PGA Championship: Two debutants among SA golfers hoping to end 51-year drought since Player's win

On Thursday, the 105th PGA Championship gets under way at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, with four South Africans among 156 of the world's best golfers in Oklahoma at the second Major of the year.

American Justin Thomas will look to defend his title after he won at Southern Hills last year, while world No 1 John Rahm is in the hunt for back-to-back Majors after the Spaniard won at Augusta in April.

Lone South African winner

Since the tournament's inception in 1916, the only South African to win the Wanamaker Trophy is Gary Player, who won the tournament twice in 1962 and 1972.

Since then, 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen has come closest when he finished runner-up in 2017, then again in 2021.

Four-time Major champion Ernie Els finished third in 1995 and 2007, as did Branden Grace when Australia's Jason Day won at Whistling Straits in 2015.

The South African contingent:

In rather stark contrast to the record-breaking 11-man contingent in Tulsa in 2022, a South African foursome of Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Ockie Strydom, Thriston Lawrence and Dean Burmester will hope to end the 51-year drought at the PGA Championship.

Strydom and Lawrence will make their PGA Championship debuts.

Burmester, who won the team title at LIV Tulsa with the South African Stingers last weekend, and Lawrence were awarded invitations by the PGA of America for golfers who missed qualifying via PGA Championship points, which also takes into account their position on the world golf rankings and recent form.

Burmester will be the only South African LiV golfer among 16, including Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickleson and Brooks Koepka, in attendance this weekend. 

Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Age - 28

World ranking - 77

Best PGA Championship - T30 (2021)

Bez