The shoreline of Lake Michigan will be the setting for golf's fourth and final Major of the year. Here, Sports Mole runs the rule over the course as the good and the great of the sport prepare for the 97th instalment of the US PGA Championship.
The course
Name: Whistling Straits, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin
Distance: 7,790 yards
Par: 72
Info: The list of courses either designed or co-designed by Pete Dye seems to be endless, but Whistling Straits is regarded by many to be the best of the bunch.
Opened in 1998, the course, which has been picked to host the 2020 Ryder Cup, has previously hosted this event on two occasions. The first was back in 2004 when Vijay Singh triumphed over the American pair of Chris DiMarco and Justin Leonard in a playoff. To this day it remains the last win at a Major for the Fijian.
Then, five years ago it was Martin Kaymer that was celebrating a first Major victory. Like Singh before him, the German required a three-hole playoff to overcome Bubba Watson.
With plenty of fescue fairways and huge sand dune bunkers, it is clear that influences have been borrowed from Irish links courses.
Indeed, speaking back in 2010, Davis Love III commented: "I remembered wondering if I could see Ireland across the water. I remember thinking it was a creative masterpiece. It really is an exceptional place. It certainly doesn't seem like you're in the United States when you're there."
As far as the greens are concerned, many provide the golfers with a fair opportunity for safety given their size.
In total, eight of the holes hug Lake Michigan, which in itself can make for tricky conditions. Wind tends to sweep off the lake in a not too dissimilar fashion to a typical British seaside links course.
Last year's winner
Rory McIlroy has won four Majors to date, but this one at Valhalla was by far the most dramatic. Having headed into the final day with a one-shot lead, the Northern Irishman found himself three shots adrift after the front nine.
Yet, he battled back after the turn to produce what he described as "the best golf of [his] life". The world number one was rewarded on the final hole when he saw off Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler to win by a shot. In doing so, he became the first British golfer to win back-to-back Majors following his success at The Open a month earlier.
Five contenders
1. Rory McIlroy
The debate over the world number one's fitness is bound to rumble on until he strikes his ball down the first fairway on day one. An ankle injury suffered while playing football with friends prevented McIlroy from defending his Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational titles, yet he has defied the odds to appear in Wisconsin. Put simply, if the 26-year-old is fully fit - as he claims to be - he should be in contention to win, just as he did 12 months ago. His game is certainly suited to Whistling Straits, proved by the fact that he finished tied for third there in 2010. Injury aside, his form in 2015 has been positive thanks to victories at the Dubai Desert Classic, WGC-Match Play and Wells Fargo Championship.
2. Jordan Spieth
The 22-year-old insisted that he harboured no extra pressure at The Open as he aimed to keep his hopes of an illustrious Grand Slam alive, but with that now gone, Spieth must feel like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. The young American finished tied for fourth at St Andrews to go alongside his victories at The Masters and US Open earlier in the year. In terms of 2015 form, there has been nobody better than the Texas-born golfer, who has finished in the top 10 of 13 of his last 20 events. As far as Spieth's attributes go, he possesses many that are necessary to be successful at Whistling Straits, most notably his accuracy from the tee and approach.
3. Rickie Fowler
Many people are now starting to brand Fowler with the 'best player to never win a Major' tag. Thankfully for the American, at 26, he has time on his side. He may not have mounted a serious challenge in any of the three Majors this year, but in 2014 he finished in the top five of all four - only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have previously achieved that feat. His recent victories at TPC Sawgrass and the Scottish Open show that Fowler is more than capable of competing for the big prizes.
4. Branden Grace
The 27-year-old is not a household name just yet, but he is certainly working on that. Grace may have missed the cut at The Masters, but he recovered in the two Majors that followed. The South African finished tied for fourth at the US Open and then tied for 20th at The Open. There have also been some recent triumphs, most notably at the Alfred Dunhill Championship back in December when he recorded a seven-shot victory over compatriot Louis Oosthuizen. The fact that Grace has Zack Rasego on his bag could also be an advantage, with the 51-year-old having previously caddied for Gary Player and Oosthuizen.
5. Shane Lowry
Two years and 229 days after his previous triumph at the Portugal Masters, the Irishman recorded the biggest win of his career at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio last weekend. The fact that the previous four winners are Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley, Woods and McIlroy highlights just how tough a competition it is to prosper in. The 28-year-old may have missed two Major cuts this year, but he did finish tied for ninth at the US Open. But, it's that success at the Firestone Country Club that has got everyone talking, including Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington, both of whom have tipped their fellow countryman to add to the list of Irish Major winners at some stage. With his confidence levels at an all-time high, perhaps that will happen sooner rather than later.
