Two former world number ones will be aiming for a change in fortunes when the PGA Tour returns and the three Major tournaments are contested. Since the start of 2020, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson have been making tentative returns following injury concerns, and while results have been mixed for both men, they’ve been sliding down the rankings.
Meanwhile, the fit and in-form Rory McIlroy has reclaimed his number one status, but with Koepka and Johnson now fully rested, the remainder of the golfing season could be one of the most competitive in recent years.
Major Contenders
“Rory McIlroy” (CC BY 2.0) by TourProGolfClubs
The PGA Tour isn’t just about these men, but as three of the most recent world number one golfers, a lot of attention is being placed on Koepka, McIlroy and Johnson. The sportsbooks agree with the concept, and ahead of the PGA Tour Championship at the start of August, golf betting markets from bet365 show Rory as clear favorite at 8/1.
Brooks and DJ follow at 14/1, and it’s a similar scenario for the other two Majors – the US Open and the US Masters. McIlroy appears to have a clear advantage but Johnson and Koepka look in good shape coming into that trio of main events.
Dustin Ready
“Dustin Johnson and his caddy charting ho” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by thegordons
He may have previously spent 91 weeks as the world number one, but Dustin Johnson has, as yet, won just one Major tournament. That success came at the US Open back in 2016, but DJ is simply too good to end his career with just that solitary victory.
Johnson started 2020 with an impressive set of 20 PGA Tour victories, but it’s notable that his most recent success had come at the WGC-Mexico Championship – way back in February 2019. DJ lacked the capacity to add to that tally as he missed over three months of the new season while nursing an ankle injury, but the player confirmed that the issue had ‘healed up great’, and he was set to make a committed return to the Tour.
Brooks is Back
Brooks Koepka may be considered as a more serious challenger for the three Majors, and his hold over the PGA Championship is quite remarkable. Koepka will go into this year’s tournament as the defending champion and, after winning in 2018, he’s aiming for a historic three-peat.
Brooks has also been battling injury, and at the start of the year, he appeared to be in some discomfort on the fairways. Back in February, however, he claimed that his troublesome knee had fully healed and presumably the extra rest will remove any doubts as far as that issue is concerned. Koepka has four Major wins out of seven PGA Tour victories overall, so clearly he’s a big-game player and will be in contention once again this year.
Challenges from the chasing pack will come from Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and others, but with McIlroy in the ascendancy and Koepka and Johnson coming back to full fitness, those three golfers look set to lead the way in 2020’s Major tournaments.
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