This has nothing to do with Phil Mickelson, the guy who extricated himself from the public eye while presumably preparing to embark upon his LIV Golf career and everything to do with Phil Mickelson, the guy who set the golf world ablaze by coming out of nowhere and winning this major championship at the age of 50 last year.

Before last year, Jimmy Walker was the greatest outlier on this list — the only one ranked lower than 21st in the world and the only one with odds outside 35/1 — but that changed mightily with Mickelson turning back the clock at Kiawah and undoing everything we’ve come to know about prognosticating this event.

One of the end results of his brilliance is the fact that this major never plays into the hands of only one type of player.

Every year, the PGA Championship tests all aspects of a player’s game, which helps explain why — more often than not — the best of the best often end up near the top of the leaderboard on Sunday evening.

— this week’s event and those who are running it could use a little boost in that department, like a major story to overshadow the pre-tourney predicament of the defending champion deciding to skip it.

You know, something like a player capturing the career Grand Slam.

One player to win the tournament.

Among the pearls of wisdom from Stads, he offered this when Spieth was trailing by a stroke through 54 holes: “When he isn’t confident, he really doesn’t play well, but when he’s confident, he plays really well.”.

But the reality is, he’s absolutely right — and this applies more to Spieth than any other player in the game today.

There’s literally no reason not to like him this week.

This is an event — from year to year, course to course — that challenges every part of a player’s game.

Like many of the bottom of the top-tier/top of the mid-tier players on the board this week, his outright price.

We’re getting dangerously close to living in a world where Conners is talked about being underrated so often that he’s actually overrated, considering “one of the game’s best ball-strikers” — a label I myself have often used to describe him — is ranked just 45th in Strokes Gained: Approach this season, but we’re not quite there yet.

One player to finish top-five.

Even if he doesn’t, though, nobody knows how to play his best golf late in the week like him, so expect another leaderboard-rising round on Sunday.

One player to finish top-10.

The truth is, Horschel has enjoyed one of the best stretches of his career so far this year, with seven top-25s in nine appearances that he finished.

That’s not my best bet for the week or pick to win, but if you’re looking for a big-time price on a player with some win equity, he’s the guy.

One player to finish top-20.

It certainly hasn’t been his best year so far, but I really do think some big things are coming for Big Tone — and those big things might only come when we least expect them.

Even though his runner-up finish at the Mexico Open remains his lone result better than 19th this year, it does feel like he’s ready to start playing some much better golf.

One player to finish top-30.

Already a winner this year with another top-three to his name, Straka is the type of player I like targeting for props at this tourney — the type who’s enjoying a solid run and still owns a palatable number throughout the board.

He owns very little major championship experience but in three career starts, he does have a pair of top-30 finishes, so this feels like the smart range to play him.

One player to finish top-40.

We’re now going on 14 months since JT’s last victory, but there’s some reason to believe that once he puts it all together for four straight days — much like McIlroy — that he could go nuclear and win convincingly.

One player to post the low score Thursday.

This is a major, so like any team trying to win a championship, let’s stick with what got us here.

One player who should beat comparable players.

I don’t like Lowry as much for this major as I do the next one — and I really like him for this one, which should tell you exactly how much I like him for the U.S.

The truth, though, is that it’s hard to dislike Lowry on any given week since he’s finished inside the top-15 in eight of his past 10 starts, including top-three results in three of his last six.

One top player to avoid at this tournament.

The truth is, I don’t see an elite player who I really don’t like this week, so I’m picking on the mulleted Aussie here for a few reasons.