USA TODAY It all comes down to this. The 100th PGA Championship, the final major of the golf season, tees off Thursday at Bellerive Country Club in the suburbs of St. Louis. While Justin Thomas looks to defend his title, Patrick Reed (Masters), Brooks Koepka (U.S. Open) and Francisco Molinari (Open Championship) will be playing for their second major titles of the year. Not only is this the last chance for players to win a major this season, it's also the last chance for U.S. players to automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup team by finishing in the top eight of the Ryder Cup standjngs. Players competing for spots include Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Xander Schauffele, Matt Kuchar and Tiger Woods. The four captain's picks will be made by captain Jim Furyk in the coming weeks. Here's everything you need to know for Thursday's action: Must-read stories - Expert picks to win the 2018 PGA Championship. - Tiger Woods puts Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk in awkward spot. - Slow greens should provide birdies, lots of anger at the PGA. - Weather presents challenges for the PGA this week. How to watch (All times eastern) TNT: 2-8 p.m. Live Streaming on PGA.com Featured Group No. 1: 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Featured Group No. 2: 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Featured Holes No. 16-18: 2-8 p.m. TNT simulcast: 2-8 p.m. Tee times Thursday-Friday First hole-10th hole 7:50 a.m.-1:15 p.m. – Michael Block, United States; Eddie Pepperell, England; Ryan Fox, New Zealand. 8:01 a.m.-1:26 p.m. – Austin Cook, United States; Craig Hocknull, United States; Alexander Bjork, Sweden. 8:12 a.m.-1:37 p.m. – Yusaku Miyazato, Japan; Bob Sowards, United States; Scott Brown, United States. 8:23 a.m.-1:48 p.m. – Rafa Cabrera Bello, Spain; Thomas Bjorn, Denmark; James Hahn, United States. 8:34 a.m.-1:59 p.m. – Billy Horschel, United States; Byeong Hun An, South Korea; Shane Lowry, Ireland. 8:45 a.m.-2:10 p.m. – Brian Harman, United States; Yuta Ikeda, Japan; Adam Hadwin, Canada. 8:56 a.m.-2:21 p.m. – Padraig Harrington, Ireland; Jimmy Walker, United States; Vijay Singh, Fiji. 9:07 a.m.-2:32 p.m. – Bryson DeChambeau, United States; Andy Sullivan, England; Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Thailand. 9:18 a.m.-2:43 p.m. – Ryan Armour, United States; Cameron Smith, Australia, Peter Uihlein, United States. 9:29 a.m.-2:54 p.m. – Paul Dunne, Ireland; J.B. Holmes, United States; Dylan Frittelli, South Africa. 9:40 a.m.-3:05 p.m. – Charles Howell III, United States; Jason Schmuhl, United States; Brian Gay, United States. 9:51 a.m.-3:16 p.m. – David Muttitt, United States; Ollie Schniederjans, United States; Troy Merritt, United States. 10:02 a.m.-3:27 p.m. – Shawn Warren, United States; Mikko Korhonen, Finland; J.J. Spaun, United States. 1:20 p.m.-7:55 a.m. – Johan Kok, United States; Brandon Stone, South Africa; Whee Kim, South Korea. 1:31 p.m.-8:06 a.m. – Matthew Wallace, England; Matt Dobyns, United States; Beau Hossler, United States. 1:42 p.m.-8:17 a.m. – Chris Wood, England; Alex Noren, Sweden; Matt Kuchar, United States. 1:53 p.m.-8:28 a.m. – Dustin Johnson, United States; Bubba Watson, United States; Adam Scott, Australia. 2:04 p.m.-8:39 a.m. – Tommy Fleetwood, England; Satoshi Kodaira, Japan; Marc Leishman, Australia. 2:15 p.m.-8:50 a.m. – Patrick Reed, United States; Brooks Koepka, United States; Francesco Molinari, Italy. 2:26 p.m.-9:01 a.m. – Gary Woodland, United States; Sergio Garcia, Spain; Kevin Kisner, United States. 2:37 p.m.-9:12 a.m. – Jordan Spieth, United States; Jon Rahm, Spain; Justin Rose, England. 2:48 p.m.-9:23 a.m. – Aaron Wise, United States; Paul Casey, England; Zach Johnson, United States. 2:59 p.m.-9:34 a.m. – Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa; Thomas Pieters, Belgium; Bill Haas, United States. 3:10 p.m.-9:45 a.m. – Lee Westwood, England; Joaquin Niemann, Chile; Daniel Berger, United States. 3:21 p.m.-9:56 a.m. – Omar Uresti, United States; Justin Harding, South Africa; Andrew Landry, United States. 3:32 p.m.-10:07 a.m. – Matt Borchert, United States; Chris Stroud, United States; Winner of Barracuda Championship. Thursday-Friday 10th hole-First hole 7:55 a.m.-1:20 p.m. – Jamie Lovemark, United States; Rich Berberian Jr., United States; Shugo Imahira, Japan. 8:06 a.m.-1:31 p.m. – Brandt Snedeker, United States; Sean McCarty, United States; Li Haotong, China. 8:17 a.m.-1:42 p.m. – Jim Furyk, United States; Tony Finau, United States; Xander Schauffele, United States. 8:28 a.m.-1:53 p.m. – Davis Love III, United States; Martin Kaymer, Germany; Rich Beem, United States. 8:39 a.m.-2:04 p.m. – Rickie Fowler, United States; Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; Ian Poulter, England. 8:50 a.m.-2:15 p.m. – Henrik Stenson, Sweden; Danny Willett, England; Pat Perez, United States. 9:01 a.m.-2:26 p.m. – Phil Mickelson, United States; Jason Day, Australia; Keegan Bradley, United States. 9:12 a.m.-2:37 p.m. – Shubhankar Sharma, India; Jordan Smith, England; Scott Piercy, United States. 9:23 a.m.-2:48 p.m. – Justin Thomas, United States; Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Tiger Woods, United States. 9:34 a.m.-2:59 p.m. – Matt Fitzpatrick, England; Webb Simpson, United States; Jhonattan Vegas, Venezuela. 9:45 a.m.-3:10 p.m. – Stewart Cink, United States; Branden Grace, South Africa; Ryan Moore, United States. 9:56 a.m.-3:21 p.m. – Ross Fisher, England; Alexander Levy, France; Patton Kizzire, United States. 10:07 a.m.-3:32 p.m. – Julian Suri, United States; Sungjae Im, South Korean; Craig Bowden, United States. 1:15 p.m.-7:50 a.m. – Danny Balin, United States; Chesson Hadley, United States; Russell Henley, United States. 1:26 p.m.-8:01 a.m. – Marty Jertson, United States; Luke List, United States; Kevin Chappell, United States. 1:37 p.m.-8:12 a.m. – Jaysen Hansen, United States; Nick Watney, United States; Kyle Stanley, United States. 1:48 p.m.-8:23 a.m. – Ted Potter Jr., United States; Emiliano Grillo, Argentina; Jorge Campillo, Spain. 1:59 p.m.-8:34 a.m. – Ryan Vermeer, United States; Paul Broadhurst, England; John Daly, United States. 2:10 p.m.-8:45 a.m. – Si Woo Kim, South Korea; Brice Garnett, United States; Tyrrell Hatton, England. 2:21 p.m.-8:56 a.m. – Y.E. Yang, South Korea; Jason Dufner, United States; Shaun Micheel, United States. 2:32 p.m.-9:07 a.m. – Thorbjorn Olesen, Denmark; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Patrick Cantlay, United States. 2:43 p.m.-9:18 a.m. – Brendan Steele, United States; Adrian Otaegui, Spain; Kevin Na, United States. 2:54 p.m.-9:29 a.m. – Chez Reavie, United States; Charley Hoffman, United States; Russell Knox, Scotland. 3:05 p.m-9:40 p.m. – Zach J. Johnson, United States; Michael Kim, United States; Seungsu Han, United States. 3:16 p.m.-9:51 a.m. – Brian Smock, United States; Anirban Lahiri, India; Mike Lorenzo-Vera, France. 3:27 p.m.-10:02 a.m. – Ben Kern, United States; Bridgestone Invitational winner, Ryuko Tokimatsu, Japan.<doc-sep>Julio Cortez/Associated Press The opening round of the 2018 PGA Championship is littered with must-see groups in both the morning and afternoon sessions. Tiger Woods is expected the steal the majority of the headlines from the opening set of tee times Thursday morning at Bellerive Country Club, and depending on how he performs, he could be the story of the round. Playing in the morning session along with Woods, Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy are the trio of Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama and Ian Poulter, as well as the threesome of Phil Mickelson, Jason Day and Keegan Bradley. The afternoon groups are led by the trio of 2018 major winners, while Dustin Johnson tees off with Bubba Watson and Adam Scott. Not all of the marquee players will turn in successful cards at the end of Thursday's rounds, but those who do could set the standard for the rest of the week at Bellerive. Thursday Tee Times Video Play Button Videos you might like All Times ET 7:50 a.m.: Michael Block, Eddie Pepperell, Ryan Fox 7:55 a.m.*: Jamie Lovemark, Rich Berberian Jr., Shugo Imahira 8:01 a.m.: Austin Cook, Craig Hocknull, Alexander Bjork 8:06 a.m.*: Brandt Snedeker, Sean McCarty, Haotong Li 8:12 a.m.: Yusaku Miyazoto, Bob Sowards, Scott Brown 8:17 a.m.*: Jim Furyk, Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele 8:23 a.m.: Rafa Cabrera Bello, Thomas Bjorn, James Hahn 8:28 a.m.*: Davis Love III, Martin Kaymer, Rich Beem 8:34 a.m.: Billy Horschel, Byeong Hun An, Shane Lowry 8:39 a.m.*: Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama, Ian Poulter 8:45 a.m.: Brian Harman, Yuta Ikeda, Adam Hadwin 8:50 a.m.*: Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett, Pat Perez 8:56 a.m.: Padraig Harrington, Jimmy Walker, Vijay Singh 9:01 a.m.:* Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Keegan Bradley 9:07 a.m.: Bryson DeChambeau, Andy Sullivan, Kiradech Aphibarnrat 9:12 a.m.*: Shubhankar Sharma, Jordan Smith, Scott Piercy 9:18 a.m.: Ryan Armour, Cameron Smith, Peter Uihlein 9:23 a.m.*: Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy 9:29 a.m.: Paul Dunne, J.B. Holmes, Dylan Fritteli 9:34 a.m.*: Matthew Fitzpatrick, Webb Simpson, Jhonattan Vegas 9:40 a.m.: Charles Howell III, Jason Schmuhl, Brian Gay 9:45 a.m.*: Stewart Cink, Branden Grace, Ryan Moore 9:51 a.m.: David Muttitt, Ollie Schniederjans, Troy Merritt 9:56 a.m.*: Ross Fisher, Alexander Levy, Patton Kizzire 10:02 a.m.: Shawn Warren, Mikko Korhonen, J.J. Spaun 10:07 a.m.*: Julian Suri, Sungjae Im, Craig Bowden 1:15 p.m.*: Danny Balin, Chesson Hadley, Russell Henley 1:20 p.m.: Johan Kok, Brandon Stone, Whee Kim 1:26 p.m.*: Marty Jertson, Luke List, Kevin Chappell 1:31 p.m.: Matt Wallace, Matt Dobyns, Beau Hossler 1:37 p.m.*: Jaysen Hansen, Nick Watney, Kyle Stanley 1:42 p.m.: Chris Wood, Alex Noren, Matt Kuchar 1:48 p.m.*: Ted Potter Jr., Emiliano Grillo, Jorge Campillo 1:53 p.m.: Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Adam Scott 1:59 p.m.*: Ryan Vermeer, Paul Broadhurst, John Daly 2:04 p.m.: Tommy Fleetwood, Satoshi Kodaira, Marc Leishman 2:10 p.m.*: Si Woo Kim, Brice Garrett, Tyrrell Hatton 2:15 p.m.: Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari 2:21 p.m.*: Y.E. Yang, Jason Dufner, Shaun Micheel 2:26 p.m.: Gary Woodland, Sergio Garcia, Kevin Kisner 2:32 p.m.*: Thorbjorn Olesen, Charl Schwartzel, Patrick Cantlay 2:37 p.m.: Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose 2:43 p.m.*: Brendan Steele, Adrian Otaegui, Kevin Na 2:48 p.m.: Aaron Wise, Paul Casey, Zach Johnson 2:54 p.m.*: Chez Reavie, Charley Hoffman, Russell Knox 2:59 p.m.: Louis Oosthuizen, Thomas Pieters, Bill Haas 3:05 p.m.*: Zach J. Johnson, Michael Kim, Seungsu Han 3:10 p.m.: Jason Kokrak, Joaquin Niemann, Daniel Berger 3:16 p.m.*: Brian Smock, Anirban Lahiri, Mike Lorenzo-Vera 3:21 p.m.: Omar Uresti, Justin Harding, Andrew Landry 3:27 p.m.*: Ben Kern, Chris Kirk, Ryuko Tokimatsu 3:32 p.m.: Matthew Borchert, Chris Stroud, Andrew Putnam *Starts round on 10th hole Predictions Group Of 2018 Major Winners Struggles Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka and Francesco Molinari are grouped together in the traditional PGA Championship collection of the season's major winners. Although each player has already displayed the skill needed to take home another title, none of them will leave Bellerive Country Club with the Wanamaker Trophy. Since winning The Masters, Reed's experienced a mixed bag of results, with a trio of top-10 finishes, four final placings beneath the top 25 and one missed cut. Julio Cortez/Associated Press Reed doesn't enter the PGA Championship in good form either, as he missed the cut at the Travelers Championship and tied for 28th at The Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Outside of his fifth-place finish at Firestone a week ago, Koepka has struggled to be in contention for titles since the U.S. Open. Koepka tied for 19th at the Travelers Championship, tied for 39th at The Open and missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open before rebounding at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Molinari, who is the most recent major champion, followed up his win at Carnoustie with a tie for 39th at Firestone, where he shot one round in the 60s. Recent history isn't on the side of the trio either, as Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy are the only golfers to win two majors in a season since 2009. By taking all of that into account, it won't be a surprise if Reed, Koepka and Molinari struggle Thursday, which could put them out of contention if some of the favorites get off to fast starts. McIlroy Produces Best Round Out Of Marquee Morning Group The spotlight will shine bright on Thomas, Woods and McIlroy Thursday morning, as they set out to the course in the marquee threesome of the morning tee times. Each of the high-profile golfers carries an impressive resume into Bellerive, with Woods garnering the most attention for his recent performances. As he always is, Woods will be the most eye-catching member of the trio, which could help Thomas and McIlroy get off to strong starts. It would be easy to pick Thomas as the most successful player from the group due to his win at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, but McIlroy must not be counted out. Despite being without a major title since 2014, McIlroy's been in contention for the majority of the 15 tournaments since, and that trend could extend into Bellerive. Jeff Roberson/Associated Press Since missing the cut at the U.S. Open, a tournament he's traditionally struggled at, McIlroy hasn't finished lower than 12th in four tournaments. The key for McIlroy at Bellerive could be his driving, as the course is expected to reward the heavy hitters of the sport because it's dried up due to the heat in the St. Louis area. McIlroy ranks first on the PGA Tour in driving distance and is sixth in scoring average. If he's able to capitalize on his driving Thursday, McIlroy could end up at, or near, the top of the leaderboard. Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from PGATour.com.<doc-sep>
We have finally made it to the 100th PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club, and boy do we have some tremendous groups and tee times for the first two rounds at 2018's final major. Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas are the ultimate headline group kicking off action in the morning, but the trio of Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose is not far behind in terms of star power. As far as the full 156-man field goes, there's a chance that no major group is deeper. Of the top 112 players in the world, 110 -- yes, 110! -- are expected to tee it up this week just outside of St. Louis, which is an astonishing percentage. In other words, the PGA Championship should be something special. With that many great golfers, you can expect loads of terrific coverage throughout the first two days. Here's a look at all 52 threesomes with their Thursday tee times and which hole they'll start their rounds. All times Eastern 2018 PGA Championship tee times for Thursday (Round 1) 8:39 a.m. -- Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama, Ian Poulter 8:50 a.m. -- Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett, Pat Perez 9:01 a.m. -- Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Keegan Bradley 9:12 a.m. -- Shubhankar Sharma, Jordan Smith, Scott Piercy 9:23 a.m. -- Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods 1:42 p.m. -- Chris Wood, Alex Noren, Matt Kuchar 1:53 p.m. -- Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Adam Scott 2:04 p.m. -- Tommy Fleetwood, Satoshi Kodaira, Marc Leishman 2:15 p.m. -- Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari 2:37 p.m. -- Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose Tee No. 1 7:50 a.m. -- Michael Block, Eddie Pepperell, Ryan Fox 8:01 a.m. -- Austin Cook, Carig Hocknull, Alexander Bjork 8:12 a.m. -- Yusaku Miyazato, Bob Sowards, Scott Brown 8:23 a.m. -- Rafa Cabrera Bello, Thomas Bjorn, James Hahn 8:34 a.m. -- Billy Horschel, Ben An, Shane Lowry 8:45 a.m. -- Brian Harman, Yuta Ikeda, Adam Hadwin 8:56 a.m. -- Padraig Harrington, Jimmy Walker, Vijay Singh 9:07 a.m. -- Bryson DeChambeau, Andy Sullivan, Kiradech Aphibarnrat 9:18 a.m. -- Ryan Armour, Cameron Smith, Peter Uihlein 9:29 a.m. -- Paul Dunne, J.B. Holmes, Dylan Frittelli 9:40 a.m. -- Charles Howell III, Jason Schmuhl, Brian Gay 9:51 a.m. -- David Muttitt, Ollie Schniederjans, Troy Merritt 10:02 a.m. -- Shawn Warren, Mikko Korhonen, J.J. Spaun 1:20 p.m. -- Johan Kok, Brandon Stone, Whee Kim 1:31 p.m. -- Matt Wallace, Matt Dobyns, Beau Hossler 1:42 p.m. -- Chris Wood, Alex Noren, Matt Kuchar 1:53 p.m. -- Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Adam Scott 2:04 p.m. -- Tommy Fleetwood, Satoshi Kodaira, Marc Leishman 2:15 p.m. -- Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari 2:26 p.m. -- Gary Woodland, Sergio Garcia, Kevin Kisner 2:37 p.m. -- Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose 2:48 p.m. -- Aaron Wise, Paul Casey, Zach Johnson 2:59 p.m. -- Louis Oosthuizen, Thomas Pieters, Bill Haas 3:10 p.m. -- Jason Kokrak, Joaquin Niemann, Daniel Berger 3:21 p.m. -- Omar Uresti, Justin Harding, Andrew Landry 3:32 p.m. -- Matt Borchert, Chris Stroud, Andrew Putnam Tee No. 10 7:55 a.m. -- Jamie Lovemark, Rich Berberian, Jr., Shugo Imahira 8:06 a.m. -- Brandt Snedeker, Sean McCarty, Haotong Li 8:17 a.m. -- Jim Furyk, Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele 8:28 a.m. -- Davis Love III, Martin Kaymer, Rich Beem 8:39 a.m. -- Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama, Ian Poulter 8:50 a.m. -- Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett, Pat Perez 9:01 a.m. -- Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Keegan Bradley 9:12 a.m. -- Shubhankar Sharma, Jordan Smith, Scott Piercy 9:23 a.m. -- Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods 9:34 a.m. -- Matthew Fitzpatrick, Webb Simpson, Jhonattan Vegas 9:45 a.m. -- Stewart Cink, Branden Grace, Ryan Moore 9:56 a.m. -- Ross Fisher, Alexander Levy, Patton Kizzire 10:07 a.m. -- Julian Suri, Sungjae Im, Craig Bowden 1:15 p.m. -- Danny Balin, Chesson Hadley, Russell Henley 1:26 p.m. -- Marty Jertson, Like List, Kevin Chappell 1:37 p.m. -- Jaysen Hansen, Nick Watney, Kyle Stanley 1:48 p.m. -- Ted Potter, Jr., Emiliano Grillo, Jorge Campillo 1:59 p.m. -- Ryan Fermeer, Paul Broadhurst, John Daly 2:10 p.m. -- Si Woo Kim, Brice Garnett, Tyrrell Hatton 2:21 p.m. -- Y.E. Yang, Jason Dufner, Shaun Micheel 2:32 p.m. -- Thorbjorn Olesen, Charl Schwartzel, Patrick Cantlay 2:43 p.m. -- Brendan Steele, Adrian Otaegui, Kevin Na 2:54 p.m. -- Chez Reavie, Charley Hoffman, Russell Knox 3:05 p.m. -- Zach J. Johnson, Michael Kim, Seungsu Han 3:16 p.m. -- Brian Smock, Anirban Lahiri, Mike Lorenzo-Vera 3:27 p.m. -- Ben Kern, Chris Kirk, Ryuko Tokimatsu