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US PGA Championship ante-post tip preview: Rory McIroy a worthy favourite at Oak Hill in May

Rory McIlroy in the third round at the 2022 Masters

The US PGA Championship might be a while a way, but it's not too soon for Tipstrr golf expert Brenadan Skilling to look ahead to where he thinks the best betting value will be at Oak Hill in May.

The second Major Championship of the year is now the USPGA Championship, having switched from its traditional spot at the end of August to the middle of May a couple of years ago. 

Justin Thomas defends his title here after lifting The Wanamaker Trophy for the second time at Southern Hills in Oklahoma last year.
This year's venue is Oak Hill, situated in Rochester in upstate New York. Undoubtedly one of the premier courses in the country, it has previously hosted both the US Open and the PGA, along with the senior and amateur versions, as well as the Ryder Cup.
It last held this event in 2013, when Jason Dufner held off Jim Furyk to win by 2 shots. The appearance of those two at the top of the leaderboard is worthy of note, as it suggests a course that looks favourably on shorter hitters and those who like to plot their way around the course.
However, the course has changed dramatically in the intervening decade following a seven-year restoration project, that includes two new holes, the removal of a number of trees and a pond, while the heavily contoured green complexes and shaved run off areas now more closely resemble the original vision of the architect Donald Ross.
While the PGA Tour includes a number of venues designed by Ross, finding a comparison to the unique Oak Hill is tricky, with possibly the TPC Potomac, where Max Homa won last year's Wells Fargo Championship, the most obvious candidate.
At around 7,400 yards, it will be a similar length to the other Major Championship venues, but with the likelihood of cool and damp conditions here it will play significantly longer, so distance from the tee will be a big factor, more so than at any of the other venues this year.
After passing on him for the Masters, I just can't ignore world number one Rory Mcilroy for this one, and although his current 12/1 price still seems pretty short, it is surprisingly a bigger price than the other three Majors.
The course set-up and conditions will suit him perfectly, his wife is from Rochester, and he's played round here many times. Outside of the British Isles, it's as close to a 'home' event as the Northern Irishman could hope for.

For an outside bet, we could do worse than having a look at Keegan Bradley, who enjoyed something of a renaissance in his career during 2022. He recorded a top 10 finish in last year's US Open, along with a runner-up finish at TPC Potomac, and at a 3-figure price, he could easily threaten the places in tougher scoring and weather conditions.

A strong contender from the middle of the market has to be Will Zalatoris, who has now finished inside the top eight in six of his eight Major starts, including a narrow playoff defeat to Justin Thomas in this tournament last year, and he seems destined to win one of these big titles at some point.

Brendan Skilling provides golf tips as 19th Hole on Tipstrr

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