Who will win the 2024 PGA Championship? Five players who should contend at Valhalla

The passage describes the upcoming PGA Championship and the competition for the Wanamaker Trophy. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:

• Location: Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville
• Tournament: PGA Championship
• Trophy: Wanamaker Trophy
• Number of Players: 156
• Underdogs: Have a history of winning the PGA Championship (e.g., Y.E. Yang, Shaun Micheel, Rich Beem, John Daly)

The passage mentions there are favorites and underdogs, and it will then introduce ten players expected to be in contention for the win.

LIST OF PLAYERS

1.Scottie Scheffler

This passage dives into Scottie Scheffler’s recent performance and upcoming participation in the PGA Championship:

• Reason for missing Wells Fargo: Birth of his first son, Bennett
• Recent form: Won 4 out of his last 5 events, tied for 2nd in the other
• Overall season: Finished outside top 10 only once (tied for 17th)
• Dominant stats: The author avoids listing all his No. 1 rankings due to their sheer number

The passage also mentions a tweet from Justin Ray showcasing Scheffler’s impressive stats, including his performance in major championships over the past three years.

2.Rory McIlroy

This passage details Rory McIlroy’s situation heading into the PGA Championship:

• Past Achievement: Won the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, joining an elite group with 4 majors by age 25.
• Recent Success: Won his last two tournaments (Zurich Classic & Wells Fargo)
• Major Championship Stalemate: Despite consistent top 10 finishes, hasn’t won a major since 2014 (reasons include slow starts, errors, and sometimes being outplayed).
• Current Form: In top form with consecutive wins and a recent top 3 finish.
• Personal Life: Recently filed for divorce, raising questions about how it might affect his performance.
• Key Point: His ability to manage personal issues while focusing on winning his first major in a decade could be crucial this week.

3.Brooks Koepka

This passage highlights Brooks Koepka’s strong position heading into the PGA Championship:

• Impressive Major Record: Since 2015, he has 17 top 10 finishes in majors, second only to McIlroy.
• Major Championship Wins: Holds five major titles, compared to McIlroy’s zero during this period.
• PGA Championship Pedigree: Won the PGA Championship last year and two out of the past six.
• Potential PGA Championship Greatness: A win this week would put him among a legendary group with at least four PGA Championship wins (Wanamaker trophies).
• Recent Victory: Won the LIV Golf Tour’s Singapore event, demonstrating his current form.

4.Jon Rahm

Jon Rahm’s strong performance leading into the PGA Championship:

• Impressive Accomplishments: Won the U.S. Open (2021) and Masters (2023), putting him halfway to a career Grand Slam.
• Major Championship Consistency: Holds the longest active streak of making cuts in majors (18 consecutive).
• Strong Scoring Average: Has the 3rd best scoring average (70.40) among players with at least 40 rounds in majors during his cut streak.
• LIV Tour Success: Consistent top 15 finishes in LIV events (yet to win).
• PGA Championship History: Lacks a top 5 finish in the PGA Championship (tied for 4th in 2018).

Five more who might contend

Ludvig Åberg: The young, immensely talented Swede would rank higher on this list if not for his health. Åberg withdrew from the Wells Fargo, citing lingering knee soreness. When his body hasn’t bothered him, he’s been a force. Already No. 6 in the OWGR, Åberg has a victory, three runners-up, five top fives and nine top 10s in just 26 starts on the PGA Tour. And only Scheffler bested him in his major-championship debut last month at Augusta National Golf Club. If his knee isn’t an issue, he’ll be a factor this week.

Patrick Cantlay: While he’s started to turn around his performance in major championships — he has five top 15s in his last seven appearances after having only four in his first 21 — it’s still not what is expected for a player of his caliber, who hasn’t been outside the top 10 in the OWGR since June 2021. Cantlay is 11 for 11 in made cuts on the PGA Tour this season but hasn’t won an event since the 2022 BMW Championship.

Collin Morikawa: The 2020 PGA champion, whose level of play dropped off after his 2021 Open Championship triumph, has bounced back in the past 10 months. Since a missed cut at the 2023 Open, he ended his winless drought (thanks to a victory at the Zozo Championship) and has seven top 25s in 11 tournaments this season. He finished third at the Masters.

Jordan Spieth: A PGA Championship win is all that separates Spieth from the career Grand Slam and golf immortality, joining a group consisting of just five players: Nicklaus, Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen. But he’ll have to overcome lackluster results in recent years: He hasn’t finished better than 29th in the last four PGA Championships and has just two victories since his 2017 Open Championship win. Spieth also has twice as many missed cuts (seven) as top 10s (three) in 12 events in 2024.

Justin Thomas: The local favorite, and two-time PGA champion, undoubtedly will have the crowd behind him. But can he rediscover consistent form in majors? In his first 28 major championships, he missed just five cuts. Since the beginning of 2023, however, he’s failed to make the weekend four times in five majors; the lone made cut was last year’s PGA, where he tied for 65th.

Who will win the 2024 PGA Championship? Five players who should contend at Valhalla

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