T-OFF (ISSUE15) OCT - DEC 2019 | Page 38

PGA PGA 2019/20 season predictions A fter a very short break, the PGA Tour 2019-2020 is already underway. T-OFF wraps up the just concluded season which ended on 25 th August 2019 and reviews prospects for the top contenders in the new season which commenced on12th September 2019. The 2019-2020 season comprises of 49 events with a purse worth about $350 million. It has started one month earlier than the previous seasons to accommodate the changes introduced by the PGA Tour that will see the season-ending Tour Championship coming in August. Among the changes introduced in the new season, the PGA Tour has adjusted the number of players making the cut at a given event 38 Rory Mcilroy from the usual top 70 to 65 and ties. The tour has also implemented a new driver-testing protocol while the pace-of-play policy is also under review. All indications are it will be a battle for supremacy between Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy. The two are deservedly ranked first and second respectively after a bruising 2018-19 season. So who will prevail? Rory Mcilroy The just concluded season was no doubt one of the best for Rory McIlroy in a long time. Starting off the season ranked number eight McIlroy staged a comeback to clinch 2018/19 season honours after winning his second FedExCup. For achieving this rare feat, he joined Tiger Woods as the only two-time champions of the Tour’s season-long prize. He won three events on the tour- the Tour Championship, The Players and RBC Canadian Open to close the season ranked second on the WGR standings. During the season, McIlroy made 17 cuts in 19 starts with 14 top 10s. He also led the PGA Tour in scoring average. His nadir came when he inexplicably failed to make cut at the British Open in his hometown. McIlroy is greatly tipped to carry the momentum into the new season. Curiously, he hasn’t won a major championship since claiming his fourth in 2014. He is itching to grab a career grand slam after four failed attempts. Going by his rich vein of form, the Masters is well within his