PGA Championship: 10 to watch from Jon Rahm to Brooks Koepka to Mito Pereira

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — The second major of the year is upon us and the field is as stacked as ever.

The PGA Championship boasts the strongest field of the year, every year, and that will not change in 2023 with 99 of the top 100 in the Official World Golf Rankings expecting to tee it up at Oak Hill Country Club starting Thursday. Only Will Zalatoris is sitting this one out as he recovers from a back injury.

We have plenty of storylines from Jon Rahm attempting to parlay his Masters win into a second major of the year to 18 LIV golfers in the field to Jordan Spieth with another attempt at the career grand slam.

LIV Golf was ready to celebrate Brooks Koepka, but meltdown gives Masters title to Jon Rahm

Here is the list of LIV golfers who have qualified for the PGA Championship

Here are 10 golfers to watch.

Jason Day

Day is coming off his first win in five years, having taken home the trophy Sunday at the Byron Nelson. It's been a long journey back from injuries for the former world No. 1, but the Aussie has played well for most of this season with seven top 10s in his last 11 starts. Day, who is listed at 25-to-1 according to Vegasinsider, won the 2015 PGA Championship.

Dustin Johnson

Johnson hadn't been up to the form that allowed him to win LIV's inaugural individual championship. DJ had an unimpressive showing at the Masters, finishing tied for 48th at 8-over. But he's coming off his best weekend of the year having won the LIV event in Tulsa. The Jupiter resident and former No. 1 in the world (he currently is 82nd) is at 25-to-1 odds to win the PGA Championship.

Brooks Koepka

The two-time PGA Championship winner (2018, 2019) showed at the Masters he may be getting his majors mojo back after a long confidence-sapping rehab from knee surgery. The Palm Beach County native and Jupiter resident faded at Augusta after entering the final round with a two-shot lead and finished four strokes behind Rahm. Koepka, who joined LIV last summer, feels good about his game and has regained that confidence. At 18-to-1, he has the fifth-best odds of winning.

Rory McIlroy

It's been a rough two months for the No. 3-ranked player. McIlroy took a break after missing the cut at the Masters to work on his "mental and emotional well-being." Despite finishing 47th at the Wells Fargo Championship, his only start since the Masters, the Jupiter resident remains among the top three favorites, just behind Rahm and Scottie Scheffler. McIlroy is a four-time major championship winner, including the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championships,

Mito Pereira

Pereira, from Tequesta, returns after his meltdown on the final hole of the PGA Championship a year ago. He led by three shots entering Sunday and still had a one-shot lead standing on the 18th tee box. But he carded a double bogey, falling back to third as Thomas and Zalatoris went to a playoff. Pereira left the PGA Tour this year to join LIV Golf.

Jon Rahm

The co-favorite at 7.5-to-1 along with Scottie Scheffler, Rahm won the Masters last month and was runner-up at the Mexico Open just more than two weeks ago. The No. 1-ranked golfer in the world has four wins and eight top 10s in 12 starts this season on the PGA Tour. A victory at Oak Hill would leave the Spaniard one major (British Open) shy of the Grand Slam.

Xander Schauffele

Schauffele has gained 10 spots in the world rankings in the past 11 months, moving from No. 15 to No. 5. He has five consecutive top 10 finishes, including a T10 at the Masters. He has one runner-up and two fourths in his last four starts.

Scottie Scheffler

We have become used to Scheffler contending each week. He has not finished outside the top 12 since October, a span of 13 events. He won The Players, was in the top 10 at the Masters and is coming off a T5 at the Byron Nelson. Ranked No. 2, Scheffler has two top 10s in three PGA Championships but missed the cut last year.

Jordan Spieth

Speith is a constant on this list since the PGA Championship is all that separates him from the grand slam. Spieth has been attempting to become the sixth golfer to win the grand slam since 2017 when he won the British Open. The closest he's come is a tie for third in 2019.

Justin Thomas

The defending champion has not had a good year by his standards, slipping from No. 5 in the world last summer to as low as 15th this month. But he said Monday he felt good after finishing 14th at the Wells Fargo Championship more than a week ago. The Jupiter resident caught Pereira on the 72nd hole at Southern Hills last year and then won a playoff against Zalatoris to capture his second major.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 10 to watch at PGA Championship from Rahm to Koepka to Spieth