The 105th PGA Championship Begins Thursday In Rochester, New York at Oak Hill Country Club

The 105th PGA Championship Begins Thursday In Rochester, New York at Oak Hill Country Club.  Here are all the fun facts you are going to need to know heading into this tournament.  Lets start with the weather.

Staging a major championship in upstate New York in May indeed poses some weather-related risks, but it seems that the PGA of America might have some luck on their side this week.

While there was a short weather delay on Monday morning due to frost, the forecast for the coming days suggests improving conditions.

The temperatures are expected to be quite cool, with lows in the mid-30s and highs in the low 50s on Wednesday. However, as the tournament progresses, the weather is predicted to become more favorable.

Forecasts indicate that temperatures will rise into the 60s and 70s on the tournament days, which should be more comfortable for both players and spectators.

Field: 156 professionals (0 amateurs)
Cut: Top 70 scores & ties
Venue: Oak Hill Country Club (East Course) –> 7,394 yards | Par 70
Purse: TBD (announced during tournament)
Defending champion: Justin Thomas (-5/playoff)
Playoff holes (if necessary): 14, 15, 18 (3-hole aggregate)

Reigning Masters champion and current betting favorite Jon Rahm has twice as many wins as any other player on the PGA TOUR this season.

With a victory at Oak Hill, he would become the first player to win the Masters and PGA Championship in the same year since Jack Nicklaus in 1975.

Scottie Scheffler owns the best career scoring average in major championship history among the 600+ players to complete at least 50 major rounds.

He enters the PGA Championship on a run of 12 straight Top-12 finishes, the longest run since Tiger Woods (14) from 2007 to 2008.

Jordan Spieth is in the field as of Sunday (5/14) despite battling a wrist injury which caused him to withdraw from last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson.

If he competes, Spieth will make his 7th attempt at securing the career grand slam, something only 5 players have accomplished to date.

Dating back to Jon Rahm’s inaugural major victory at the 2021 U.S. Open, each of the last 7 majors were won by players yet to turn 30 years old.

That’s tied for the longest streak since 1900, only matched by a stretch from 1921 through 1923.

17 players from the LIV Golf League will appear at the 2023 PGA Championship, including six former major champions (Koepka & Mickelson former PGA Championship winners).

LIV Golfers at 2023 PGA Championship

Abraham Ancer            Phil Mickelson
Dean Burmester          Joaquin Niemann
Paul Casey                    Mito Pereira
Bryson DeChambeau          Thomas Pieters
Talor Gooch                         Patrick Reed
Dustin Johnson                  Cameron Smith
Sihwan Kim                    Brendan Steele
Brooks Koepka                Harold Varner III
Anirban Lahiri

The 17 is one short of how many LIV Golf players played in the Masters this past April.  Check out Shemon and Sheppard 2-6pm with PGA Professional Jeff Nixon in studio to break it all down.

Red Alert Yankees dugout !  One of my favorite radio segments on the Shemon and Sheppard Show on ESPN Southwest Florida is RED ALERT every Tuesday at 3:30ish! That's where we put people, teams or situations on BLAST because they deserve to be ripped. (I also like the missile launch sound effects that Chris plays from the other side of the glass!)

Common targets are prima danna athletes who are unaware of their social surroundings. It is our duty to point out their public deficiencies.

Other targets can be coaches who make bonehead decisions or team owners and general managers who drive their fans nuts. It is our job to set the world straight, at least during our ten minute segment.

Since we've been doing this segment for a while, I also enjoy how the texters like to add their nominations to the list.  Add your Red Alert via text at 239-337-ESPN.

Also, in case you are new to the show, RED ALERT blasts do NOT have to come from the world of sports. In fact, as of late, we like to close the segment by ALWAYS blasting Russian President Vladimir Putin just because. However, I should note that our show goes to painstaking lengths to avoid divisive politics at all costs.

Red Alert Yankees dugout for starters! You made the list!  Let's see who else did!

So let's dial it up! Enjoy this week's RED ALERT!

-Craig Shemon

ESPN Southwest Florida

Can't close anymore!

No, you will NOT be playing in the ECF vs the Celtics.

Not expecting much out of football analyst Matt Ryan this season.

Signed 5 star Mackenzie Mgbako last Friday.  Mike Woodson is a closer!

Vegas has the LIONS winning 12 games this season.  Look out!

What are you doing with your life?

For firing Monte Williams.

For blaming teammates.

Seemed suspicious when Aaron Judge took a peek at the dugout before launching a 462 foot homer.

Stop the war Jerk-Face.