Of the four majors, the PGA Championship gets a bit of a step-brotherly treatment, which is extremely unfair. It may not have the history of the Open Championship, the traditions of the Masters or the brutal examination of the US Open, but there are several things associated with the tournament that deserve far greater respect.

Obviously, it is the only major that is conducted by a professional golf body. Unlike Augusta National Golf Club, the R&A and the USGA, the PGA of America is made up of people who are golf professionals, and that in itself brings a completely different mindset when organising tournaments. You will rarely come across impossible pin positions or course set-up during the PGA Championship, which I think leads to better and more entertaining golf from the players, thus increasing the joy of watching the game for spectators on the course and on television.

One criticism that the PGA Championship faces is that there have been several winners in the recent past who haven’t been the most recognisable names in the game. But that is the beauty of a tournament that has the deepest fields in any major — the top 100-ranked players in the world are virtually assured of a start. And also, for every Rich Beem and Y.E. Yang, there are also names like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson on the roll of honour.

The tournament is headed back to Whistling Straits, the dramatic Pete Dye-designed course perched on Lake Michigan. It is a spectacular layout, known for its beautiful setting as well as the hundreds of bunkers that are strewn around the track. Yes, you read that right — hundreds of bunkers. To be precise, 976! Compare that to 112 at St Andrews and you can appreciate what the players face.

Obviously, most of the bunkers are not deep enough to worry world-class players, but nobody, not even McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, likes to get into bunkers with their tee shots.

And then there is the case of Dustin Johnson from the 2010 PGA Championship here. The American lost the chance to get into a play-off after his rules infringement on one of the bunkers. I have no doubt that all players will be paying special attention to the local rules this week.

The biggest talking point of the tournament is the return of McIlroy from his ankle injury. It would have been different had Jordan Spieth managed to go a couple of shots better at St Andrews and kept open the possibility of a calendar slam, but I feel the spotlight is now shared by the two. The much talked about rivalry between them can now start in earnest.

I saw a few clips of McIlroy hitting the ball at Whistling Straits, and he is not showing much effect of the five-week layoff. However, we have to be realistic about his chances because it is always difficult to find your 100 per cent this quickly after an injury break. Mental barriers are more difficult to cross than physical ones and there will be times when McIlroy will subconsciously pull himself back.

No such worries for Spieth though. He will be the favourite once again this week. His confidence is at an amazing high and there seems to be no apparent chinks in his armour. He has proved at the US Open and then at St Andrews last month that links courses do not trouble him, and Whistling Straits is also links-like.

Apart from these two, Woods is always a huge point of interest. His tie for 18th at the Quicken Loans National a couple of weeks ago was his best outing by far since the Masters. Let’s see how he takes it forward now.

I am also going to keep an eye on Bubba Watson, Louis Oosthuizen and Justin Rose because of the recent form that they have shown either in the majors, or in the tournaments leading up to the PGA Championship.

— Jeev Milkha Singh is a four time champion on the European Tour