After several days of 'will he or won't he', Tiger Woods will take his place in the 156-man field for the 96th US PGA Championship, but with his play being restricted by a back injury, it seems unlikely that he will be in contention for a fifth US PGA crown.

With that in mind, Sports Mole runs the rule over the course and the possible contenders for the final Major of the year.

The Course

Name Valhalla Golf Club
Distance 7,458 yards
Par 71

Info After its opening in 1986, the course, which was designed by Jack Nicklaus, is a relatively new addition to the PGA Tour, but it has already played its part in some of the sport's most memorable occasions. In 1996, it made its Major tournament debut when it hosted the US PGA, which was won by Mark Brooks, before Tiger Woods captured his second win in this competition when Valhalla welcomed the tournament in 2000.

It's been 14 years since the Louisville course hosted a PGA Tour ranking tournament, but during that time, there have been two senior US PGA tournaments as well as the 2008 Ryder Cup, where USA trounced a European side captained by Nick Faldo.

Last year's winner - Jason Dufner The top players in the world took to New York's Oak Hill County Club last year, and it was an American who eventually emerged victorious in Pittsford. After a second-round 63 moved him to the top of the leaderboard, Jason Dufner outperformed Jim Furyk and Henrik Stenson during the final round to win his first Major title.

Five contenders

1. Rory McIlroy

Given his current form, it's not possible to back against Rory McIlroy, is it? The new world number one has won the Open Championship and the Bridgestone Invitational in his last two starts, registered eight top-10 finishes in 12 tournaments, in all of which he has made the cut, and he is a former US PGA winner. The 25-year-old will have to find a way to cope with the added pressure that is coming his way, but the Northern Irishman has proven in the past that he has the game to overcome such factors.

Odds: 9/2

2. Adam Scott

Adam Scott may have lost his world number one status at the start of the week, but that doesn't mean that he has become a bad player overnight. Like McIlroy, the Australian's consistency is phenomenal, recording eight top-10 placings in 12 attempts, including in his last five tournament appearances. Scott also possesses the stand-out record amongst the world's top golfers when it comes to Majors over the past few years, achieving eight finishes in the top 10 of his past 13 appearances, including his victory at The Masters in 2013.

Odds: 12/1

3. Rickie Fowler

In what has been an otherwise average year, Rickie Fowler has really come to the fore in the Major championships in 2014. The 25-year-old has posted personal bests in each tournaments, which started with a fifth-place finish at The Masters in April. The American has continued that at the US Open and Open Championship, ending each competition in a tie for second place, and after concluding the Bridgestone Invitational in eighth position, it's impossible to rule out a man who has a big game for the big occasion.

Odds: 18/1

4. Jim Furyk

Forty-three-year-old Jim Furyk has almost gone unnoticed on the PGA Tour this year, but his remarkable consistency has seen him move up to eighth in the world golf rankings. He's yet to win this year, but he's yet to miss a cut in 16 appearances, 13 of which have seen him finish in the top 25. The American, who was runner-up last year, has also finished no worse than 14th place in this year's Majors and it would be a surprise if he wasn't in contention on Sunday.

Odds: 35/1

5. Marc Leishman

It's been a year of progression for Marc Leishman, who has risen 33 places up the world golf rankings since the start of the year, and after cracking the top 50, there is more to come from the Australian. The 30-year-old has only made the cut on three of his last six Major appearances, but when he has made the weekend, he has recorded two top-five placings, as well as 12th in this tournament last year. He could have a part to play in the closing round.

Odds: 50/1

Sports Mole says: While every high-profile tournament can throw up a major surprise, it would take a brave man to back against the form horses. The back nine on Sunday is likely to include more than just the top two players in the world, but when all is said and done, we expect McIlroy or Scott to be lifting another Major trophy on Sunday evening.