BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Ben Hogan's post-round comments have endured 57 years now, serving as a signature of respect for Oakland Hills Country Club, site of this week's 90th PGA Championship.

"I'm glad I brought this course, this monster, to its knees," said Hogan, in what was about as much hyperbole as one would receive in those days from "Bantam Ben."

It was Hogan's closing 67 in the final round of the 1951 U.S. Open that cemented a magnificent performance on the South Course that was considered then one of the most challenging major championship venues.

In 2006, Rees Jones was assigned to renovate the South Course, which this week marks its third PGA Championship visit and ninth overall major championship. Jones' upgrade to match the changes in the game's technology followed the 1950 craftsmanship of his late father, Robert Trent Jones Sr., at Oakland Hills.

The South Course measured 6,927 yards when Hogan competed, and will be extended to 7,395 yards this week, nearly 400 yards longer than the last PGA Championship on the property in 1979.

Rees Jones' work will test 93 of the top 100 world-ranked players, the most to compete in any major this season and continuing a PGA Championship tradition that since 1994 has featured golf's strong field.

The Championship also includes 68 international players representing 20 countries, the most of any U.S. major.

The Championship field features 10 past Champions: Bob Tway (1986), John Daly (1991), Paul Azinger (1993), Steve Elkington (1995), Mark Brooks (1996), Davis Love III (1997), Vijay Singh (1998, 2004), David Toms (2001), Rich Beem (2002) and Phil Mickelson (2005). World No. 1-ranked Tiger Woods, sidelined while recovering from knee surgery in June, is the fourth PGA Champion in history who was unable to defend his title. Woods has won the past two PGA Championships.

"It wasn't easy way back when I started playing here," said Love, the 1997 PGA Champion who finished tied for second in the 1996 U.S. Open when the South Course measured 6,974 yards. "It hasn't got any easier. It's been lengthened a lot since we played the (2004) Ryder Cup here. Luckily, I'm hitting it a long way and hopefully I can make a couple putts to combat this tough course."

Love, who was in contention to win the Open until the final hole in 1996, said that he hopes his having played in Michigan, and having qualified for the British Open at Dearborn Country Club this summer, may give him some momentum.

"I had a good U.S. Open, a good British and a couple other good tournaments," said Love. "I've done well here before, so maybe the course owes me one."

Overall, 27 major champions who have combined to win 36 majors will be part of the 156-player field. They are: Azinger, Beem, Brooks, Angel Cabrera, Mark Calcavecchia, Michael Campbell, Fred Couples, Ben Curtis, Daly, Elkington, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Retief Goosen, Todd Hamilton, Padraig Harrington, Trevor Immelman, Zach Johnson, Tom Lehman, Justin Leonard, Love, Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, Corey Pavin, Singh, Toms, Tway and Mike Weir.

Among the U.S. hopefuls seeking a first major is No. 17-ranked Kenny Perry of Franklin, Ky., winner of three Tour events this summer, and who has already achieved one goal – earning enough points to land on the U.S. Ryder Cup Team next month at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville.

Eight of the 12 members of the U.S. Team will be determined at the conclusion of the PGA Championship. The remaining four selections will be announced by U.S. Captain Paul Azinger on Sept. 2 in a news conference in New York City.

"I set my goals to make that Ryder Cup Team and blew right through that this summer," said Perry, "and now I'm trying to get refocused here and get re-energized for September.

"This will be a great place to do it. I love the PGA Championship. It is my favorite major. I'm a golf course owner, and I just feel like this tournament's the heart and soul of the PGA. And, I'm just proud to be a part of it. "This golf course is great," said Perry. "The set-up's great. The best player's going to win this week. Nobody is going to be lucky enough to escape hitting poor shots and survive this golf course. I never hit woods into par-3s like I'm doing out here. It's very long, very demanding, and very fair. You've got to hit it straight, bottom line."

The international contingent is headed by Ireland's Harrington, winner of the past two British Open Championships, and also features 10 of the 12 members of the 2004 European Ryder Cup Team that triumphed at Oakland Hills. Eight members of the 2004 U.S. Ryder Cup Team return.

The PGA Championship owns the longest and one of the curious streaks in major championship golf – no European has won the Championship since 1930 when Scotland's Tommy Armour triumphed at Fresh Meadows Country Club in Flushing, N.Y.

Harrington, the hottest European player this season, didn't realize until someone mentioned that his best showing in nine previous PGA Championships was a tie for 17th in 2002 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.

"I realized I obviously have struggled for 10 years," said Harrington, trying to account for why a European has not been successful in the season's final major. "So, I don't know. I couldn't tell you. This setup, the usual setup for the PGA Championship is more like a tough U.S. Tour event. This year, the last couple years it's gotten more like a traditional U.S. Open-type test. It's nearly more U.S. Open-type than the U.S. Open is at the moment, if that makes any sense. It's actually like they switched the two of them around this year."

Harrington also said that the past 15 years has produced "a little bit of a lull in European golf."

"Obviously, there are plenty of good European players around now, and there are plenty of them capable of winning. Will I be ready? I think I will be ready. But unfortunately, you can't be a hundred percent sure until you actually tee it up and play."

The PGA Championship is one of four premier golf events conducted by The PGA of America. Others include the Ryder Cup, the Senior PGA Championship and the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, which brings together the winners of golf's four major championships. Since 1916, golf's best professionals have been competing for the PGA Championship's coveted Wanamaker Trophy. Past Champions span both the legendary and recent stars of the game: Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson.

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