8-11, 2021 – The Masters
May 19-23, 2021 – PGA Championship at Kiawah Island
June 17-20, 2021 – U.S. Open at Torrey Pines
July 15-18, 2021 – The Open Championship at Royal St. George’s
August 29 – September 1, 2021 – Tokyo Olympics
September 16 – October 5, 2021 – FedEx Cup Playoffs
5 Things to Know About the PGA Championship 2021
- The Pre-Tournament Headliner – Jordan Spieth
This year, during The Masters, Jordan Spieth enjoyed his first victory ever since July 2017. The intense win was much required as he was almost at his breaking point a few months earlier. Tired of spiraling in the wrong direction, he shelved his clubs for nearly four weeks.
In fact, his turnaround became the on-course story of this year, quickly building its way into the first major of the year, where he got to enjoy massive success before suffering a heartbreaking defeat.
If Spieth is mentally fit even after the Valero title, he would be able to make a run for the second green jacket. However, his confidence seems too high even with his iron play dialed-in.
- Bryson DeChambeau, a Looser
Bryson DeChambeau acted more like a loser than he did in the last year. While there was a lot of hype surrounding him, he failed to handle the spotlight well. After his marvelous victory at the U.S. Open, he chose to play with a 48-inch driver this year until game time. When asked, he said that he was treating Augusta National as a par 67.
However, things didn’t go as planned. He fared poorly and was also feeling under the weather, thereby tying for the 34th position and becoming an easy target for the critics. Nevertheless, he appeared pretty comfortable this time around. Therefore, no outlandish predictions were made. Even his strategy was mapped out more discretely.
Big Bryson was looking to air it out on all of the apparent holes. Nonetheless, he knew his success would boil down to his performance in the par 4s. And his secret weapon was perhaps his steep angle of descent than his crazy driving distance. He will also have to hit his approach shots with more heigh and spin. Apparently, he has thrived even during difficult conditions in the Winged Foot, Muirfield Village, Bay Hill, and more.
- The Grind Will Never Stop
After spending many hours in the tournament practice area, Phil Mickelson’s left hand was wound in bandages to cover the cuts and callouses. Sandy Lyle couldn’t break through the final round in 2013. However, he worked up really well on the range.
- The Weather Looks Unfortunate
After a nearly flawless tournament week, the weather during the weekend was unfortunate. There was almost a 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Even for the third round, there were 60 percent chances of precipitation, with 25 mph wind gusts.
- Fred Ridley: Augusta National Chairman
When Fred Ridley was asked about the percentage of usual capacity allowed on-site this season, all he did was remain silent. In 2020, only a handful of personnel was permitted—nearly 500 people could watch Dustin Johnson take home the title on the 18th green.
Fortunately, more people were allowed this year, well into thousands. Patrons were spread out across the course, and, notably, there were still no grandstands, even during the 15th green.