Horses for Courses: Rory McIlroy eager to rekindle Valhalla form from 2014

The PGA Championship, the second major championship of 2024, returns to Valhalla Golf Club for the fourth time.

Opened in 1986, Valhalla is no stranger to hosting big-time events. In addition to the 1996, 2000 and 2014 PGA Championships, the Jack Nicklaus design staged the 2008 Ryder Cup and two editions of the Senior PGA Championship.

The 106th PGA Championship features 34 players from the 96th edition in 2014 who teed it up at Valhalla, including 2014 champion Rory McIlroy.

Strokes Gained: Total

Players listed are in the field this week; 2024 season stats.

Major championship golf is designed to test every facet and every club of the best players in the world. The field is all professionals, the only major championship without amateurs playing. Identifying the best of the best begins with examining the total package.

A winner 10 years ago, Rory McIlroy (+750) returns to the Bluegrass State searching for his third PGA Championship. The winner at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island by eight shots in 2012 claimed his fourth and most recent major here in August 2014. Missing the cut only once at a wet Baltusrol in 2016, his eight top-10 results from 14 weekends at the PGA include recent paydays of T7 at Oak Hill in 2023 and solo eighth at Southern Hills in 2022. Posting four rounds of 68 or better in 2014, he led the field in SG: Off the Tee, Driving Distance and Driving Distance (all drives).

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

For the second year running, the second major championship will feature plenty of doglegs, tight landing areas, and lush, thick rough that will swallow errant tee shots. Last year, Oak Hill featured 28 acres of fairway on a demanding test off the tee. This week, the Jack Nicklaus design rolls out just 23 acres of fairway. Tall fescue and Bluegrass, not surprisingly, frame the thin strips of Zeon Zoysia landing areas snaking through the almost 500 acres of property. The third-longest test on TOUR of 2024 features six par-4 holes measuring 472 yards or more. All four par-3 holes tip at 190 yards or more, including three holes 208 yards plus. Those giving it a ride off the tee will have less club from the rough or the fairway.

The strips of rough guarding the bunkers have been removed. Tee balls and approaches have a better chance of rolling into the 62 strategically placed hazards. Water penalty areas are also in play on seven holes. The rain on Tuesday could widen the fairways but could reduce roll-out. The combination of power and accuracy will shine.

In the last six PGA Championships, Brooks Koepka (+1400) has won half of them and tied for second once. Never missing the weekend in 11 previous attempts, the defending champion from Oak Hill will look to match Tiger Woods (+12500) in successfully defending the Wanamaker Trophy on two separate occasions. Setting the event scoring record at Bellerive outside St. Louis at 264 (-16), he returned the following year and opened 63-65 at Bethpage Black to stroll to his second consecutive title. Only Woods (4) and Valhalla course designer Jack Nicklaus (5) have more PGA Championship stroke-play victories.

Bogey Avoidance

Major championship golf rarely features par-breaker opportunities around each dogleg. Maintaining a relatively clean card by keeping the ball in play, not compounding errors, and getting up and down goes a long way in these events. Fairways will be missed. Recovery shots into T-1 Bentgrass greens averaging only 5,000 square feet provide another examination. Short-sided recovery shots will not be for the faint of heart, and not many will have many recent memories of putting these greens.

Local legend Justin Thomas (+4000) will have his first chance to compete in a major championship in his backyard. The Louisville native and son of a PGA Professional has won this event twice in the last seven years, but he was on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2014. The 2017 edition at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte saw him capture his first major championship. The 2022 tournament at Southern Hills outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma, saw him match the largest come-from-behind victory (seven shots) in winning his second Wanamaker. The only time he has missed the cut from eight tries was in 2021 at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.

Oddsmaker’s extras

Tiger Woods (+12500): The four-time PGA Championship winner won back-to-back in 1999-2000 and 2006-07. The 2000 edition set the event scoring record on 18-under par (270) when Valhalla was a par 72. The last 10 editions for the 15-time major champion have produced only one top 10 – a solo second, two shots back of Koepka at Bellerive in 2018.

Phil Mickelson (+25000): The only other multiple PGA Championship winner in the field, he won his second title at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in 2021. Defeating Koepka by two shots, he became the oldest major champion in history at age 51. Playing in his 31st PGA Championship, he has cashed in the top 10 a total of 10 times from 27 weekend appearances including all three visits to Valhalla (second, T9 and T8).

Jason Day (+5500): The 2015 champion owns the scoring record in relation to par. Posting 20-under 268 at a very calm Straits Course at Whistling Straits on the shores of Lake Michigan, the Aussie almost went back-to-back but fell one shot short of a playoff to Jimmy Walker at Baltusrol. Playing the weekend in 11 of 14 attempts, his last of six top-10 paydays was achieved at TPC Harding Park in 2020.

Scottie Scheffler (+450): After cashing T4 on debut in the 2020 edition at TPC Harding Park, the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking this week added T8 in 2021 and shared second last year at Oak Hill. The only time he did not play on the weekend was in 2022 at Southern Hills, his favorite course.

Will Zalatoris (+6600): Making his first start since losing to Thomas in a playoff at Southern Hills in 2022, the transplanted Texan cashed T8 at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in his other appearance in 2021.

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