(Reuters) - Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth were ranked one and two in the world heading into last year's PGA Championship, but they return this year almost as after-thoughts, overshadowed by a wave of hotter rivals who have grabbed the limelight.
Not that anyone is writing off the pair from contending at Baltusrol in New Jersey this week, but their status as underdogs underlines how quickly the sporting landscape can change.
World number one Jason Day, U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, and British Open duelists Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson are more the focus of attention, leaving McIlroy and Spieth searching to find the missing ingredient needed to regain their previous greatness.