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Here’s the lowdown on PGA Championship

Rory McIlroy reacts to a missed putt on the 14th green during a PGA Championship practice round at Aronimink Golf Club on Wednesday in Newtown Square, Pa. (AP photo)

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — The Philadelphia area gets its first major championship since the U.S. Open at Merion in 2013, and Aronimink has waited 64 years before getting another PGA Championship.

The 108th edition of the PGA Championship returns to Aronimink Golf Club, a course that only about one-fifth of the 156-man field knows. Aronimink previously held the 2018 BMW Championship (won by Keegan Bradley) and twice the AT&T National in 2010 (Justin Rose) and 2011 (Nick Watney).

Scottie Scheffler remains the betting favorite as the No. 1 player in the world, and Rory McIlroy is coming off another win at the Masters. But now they have company among players on top of their games.

Cameron Young and Matt Fitzpatrick each have won two individual tournaments in the last two months.

Here is a look at what you need to know leading up to the PGA Championship:

When does it start?

The PGA Championship starts today, and the chilly beginning to the week has given way to slightly warmer temperatures. Rain was in the forecast overnight until leaving early in the first round. Braden Shattuck, one of 20 club pros in the field who teaches golf at nearby Rolling Green, has been selected to hit the opening tee shot at 6:45 a.m. Eastern.

How can I watch?

This major will be carried by two networks — ESPN and CBS Sports, combined for 46 hours of live coverage from Aronimink.

The opening two rounds today and Friday will be on ESPN+ from the opening tee shot at 7 a.m. until noon, and then ESPN takes over until 7 p.m.

For the weekend, ESPN+ will get it started from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., followed by ESPN coverage from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CBS and streaming platform Paramount+ will go from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

How is Rory’s foot?

Better. McIlroy had to cut short his practice round to three holes on Tuesday because of a blister on his right pinky toe. McIlroy says he felt “soft” for having to walk off the course.

But he put some padding around his toe, and he went to a slightly wider and longer shoe to ease the discomfort.

Who’s playing?

The PGA Championship boasts the strongest field in golf, at least at the top. The 156-man field features 97 of the top 100 in the world ranking, led by Scheffler and McIlroy.

The PGA of America strives to get everyone from the top 100 through its special invitations. That appeared to be the case until Lucas Herbert won LIV Golf Virginia and moved to No. 89, and Shaun Norris was runner-up in the Catalunya Championship on the European tour and moved to No. 95. And then Jake Knapp (No. 39) withdrew with a thumb injury was replaced by Tom Hoge.

Tee times

Scheffler starts on No. 1 at 2:05 p.m. today, along with Fitzpatrick and Rose. McIlroy went early today at 8:40 a.m. along with Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm.

What’s at stake?

The winner gets the Wanamaker Trophy and a lifetime exemption to the PGA Championship, along with five-year exemptions to the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open.

For Spieth, there’s even more at stake. This will be his 10th attempt at completing the career Grand Slam by winning the PGA Championship. Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015, and the British Open in 2017. McIlroy completed the career slam at the Masters.

Last year

Scheffler won his first PGA Championship and third overall major at Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina. He lost a big lead on the front nine Sunday, then pulled away from Rahm and everyone else for a five-shot victory.

Scheffler has won all four of his majors by at least three shots.

Weather forecast

Aronimink might have caught a break. There was far more rain in the forecast when players began to arrive. Now the only rain was for Wednesday night into this morning, then mostly dry the rest of the way.

Aronimink history

This will be the second major at Aronimink, a Donald Ross course that opened in 1928. It recently went through a restoration by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner.

It hosted the 1962 PGA Championship won by Gary Player, and this will be the second major.

Aronimink was supposed to hold the 1993 PGA Championship. But after criticism of Shoal Creek in Alabama hosting the 1990 PGA while not having any Black members, the PGA of America required future sites to have a diverse membership. Aronimink had a seven-year waiting list for new members and said it would not be able to meet the criteria in time for 1993. The PGA Championship instead went to Inverness that year.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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