Steve Palmer's player-by-player guide to the US PGA Championship

Steve Palmer's player-by-player guide to the US PGA Championship, which starts at the Ocean Course, Kiawah Island on Thursday.

Byeong Hun An

The Florida-based Korean has been in dire form, missing five of his last six cuts and finishing 67th after the one he made. He has an abysmal Majors record and is impossible to fancy.

Abraham Ancer

A PGA Tour breakthrough continues to elude the Texas-born Mexican, but PGA Tour form figures of 26-18-5-2 from the Masters onwards show he has arrived at Kiawah Island with form and confidence. He has a good record on Pete Dye designs and a US PGA top-20 seems within his compass.

Daniel Balin

The 39-year-old club-pro qualifier missed the cut by six shots in the 2012 US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

Pete Ballo

The top 20 players in the 2021 PGA Professional Championship qualify for the US PGA - and most of them end up missing the cut. Ballo should pack plenty of balls in his bag.

Alex Beach

Another club-pro no-hoper cluttering the field. Beach may fire a few drives on to the beach at the Ocean Course.

Rich Beem

The 2002 US PGA champion tied for 36th in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah Island. At the age of 50, making the cut would be a great achievement.

Frank Bensel Jnr

The club-pro missed the cut by ten shots in the 2012 US PGA. Bensel may need a new pencil by the time he has finished scrawling big numbers on his scorecard this week.

Daniel Berger

The 28-year-old Floridian won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in the middle of February - his fourth Tour title - but rib problems have blighted him since. Third place in the AT&T Byron Nelson on Sunday was a timely return to form.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout

The South African turned 27 this week with three European Tour titles to his name and he is looking increasingly assured in Stateside competition. He missed the cut in his only previous US PGA, though, and the length of Kiawah Island is far from ideal for him.

Keegan Bradley

The 2011 US PGA champion tied for third in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. He has been in solid form, including finishing runner-up in the Valspar at the start of this month, so seems a dangerous outsider.

Dean Burmester

The South African slugger has arrived with European Tour form figures of 1-4-6, but this will be his fifth consecutive week of competition, so he could be running on empty after jetting over from the British Masters. The US Open is the only Major he has played in (56-MC).

Sam Burns

AT&T Byron Nelson glory seemed on the cards when Burns took a lead into the final round in Texas on Sunday, but he had to settle for second place behind K. H Lee. Burns won his maiden PGA Tour title in the Valspar Championship at the start of this month. He was 29th in his only previous US PGA (2019).

Patrick Cantlay

The Florida-based Californian has missed his last four cuts, a putter switch failing to arrest the decline, and a Major breakthrough seems unlikely. He was third in the 2019 US PGA, but in much better form in the lead-up to that event.

Paul Casey

The Surrey slugger played in the 2003 World Cup at Kiawah Island, alongside Justin Rose for England, and the pair finished second. But Casey missed the cut by 14 shots in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah, carding a Friday 85. Humdrum form from the WGC-Match Play onwards makes the Major maiden an unappealing option.

John Catlin

An invite for the American plodder was surprising. He has won three times on the European Tour, but never made a serious impact in his homeland, missing the cut by a shot in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week. Major debutant.

Cameron Champ

A share of 55th place was a disappointing warm-up spin in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week on a course which suited. He finished tenth in the US PGA last year, but has not shown enough recent form to become an attractive option for Kiawah.

Stewart Cink

The evergreen 47-year-old, Open champion in 2009, finished third in the 1999 US PGA and fourth in 2018. He missed the cut by two shots in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah Island. Victories in the 2020 Safeway Open and the Heritage last month have revived his career and the Alabama man will appeal to many as an each-way investment at a healthy price this week.

Wyndham Clark

Late replacement for Vijay Singh, who joined Tiger Woods as a former champion unfit enough to compete. Clark is powerful, with a tidy putting stroke, but he is a PGA Tour maiden and missed the cut in only previous Major, last year's US PGA.

George Coetzee

The porky Pretorian missed the cut by a shot in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah Island. The five-time European Tour champion finished seventh in the 2015 US PGA - his best effort in a Major - but the inconsistent and often erratic 34-year-old is difficult to trust.

Tyler Collet

Saturday-morning plans are likely to be how to correct Barbara's flimsy backswing and the restocking of Mars bars at John's Island Club, Florida, rather than competing for US PGA glory. Another club-pro teeing up with no hope of contending.

Corey Conners

The consistent Canadian, a rock-solid tee-to-green operator, has shown in the last two Masters (tenth and eighth) that he can compete at the highest level. The stiff long-game assignment of Kiawah makes the 2019 Texas Open champion well worth considering.

Ben Cook

The 25-year-old club pro from Michigan seems unlikely to cook up a storm at Kiawah. It seems a bogey sandwich is more likely to appear on the menu.

Joel Dahmen

A PGA Tour breakthrough at the age of 33 was a wonderful moment for the accurate Washington man in the Corales Puntacana Championship at the end of March. Tenth place in last year's US PGA was by far his best Majors effort. Kiawah is probably too long for him.

John Daly

Wild Thing, 1991 US PGA champion, tied for 18th at Kiawah in 2012. That was the last time he made the cut in a Major. The 55-year-old was diagnosed with bladder cancer last September, but has been making a strong recovery.

Cameron Davis

Talented 26-year-old Australian who won his national Open in 2017, then a Korn Ferry Tour event six months later. The sweet-swinging powerhouse has been threatening a PGA Tour breakthrough since. He finished 39th in the 2018 Open - his only previous Major.

Jason Day

The injury-plagued Aussie missed the cut by two shots in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. He missed the cut by a shot in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week. He has dropped comfortably outside the world's top 50.

Bryson DeChambeau

An AT&T Byron Nelson near his home city of Dallas on a course made for long drivers was the perfect opportunity for DeChambeau to stamp some authority on the PGA Tour before Kiawah Island. A tie for 55th was hugely disappointing. The US Open champion was fourth in last year's US PGA, but he has no experience of Kiawah and has been generally out of sorts since the Players Championship.

World number five Bryson DeChambeau is struggling to hit top formCredit: Getty Images

Thomas Detry

The Belgian bomber remains a European Tour maiden, lacking 72-hole consistency and composure in contention, so it is difficult to imagine him being a factor in a Stateside Major. He tied 49th in last year's US Open, his only previous Major.

Jason Dufner

The 2013 US PGA champion tied for 27th at Kiawah Island in 2012. The 44-year-old is winless since 2017 and has not bettered 58th place in the US PGA since lifting the Wanamaker Trophy. He drifted outside the world's top 400 earlier this month.

Harris English

Since winning the Sentry Tournament of Champions in the second week of January, English has been largely abysmal, but 21st place in the Masters and 13th in the Byron Nelson last week were encouraging efforts. He was 19th in last year's US PGA and fourth in the US Open. If his A-game has returned, he should be a serious threat.

Tony Finau

Golf's nearly-man has finished runner-up ten times since his lone victory in the 2016 Puerto Rico Open. Fourth place in last year's US PGA was another close-but-no-cigar moment for the likeable but flaky Utah man. Eight of his last 12 Majors have yielded a top-ten finish, so punters have every right to chase the place money with Finau.

Matthew Fitzpatrick

A missed cut by four shots in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week ended a consistent run of form for the Sheffield man, who won the DP World Tour Championship at the end of last year. He moves from Craig Ranch to an even longer course this week and lack of punch off the tee could be his undoing again. US PGA form figures of 49-MC-MC-41-MC are ugly.

Tommy Fleetwood

Southport's favourite son has lost form and some confidence at the age of 30 and is winless since the 2019 Nedbank Challenge. He has finished runner-up in both the US Open and the Open and is favoured by a stiff tee-to-green test, but US PGA form figures of MC-MC-61-35-48-29 are uninspiring.

Rickie Fowler

The orange-clad Californian missed the cut by a shot in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week and has slumped well outside the top 100 of the world rankings. He missed the cut by four shots in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah, but has controversially been handed a special invite for this week by the PGA of America.

Dylan Frittelli

John Deere Classic glory in 2019 showed Frittelli could be a force Stateside as well as on the European Tour. The South African has added significant driving distance to his game and fifth place in last year's Masters was his best Major result by a long way. A poor 2021 campaign suggests making the weekend should be his target this week.

Sergio Garcia

The Spaniard missed the cut by a shot in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. He missed the cut by two shots in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week, his third consecutive PGA Tour missed cut. Since winning the 2017 Masters, he has missed the cut in ten of his 14 Majors, with no top-20s.

Brian Gay

The veteran plodder has a mountain to climb at 7,876-yard Kiawah and the mission seems likely to break him. Six of his last seven events have resulted in a missed cut.

Mark Geddes

Club pro from Coronado, California. The golfing gods are unlikely to gift Geddes weekend employment at Kiawah Island.

Talor Gooch

The 29-year-old Oklahoman won on the Web.com Tour in 2017, but remains a PGA Tour maiden. Major form figures of 66-MC.

Branden Grace

Puerto Rico Open glory revived Grace's career in February and the South African has become a Majors threat again. Both his PGA Tour victories have come at coastal tracks - one on a Pete Dye course and the other on paspalum grass - and he has contended in Stateside Majors, finishing fourth and fifth in the US Open and third and fourth in the US PGA. He missed the cut by three shots in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah, but that was his tournament debut. He is gritty and dangerous.

Lanto Griffin

The 2019 Houston Open champion has missed the cut in three of his five previous Majors, with a best finish of 19th in last year's US PGA. A humdrum 2021 campaign is unlikely to be luring many punters for Kiawah.

Emiliano Grillo

Underachieving has become an artform for the 28-year-old Argentinian, who is winless since the 2015 Frys.com Open. Despite a technically excellent swing and consistent ball-striking, he is without a Major top-ten in 17 starts.

Larkin Gross

The first and hopefully last player to appear in a US PGA field list sporting a neckerchief for his profile picture. The larking around seems likely to end for the Virginia-based club pro after the cut is made on Friday night.

Adam Hadwin

The Canadian has won only one PGA Tour title - the 2017 Valspar Championship - and has been particularly quiet since becoming a father at the start of last year. He slipped outside the world's top 100 at the start of this month.

Brian Harman

The diminutive left-hander was up with the pace in the Masters for a long way last month, before finishing 12th. He has finished in the top-20 in his last five PGA Tour starts. The length of Kiawah is not ideal for the little Georgian, but he was runner-up in the 2017 US Open at another enormous course (Erin Hills)

Padraig Harrington

Course experience makes the Dubliner an interesting runner. He played in the 1997 World Cup at Kiawah, alongside Paul McGinley for Ireland, and they won the tournament. They teamed up again in the 2003 World Cup at Kiawah and finished tied for fifth place. Harrington tied for 18th in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. But he missed the cut by three shots in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week and his last Stateside top-20 finish was almost exactly two years ago.

Tyrrell Hatton

The English firebrand notched a Masters personal-best last month (18th place), bouncing back from missing the cut in all three of the 2020 Majors. US PGA form figures of 25-10-MC-10-48-MC are uncompelling and he has struggled to find top gear since winning in Abu Dhabi at the end of January.

Tyrrell Hatton has plenty to prove in Majors and makes limited appealCredit: Mike Ehrmann

Russell Henley

The South Carolina-based 32-year-old should scrap his way to the weekend close to home, but he is winless on the PGA Tour since April, 2017, and has never posted a top-ten in his 25 previous Majors.

Lucas Herbert

The Australian youngster won last year's Dubai Desert Classic, but he has never made an impact Stateside and never bettered 31st place in a Major.

Jim Herman

Veteran plodder with three PGA Tour titles to his name, most recently last year's Wyndham Championship. He has never bettered 43rd place in a Major and abysmal 2021 form suggests that PB will not be threatened.

Garrick Higgo

An incredible 68-under-par burst of scoring through the Canary Islands Swing of the European Tour saw the South African win two of the three events and finish eighth in the other. The hot streak propelled the 22-year-old to the brink of the world's top 50 and the left-hander appears to have a wonderful future. A Major debut on a tough course this week, though, means making the cut would be a commendable result.

Harry Higgs

The PGA Tour maiden missed the cut by a shot in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week. The 29-year-old Major debutant is an unappealing option.

Charley Hoffman

The 44-year-old missed the cut by seven shots in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah and he has posted only two top-tens in 33 Majors. But bright recent form, including second place in the Texas Open, suggests The Hoff will qualify for the weekend this time.

Tom Hoge

The North Carolina-born 31-year-old missed the cut by five shots in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week - his third consecutive PGA Tour weekend off. Major form figures of MC-MC-43-58 are unattractive.

Rasmus Hojgaard

Danish dude with two European Tour titles to his name at the age of 20. He has been hopping over the Atlantic lately missing cuts - in the Zurich Classic, Valspar Championship and British Masters - and he missed the cut in his only previous Major. Probably a week to learn rather than contend.

Derek Holmes

Twitter bio says 'Golf Professional not a Professional Golfer', which means the humble club pro happily admits he is no Tiger Woods. Holmes holed a giant par putt on the 18th hole to qualify on the mark in the PGA Professional Championship, then exclaimed "Holy cow!". He is clearly a character, but unlikely to be enriching our US PGA lives after Friday night.

Max Homa

The 30-year-old Californian has won twice on the PGA Tour - the 2019 Wells Fargo and the 2021 Genesis Invitational - and matured into a quality player. But his Majors record - five missed cuts from six starts with a best finish of 64th - is terrible.

Billy Horschel

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play glory at the end of March had Horschel detailing afterwards his lofty ambitions for multiple Major victories. Self-confidence is clearly not lacking. The 34-year-old has only one top-ten finish from 29 Major starts, but he has won three PGA Tour events on Pete Dye-designed courses.

Sam Horsfield

The Florida-based Englishman missed the cut on the mark in the Valspar Championship, then jetted over to Warwickshire for the British Masters last week, making the cut without seriously contending. He has missed the cut in his three previous Majors and may yet lack enough experience to handle the Kiawah assignment, particularly with jet-lag in his system.

Rikuya Hoshino

The four-time Japan Tour champion turned 25 last week. He missed the cut in his only previous Major - the 2018 US Open. Has been hovering around 100th in the world rankings for two years.

Viktor Hovland

The brilliant Norwegian youngster has quickly established himself as one of the best ball-strikers in the sport. Both of his PGA Tour victories have come at paspalum grass venues, so he appears well suited to the Kiawah Island terrain. His Majors form figures are impressive - 32-12-33-13-21 - and he was an amateur for the first two. A Major breakthrough at the age of 23 on Sunday appears entirely feasible.

Rising Norwegian star Viktor Hovland may be the man they all have to beatCredit: Stacy Revere

Mackenzie Hughes

Short-game magic is how the Canadian has forged a successful PGA Tour career, but his ball-striking is average, resulting in five missed cuts from seven Major starts and a best finish of 40th.

Sungjae Im

The Korean was expected to kick on to superstardom after an amazing Presidents Cup debut was followed by a PGA Tour maiden title and a tie for second place in the Masters last November, but he has struggled for 72-hole consistency. The 23-year-old has US PGA form figures of 42-MC-MC and he missed the cut at Quail Hollow last time out.

Jazz Janewattananond

The Thai has shown a bit of form in low-grade European Tour action on his two most recent starts, but has struggled in quality fields. He was 14th in the 2019 US PGA, but has missed the cut in four of his six Majors.

Dustin Johnson

The world number one withdrew from the AT&T Byron Nelson last Monday, complaining of knee pain, and the last few months have not gone to plan. He won the Saudi International in the second week of February, but has been generally poor since, finishing 48th in the Valspar Championship last time out. He was also 48th in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah Island

Zach Johnson

The dual Major champion was 70th in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah Island and his hopes of completing a Majors hat-trick on Sunday appear remote. He is winless since the 2015 Open and has not posted a US PGA top-ten since 2013.

Matt Jones

An incredible performance in the Honda Classic two months ago saw a five-shot victory for the Aussie, his second PGA Tour title. The 41-year-old has a poor Majors record, though, with nine missed cuts from 17 starts and zero top-20s.

Takumi Kanaya

Prodigy and former world number one amateur. The 22-year-old Hiroshima boy won on the Japan Tour when still an amateur and has followed up with two more titles as a pro. His Majors results (58-MC-MC) were as an amateur - this is his first as a pro. Kanaya is massively talented, but hugely inexperienced.

Martin Kaymer

The German missed the cut by eight shots in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. Given he was 21st in the world rankings at the time, had won the 2010 US PGA and went on to win the 2014 US Open, that emphatic Kiawah failure suggests a dislike for the course. The modern Kaymer is winless for almost seven years and has missed his last two US PGA cuts.

Chan Kim

The 31-year-old Korean-born American has won five times on the Japan Tour - and has been in great form on that circuit in recent weeks - but he has missed the cut in five of his six Majors and should be outclassed in South Carolina.

Si Woo Kim

Dallas-based Korean, who enjoyed a home game in the Byron Nelson last week, failing to take advantage of the opportunity. A tie for 55th spot followed 33rd in the Heritage, another assignment which suited him, so confidence has been dented in the US PGA build-up. His 17 previous Majors have yielded no top-tens.

Chris Kirk

Recovering from alcoholism has been Kirk's main achievement over the last few years. He is winless since 2015, but sobriety has triggered an upturn in form and he was second in the Sony Open in January, the first of four top-tens this year. Sixteen previous Majors have yielded zero top-tens.

Kevin Kisner

The South Carolina-born 37-year-old has posted four top-20s in his six US PGA appearances, but the length of Kiawah makes it a slog for him. Abysmal spring form does not bode well for success either.

Kurt Kitayama

The big-hitting Californian started the year strongly on the European Tour, but has missed three of his last four cuts. The two-time European Tour champion has unattractive Major form figures of 64-MC-51-MC and is yet to make a serious impact on the PGA Tour.

Greg Koch

A playoff birdie in the PGA Professional Championship earned Koch a US PGA place. The Orlando-based club pro seems likely to be heading back to Mickey Mouse country on Saturday morning.

Brooks Koepka

The four-time Major champion has been struggling with a knee injury and looked uncomfortable on his way to missing the cut by three shots in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week. The 2018 and 2019 US PGA champion does not seem fit enough to do himself justice at the moment and missed the cut by two shots in the Masters last month.

Jason Kokrak

Victory finally arrived for Kokrak in his 233rd PGA Tour event - course knowledge helping him to CJ Cup glory at Shadow Creek last October. The 35-year-old has played well this year, notching three top-tens, but he has never bettered 17th place in his 15 Major starts.

Matt Kuchar

The veteran plodder missed the cut by four shots in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. He faded from the leaderboard in the final round of the Byron Nelson on Sunday and is winless on the PGA Tour since the 2019 Sony Open. Major maiden.

Rob Labritz

The veteran, who turns 50 later this month, has qualified for an eighth US PGA. He has twice made the cut, with a best finish of 60th.

Martin Laird

The 38-year-old Scot, a big-hitter who has won four times on the PGA Tour, has a shocking Majors record. He has missed 13 cuts in 22 starts, with a best finish of 20th (2011 Masters). A dismal 2021 suggests merely making the cut should be his target.

K.H Lee

Kyoung-hoon made his PGA Tour breakthrough on Sunday - winning the AT&T Byron Nelson and securing a last-gasp US PGA berth as a result. He has penetrated the top 100 of the world rankings for the first time. He failed to make the cut in his two previous Majors, but is obviously carrying much more self-belief for his third go.

Marc Leishman

Australian ace, tied for 27th in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah, and warmed up nicely with 21st place in the Byron Nelson last week. That effort followed fifth spot in the Masters and victory alongside Cameron Smith in the Zurich Classic pairs event (on a Pete Dye course). The Masters and the Open are typically the Majors in which Leishman excels - and he has missed his last two US PGA cuts - but he is playing well enough to have a decent week this time.

In-form Australian Marc Leishman is capable of playing a part in the finishCredit: Scott Barbour

Tom Lewis

The 30-year-old Englishman has won twice on the European Tour, once on the Challenge Tour and once on the Korn Ferry Tour, but five starts in Stateside Majors have resulted in five missed cuts. Humdrum 2021 form makes him easy to ignore.

Adam Long

The Florida-based 33-year-old plodder has solid form figures of 41-51-13 from his last three Majors, but he has missed his last five PGA Tour cuts, and nine of his last ten. The 2019 Desert Classic remains his only PGA Tour victory.

Shane Lowry

Coronavirus has meant Lowry has enjoyed two years as the Open champion, but he is yet to win any tournaments while in possession of the Claret Jug. Second place in the Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour at the start of last year is the closest he has come. A mediocre US PGA record and humdrum recent form makes it difficult to fancy the Irishman.

Robert MacIntyre

The Scottish left-hander won the Cyprus Showdown last year - a quirky event in which scores are reset after rounds two and three - but he is yet to triumph over 72 holes of standard strokeplay. He has made the cut in all four previous Major appearances, with respectable form figures of 6-66-56-12.

Peter Malnati

Putting magic has allowed Malnati to forge a successful PGA Tour career - he is often deadly on the greens - and he won the 2015 Sanderson Farms Championship. The 33-year-old has played in only one previous Major, missing the cut in the 2016 US PGA. Weak ball-striking and dismal form makes the Indiana man easy to dismiss.

Brad Marek

Club pro from Illinois. The tallest qualifier - he is six foot, five inches - but he probably won't have many names below him on the leaderboard come Friday night.

Hideki Matsuyama

Masters glory was a triumph for Japan - he became his country's first Major champion and has been treated like a king ever since. In his first appearance since claiming the Green Jacket, he finished 39th in the Byron Nelson last week. He has never finished worse than 37th in his eight US PGA appearances, finishing fourth in 2016 and fifth in 2017. With confidence sky-high, the Augusta hero has to be shortlisted.

Denny McCarthy

Like Malnati, McCarthy typically makes up for inconsistent ball-striking with a red-hot putter. He won the Web.com Tour Championship in 2018, but is yet to make a PGA Tour breakthrough. Third place in the Honda Classic two months ago was his best effort to date. Major form figures of 42-MC-58. Unappealing option.

Rory McIlroy

The four-time Major champion won the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah Island by eight shots. He ended an 18-month victory drought in the Wells Fargo Championship last time out, putting superbly. He recruited a new coach - Pete Cowen - in the lead-up to the Masters. McIlroy has twice won the US PGA and can boast six top-tens in the event. The swagger returned at Quail Hollow the week before last and he is clear favourite.

Maverick McNealy

The Californian youngster is full of talent and usually potent on the greens, but he has flopped badly at the toughest courses this year, and Kiawah is probably too difficult for him at this stage of his career. His three previous Majors have resulted in three missed cuts.

Shaun Micheel

The 2003 US PGA champion is 52 and just making up the numbers. He missed the cut by five shots in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah.

Phil Mickelson

Phil The Thrill admits he struggles for concentration at the age of 50 and he has been downbeat since finishing 21st at the Masters. He won the US PGA in 2005 and has twice finished runner-up. He tied for 36th in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. Lefty's last four US PGA starts have been horrific (MC-MC-71-71).

Francesco Molinari

The California-based Italian has lost his form after a bright start to the year and arrives with form figures of MC-MC-52-MC. The 2018 Open champion has drifted well outside the world's top 100. He has made the cut in all 11 of his US PGA appearances, finishing tied second in 2017, but that streak could come under pressure on Friday.

Collin Morikawa

The defending champion has four PGA Tour titles to his name at the age of 24 and is widely regarded as the best iron-player in the sport. He won on his US PGA debut last year. He switched to a 'saw' putting grip in February and won the WGC at The Concession. The Californian has an obvious chance, but he is inconsistent on and around the greens.

Collin Morikawa holds obvious claims in his US PGA Championship title defenceCredit: Getty Images

Sebastian Munoz

Colombian 28-year-old, who won the 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship, beating Sungjae Im in a playoff. Munoz missed the cut on his US PGA debut last year. Half of his six Major appearances have ended on the Friday night and this could go the same way.

Kevin Na

The Korean-born Californian withdrew with a shoulder injury when nine over par through 13 holes of round two in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. He has missed the cut in six of his last eight US PGA appearances and it is difficult to imagine him contending this weekend.

Joaquin Niemann

The 22-year-old Chilean, who made his PGA Tour breakthrough in 2019, finished second in his first two events of this year. He is enjoying a solid season, but US PGA form figures of 71-MC-MC are ugly. The former world number one amateur may not quite be ready for a Major breakthrough.

Alex Noren

The Swede contended in last week's AT&T Byron Nelson to provide a pre-PGA confidence boost. He tied for 66th in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah Island. Eight US PGA appearances have yielded no top-20 finishes.

Louis Oosthuizen

The 2010 Open champion tied for 21st in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. He has finished second in every Stateside Major, but the South African is yet to win anything in the States. He lost a playoff in the Zurich Classic pairs event, alongside Charl Schwartzel, at the end of last month. Eighth place in the Valspar last time out was a tidy warm-up and Oosthuizen is one of the most attractive outsiders this week.

Carlos Ortiz

The swashbuckling Mexican, who won the Houston Open for a PGA Tour breakthrough in November, finished 21st in the Byron Nelson on Sunday. His Majors record - three missed cuts and a share of 52nd - is off-putting.

Ryan Palmer

Amiable Texan veteran, who missed the cut by seven shots in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. Ten months of solid form has ensconced him in the top 50 of the world rankings. His best Major finish (31 starts) was fifth place in the 2014 US PGA.

Tim Pearce

The humble Michigan club pro squeezed through the qualifier to book a US PGA debut. Tim Peake faced a tough task getting to space, but Tim Pearce faces a tougher task winning the US PGA.

Victor Perez

French greens-in-regulation machine who struggles on and around the dancefloors. He won the Dunhill Links at the end of 2019 and has followed up with three runner-up spots on the European Tour. Fourth place in the WGC-Match Play in March showed he could perform Stateside. JP Fitzgerald, caddie for McIlroy when he won at Kiawah in 2012, is bagman for Perez. They combined for 22nd place in last year's US PGA and could go well again.

Thomas Pieters

The underachieving Belgian missed the cut by a shot in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week, breaking a streak of four consecutive top-15 finishes. The four-time European Tour champion and former Ryder Cup star finished fourth in the 2017 Masters and sixth in the 2018 US PGA. There are certainly worse outsiders than this talented, mercurial 29-year-old.

Ben Polland

Assistant Golf Professional at a club in Wyoming. The Gareth Keenan of the US PGA is unlikely to be on our television screens come Sunday evening.

JT Poston

The North Carolina-born 27-year-old won the 2019 Wyndham Championship. He is an exceptional putter, but his ball-striking is weak, underlined by Major results of MC-60-MC-75-MC.

Ian Poulter

The old Ryder Cup warhorse tied for third in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah Island, but the 45-year-old has not posted a Majors top-ten since the 2015 Masters and has slipped well outside the world's top 50.

Patrick Rada

PGA Tour debut for the 33-year-old, who will be competing in his home state. His daughter was born the day after he qualified at the PGA Professional Championship. He has some previous Kiawah Island experience from his college days, but will not be on the US PGA radar of many punters.

Jon Rahm

Fatherhood does not appear to have cooled the jets of the fiery Spaniard, who has produced two angry and unconvincing performances in the Wells Fargo Championship (missed cut) and the Byron Nelson (tied for 34th). US PGA form of 58-4-MC-13. The 26-year-old Major maiden can be swerved at short odds.

Jon Rahm has not lived up to his heavyweight tag in recent weeksCredit: Gregory Shamus

Aaron Rai

The accurate Wolverhampton man has not competed since the Kenya Savannah Classic at the end of March. The two-time European Tour champion has played in only one previous Major, missing the cut in the 2017 US Open.

Chez Reavie

The 39-year-old plodder tied for 62nd in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. He has missed his last five PGA Tour cuts and dropped outside the world's top 100.

Patrick Reed

The 30-year-old Texan has become a regular on Majors leaderboards, a streak started with second place in the 2017 US PGA. He won the 2018 Masters, then finished fourth in the US Open, and his last five Major starts have yielded form figures of 10-10-13-13-8. He won at Torrey Pines at the end of January and finished sixth at Quail Hollow last time out. Serious runner.

Justin Rose

The 2013 US Open champion played in the 2003 World Cup at Kiawah Island, alongside Paul Casey for England, and the pair finished second. Rose then tied for third in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah, so has strong course credentials. He has finished in the top ten four times in the US PGA and seventh place in the Masters a month ago suggests the 40-year-old could be a threat at Kiawah again.

Antoine Rozner

The Frenchman missed the cut by a shot in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week. He has won twice on the European Tour, but lacks Stateside experience and is making his Major debut.

Kalle Samooja

The Finn, a 33-year-old European Tour maiden, is making his Major debut this week after contending a few times on his home circuit this season. He is making an enormous upgrade and seems likely to miss the cut.

Xander Schauffele

The Californian has become a PGA Tour nearly-man. Formerly rock-solid in contention, he is winless since January, 2019, finishing runner-up eight times since then. The 27-year-old has a superb record in Majors, with 11 top-20s in 15 starts, including four top-threes. Getting over the line in front, though, has become a significant psychological hurdle.

Scottie Scheffler

PGA Tour maiden who blew a golden chance in his home state last week, spluttering to 47th place in the Byron Nelson. He was runner-up in the WGC-Match Play at the end of March. The 24-year-old finished fourth on his US PGA debut last year. His ball-striking ability may put him in the mix this week, but his fragile short-game and lack of winning experience may keep the Wanamaker Trophy from his clutches.

Charl Schwartzel

The 2011 Masters champion tied for 59th in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. The South African has been creeping back into form and finished third in the Byron Nelson on Sunday, so could go well at a healthy price.

Adam Scott

The Australian, 2013 Masters champion, is seeking a second Major title at the age of 40. He tied for 11th in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah and has six top-tens to his name in the tournament. Another decent performance can be expected, but Scott is difficult to trust with putter in hand.

Jason Scrivener

South African-born Australian making US PGA debut. He missed the cut in the 2018 US Open, his only previous Major, and will probably struggle to make the Kiawah weekend.

Webb Simpson

The 2012 US Open champion missed the cut by a shot in the US PGA that year at Kiawah. Ten US PGA starts have failed to yield a top-ten finish. The North Carolina man has developed into one of the most consistent operators on the Tour, but Kiawah is a long slog for such a short driver.

Sonny Skinner

The 60-year-old club pro is making his fourth US PGA start, having missed the cut in his first three attempts. He would certainly be a skinner for bookmakers were he to lift the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday.

Cameron Smith

Zurich Classic glory for a second time was the latest achievement of an Aussie who has entered the elite. Smith has won that event with two different partners, as well as the 2020 Sony Open as an individual. He has shown he can handle Majors too, with fourth place in the 2015 US Open and form figures of 5-51-2-10 from his last four Masters starts. He is yet to make an impact in the US PGA, but that could easily change this week.

Stuart L. Smith

A 59-year-old Californian club pro. He played in the 2019 Safeway Open and missed the cut. He has played six times on the PGA Tour and never made a cut.

Jordan Spieth

A US PGA Championship triumph is all Golden Boy needs to complete a career Grand Slam of Majors. A bout of Covid after the Masters was badly timed, but he has made a full recovery and finished ninth in the Byron Nelson on Sunday. He won the Texas Open at the start of last month and was third in the Masters. The former world number one, second in the 2015 US PGA and third in 2019, must be hugely respected.

Jordan Spieth needs the US PGA to complete a career Grand Slam of MajorsCredit: Michael Reaves

Brendan Steele

Big-hitting Californian with three PGA Tour titles. His 18 Major appearances have failed to yield a top-ten finish. He has not missed a cut this year though (ten events) and has been playing well enough to come under consideration.

Henrik Stenson

Form is temporary, class is permanent, but Stenson fans must be worried about how badly he has played since winning the Hero World Challenge at the end of 2019. The Swede has missed 13 cuts since the Hero, including six of his last eight, with no top-20 finishes. A 45-year-old in crisis.

Brandon Stone

The South African won a Challenge Tour event in his homeland at the end of last month, following some bright efforts on the European Tour. A tie for 12th in the 2018 US PGA is by far his best result in his nine Major starts. Probably not quite ready to make the step up to serious Major contender.

Robert Streb

RSM Classic glory came out of the blue for Streb at the end of November, but he has missed seven cuts since and remains outside the world's top 100. A solid US PGA record (10-7-22 from three starts) and a massive price may be enough to attract some punters.

Kevin Streelman

The 42-year-old Illinois man has won twice on the PGA Tour, but not since 2014. Still waiting for a Major top-ten finish despite 25 starts. The rot is unlikely to stop on a long course like Kiawah Island.

Steve Stricker

America's Ryder Cup captain still has plenty of ability at the age of 54, especially with putter in hand, but he has not won on the PGA Tour since 2012 and has missed his last two US PGA cuts. He tied for seventh in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah.

Andy Sullivan

The chirpy Midlander contended in the British Masters last week, before finishing sixth. He has won on the European Tour four times, but has never made a serious impact Stateside. Eight missed cuts from 14 Major starts, including three from four in the US PGA.

Joe Summerhays

Utah club pro came through the PGA Professional Championship at the age of 49. He missed the cut in his last US PGA appearance in 2016.

Hudson Swafford

The 33-year-old Floridian missed the cut by four shots in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week and victory in the 2020 Corales Puntacana Championship has proved a false dawn, with 13 missed cuts following and only one top-20 finish. He has never made a cut in his five previous Majors.

Justin Thomas

The 2017 US PGA champion has been going from the sublime to the ridiculous lately, bursts of incredible scoring followed by a destructive drive or a succession of three-putts. He won the Players Championship in March with a magnificent ball-striking display on a Pete Dye track, but has failed to finish in the top ten in his four subsequent outings. An obvious contender, but lacking confidence with putter in hand.

Brendon Todd

Powder-puff driver who will find Kiawah a slog. The Pittsburgh man's 12 previous Majors failed to yield a top-ten finish. This gifted putter may scrap through to the weekend, but seems unlikely to contend.

Cameron Tringale

The 33-year-old PGA Tour maiden was 72nd in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah Island - last of the weekend qualifiers at 18 over par. He has never bettered 38th place in a Major. Bright form this year suggests he can claim a Major PB this week.

Omar Uresti

Controversy always surrounds Uresti's yearly entry in the PGA Professional Championship, as he has played Tour golf since 1992, winning on the Sunshine Tour, the Nationwide Tour and the Canadian Tour. He won the PGA Pro Championship for a second time at the end of last month. His four previous US PGAs yielded three missed cuts and a tie for 73rd place.

Sami Valimaki

Cocksure Finn became 2020 European Tour Rookie of the Year, winning the Oman Open and finishing fifth in the DP World Tour Championship, but his 2021 campaign has been lacklustre. He missed the cut in his only previous Major.

Erik van Rooyen

The South African missed the cut by five shots in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week, his third consecutive weekend off. His Majors record is decent, with eighth place in the 2019 US PGA the highlight, but his swing appears to have malfunctioned at an inopportune time.

Danie van Tonder - Victory in the Kenya Savannah Classic at the end of March secured Van Tonder a European Tour card and he is making his Major debut this week at the age of 30. It is difficult to get excited about his chances of success.

Harold Varner

The 30-year-old Ohio man, a PGA Tour maiden, has missed the cut in three of his six previous Majors, with a best finish of 29th in the 2020 US PGA, and he missed the cut at Quail Hollow last time out.

Brett Walker

One of the 'Team of 20' who came through the PGA Professional Championship - a group of rags who essentially reduce the US PGA field to 136.

Jimmy Walker

The 2016 US PGA champion has failed to add to his trophy collection since that Baltusrol success. He tied for 21st in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. A missed cut by a shot in the AT&T Byron Nelson last week was his eighth missed cut of the year.

Matt Wallace

The four-time European Tour champion is winless since September, 2018, but he has been swinging well in recent weeks, finishing third in the Texas Open and sixth in the Wells Fargo Championship. Third place in the 2019 US PGA is his best Major result. The 31-year-old is good enough to make an impact, but lifting the Wanamaker Trophy would be an astonishing way to end a long victory drought.

Bubba Watson

The quirky left-hander tied for 11th in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. Respectable recent form makes the dual Masters champion worthy of outright consideration, especially when you consider he is a Pete Dye specialist. He has won five PGA Tour events on Dye designs, as well as losing a US PGA playoff on one in 2010.

This course should play to the strengths of American Bubba WatsonCredit: Sam Greenwood

Richy Werenski

The 29-year-old Massachusetts man made his PGA Tour breakthrough in the Barracuda Championship last season, but he has missed nine cuts since, including four of his last five. He has missed the cut in all four previous Major appearances.

Lee Westwood

The experienced Englishman missed the cut by two shots in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. His last US PGA top-ten came in 2011. He has finished runner-up in three prestigious events from December onwards - the DP World Tour Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship - but his form has tailed off since Sawgrass.

Bernd Wiesberger

The Austrian missed the cut by a shot in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah, which was his Major debut. A tie for 34th place in the British Masters last week was a lacklustre return to action and he is without a top-30 finish from February onwards. The 35-year-old has never posted a top-ten finish in his 25 Major starts.

Danny Willett

The 2016 Masters champion has never bettered 30th place in his nine US PGA appearances. Having missed three of his last five cuts, jetting from hosting the British Masters to South Carolina, it seems unlikely he will suddenly become a US PGA contender.

Aaron Wise

The 2018 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year has failed to kick on and is winless for three years. He has made the cut in his last four Majors, though, and three promising performances this season - second place in the Mayakoba Classic, 13th in the Honda Classic and ninth in the Wells Fargo - make this great talent a lively outsider.

Gary Woodland

Injury problems blighted the Kansas man for months, but he has got himself fit and followed sixth place in the Texas Open with fifth in the Wells Fargo Championship. He tied for 42nd in the 2012 US PGA at Kiawah. The 2019 US Open champion seems dangerous.

Y.E Yang

The 2009 US PGA champion - the famous Tiger Killer - is 49-years-old and has missed the cut in seven of his ten US PGAs since lifting the Wanamaker Trophy. He is outside the top 600 of the world rankings.

Will Zalatoris

Augusta a month ago showcased the ball-striking ability of Zalatoris - he finished runner-up on his Masters debut - and 17th place in the Byron Nelson last week was a tidy warm-up for his US PGA debut. He was sixth in the US Open last year. Serious runner.

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