Equipment
Golfers can get a free TaylorMade driver if Rory McIlroy wins the PGA Championship
Ezra Shaw
Tiger Woods is the Vegas front-runner for the 2019 PGA Championship, owning 8/1 odds for the year's second major. And thanks to his affinity with the New York crowds, Phil Mickelson will be fan favorite at Bethpage Black.
But to those contemplating a new driver purchase, Rory McIlroy just became a popular pick.
Dick's Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy and TaylorMade (McIlroy's club sponsor) are teaming up for a PGA Championship promotion. Customers that purchase a TaylorMade M5 or M6 through May 15 can get the club for free if McIlroy wins the Wanamaker Trophy.
These types of major promotions are not new; TaylorMade had a similar offer with Sergio Garcia at the 2009 Masters. Nevertheless, given the success of the Ulsterman this campaign—seven top 10s, including a Players victory, in nine starts, owning a tour-best 2.741 strokes-gained figure—coupled with McIlroy's status as a two-time PGA champ, it's an offer that boasts probable odds of coming to fruition. After Woods, McIlroy currently has the second-lowest figure in the field at 12/1.
As for his Bethpage prospects, McIlroy has played the course three times in tournament conditions: the 2009 U.S. Open and the 2012 and 2016 Barclays. The 29-year-old finished T-24 and T-31, respectively, at the FedEx Cup playoff event, while a final-round 68 gave McIlroy his first top-10 finish at a major in 2009.
McIlroy's last major victory came at the 2014 PGA Championship, but has eight top-10 finishes in golf's big four since his Valhalla triumph. The PGA Championship begins on May 16.