Tiger Woods set for early charge with defending champion Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari at PGA Championship

Tiger Woods, coming off a Masters victory that snapped an 11-year major win drought, begins his quest for a 16th major title Thursday at the 101st PGA Championship. The 43-year-old American superstar’s electrifying triumph last month at Augusta National has made him the focus of attention at formidable Bethpage Black, the same course where Woods won the 2002 US Open. “I feel great. I’m excited to get out there,” Woods said. “This is going to be a long week the way the golf course is set up and potentially could play. This could be a hell of a championship.” [caption id=“attachment_4385289” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Tiger Woods. AP[/caption] A victory would match Woods with Sam Snead for the all-time US PGA win record at 82 and move him two shy of the all-time major win record of 18 set by Jack Nicklaus — as well as put Woods halfway to a calendar Grand Slam for the first time since 2002. Sixth-ranked Woods starts off the 10th tee alongside defending champion and two-time US Open winner Brooks Koepka and reigning British Open champion Francesco Molinari of Italy. “I’m just looking forward to playing with him. It’ll be interesting,” Koepka said of Woods. “We really haven’t been paired together too much, especially over the last couple years.” Koepka held off Woods to win last year’s PGA at Bellerive while Molinari denied Woods last year to win the Claret Jug at Carnoustie. “When I started I wasn’t even dreaming of playing against Tiger,” Molinari said. “I feel lucky enough to have played with him many times now in many important moments.” Finding the fairways will be crucial over the 7,549-yard, par-70 layout as sloping greens firm up from the rain. “In order to win this one, driving is going to be at the forefront,” Woods said. “You’ve got to hit it not only straight but you’ve got to hit it far.” Woods, nagged for years by back pain before 2017 spinal fusion surgery, has not played competitively since the Masters, making this only the sixth time in his career he has played back-to-back majors. He skipped a planned nine-hole practice round Wednesday for rest, having done a five-hour in-depth tour of the course last week and played nine holes early Monday. “There’s definitely going to be a component to stamina as the week goes on,” Woods said. “Four days over a tough championship that is mentally and physically taxing takes its toll. “I need to give myself the best chance to win the events I play in… Sometimes that can be taking a little bit more breaks here and there, making sure I’m able to give it my best.” Tiger eyes number one Woods could become world number one for the first time since March 2013 by winning. He would need top-ranked Dustin Johnson to finish worse than solo 11th and neither Koepka or world number two Justin Rose of England to finishing second alone. England’s Rose, third-ranked Koepka and fourth-ranked Rory McIlroy could all overtake Johnson with a victory. Taking a fifth Wanamaker Trophy would match Woods for the career PGA record with Nicklaus and Walter Hagen. Woods could become the first golfer since Nicklaus in 1975 to win the Masters and PGA Championship in the same year, although this marks the first time since 1949 the PGA will be played in May, moving from August in a revamp of the global golf schedule. No one has won the first two majors of a year since Jordan Spieth in 2015. Woods won the 2002 Masters and took the 2002 US Open at Bethpage.