2014 PGA Championship Prediction

It's already time for the final major of the year. This year the PGA Championship will take place at Valhalla, great name by the way. The streak of not picking a correct winner continues but my last pick, Sergio Garcia came in second place at the Open Championship. This major will be very important to find out who had the best season picking between myself, Mike Moriarty and Tim Leavitt. After three major picks this year, I hold the lead with an average finish of 15. Mike is in second with an average of 16, while Tim brings up the rear with an average of 26 (mostly due to coked up Dustin Johnson missing the cut at the Masters). Therefore in all likelihood whoever picks the golfer to have the best finish could take home the title of Best Predictor.

I want to pick Sergio Garcia again just because if he actually wins the PGA Championship and I don't pick him, I'll be thoroughly upset with myself. But I feel like it's the right time to stop picking Sergio. He did extremely well for me in the British Open, he doesn't need the extra pressure from me in the last major of the year. Plus he has missed the cut at the PGA Championship six times in his career. So Sergio, buddy, you are off the hook.

Since I'm moving on from Sergio, I was planning on going with my PGA Tour twin, Jason Dufner. He's the defending champion of this tournament and in three of the last four years he has finished in the top five at the PGA. He hasn't had a great year, only four top ten's but I was thinking he's got something special going on with this tournament. Then I got this update from ESPN.

Just in the nick of time. Apologies to the Duff Daddy but you are no longer my pick. So here is who I finally settled on. Keegan Bradley at 28/1. Keegs won this tourney in 2011 for his only major title. He has only played in three PGA Championships, two of which he finished in the top three. Keegan is winless this season but he does have six top ten finishes including coming in fourth at the US Open. I need you Keegan. Play well for me one time. 

Guest Picks ---

We normally don't like to go with favorites but when a golfer is playing as well as Rory McIlroy, we'd be dumb not to pick him. Mike Moriarty made the pick of Rory at 9/2 odds. Not much needs to be said about Rory. He won the British Open wire-to-wire and then he followed up that victory with a win at the Bridgestone, coming back to beat Sergio. It would be surprising if Rory isn't near the top of the leader board this weekend. 

Tim Leavitt is going with Rickie Fowler at 20/1. Another solid pick. Rickie has been fantastic in majors this year. He has not finished worse than fifth and has two straight runner up finishes. The one thing that could be an issue is that his best finish in the PGA Championship is 19th. He's missed the cut or finished 50th or higher three of his four appearances but that could be the Rickie of old. This year he seems to be a real threat to finally break through and get a major.