PGA Preview: 2012 PGA Championship

PGA Tour PGA Championship Glory's Last Shot is this week.  Yes, the final major championship is upon us already.  Where has this golf season gone?  Wow. The PGA Championship is the final of the four majors in golf.  Last year was quite amazing.  Keegan Bradley won as a rookie and a player who'd never played in the PGA Championship prior.  That is seriously rare.  Can he defend?  He's coming off a win last week.  Why not? The course this week is a Pete Dye design, but quite different than a typical Dye course.  Kiawah Island's Ocean course is going to be a tough test.  This course winds through sand dunes on the island with very difficult waste areas, bunkers, sharp angles and large drop offs.  Collection areas around the greens will gather errant approach shots, putting a premium on good short game. The course is the longest major championship course, ever.  But that does not necessarily mean the big hitters will have an advantage.  Without accuracy, the big hitters will be in serious trouble dealing with deep grasses and all of the previous challenges mentioned.  A bomber who can hit fairways?  Well, that might be your champ. If the wind picks up? Look out. Being a major championship naturally the field is stacked, and I'm not talking about the Stack & Tilt.  This is the last chance for a major win in 2012 for those "great" players who've never won one, like Luke Donald or Lee Westwood.  This is a chance for Rory McIlory to improve on a very lackluster season following his 2011 U.S. Open win.  It is a chance for Jim Furyk to figure out how to finish and win.  And of course, it is a chance for Tiger Woods to edge closer to the historic 18 number, the number of major wins by Jack Nicklaus. TV Schedule Thu, August 9 TNT 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT Fri, August 10 TNT 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT Sat, August 11 TNT 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM EDT Sat, August 11 CBS 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT Sun, August 12 TNT 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM EDT Sun, August 12 CBS 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT LPGA Tour The ladies are in Toledo, Ohio for the Jamie Fairr Toledo Classic.  This 72 hole tournament has a purse of $1.3 million. The tournament is held at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio.  The course measures at 6,428 yards with a par of 72. This tournament is not a "big" tournament on the LPGA or in golf for that matter. The primary focus of course will be the PGA.  But for those who like to watch the ladies, tune into Golf Channel.