Post’s expert makes his PGA Championship picks

The Post’s Mark Cannizzaro makes his selections for the PGA Championship which begins on Thursday:

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy winning at Quail Hollow for a fifth time, first in a major, is too obvious to ignore, so I won’t.

Aside from his uncanny prowess at the course, his mind is completely freed up now that he’s finished the career Grand Slam.

The soaking rains that have softened up the course this week have made it an even better bet that he wins again.

Let the talk of a calendar Grand Slam begin.

Justin Thomas

Thomas won his first major championship, the 2017 PGA Championship, at Quail Hollow.

His game is also trending with a win at Hilton Head, a strong performance at last week’s Truist and two runner-up finishes this season.

He looks and sounds in a good place.

Bryson DeChambeau

He’s had the formula for the majors down of late, with a win at the U.S. Open last year, a T5 at the Masters last month and a T6 there last year and a T2 at the PGA Championship last year.

He, too, has been good at Quail Hollow for the Wells Fargo with a fourth place in 2018, and a T9 in 2021.

He ranks first in strokes-gained putting at Quail Hollow over his past 12 rounds on the course.

Scottie Scheffler

The longtime world No. 1, a seven-time winner last year, broke through with his first win of the year at the Byron Nelson and cannot be discounted this week.

One thing to watch, though: Scheffler, who doesn’t usually play the PGA Tour stop at Quail Hollow, is less familiar with the course than the other top contenders.

Joaquin Niemann

For all of his success on LIV Golf, winning three times already this year, the 26-year-old Chilean has not even posted a top 10 in a major in his career.

That could change this week on a big course that will require long and straight off the tee, which is a strength of his.

Niemann, too, is one of the best long-iron players in the world, which should help him big-time this week.