SPRINGFIELD, N.J. -- Can anyone believe we finished Sunday? Thank you, Mother Nature, for the unexpected gift. What is expected are the final grades for the final major of 2016.
These marks are on total performance for the week. There was much to consider when it came to the top golfers in the world and the last "big one" of the year. As much as I complain about it, like a teacher at the end of a school year, I'm always a little sad when it's over. Where's the Michael Jordan meme?
Enjoy the PGA Championship's final grades.
Grade: A
World ranking: No. 1
Score: 68-65-67-67 (-13)
World No. 1 showed exactly why that ranking is well deserved, shooting back-to back 67s in one day. That eagle on the 18th hole to get within 1 shot of the lead was worth the price of admission alone, but four rounds under par on a golf course that wasn't as easy as people said it would be gets Day high marks and praise from me.
Grade: F
World ranking: No. 2
Score: 77-72 (+9) -- Missed Cut
Making the same amount of double bogeys as birdies for the week while adding seven bogeys into the mix is beyond disappointing. it's a fail.
Grade: B-minus
World ranking: No. 3
Score: 70-67-69-68 (-6)
Spieth never shot over par for the week and played the final 36 in 3 under par. So much pressure was put on him by the media and himself this major season that it would be easy to see this week as a letdown. I don't view it that way. Only five men shot all four rounds in the 60s at Baltusrol. If that's bad in your book, that's on you.
Grade: F
World ranking: No. 4
Score: 74-69 (+3) -- Missed Cut
Everyone's biggest complaint about McIlroy and majors is that he wins only in soft conditions. Well, he can stink in soft conditions, too. Why are y'all complaining about that? Coming in to the week playing pretty good golf, the fact that he went birdie-free in Round 1 and played the 18th hole in Round 2 the opposite of how the champion did is a big fail.
Grade: B-
World ranking: No. 5
Score: 67-67-67-71 (-8)
Yes, the final-round 71 was a big smh, sigh moment. The fact that Stenson put himself in a position to win is what the grade is about. In the Strokes Gained on Approaches statistic, he was No. 1 in the field this week. It sucks that his putter, which was so red hot at The Open, went back to being subpar this week or he'd have won this one, too. In Strokes Gained Putting he was 77th. I know y'all don't like to hear it, but that's golf sometimes.
Grade: C-minus
World ranking: No. 6
Score: 71-69-70-71 (+1)
It'd be easy to get down on Bubba, but for the week he hit only 30 of 56 fairways and 51 of 72 greens in regulation. The fact that he never shot worse than 1 over par and managed to shoot a round under par is a positive. That being said, when a top player finishes outside the top 50 in a major with this field, it is a little below average. That's what Bubba's week was, just a little below average.
Grade: C
World ranking: No. 7
Score: 68-68-71-70 (-3)
Good start to the week, but a weak weekend. I say weak, but not in a disparaging way, more in a disappointing way. Fowler still has more kids (and some adults) wearing his gear in the crowd than any other golfer, so when the popular kid can manage only 1 over for the final 36 holes, it's a bummer. The overall 3 under score was nothing but average. That's OK for some, but I know Fowler strives for better.
Grade: C-plus
World ranking: No. 8
Score: 70-67-69-69 (-5)
Here's what's strange about Scott finishing the week at 5 under; the back nine is where you're supposed to do all your scoring yet he shot under par only once there in four rounds! Kudos, I guess, for scoring on the front nine at Baltusrol, but booo for making only a combined two birdies in the three of the four chances you had at the back nine. Finishing T-18 is nothing to sneeze at for a major, but those back nine stats are just too maddening to get the B grade.
Grade: D
World ranking: No. 9
Score: 71-70-74-70 (+5)
Welp, he made the cut. I can't fail him. But out of 86 guys who played the weekend, Willett tied for 79th. I know I should be happy because he shot even par twice, but I am scratching my head that a guy who has been so successful on the slower greens on the European Tour couldn't figure out the slower greens here this week.
Grade: F
World ranking: No. 10
Score: 71-74 (+5) -- Missed Cut
Enjoy the Olympics and try to make more than two birdies while you're there. Garcia has a lot of work to do on his ball-striking, which was Charles Barkley "turrible" this week. The silver lining is that he might have found a putting stroke that works well. We just didn't get to see it this weekend.
Grade: A-plus
World ranking:No. 48
Score: 65-66-68-67 (-14)
Twenty-seven holes of bogey-free golf for the latest first-time major winner. Walker was 13 under on the back nine alone with 14 birdies and only one bogey for the week. Remember, he won with a score of 14 under. The stat that sticks out the most for him is scrambling. Walker led the field by making par 14 of 17 times when he missed these tricky greens. That's how you win a major!
PGA of America
Grade: B-minus
They earned an A for the setup of the golf course in some very challenging conditions. The talk after the weather was that someone was going to break the single-day scoring record on the weekend and no one even sniffed it. They earned an F for the pin sheet debacle that happened on Friday. Having to make updates and revisions while guys are on the course is never acceptable and the communication to the players and caddies was as good as the water in Flint, Michigan. Through all that, the PGA of America gets an A-plus for being the first to use the local rule known as "Preferred Lies" or "Lift, Clean and Place." Anyone who calls it cheating is a liar, since it's in The Rules of Golf. And the old school, "that's not golf" way of thinking is promoted by people who don't play the game at this level or who, when conditions are that bad, won't go play themselves. Well done, PGA, for being a leader.