Storylines to follow for the 2018 PGA Championship

For the third time, B ellerive, located in suburban St. Louis, will play host to a major. Opened in 1897 and relocated to its current spot in 1960, the club hosted its first major five years later when Gary Player won the 1965 U.S. Open. In 1992, Nick Price won his first major with Bellerive host to the PGA Championship. The U.S. Senior Open (2004) and Senior PGA Championship (2013) also were held at Bellerive.

Bellerive has the honor of playing host to the 100th PGA Championship. The tournament began in 1916 but was not played in 1917-18 because of World War I and 1943 due to World War II. The event started as a match play competition, and that format remained until it was switched to stroke play in 1958. Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus share the record for most PGA Championship victories with five.

Major change is on the horizon for this major, with 2018 the final year the PGA Championship will be the last scheduled major of the season. In 2019, the tournament will be held in May, following the Masters. The move was made in part due to golf's involvement in the Olympics. Reaction to the decision has been relatively positive.

It's been some time since Bellerive has been the site of a major, but it expects to be ready for the challenge. So, too, should the competitors. The heavily tree-lined course will play at 7,316 yards with par at 70. Those in the field must do all they can to avoid Bellerive's strategically placed bunkers, some of the deepest found anywhere in the world. Since Price won the PGA here in '92 at 6-under, only three winners have finished with a number lower to par at the event.

At 213 yards, the sixth hole doesn't seem too daunting distance-wise for a par-3. Throw in the two bunkers and a pond that guards the hole, and the difficulty factor increases. In 1965, the sixth proved to be the hardest hole at the U.S. Open with a 4.03 stroke average. The pin locations should add to the fun.

The PGA Championship is the tournament of professionals — the association's crowning jewel. It's also special for those non-touring pros who get the chance to rub shoulders with some of the world's best. The low 20 scores from this year's PGA Professional Championship will be part of the field. Ryan Vermeer, director of instruction at Happy Hollow Club in Omaha, Neb., fought his way to a two-shot victory in the 2018 club pro event.

The results of the PGA Championship tend to have an impact on the standings for the FedEx Cup Playoffs — the four-tournament stretch that will determine the season champion of the PGA Tour. Following his victory in Canada to end July, Dustin Johnson held a 527-point lead over Justin Thomas.

In addition to the race for the FedEx Cup, the Ryder Cup standings could see change based on the result of the PGA Championship. In the case of the United States, the top eight players on the points list at the conclusion of the PGA Championship will secure spots to face Europe in Paris from Sept. 25-30. Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed  have already secured positions on the U.S. roster.  

The label is still there, but will this be the event that Rickie Fowler finally leaves without knowing he's the best golfer never to win a major? It's certainly possible after Fowler finished second at the Masters. He tied for 20th at the U.S. Open and was 28th in the Open Championship at Carnoustie. He has two top-five finishes at the PGA Championship, the most recent a tie for fifth last year.

We know about the favorites: Johnson, Thomas, maybe even Tiger. What about the sleepers? These are the guys who don't have as notable of names but have the game to challenge, and even surpass, the best — someone like Gary Woodland, who has the length to handle Bellerive. Or there's 33-year-old Luke List, who has had his share of top-10 finishes this season. Don't forget Tony Finau, who seems to be on the brink of a breakout.

Will it be Masters champ Patrick Reed? Maybe two-time defending U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka will win another major in 2018? Or can Francesco Molinari make it back-to-back major victories after his Open Championship triumph? Jordan Spieth in 2015 was the last golfer to win at least two majors in a season. Reed and Molinari tied for second at last year's PGA, while Koepka has two top fives over the last three years of this tournament.

The No. 1 golfer in the world is certainly playing to that ranking. In his four tournaments prior to the Bridgestone, Dustin Johnson posted two victories and finished third at the U.S. Open. The only blemish of that stretch was a missed cut at the Open Championship. Johnson's best finish at the PGA was a tie for fifth in 2010.

There has not been a repeat winner at the PGA Championship since Tiger Woods in 2006-07. (He also did it in 1999-2000.) Justin Thomas will try to be the latest to accomplish that feat. However, he missed the cut at Carnoustie, tied for 25th at the U.S. Open and finished in a tie for 17th at the Masters.

Spieth gets another shot to complete his personal grand slam. Though he is a favorite to win just about every tournament, there might be a mental hurdle that's in play at the PGA Championship. The last one is always the hardest — or so that's the theory for some. He finished second at the PGA in 2015 but out of the top 10 the last two times. However, a third at the Masters and a tie for ninth at the Open Championship should make him feel good about his chances.

Is he back for real? A tie for sixth at the Open Championship — which he led at one point — last month has led many to believe that's the case. A four-time winner of the PGA Championship, Tiger Woods is confident, and golf fans seem ready for his return to the top. It won't be easy, though, as Woods hasn't played the PGA since 2015. He missed the cut then and the year before.