What happens when you take an exclusive group of the top thirty golfers in the world from the past season and dangle a $10 million dollar carrot in front of them? Well, we're about to find out.

With the exemption of the Presidents Cup, this week's TOUR Championship will signal the end of a thrilling 2016-17 PGA Tour season. It also spells the culmination of the FedEx Cup (the $10 million carrot), meaning two trophies are up for grabs on Sunday. For the top five players in the FedEx Cup standings (Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Marc Leishman & Jon Rahm respectively), victory in the TOUR Championship will guarantee victory in the FedEx Cup.

Playoff Roundup

The FedEx Cup playoffs started in the tail-end of August with The Northern Trust and will finish at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club this week. DJ won The Northern Trust in New York, beating Spieth with some playoff magic, before Justin Thomas claimed the Dell Technologies Championship- with Spieth lurking in second-place again. The third playoff- Lake Forest's BMW Championship- saw Marc Leishman crowned winner. For Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, their respective first and second spots are results of remarkable seasons, with JT taking five victories and Spieth totalling three. Third-place DJ is in a similar boat, with four victories for the season. All three of these players, though, have required solid playoff form to consolidate their places at the top of the standings. DJ and JT both have playoff wins, whilst Spieth has two runner-ups and a T7. Like I said: solid. Australia's Marc Leishman has relied more heavily on playoff form to hold fourth-place, with the BMW Championship making it only two PGA Tour wins for the season. However, when paired with a third-place the previous week, the Aussie looks in good shape to challenge for the title. To roundup this roundup, Jon Rahm and Rickie Fowler sit in fifth and sixth respectively, despite only one victory each this season, thanks to consistently high finishes on Tour. Hideki Matsuyama, on the other hand, has suffered the effect of the playoffs' inflated points system as his late-season form has caused him to swap his fourth-spot with Marc Leishman's seventh-spot.

Now, who will come out on top in this thirty-man field?

Jordan Spieth

Spieth is the ultimate competitor. He wants to win everything, and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The East Lake course demands precision and isn't forgiving when it comes to errors, making it ideal for the young American. That said, the 24-year-old has the potential to win on just about any course. When the TOUR Championship, FedEx Cup and Player of the Year titles are all on the line, I expect this man to put aside his long-standing friendship with nearest rival Justin Thomas and become only the second player to win the FedEx Cup twice (he won it in 2015).

Justin Thomas

Perhaps the only man more deserving of the Player of the Year title than Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas can look back on this season with an extraordinary amount of pride regardless of his TOUR Championship result. That said, the rising star shows no sign of faltering. It's possible that he will be edged of by his close friend Jordan Spieth simply due to his opponent's strengths, as opposed to his own weaknesses, but I have him pencilled in for a top-five finish. Don't worry, I'll keep an eraser handy!

Dustin Johnson

For me, it's between DJ and Spieth for the top prize. It's rare to see the top players in the field actually finish where they should on paper, but at this stage it is as much about the state of mind as it is golfing ability. That is why I have DJ and Spieth as my top-two. You've got Spieth's superhuman competitive edge and DJ's superhuman prowess under pressure facing off head-to-head. We saw it in the opening playoff event in New York, when DJ produced his trademark off-the-tee magic to win a playoff in which Spieth did absolutely nothing wrong, so it could simply boil down to whoever is more suited to the course. In that case, Spieth has the edge.

Best of the Rest

How fantastic would it be if Jon Rahm capped off his first full season as a pro by winning the must lucrative prize in the sport? Despite only one win in 2017, the Spaniard knows that victory in this week's event would secure both titles come Sunday. Rickie Fowler also sits on a single PGA Tour win for 2017, but the Californian is the only player I give a realistic chance to. In fact, I favour Fowler over Leishman when it comes to winning the TOUR Championship despite Leishman's victory last week. I'm afraid I simple don't see much of a chance any outsiders, with the stakes for FedEx Cup front-runners too high for an outsider to butt in.

There you have it: my predictions. Spieth and DJ to clash for top spot and a top-five for Justin Thomas. Jon Rahm to challenge, but never ruling out Rickie Fowler. Basically, the best continue being the best... except Marc Leishman.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

Having opened with the Czech Masters at the end of August/start of September, Europe's elite golfers are battling to get a good start to their 2018 Ryder Cup qualification campaigns. Following the European Tour's REAL Czech Masters and Omega European Masters, as well as the PGA Tour's Dell Technologies Championship, we can now just about justify getting carried away with the early-stage rankings.

Team Europe seem to have done everything in their power to optimise confusion and frustration around the process, with grandee players like Rory McIlroy vocalising concerns with the European-Tour-only system. Paul Casey missed out on the 2016 encounter due to this rule, as did the in-form Russell Knox. However, Team Europe seem to have learned (to some degree) from their mistakes, having added an extra pick for Captain Thomas BjØrn and increased points in the latter stages of qualifying to encourage in-form players to make the team.

The Omega European Masters offered up a great deal more points for the competitors than the Czech Masters, so Matthew Fitzpatrick's playoff victory in Switzerland hurls him up to the top of both qualification leaderboards (European Points & World Points). The fact that Fitzpatrick's playoff rival was Australian Scott Hend bodes even better for the Englishman, as he now holds a very comfortable early lead in the Eurppean Points rankings. Another Englishman, Lee Slattery, finished the Czech Masters as the best European, having finished runner-up to South Africa's Haydn Porteous. Slattery followed this up with a sixth-place finish at the European Masters, making him Fitzpatrick's nearest rival on the European Points leaderboard. Tyrell Hatton makes it an all-English top three on the European Points list, having finished third at the Swiss event with an impressive -11. Tom Lewis is perhaps the most surprising English name at the top end of the leaderboard, just outside the crucial top four on the European Points list (Finland's Mikko Ilonen occupies fourth spot), but currently in line to make the team (albeit at a VERY early stage) through the World Points rankings.

Jon Rahm's decision to join the European Tour in an attempt to make the team is showing early signs of being a smart move. His T4 at the PGA Tour's Dell Technologies Championship sits him in third on the World Points list but, since the top two- Fitzpatrick & Slattery- already qualify through European Points, Rahm is in pole position so far. Joining Rahm & Lewis in the World Points qualifying spots are Sweden's Oscar Lengden and Iceland's Birgir Hafthorsson. Lengden is not the only Swede sitting pretty, with Pontus Widegren holding seventh and ninth in the European & World Points respectively. Alex Noren, meanwhile, has already begun his quest to avenge his disappointment in missing out on the 2016 team at Hazeltine, with his -9 securing T6 at the European Masters and sixth-place in the current European Points standings.

Callum Shinkwin entered the qualification process as a hot tip to qualify, but is yet to deliver despite a fantastic opening round at the Czech Masters. On the other hand, Rafa Cabrera Bello, who impressed at the last Ryder Cup, appears to be finding his feet again at the right time. His T18 at the Dell Technologies Championship didn't hog the headlines, but I have a feeling he's on the right path. Having won his first tournament since 2012 at this year's Scottish Open, Cabrera Bello has every chance to kick on and make the team for the second time in a row.

There's a hell of a long way to go, but it's always nice to get an idea of who's looking good and who has work to do. How many players will retain their spot? Which young guns will make the breakthrough? We'll keep you updated at Foremost Golf.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

It has begun. The Ryder Cup is upon us. OK, it's still over a year away, but the qualification has started for the European team. Thomas Bj∅rn has the unenviable task (although I don't know many people that would turn down the offer) of trying to lead Europe to victory over a frighteningly good United States team lead by Jim Furyk. With the likes of Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth & Co. rising to prominence, Bj∅rn will have his work cut out for him. However, there have been plenty of promising signs from Europeans in 2017, including Tommy Fleetwood's sublime surge from number 99 to number 16 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) leaderboard and Jon Rahm's cosmic rise from well outside the top 100 to well inside the top 10. The OWGR will be crucial to Europe's team, as the top four Europeans on the World Points list between this week's Czech Masters and next year's Made in Denmark tournament will take automatic spots on the 2018 European Ryder Cup team. In a bid to reward loyal European Tour players, the top four earners on the European tour in the same time bracket will also take automatic spots, leaving Captain Thomas Bj∅rn and Vice-captain Robert Karlsson with four 'Wildcard' picks.

Back to this week's tournament, the D+D Real Czech Masters, and there are plenty of Europeans looking to hit another level as the qualification process commences. St George's Cross dominates the leaderboard after day one- as expected- with Callum Shinkwin topping the field. Shinkwin had been my pick for the week, along with Jordan Smith, so I can't say I'm surprised to see his name at the top. The World No. 159 hit a -6 on the opening day at Prague's Albatross Golf Resort, while Jordan Smith sits at PAR despite opening with an eagle. Englishmen from the 2016 Ryder Cup, Lee Westwood and Matthew Fitzpartick, are also sitting pretty in Prague after opening rounds of -2 on the PAR 72 course. On the flip side, Europe's 2016 Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke risks missing the CUT after opening with +2. Belgium's Thomas Pieters and Germany's Martin Kaymer, who also played in that 2016 defeat, sit at one-under at the end-of-play on Thursday. Shinkwin's nearest European rival at the top after day one is Sweden's Pontus Widegren at -5, with Dylan Frittelli of South Africa equalling that score.

As the tournament moves into the weekend, we will surely see some big turnarounds on the leaderboard and a few indicators as to which Europeans could be pushing to put their name up there amongst the more elite, who are competing in the PGA Tour's Dell Technologies Championship as part of the FedEx Cup playoffs. In that PGA Tour event, the likes of Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm are perfect examples of players who have catapulted themselves to the very top inside a year. Can any of the aforementioned players follow in their footsteps? Only time will tell... but we'll try to predict it anyway!

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

If you're anything like me, you had all-but written off The Northern Trust as the players teed off for the final round at Glen Oaks, New York. Jordan Spieth held a three-shot lead over nearest rival Dustin Johnson from the first tee box, before extending that to a five-shot lead with two birdies on the opening five holes. But then, a shambolic double-bogey on the sixth eradicated his outstanding start to the final day. Most people will tell you that's where it all came unravelled. I disagree. At the ninth hole, Spieth bogeyed again. This time it was only a single, but that didn't matter. DJ smelled blood. The World No. 1 hit his first birdie of the day, before following up with another at the tenth. Back-to-back birdies put DJ at -2 for the day, with Spieth up to +1. In two holes the three-shot lead was gone. Game on. 

The lack of British TV coverage left us with nothing but social media and the radio to follow the enthralling conclusion of this event. It was back to the stone ages for British golf fans. Like I said, I didn't anticipate a particularly interesting final round (Spieth himself admitted "I was hoping it wasn't going to be that much fun"). My interest was minimal until the back-nine, when my phone erupted with news that it was all square in New York. Needless to say, the radio was on in a heartbeat and I was crouched over it like some hideous Gollum-esque creature. Much to my delight, the action continued, with the pair sinking two birdies apiece between the thirteenth and fifteenth. The remaining holes saw both players hold their nerve for PARs, meaning a playoff was on the cards in the first FedEx Cup playoff event. And what a playoff it was.

Spieth got the luck of the draw and teed off first, hitting a solid shot on a nice line for about 314 yards. A good start. Johnson didn't hit a good shot off the tee. He hit an incredible, superhuman, out-of-this-world shot off the tee. The 33-year-old went where no man would even dare, aiming well left (Spieth had driven straight ahead) over the lake and ultimately getting where most players aim to be for their third stroke. DJ's iron play had been remarkable throughout the week, having dominated the highlight reels of every round with precise approach play, so when he dropped the ball a few feet from the hole we shouldn't have been surprised. But we were. For anybody who wasn't listening to the radio, I can tell you that the raucous ovation was titillating. You knew immediately that something special had happened (amidst the cries of disbelief, it took a while for the commentators to settle down and explain what had actually happened). It was a simple tap-in for victory and DJ was back to winning ways. Spieth, on the other hand, had suffered a shocking defeat. Having won 9/10 events when winning at the start of the final day, it was unthinkable that he could throw this one away. The Texan, though, claimed "I didn't lose the tournament, he (Dustin Johnson) won it."

Outside of the top two, there were several very interesting results. I predicted that the most exciting three-ball would be Johnson/Fowler/Rahm, saying that it would produce a minimum of one title challenger. Of course, it produced the eventual winner in Dustin Johnson. It also produced a T3 in Jon Rahm, who stayed at least two-under-par every day and had his consistency rewarded with a -9 as he tied Jhonattan Vegas for third place. Rickie Fowler looked dangerous at -6 heading into the weekend, but a 74-70 Saturday-Sunday left him at a disappointing T20 with -2. I told you Paul Casey and Matt Kuchar were sure to finish in the top-20 and could push for the top-10. Casey's -6 took fifth spot on the leaderboard, whilst a mixed weekend for Matt Kuchar saw him hit 71-64-68-73 for an overall -4 and T10, with the Friday 64 saving his (and my) blushes. Justin Thomas and Jason Day also met my high expectations, with the pair sharing T6 at -5. Thomas stayed on track for a likely Player of the Year award, showing a great deal of consistency as he followed up his opening round 68 with three consecutive 69 scores.  However, it didn't all go as I had anticipated. Hideki Matsuyama, who led the FedEx Cup rankings heading into the first playoff event, missed the CUT after scoring +3. Despite a one-under 69 on Friday, the World No. 3 couldn't recover from his opening 74. The man from Japan hit three birdies in a row, but was undone with bogeys at the sixteenth and eighteenth.

It was a fascinating start to the much-anticipated FedEx Cup playoffs, with Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama swapping fourth and first places, so the American now tops the rankings, and Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth also switching between third and second to give Spieth a slight edge. Jon Rahm's T3 has seen him overtake Rickie Fowler for fifth position, whilst the other T3, Jhonattan Vegas, jumped from 29th to 10th to put himself in contention. Paul Casey leapfrogged six places to 12th, Jason Day started his usual end-of-season surge by jumping twenty spots to 29th and England's Justin Rose climbed eight to 24th thanks to his T10 at The Northern Trust.

The games have begun!

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

As the FedEx Cup Playoffs begin, 2017's elite golfers prepare to battle it out for golfing supremacy... and $10 million. The Northern Trust at Glen Oaks Club, Old Westbury, New York, will signal the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs; consisting of four tournaments with progressive CUTs, reducing the number of players competing for the FedEx Cup from 125 at The Northern Trust to 30 at the TOUR Championship (with the Deutsche Bank Championship and BMW Championship respectively in between). Hideki Matsuyama leads the way in the standings, closely followed by Player of the Year leader, Justin Thomas. Jordan Spieth (third) and Dustin Johnson (fourth) take their familiar places around the top of the leaderboard, whilst Rickie Fowler sits just above young gun Jon Rahm, who occupies sixth spot. Matt Kuchar and Paul Casey hold fifteenth and eighteenth respectively, making them ones to watch down the home straight.

Turning our attention back to The Northern Trust, we're looking at a tournament that could hold a lot of significance for the world's best. We saw Henrik Stenson launch himself more than fifty places up the FedEx Cup rankings with a win at the Wyndham Championship last week, so don't be surprised if we see the top players fighting tooth and nail at Green Oaks this week. But who should you be keeping an eye on in the New York competition? 

When you take form into consideration, a few names jump to mind. Matsuyama's four consecutive top-15 finishes tells us why he's topping the FedEx Cup leaderboard and the odds list. The Japanese superstar has been in red-hot form this season, with three of those four top-15 results coming in majors (including T2 in the U.S. Open and T5 in the PGA Championship) and the other being his runaway victory in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. I think a strong finish is key for Matsuyama, who will feel confident in a top-10 finish, and we will probably know going into the weekend whether he has a realistic shot at the title (I think he will, for the record). Justin Thomas's PGA Championship win may have been his maiden major, but it was about as inevitable as major victories come. Thomas is the leader for the Player of the Year crown, so adding a major to his 2017 season will do him no harm. A cool head and an abundance of talent makes him a formiddable force on any golf course, but the added motivation of a shot at the FedEx Cup means he's a serious, serious contender in New York.

Speaking of serious contenders, I don't think I've seen a more enticing three-ball all season than the Dustin Johnson/Rickie Fowler/Jon Rahm set up. Why is this more exciting than Matsuyama/Thomas/Spieth? Because Johnson, Fowler and Rahm will revel on this longer course. I'm not saying that the Matsuyama, Thomas or Spieth won't see a lot of success, but they play different games and will gain strokes in different areas. Johnson, Fowler and Rahm, though, are all big-hitters who will give us an awesome look at direct competition off-the-tee. It will be easy watching and all three start the tournament being tipped for top-20. When he's made the CUT, Fowler has only missed the top-20 mark twice this year, whilst DJ has only done so once. Rahm has been more sporadic in his results, but is still breathing down their neck in the FedEx Cup standings.

Henrik Stenson, as I mentioned earlier, comes into this tournament on the back of a Wyndham Championship win. He also comes in on the back of five top-20s in his last six tournaments. I am personally not backing Stenson in this one, but I do think that the Wyndham Championship showed us a genuine contender for The Northern Trust. Runner-up Ollie Sniederjans showed that he has a serious amount of talent and really put Stenson to the test. I wouldn't be surprised to see him follow that up with a solid result. I'm calling him at a potential top-20, or even top-10 if he can maintain momentum through the weekend and not be distracted by big names around him on the leaderboard.

My final mention goes to Jason Day, who has a solid record in recent edition of this tournament, including second-place in 2014 and top-spot in 2015. The Aussie has had a forgettable year, with mental and physical fragilities restricing his performance. However, Day has a tendency to hit form on the season's back-nine, so a good showing in the playoffs is not out of the question and it could all start here.

I fancy the chances of Paul Casey and Matt Kuchar in the top-20, but Hideki Matsuyama is my number one pick for this tournament, with the three-ball of Dustin Johnson/Rickie Fowler/Jon Rahm likely to produce a minimum of one title challenger. Justin Thomas is another name I suspect could top the field, whilst Jason Day is a good one to put a few quid on when you consider odds and opportunity. Watch out for Ollie Sniederjans, though. At 80/1 I think a victory would be a step too far, but a top-10 is not.

Golf superstars, are you ready?

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

Once again, Cobra Golf have taken things to the next level. The brand new F-Max golf club range from Cobra Golf brings a revolutionary modern twist to one of the world’s most traditional sports.

Designed for players with moderate swing speeds, the entire F-Max range focuses on providing a lighter shaft in order to allow the player to generate more swing speed and therefore strike the ball with more pace and power. Cobra are hailing it as their “lightest & easiest to hit clubs ever”, with the primary goal to help golfers with handicaps of around seventeen and above to catapult their game to that next level. Following rigorous research and testing, Cobra discovered that most players feel and perform better when playing with larger grips, so they have fitted the F-Max range with these midsize grips.

Starting with the F-Max Driver, Cobra have deployed a Superlite 50 shaft as part of their quest for lightweight shafts and faster swing speeds. This shaft has been fitted with a Lamkin REL 360 midsize grip for a feel that installs confidence at the tee. The Forged Titanium 6-4 Face Insert furthers this theme of speed off-the-tee. The face insert also provides a larger sweet spot for more forgiveness and straighter shots, which encourages you to hit more fairways whatever your handicap. Cobra have repositioned the CG weighting in the clubhead into the heel to promote a higher launch. This higher launch is built upon with the lower flex point in the shaft.

A subtle but effective alignment tool has been used in this driver, with two lines indicating the Sweet Zone of the clubface and a stylish Cobra logo outlining the most central point of impact for you. Cobra’s F-Max Driver comes with either an offset or straight neck hosel, so you can decide which you prefer. Both the offset and straight neck drivers look beautifully sleek at address in the black and gold men’s or black and raspberry ladies editions. But don’t just take my word for it, have a look at the image below!

The F-Max Fairway Wood and F-Max Hybrid offer many of the same benefits as the F-Max Driver, with ultra-lightweight shafts, repositioned CG weighting in the heel and a similar crown alignment feature. However, one distinctive difference is the Forged 455 Stainless Steel Face Insert. This face insert provides relief on off-centre hits and gives you one of the best-looking clubfaces in golf, allowing you to look, feel and play great golf.

Just like the metals and woods, the Cobra F-Max Irons are designed with lightweight shafts and oversize/midsize grips. That said, these F-Max Irons do carry their own outstanding features in the form of a deeper undercut cavity for greater flex in the clubface which, in turn, delivers faster ball speeds, particularly on off-centre strikes. A new 17-4 Stainless Steel composition has been used in the 4-7 long irons, whilst the 8-SW short irons are made up of a softer 431 Stainless Steel construction for a more delicate touch. This gives you more control of the ball at impact. The strategic CG heel weighting is continued in these F-Max Irons, meaning you can achieve a straighter, higher launch on the ball, with the offset hosel also adding a higher trajectory to further this performance. Putting the ribbon on this stunning package is a Nickel Chrome Plating for a sleek, stunning look, making these irons both easy on the eye and easy on the golf course.

If you’re looking for more consistency in your iron play, then the F-Max One Length Irons could be ideal for you. The single-length set have been altered to match 7-iron weighting for every iron in the set. This provides for consistent accuracy and distance when striking the ball.

The entire Cobra F-Max range is available at Foremost Golf. You can check out the links below for prices, club variations (loft, shaft type, flex, etc.) and more.

Cobra King F-Max Driver Men’s

Cobra King F-Max Driver Ladies

Cobra King F-Max Fairway Wood Men’s

Cobra King F-Max Fairway Wood Ladies

Cobra King F-Max Hybrid Men’s

Cobra King F-Max Hybrid Ladies

Cobra King F-Max Irons Men’s

Cobra King F-Max One Length Irons Men’s

Cobra King F-Max One Length Irons Ladies

Cobra King F-Max Graphite Sand Wedge

Cobra King F-Max Steel Sand Wedge

Cobra King F-Max Combo Set Men’s

Cobra King F-Max Combo Set Ladies

Written by Joe Carabini

Joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

We entered the 2017 PGA Championship with a well-documented career grand slam on the cards. The crowd in Charlotte, North Carolina, waited with baited breath to see if Jordan Spieth could become the youngest-ever winner of a career grand slam. He didn't. Someone did complete their career grand slam, though (sort of). Louis Oosthuizen completed a career grand slam of runners-up with his T2 in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow last week. The South African shared his -6 score with Patrick Reed and Francesco Molinari, who were all edged out by eventual winner Justin Thomas on -8. Oosthuizen showed little in the way of bitterness or disappointment; posting a video of himself comically lip-syncing Andra Day's song "Rise Up" on Twitter. It may not be quite as impressive as a real career grand slam, but it's no less incredible. Nonetheless, $784,000 and a second-place is nothing to lose sleep over.

It was on the home straight- Sunday's back nine- that Justin Thomas swung the final major of 2017 in his favour. A long putt on the ninth preceded the most remarkable shot of the tournament. Having seemingly left his birdie putt on the lip at the tenth pin, a unanimous groan fell from the crowd. Thomas, perhaps more savvy to the situation than most, did not immediately add the finishing touch. Instead, he walked back to his caddie and waited all of twelve seconds before the ball finally subsided to subliminal pressure from Thomas and his supporters; collapsing into the hole to give Thomas his birdie. His challengers may as well have packed up and gone home then, because there was no doubting that it was Justin Thomas's day. A birdie at the seventeenth all-but sealed victory for the American, who claimed the Wanamaker Trophy, despite a bogey on the final hole, for his maiden major victory.

There were certainly a few surprises at Quail Hollow, hence a mixed bag in the Foremost Golf predictions from our tournament preview. Like the rest of the golfing world, we simply couldn't overlook the fact that Rory McIlroy looked the undeniable favourite. However, it took a late surge for McIlroy to even crack the top-25 as his final day -3 left him at a less-than-impressive +1 T22 for the week. Another favourite, Justin Rose, failed to make the CUT as he finished on +6 despite his impressive record on the course. Phil Mickelson also looked an exciting prospect when you considered his past form at Quail Hollow and his 2005 PGA Championship win, but the five-time major winner hit 11-over to miss the CUT. We did have our moments, though. Rickie Fowler's T5 supported our statement that the Californian finishing in the top-10 was "one of the most likely results of the tournament", whilst we were spot on with Jordan Spieth's inability to even challenge for the title; he finished two-over at T28. We also mentioned that Jason Day has been "lacking that winning-edge", and the Aussie faded from the title race on Saturday as he threw away a -6 at the start of the weekend to enter the final round at level-par before eventually finishing on one-under.

England's top finisher, Jordan Smith, snuck inside the top-10 with a -1 for T9 to equal Jason Day and Matt Kuchar. Smith won the Porsche European Open at the end of July and the 24-year-old appears to be on the rise. Hideki Matsuyama is another who showed the effect that form can have on performance, snatching T5 in the PGA Championship after his recent WGC-Bridgestone Invitational win. These results have seen him leapfrog Jordan Spieth to the World No. 2 position. The only man ranked higher- World No. 1 Dustin Johnson- claimed a modest T13 with an even more modest level-par. Kevin Kisner will arguably be the most frustrated player of the Championship, having steamed into the weekend at -8 and leading wire-to-wire until the final round. Kisner eventually slipped to -4 and T7 (respectable by any means) but would certainly have hoped for more.

Well, it's been a fantastic year of golf majors, hasn't it? As per usual, Americans dominate the list of champions, with Spain's Sergio Garcia the only non-American victor, having won the Masters in his umpteenth major. Jordan Spieth continued to write his chapter in golf folklore as he ended a run of seven first-time winners in the process of claiming the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Whilst we didn't get our youngest-ever career grand slam winner in Jordan Spieth, Louis Oosthuizen made sure we at least got a career grand slam of sorts.

Justin Thomas - What's in the Bag?

Driver: Titleist 917 D3

Fairway Wood: Titleist 917 F2

Irons: Titleist T-MB 716 CB & 716 MB

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6

Putter: Scotty Cameron Futura X5 Prototype

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

Wind the clocks back to 2015: Jordan Spieth has two major victories for the year and is yet to turn 22. The hype around the American starlet grows by the second and golf fans are dizzy with prospects of his future. Rory McIlroy is having none of it. The Northern Irishman returns to the scene of his first PGA Tour victory, Quail Hollow, for the Wells Fargo Championship. McIlroy obliterates the field; winning by seven strokes in a record-smashing -21. Praise for Spieth does not disappear, but is now almost always followed by the words "but he's not Rory McIlroy".

Back to the present: Jordan Spieth has just claimed the Open Championship title days before turning 24. Now, aged 24, the American has one single opportunity to become the youngest ever winner of a career grand slam. There's just one tiny obstacle standing in his way... Rory McIlroy at Quail Hollow.

When I'm writing a preview for a tournament, I try to explore a variety of potential winners. I do this because I know that there are no sure things in golf and because there tends to be a fair few players in with a shout for every tournament. However, Rory McIlroy is making this pretty damn tricky for me. If you read my previous blog regarding the Quail Hollow course, you'll know that Rory McIlroy already has two victories on the North Carolina golf course. You'll also know that he has gained more strokes in the rain than any other golfer since 2014 and that we're expecting showers from Thursday through to Sunday. If that wasn't enough to convince you (in which case you're very harsh on poor old Rory), the 28-year-old already has a couple of PGA Championship wins too! Oh, and he lost out in a play-off on the same course in 2012. Oh, and he has the best scoring average on the course in the last five years. OK, point made. Now to try to put together an argument for the rest of the field.

As I said, McIlroy has the best scoring average at Quail Hollow over the past five years. Next in line is England's Justin Rose. The World No. 13 has been in pretty horrific form this year, having not finished inside a top-50 since his runner-up finish at the Masters. However, you can never underestimate the influence of the course. On that note, Phil Mickelson sits third in the Quail Hollow scoring average rankings. The obvious issue with Mickelson is that he's now 47 and this will be his eighteenth tournament of 2017. That's a hell of a lot of golf at his age. Still, this will be his century of major golf tournaments and nobody is writing him off- that says a lot about Phil Mickelson (it will also be Ernie Els's one hundredth major, but you don't hear his name cropping up amongst golf tipsters).

Big drivers will thrive on the Quail Hollow course. Jon Rahm currently has the best average of shots gained off-the-tee on the PGA Tour. This hands him a huge advantage, along with his closest competitor for that title, Dustin Johnson. Staying on the fairways will be critical, and hitting long will certainly provide a much-needed edge. That brings another name to mind: Rickie Fowler. Cobra's Californian is up there with the best off-the-tee. Combine that with four top-10 finishes in his last six events and a 2012 win at Quail Hollow (the aforementioned play-off with McIlroy), and suddenly Fowler looks a good bet for the top-10 in the PGA Championship.

I hate to side with the favourite, it feels lazy and unambitious. Unfortunately, though, McIlroy's combination of success on this course and in this tournament hand him an undeniable superiority. Therefore, McIlroy is my pick for first-place. I do expect Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm to be up there challenging, though. At 55/1, Phil Mickelson would definitely be worth a gamble and I think Rickie Fowler for the top-10 is one of the most likely results of the tournament. On the other side of the coin, I think Jordan Spieth will struggle to keep up. He's obviously extremely talented, but I just think he'll lose too many strokes off-the-tee to make a serious bid for the Wanamaker Trophy. Likewise, I think Jason Day has been lacking that winning-edge of late. The Aussie can't be ruled out entirely, but I don't fancy him to repeat his 2015 PGA Championship victory, or even his second-place finish last year. I can see Hideki Matsuyama having a respectable, if mediocre, result in Charlotte. Probably a top-20 but unlikely to crack the top-10. And, in case you fancy going for something way out there, you'll find 54-year-old Vijay Singh at 400/1. Before you laugh, The Big Fijian has two PGA Championship victories (1998 & 2004) and a 2005 win at Quail Hollow. Something to consider?

Will Jordan Spieth make history? Will Rory McIlroy pull off another major performance? It's all to play for at Quail Hollow Club.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

I'm a firm believer that the course is one of the most influential factors in determining a winner for any golf tournament. Alongside form and weather, the golf course has a serious impact because it puts such a heavy emphasis on every golfer's style-of-play. Where do you gain the most strokes? How far do you drive? How often do you hit greens in regulation? We see it time after time; players fail or prevail depending on the course. Quail Hollow will be no different.

It's easy to look at who has won the competition a handful of times in the past or who is ranked higher in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), but you must, and I mean must, consider the course. Don't get me wrong, if you're sitting at the top of the OWGR then you're probably a half-decent player, and if you've tasted glory on the same stage already, it helps. It really does. But remember it's not the be-all and end-all when you're telling your mates about your 'banker' for the PGA Championship this week. Anyway, let's take a look at what we can expect at North Carolina's Quail Hollow Club.

A major at Quail Hollow is a dream for anybody who, like me, is paid to write about golf (yeah, it's not a bad way to make a living). Why? Simple: we know who plays well on the course. The course in Charlotte, North Carolina, played host to the Wells Fargo Championship between 2003 and 2016, giving us a bucket-load of data to analyse until the cows come home. Starting with the course's top performers, Rory McIlroy already has two victories under his belt at Quail Hollow- one being his first PGA Tour win in 2010 and the other featuring a course-record 61 in 2015. That 2015 win also smashed the tournament record of 16-under with a remarkable -21. It's fair to say that Mr McIlroy is the red-hot, nailed-on, undeniable favourite. The World No. 4 has the best scoring average over the past five years at Quail Hollow, followed by Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson respectively. Rose and Mickelson will fancy their chances of making life tough for McIlroy.

The Quail Hollow course certainly favours big-hitters and those who gain the majority of their strokes off-the-tee. Five of the last eight Wells Fargo Championship winners ranked at first or second in strokes gained off-the-tee. Jon Rahm leads the PGA Tour in average strokes gained off-the-tee, just ahead of Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia. The course will no doubt have Rickie Fowler licking his lips, having carded his first PGA Tour win on the same course in the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship, much like Rory McIlroy in 2010. Oh, and guess who he beat in the play-off. Yep, the Northern Irishman himself.

I mentioned earlier my belief that the course overrides world ranking and tournament records with regards to relevance to performance and therefore importance when assessing the field. This extends to the likes of Jordan Spieth and Jason Day. Spieth sits at number two in the OWGR as he chases a career grand slam. In fact, this will be his only chance to beat Tiger Woods's record as the youngest ever career grand slam winner (Spieth, now 24, will be 25 and therefore older than Woods was when he achieved his first career grand slam, by the time of next year's PGA Championship). However, the American is famously far better in his approach and green game than off-the-tee. Meanwhile, Jason Day finished in top-spot in this tournament in 2015 before settling for runner-up last year. The Australian, however, is simply not as compatible with this course as the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler.

Finally, I also mentioned weather as being a key factor in the golfers' performances. I'm sat here looking at two graphics: one telling me it's going to rain at Quail Hollow from Thursday-Sunday, the other telling me the golfers with the most strokes gained in the rain since 2014. Let me tell you something, Rory McIlroy is causing me an incessant pain in my backside as I try to put together a case for someone else- anyone else- to have half a chance in this tournament. I shouldn't be surprised that the 28-year-old is the top performer in rainy conditions over the past three years, given that he truly is one of the great golfers of this era. Oh, and he grew up in Northern Ireland- rain is a way of life out there. However, the graphic is not entirely discouraging for his competitors, with Dustin Johnson sitting in second- ever so slightly edging third-place Sergio Garcia. Rickie Fowler ranks in at fifth, whilst Justin Rose, Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson are also hanging around the right end of the table. Game on? I'll go as far as maybe. Just maybe.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

When Rodman Wanamaker decided to set up the USPGA Championship in 1916, donating the Wanamaker Trophy and a purse of $2,500- $3,000 from his own pocket, even his ambitious mind would have struggled to comprehend the next 100 years of the famous tournament. The ensuing USPGA Championship became golf's fourth major, with the prize fund rising to a staggering $10.5 million as millions of viewers tune in to watch.

Englishman Jim Barnes won the first two USPGA Championships in 1916 and 1919 (separated by a two-year absence due to World War I). However, the American founders would have been a right sight happier with the rest of the results in the competition's matchplay era. The PGA Championship was played in a matchplay format from 1916-1957 and, following Jim Barnes's second victory, Americans won the Wanamaker trophy every year bar one (Australian Jim Ferrier in 1947). This streak was helped by four consecutive victories for Walter Hagen between 1924 and 1927. Hagen shares his record of five wins in the tournament with the legendary Jack Nicklaus.

The strokeplay era did little to derail America's dominance in the fourth major of the golfing calendar, with Gary Player (twice) and David Graham the only non-American strokeplay winners pre-1990. The 21st Century has seen a dramatic change in this department, with the likes of Vijay Singh (Fiji), Padraig Harrington (Ireland- as if you could be from anywhere else with a name like "Padraig") and Martin Kaymer (Germany) restoring the international balance in this tournament. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy took the trophy home in 2012 and 2014, with the 2012 title becoming the largest margin of victory in the strokeplay era; an eight-stroke lead. Jason Day of Australia also set his own record as recently as 2015. Day shot a record -20 on Winsconsin's Whistling Straits golf course, eclipsing Tiger Woods's (who else) two-time -18 score.

As we head into the 99th PGA Championship, there are plenty of stories to look back on. From Walter Hagen leaving the Wanamaker Trophy in a taxi whilst celebrating in a nightclub, to Tiger Woods recording not one but two back-to-back victories, it's a tournament with a long and storied history. I, for one, can't wait to see that story continue this week.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com