The PGA Championship starts tomorrow and, for once no-one will be expecting anything from Tiger Woods.

Woods' meltdown at the Bridgestone Invitational last week has put an end to any realistic hopes that he might win at Whistling Straits and, in truth making the cut would be an achievement for the World number one.

In his place the likes of Dustin Johnson, Paul Casey, Steve Stricker, and Phil Mickelson will all be battling it out to claim the fourth major of the year.

And alongside all the money, the endorsements and the accolades, there is also the final spot in this year's PGA Grand Slam event at Port Royal Golf Course up for grabs.

Mickelson of course has already booked his spot at the Bermuda event, courtesy of his Masters triumph, but whether he will come of course is another matter entirely.

In the past players have won and opted not to play, in which case alternates are drafted in. That has meant giving the likes of Jim Furyk a place, this year, however, the top two alternates on the list are Tiger Woods and Ernie Els.

"We'd love to see Mickelson come, he's one of the greatest players in the World at the moment," said Andrew Brooks, the Port Royal director of golf.

"If Mickelson doesn't come, then Tiger is next in line. He won't come as an alternate, but will Ernie Els come, I think he probably might.

"There's a good prize purse, he (Els) lives in Florida.

"It's not a million miles away for someone like Ernie to come over with the family to have a vacation and play in the event."

And Brooks insists that while having the likes of Woods would give the event a big boost, his absence should not detract from the other players who do appear.

"Every year people are looking at who is going to come, and everyone has got their hopefuls, but the one great thing about the event is that you have the four major winners," he said.

"It's an awesome experience, and to me it's one of the great events as well.

"You get the opportunity to come out here, and actually see those players going head-to-head, and they are all at the top of their game.

"If you reversed it you'd be watching (Jack) Nicklaus, (Gary) Player, (Arnold) Palmer. To me everyone tends to see it and look backwards to who they really want to come, but at the end of the day you are seeing the major champions.

"You tell me where you can go, in any sport, and see that same spectacle, and get up-close and personal. It's an exceptional opportunity."

Woods' fall from grace has allowed some of golf's other great players to reclaim the limelight so often denied them by the obsession with the World number one. "We've all been caught up in Tigermania over the last 10 years," said Brooks.

"He's obviously a great draw for the TV audiences, but there are a lot of other great players out there, the likes of Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood, who are all great, great players."

And while Westwood has pulled out of the tournament through injury, the rest will all be among the favourites to win.

The three major champions, Mickelson, Graeme McDowell and Louis Oosthuizen have all been drawn in the same group for the first two rounds, while Woods will play alongside defending champion YE Yang, and former winner, Vijay Singh.

However, majors, as the past two events have shown, have a habit of throwing up some strange winners, and Brooks wouldn't be surprised if long-shot Justin Leonard, or wild thing John Daly had a big week.

Leonard has form at Whistling Straits as well, he lost out to Singh in a three-way play-off went the event was last held at the Wisconsin course in 2004.

Whoever wins is going to have to play well. The links-style course is a whopping 7,500-yards long, and includes an eye-watering 1000 bunkers.

"Justin Leonard could be a shout, he hit a little bit of form last week at Firestone," said Brooks.

"If I was going to say a European winner I think it'll be Casey. But KJ Choi and Stricker are both in with a shout."

And if the big-hitting Daly wins, is Bermuda ready for the wild man of golf.

"It would be awesome if Daly won," said Brooks. "I think Bermuda would love John Daly. The great thing about the Dalys of the game is that they are great characters, and golf needs those characters.

"I think it's something we need to start seeing (in golf), we need to see more of those characters coming through, because they make the game.

"They're flamboyant and they're fun to watch. Daly just steps up to the plate and just booms it. And he's got a great line in trousers."