I’m a retired police officer. The aggressive arrest of PGA golfer takes the cake.
I was a police officer in Canada for 37 years. When I watched the arrest of Scottie Scheffler and followed the details made available I was shocked. With the limited details and no credible information provided by the police to support the need to arrest and charge any person under these circumstances, it is very suspect.
I do believe Scottie Sheffler’s explanation as to what his intentions were that morning. There is no way this guy was trying to break the law. From what info has surfaced to date publicly, my take is that the arresting officer over reacted to some guy not really understanding the chaotic situation. The reporter on the scene gave a pretty good description of a police officer getting overly aggressive and then having to find a way to save face. Well I would say he will not save face and will be lucky to save his job. I usually do not comment on over aggressive police action, but this takes the cake.
— Ron Nause, Canada
No body cam footage of the PGA golfer arrest? So much for Greenberg’s ‘world class city.’
Mayor Craig Greenberg gave a breakdown of the Scottie Scheffler arrest at the PGA tournament and it was very confusing to say the least, he said he wasn’t sure if the detective was wearing a body cam or just didn’t have it turned on. I thought the chief of police answered to the mayor and you would think the mayor would consult with the chief before making any comments.
It is very suspicious that it appears when there is a he-said-they-said incident, the body cam wasn’t turned on. The body cams the police department were furnished by the tax payers were very expensive and they were furnished for a purpose, and if the officer had his body cam turned on the citizens of Louisville wouldn’t be wondering who is right and who is wrong. Maybe if the Louisville Metro Police Department had a policy of two days off without pay if they didn’t have their body cams on they wouldn’t forget.
—Larry Warner, 40299
Valhalla or Va-ha-ha?
Looks like every time Louisville tries to portray itself as that “World Class City” we always hear about, we blow it. Golf course? How about using the land for a tow in lot and affordable housing?
I know the answer to that. Not in my backyard!
—Samuel L Osborne, 40205
Now no body cam footage?
What kind of cop grabs onto a car to get a supposed suspect? It’s a power hungry one. Then, they charge the driver with a felony. The cops clearly didn’t have control of the situation, just total incompetence. The cop didn’t have his body cam on as required by LMPD policy, so he can make up any story he wants. He needs to be fired, pronto. I’m staying out of Louisville.
Sunday ended with high drama as Schauffele’s 21-under score set a record for a major championship. He needed to make every stroke as the possibility of a three-way tie for first with Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland loomed until the final putts on the 18th hole.
The play rose to the occasion of one of golf’s majors and so did the support in Louisville.
So for all the worry about whether the PGA will return from an event first played here in 1996, I’m here to tell you, it will. Louisville is much bigger than its shortcomings. The proof is in how this community shows up. How this community embraces big sporting events.
If that’s not good enough, well, the proof is in the dollar signs.
“This was the all-time, most-attended and highest-revenue PGA (Championship) in their history,” Valhalla club co-owner Jimmy Kirchdorfer said.
He said they not only set records in general admission and hospitality tickets, but the 700,000 square feet of hospitality tents spread out over the course was record-breaking as well.
Now, try to name a professional sports organization that ignores a potential revenue-generating — a record-setting revenue-generating — opportunity. The PGA of America isn’t one of them.
That’s not to say there’s no work to be done.
Valhalla has to get creative in how it will handle parking and pedestrian traffic into the golf club. There’s always been an uneasy mix of people walking along the road with no sidewalk or barriers and the cars that fill two eastbound lanes, two westbound lanes and a fifth turning lane in the middle.
Friday’s tragic death of John C. Mills brought focus into just how dangerous it is.
He was one of the many workers and volunteers that usually remain anonymous who showed up to work as a security guard for a vendor. He was killed when he was hit by a bus crossing over Shelbyville Road trying to enter Valhalla.
That accident led to an embarrassment for the city when Louisville police arrested Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer, stemming from what he labeled a “misunderstanding” as he tried to enter the course by driving around the scene.
When the charges are inevitably dropped — and the faster it becomes a random trivia question, the better it’ll be for the city — it should ultimately not factor into future events returning.
Kirchdorfer said he had “no doubt” Valhalla would continue to bring major golf events to the city. (He added that the club has “never thought about” being open to a LIV Golf-sponsored event.)
Large crowds made their way around the course during the first day of play in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. (Photo: Sam Upshaw Jr./Louisville Courier Journal)
A major golf event may not return as fast as some wish — the PGA Championship has already selected its future sites through 2031. But the wait from the last time it was here was 10 years from Rory McIlroy’s win in 2014, and before that the gap was 14 years from Tiger Woods’ win in 2000.
“Selfishly, I hope it has an opportunity to come back,” said Louisville native and St. Xavier graduate Justin Thomas, who finished tied for eighth at 13 under. “… Louisville shows out when they have the opportunity to (watch golf tournaments), and they did this week.”
The PGA Championship returning to Valhalla came on the 60-year anniversary of Louisville native Bobby Nichols winning the 1964 PGA Championship — his lone major — in Columbus, Ohio. There’s enough of a golf heritage here that it won’t just be hastily disregarded in the future. Maybe even enough that Schauffele’s lead will be followed and people will learn to say the name right.
Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops.
Daly, 58, the winner of the 1991 PGA Championship, made his 30th career start at the PGA on Thursday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — John Daly withdrew on Friday morning ahead of the second round of the 106th playing of the PGA Championship.
Daly, 58, the winner of the 1991 PGA Championship, cited a thumb injury. He made his 30th career start at the PGA on Thursday and shot 11-over 82 at Valhalla Golf Club.
Daly plays primarily on PGA Tour Champions and has made seven starts this season, including one withdrawal. Daly used a golf cart during the first round, the only player in the 156-man field allowed to do so under permission of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Daly has five career PGA Tour wins. This is the third time he has withdrawn from the PGA Championship..
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Hush comes over any outdoor sporting event when a soft rain is falling. But Friday morning at Valhalla Golf Club, site of the 2024 PGA Championship, you can feel a stunned disbelief in the air. This as if people don’t really know what to say.
After a one-hour delay in play, T-shirts are now flying in as spectators are starting to fill the size of the fairways and ring themselves around the greens, but it’s eerily quiet. Yes, people are applauding when players are introduced on the first and 10th tee boxes, but otherwise this venue is quiet.
Umbrellas are everywhere in the practice area. There’s a soft rain falling, which should make the golf course vulnerable and produce low scores. Players and caddies are chatting, but you would not know that there had been a detention of the world’s number one player a few hundred yards away a few hours before.
As gloomy skies sit over Valhalla Golf Club prior to the second round of the PGA Championship, players practice on the putting green. (Photo: David Dusek/Golfweek)
Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic but was subsequently released.
Live updates at PGA Championship 2024
8:53 a.m.: While Scheffler’s situation is certainly something everyone is aware of, the job at hand is to win a major championship and keep up with the leader, Xander Schauffele, who tees off this afternoon. The only thing you can really hear in the practice area is the dull drone of electrical generators in the trucks nearby and in the television broadcast compound.
9:33 a.m.: Scheffler arrived in the practice area to a round of applause from the fans. After walking down the hillside, he did a fist bump with Rickie Fowler, who asked “You OK buddy?” Scottie replied, “Yeah, thanks,” and kept walking.
A lone fan yelled out “Free Scottie!”
9:44 a.m.: Brendan Todd walked by Scheffler at the range and added, “It’s great to see you a buddy.”
9:47 a.m.: Scheffler’s tee time is 10:08. Typically he would start preparing hours ahead of time. He’d eat breakfast, stretch and workout, hit balls and prepare mentally for the challenge of the course. Today, it looks like that will be condensed into a soggy hour or so.
9:49 a.m.: Does anything rattle Ted Scott, Scheffler’s caddie? He’s holding an umbrella, cleaning clubs, and smiling. You’d never know his guy had been handcuffed, in a police car and charged with crimes earlier this morning.
Scottie Scheffler and caddie Ted Scottlooks on from the tenth tee during the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 17, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
9:55 a.m.: Scheffler’s last drive of his warm-up had a carry distance of 292 yards. The ball speed was 177 mph. The morning’s events do not seem to have diminished his speed and he’s putting on his typical stripe on the range.
10:01 a.m.: After walking over the stair bridge and hitting a few bunker shots, Scheffler grabbed his putter and headed to the practice green. Few players, including Camilo Villegas, turned their heads. It was impossible to ignore the group of reporters, camera men, and TV people who are following Sheffler wherever he goes right now. Brian Harman is continuing to practice his putting with a mirror. Wyndham Clark and Will Zalatoris are going through their routines too. It’s the second round of a major championship and none of the things that are swirling around have anything to do with them.
10:28 a.m.: Kentucky is behind Scottie Scheffler. As he walked onto the 10th tee, chants of “Scottie! Scottie! Scottie!” erupted. While it will obviously be a very hard day for the world No. 1 player, the whole situation has created a very tough situation for Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman, too. This was always going to be a marquee group, but there’s a circus element to it now as well. As Scheffler was announced on the tee, an ocean of iPhones sprang from everywhere.
One fan yelled: “Scottie, I need your lawyer’s number!”
10:31 a.m.: Scheffler has always been a popular player, but never as popular as he is today here at Valhalla. After making a birdie on 10, he was cheered wildly walking to the 11th tee.
As is customary, the police officers providing security for Scheffler, Clark and Harman this morning. It’s a common practice with marquee players at every event, but this morning, after Scheffler was charged with assaulting one of their own, you have to wonder what is going through the minds of the police officers now assigned to ensure Scheffler’s safety.
11:39 a.m.: Scheffler released a statement to ESPN, saying “it was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do.”
11:58 a.m.: The golf world reacts on X to the news of the arrest, with #freescottie trending.
12:10 p.m.: Check out some photos from the golf course on Friday, where fans are flocking to get a glimpse of Scheffler.
12:35 p.m.: Scheffler mug shot T-shirts have already been created, printed, sold and worn by fans at Valhalla Friday morning.
Cole Turner with a T-shirt featuring Scottie Scheffler’s LMPD mug shot at the 2024 PGA Championship second round. (Photo: Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal)
12:49 p.m.: Scheffler, who had just 30 minutes to warm up before starting his round on the 10th hole, recorded his third birdie in nine holes on the 18th before he made the turn. He’s 2 under on the day and 6 under overall, tied for seventh in the championship. Xander Schauffele, who has yet to start his second round, leads at 9 under.
1:26 p.m.: Another birdie and more cheers for Scheffler, who carded a circled 3 on the par-4 second hole, his 11th hole of the day. That moves him to 7 under and into a tie for fourth. They say very little fazes him and the fact that he’s 3 under just hours after being arrested and charged is kind of amazing. He’s currently two back on the leaderboard of Xander Schauffele and Mark Hubbard.
2:08 p.m.: Scheffler birdied the fourth for his fifth birdie of the day against just one bogey.
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 17, 2024
3:01 p.m.: And yet another birdie for Scheffler. To a loud road from the fans on the seventh hole, his 16th of the day, Scheffler poured in his sixth birdie of the day to get to 9 under, two back of a red-hot Collin Morikawa, who has zoomed into the lead.
4 p.m.: Scheffler made par on his final two holes to sign for a 5-under 66 and reach 9 under par for the tournament. He’s currently T-3, two shots behind Morikawa.
Golfweek will be updating this story throughout the day.
Tiger Woods spent much of his back nine at the PGA Championship Thursday reaching for a towel.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With sweat pouring down his face and most of his shirt a darker shade of orange, Tiger Woods spent much of his back nine at the PGA Championship Thursday reaching for a towel on a humid day, but more comfortable than oppressively hot.
And the 15-time major champion was on pace for his best opening round in a major championship in four years before his putter suddenly abandoned him.
Still, despite a pair of three putts to end his day, Tiger was able to smile following his 1-over 72 on the long, but not terribly difficult, Valhalla Golf Course. He finished with three birdies and four bogeys.
The question now is: Will he be smiling Saturday?
“I am getting stronger for sure,” Tiger said. “It’s just that I just don’t play a whole lot of competitive rounds. I haven’t played since the Masters. So it’s a little bit different than being at home and playing a flat Florida course.”
The Jupiter Island resident’s career basically has been limited to majors and the Genesis Invitational since a car accident more than three years ago nearly cost him his right leg, one that now is held together by plates, rods and screws.
And watching him successfully navigate a major championship course for a couple of rounds is not unusual. It’s Tiger bouncing around and having success on the weekend that’s been the issue, and will be scrutinized once again this week … if he makes the cut.
In five majors since the accident, Tiger missed the cut once and has been forced to withdraw after the second or third round twice. He was 60th and 47th in the others.
Tiger’s average score in those five rounds in which he’s played Saturday or Sunday (he withdrew after three rounds at the 2022 PGA) is 78.8. That includes his 82 in the third round at this year’s Masters.
That’s what happens when a battered body prevents you from putting in the necessary work to remain sharp and starts to break down.
“Each day is a little bit different,” Tiger said. “Some days it’s better than others. It’s just the way it is. My body is just that way. Some days, it feels great, and other days, a bit of a struggle.”
Tiger Woods tees off on the 12th hole during the first round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. (Photo: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports)
Valhalla is not Augusta National, but it still will present its challenges when playing around 7,500 yards, as it is this week. Tiger will have plenty of rest between the first two rounds after teeing off in the first wave Thursday and late Friday. So if his body cooperates, maybe he gets to test it out into the weekend.
Those chances would have been much better, though, if Tiger’s putter cooperated late in his round Thursday.
The greens were not an issue most of the day, with Tiger making more than 94 feet of putts. He drained a 15-footer on No. 12 (his third hole) to save par, an 18-footer on the next hole for his first birdie, a 13-footer on No. 7 for another birdie.
But on No. 8 he blew his long birdie putt 10 feet past the hole and missed the par putt.
On his final hole, his birdie putt died 6-feet short of the cup. Once again, he could not get the par putt to drop.
The difference between the satisfaction of a 1-under round and the frustration of a 1-over round.
“I three-whipped the last two holes,” he said. “Wasn’t very good. Bad speed on 8, whipped it past the hole. And 9, hit it short. Hit it off the heel and blocked the second one. So wasn’t very good on the last two holes.”
Another 1-over likely will not be good enough to make the cut.
With a body that has been through multiple surgeries on his knees and back, and the trauma of the accident that resulted in several more operations, Tiger’s schedule is severely limited. He enters the PGA with five competitive rounds on the year, after just 10 in all of 2023.
“It took me probably three holes to get back into competitive flow again and get a feel for hitting the ball out there in competition, adrenaline, temperatures, green speeds,” he said.
“These are all things that normally I adjust to very quickly, and it just took me a few holes to get into it.”
Jack Nicklaus, the only man with more major championships than Tiger, recently said he has no doubt Tiger “has the ability” to compete. But like everyone else, Nicklaus, who has 18 major titles, wonders if Tiger’s body will allow him to contend.
The answer to that question will be a mystery every time Tiger steps on a course.
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and golf writer for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
Valhalla has no associations prized by the cool kids. Does that matter?
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For golf architecture aficionados, teeing off on Valhalla Golf Club is a challenge akin to taking a baseball bat to a sackful of puppies, since any spirited defense of its design merits is likely to come only from members, parochial boosters or shameless bullshitters.
The snobbery that animates architecture geeks is suspicious of championship courses credited to someone who hasn’t been beneath sod for a century or so. There are exceptions though. A course will get a more favorable hearing if it has a noble pedigree or was made over by a young(ish), still vital designer who is choosy in his projects. See Los Angeles Country Club, which showcased the sublime work of Gil Hanse at last summer’s U.S. Open. Or next month’s edition at Pinehurst No. 2. Neither Bill Coore or Ben Crenshaw can claim youth, but are more vital than Donald Ross and their work at his original was impeccable.
Valhalla has no such associations prized by the cool kids. It was designed from scratch by Jack Nicklaus, who is not only still with us but fiercely opinionated on his craft and prodigious in his output. Those are three strikes in the zone for highfalutins. Location matters too, of course. The nearest ocean to Valhalla is 700-odd miles away, or a couple thousand if you take a wrong turn at the gate. To find a sand dune you’d best drive to the landscape supply store a few miles north. That’s another couple over the center of the plate.
Elevated standards are fine, of course. To be encouraged even. How else to distinguish between a Rembrandt and the dreck adorning the walls of a hot sheets motel in Gary, Indiana? But when it comes to tournament golf — and major championships in particular — many a thrilling drama has been mounted on a humdrum stage. Like Rory McIlroy in 2014. Or Tiger Woods in ’00. And Mark Brooks in ’96. Same goes for the U.S. Open. Torrey Pines hosted a captivating contest once, but isn’t redeemed for the enduring association with tremendous theater.
Majors are about venues, not golf courses. Particularly in this era when things like logistics, hospitality and merchandising trump quaint considerations like architectural merit, history and the pulse rate of the designer. One only need peruse Ryder Cup hosts over the last 40 years, especially in Europe, where the number of hotel rooms on-site often seems the highest priority. Measured against those metrics, Valhalla is a fine venue for a major. There’s ample space for infrastructure, no squeeze on corporate suites, and room to sling beer and shirts. It doesn’t matter that it’s an uninspired golf course on a suboptimal property.
More than anything, Valhalla can accommodate spectators. That isn’t always the case at golf’s biggest events. Los Angeles C.C. had limited space for non-members while Merion was (and will be) so cramped that spectators were in danger of inadvertently reaching second base with each other. Midwest venues seldom fail to deliver substantial attendance numbers. Bellerive in St. Louis was a middling design that drew enormous crowds in 2018. And rapt theatergoers tend to not much care about the aesthetics or provenance of the house.
Large crowds gathered for a day of golf at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. (Photo: Sam Upshaw Jr./Louisville Courier Journal)
Low scoring is also often cited as a negative by design snobs, for whom it’s an article of faith that the birdie rate is inversely proportional to the caliber of the design. There were plenty of red numbers on day one at Valhalla, and while that disappoints those among us who enjoy seeing the thumbscrews turned on the world’s best, it’s tough getting folks to pay up or tune in to see guys hacking sideways from the hay. More than ever, the sport ought to be serving that constituency what it wants. The 106th PGA Championship will not be a good week for those who prize par as a proximate reflection of demanding championship golf.
Valhalla is 3-for-3 in proving that outstanding championships and outstanding architecture are mutually exclusive, that it can supply jolts to rival the electricity pylons dotting the property. Hopefully, that becomes 4-for-4. If not, well it’s unlikely a major will return here anyway since the PGA of America no longer has an ownership stake in the club. So tempting as it is for the course-centric congregation to condemn, chill a little. Perhaps by that wonderful rock-lined waterfall on the 18th hole.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Major championship fields are perennially fertile, at least when it comes to fodder for debate. The Masters is criticized for having too few competitors, and for being oversubscribed with the aged and amateurs. The two Opens get knocked for being, well, too open, as guys with respectable rankings are forced to enter qualifying to earn a berth. The PGA Championship takes its licks for having 20 club professionals among the starters. Since recent debate over field composition has focused on who is absent — some LIV players — the PGA of America has flipped the conversation by inviting a player whose presence is at best dubious.
Eligibility criteria for the PGA Championship include a provision allowing invitations to players not otherwise exempt. Traditionally that category has been used to admit players within the top 100 in the world ranking. This year, however, it is being used as a back door means to indulge the entitlement of LIV’s most vocal gripe.
Since LIV opted not to meet the standards for world ranking points — the most accessible path into majors — its players have taken to routinely denouncing the ranking as unfit for purpose, and have repeatedly suggested that majors are diminished (or even co-conspirators) by not carving out an alternative direct path for them. Sixteen LIV golfers are in the field at Valhalla, and even vehement critics would have to concede that most are justified in being invited.
About half of LIV’s contingent is covered by long-established criteria (recent wins, past glories) rather than by dint of invitation, including Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Martin Kaymer. Tyrrell Hatton is still No. 18 in the world ranking, Adrian Meronk 65th, Lucas Herbert 90th and Patrick Reed 93rd (close enough to the top 100 line that he might want to start plotting a litigation strategy for 2025). Some lesser-knowns are deserving if one brushes the surface of recent performances. Dean Burmester won twice on the DP World Tour late last year, including the South African Open. Joaquin Niemann won the Australian Open. Andy Ogletree and David Puig have notched wins on the Asian Tour.
That’s 15 of 16. Which leaves Talor Gooch as the asterisk.
Talor Gooch smiles on the 11th hole during a practice round prior to the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on May 15, 2023, in Rochester, New York. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
“We have the most flexibility of any of the majors,” said Seth Waugh, the PGA of America’s CEO when addressing a question about Gooch’s presence without actually mentioning Gooch’s presence. “We have the ability to kind of lean in and really pick the best field in golf, and that’s never been, frankly, more important than it is right now.”
“It’s going to be a bit more of an art form than a math problem,” he added.
Membership of the LIV tour is not a barrier to playing in a major championship. Those who compete elsewhere and demonstrate form are acknowledged. Witness Niemann receiving a Masters invitation. Playing only LIV events and making no effort to meet any championship qualification criteria should be a barrier. Yet the PGA of America chose instead to reward that.
Gooch is 668th in the world ranking. He has entered only two tournaments outside LIV since the Open last July and he withdrew from one of them. He declared that a Rory McIlroy victory at the Masters would have had an asterisk because worthy LIV guys (presumably himself) weren’t there. More recently, he said he would not enter qualifying for the U.S Open. Gooch the mooch isn’t interested in earning a spot in majors. He just thinks he’s entitled to it. And the PGA Championship gave it to him.
So why?
Always alert for an opportunity to distinguish itself from the other majors — and increasingly now from top-tier Tour events — the PGA Championship is perhaps signaling its future as being the first to create a pathway for LIV. Gooch is here because he topped that circuit’s points list in 2023. The only member of the top 5 on LIV’s ’24 list not here is Louis Oosthuizen. He was also invited but declined.
Gooch being gifted a tee time at Valhalla is also a warning shot at the PGA Tour. Having stood with the Tour through the maelstrom, the PGA of America is weary and eager to see a resolution. Waugh said the division has an economic impact and that the professional game isn’t healthy. Left unsaid was the obvious threat: if a deal doesn’t sort this out, the PGA Championship will formally admit LIV members, thereby removing a key reason why others might hesitate to jump to the Saudi league.
If LIV guys meet the criteria for majors, there’s no valid basis for excluding them. If their case is borderline, LIV status shouldn’t count as a strike against. But rewriting that criteria to accommodate players who refuse to make an effort to comply with requirements — or wordsmithing cute carveouts — is just timorous. Entitled demands for free passes should be stiff-armed, not indulged. If the decision to invite Gooch is an attempt by the PGA Championship to distinguish itself, it worked. But not in the way it was hoped.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Just two days after picking up his 26th career PGA Tour title at the Wells Fargo Championship, Rory McIlroy made headlines on Tuesday for the wrong reason – filing for divorce from his wife of seven years citing the marriage as “irretrievably broken,” requesting “shared parental responsibility” of their daughter, Poppy, and “establishing a parental plan, including a timesharing schedule.”
McIlroy released a statement through his manager saying he would not be making any comments about his private life and the closest he came to answering a question on the subject during his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday ahead of the 106th PGA Championship asked him about his energy levels and, on a personal level, how he was doing?
“I’m ready to play this week,” he said before moving on.
McIlroy, who turned 35 last week, has made plenty of headlines between being embroiled in PGA Tour policy board politics and serving as a de facto spokesman for the PGA Tour in its fight with LIV Golf, but the one headline he hasn’t made for a nearly a decade is as a major champion. It was at the 2014 PGA Championship here at Valhalla Golf Club in August that McIlroy captured his second Wanamaker Trophy and fourth major title. He was 25, the third-youngest to win four major titles since 1900 (Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus), the No. 1 player in the world, and his future seemed boundless.
“I thought at that point in time that we might see Rory win 10 major championships. He had limitless ability, unbelievable length, could do everything, and was making it look really easy,” said ESPN’s Andy North. “Life changes. You get married. You have kids. You have other business obligations. Your focus becomes not as singular on golf as it should be, and every single good player has gone through that. Rory has had an amazing career. I personally thought that he might win more than he has, which that’s scary because he’s won plenty.”
During the 35 major starts since his last win, McIlroy has recorded 20 top-10 finishes including 10 appearances in the top five, the most of any player in the last decade.
“To not at the very least fall into one is unfathomable,” said CBS Sports lead analyst Trevor Immelman.
When McIlroy left the PGA Championship a year ago after finishing seventh, his confidence was shot. The cameras for the Netflix documentary “Full Swing” captured McIlroy in an uncharacteristic fit of rage in the locker room.
“My technique is nowhere near as good as it used to be. I almost feel like I wanna do a complete reboot … It’s the only way I feel like I’m gonna break through,” McIlroy complained to his manager and caddie.
Speaking on Wednesday during his press conference, he said, “I felt like my game wasn’t in really good shape after Oak Hill. Sort of needed to reset, work on a few things.”
Rory McIlroy works out on the driving range during a practice round of the 2023 PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country Club. (Photo: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports)
One year later, McIlroy’s game is in a much better place. The world No. 2 was a non-factor in his latest quest to complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters in April, but enters the PGA having teamed with Shane Lowry to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and winning last week in Charlotte with a closing 65 to blow past 54-hole leader Xander Schauffele. The last time McIlroy played here he was oozing confidence, having won his two previous starts heading into the PGA, and that symmetry hasn’t gone unnoticed.
McIlroy, for one, downplayed the significance of his success here 10 years ago and what it could mean for his bid to win a fifth major title.
“It’s hard to rekindle those feelings and those memories. I can vaguely remember, you know, coming here off the back of winning The Open and the old WGC at Akron,” he said. “But you know, I think it’s all about confidence and momentum, and I have a lot of confidence and quite a bit of momentum coming into this week.”
McIlroy said that he’s found a driver he loves and his tee game has been as good as ever. That should come in handy at a big, brawny course softened by recent rainstorms like Valhalla.
“I think this is a golf course that allows you to play with freedom because it’s a big golf course. The corridors are wide, not too dissimilar to last week at Quail Hollow, so you can open your shoulders up off the tee and try to take your chances from there,” he said.
If McIlroy can quiet all the noise in his life and find safe harbor between the ropes and keep playing with the swagger of the Summer of 2014, he could finally capture that elusive fifth major. ESPN’s Curtis Strange tabbed it a big week for McIlroy.
“If he could win a major championship, then the energy that it would create within him to do more might be phenomenal,” he said.
Block captivated those watching on television. He became an adopted son of Rochester, New York, where last year’s PGA Championship was contested at Oak Hill Country Club. And during his final round, he hit one of the tournament’s most memorable shots in recent memory: a hole-in-one at the 15th hole, playing alongside one of the sport’s biggest stars, Rory McIlroy.
“I couldn’t believe that my game held up for four straight days at Oak Hill,” Block said Tuesday. “That golf course is so hard. Just a spectacular golf course, especially when we lost the roll (on the fairways) going into Saturday when it rained. … I couldn’t believe that the 47-year-old club pro’s swing and putting stroke somehow held up during that time.”
One year later, Block returns to the PGA Championship, held at Valhalla Golf Club for the first time since 2014.
“Valhalla is just a spectacular track,” Block said. “I have not heard one negative thing said from any player or caddie this entire week. Only positives. It’s very fair. … I’m excited to get out there and tee it up.”
Here’s what you need to know about Block heading into Thursday’s opening round:
Who is Michael Block again?
Michael Block at the driving range during the final round of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on May 21, 2023 in Rochester, New York. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Block is a golf instructor, serving as the head golf professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, California.
Michael Block reacts after being awarded the low PGA Championship Club Professional Bowl at Oak Hill Country Club. (Photo: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports)
Block finished in a tie for 15th at the 2023 PGA Championship. It was the best showing by a PGA professional (those who teach the game) since Lonnie Nielsen tied for 11th at Inverness in 1986 — and the third-best all time.
Has Michael Block ever won on the PGA Tour?
No, Block has never won a PGA Tour tournament. Block has appeared in 30 PGA Tour events, making five cuts. His best finish was the T15 at the PGA Championship — the only cut he made in six tries during the 2022-23 season.
But he’s no stranger to success elsewhere, as he’s won the Southern California PGA Championship four times.
Has Michael Block competed in more than one PGA Championship?
Yes, this year will mark his sixth appearance in the PGA Championship. Prior to last year, he never had made the weekend at the PGA.
Coincidentally, the first time he played in the PGA was the 2014 edition … also at Valhalla.
“2014 was great,” Block said, “and the course has, I think, gained a couple hundred yards (since then). … But it’s going to — it will be a good time. Just keep it in the short grass, for sure.”
Has Michael Block played at Valhalla Golf Club prior to this year?
As far as Woods winning a 16th major championship? Nobilo said it’s time to be realistic.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The last time we saw Tiger Woods he was limping off the course at Augusta National after finishing dead last among those players who completed 72 holes at the Masters. He’s back this week – sporting a goatee, no less – for the 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, a course where at this tournament in 2000 Woods became the first player to win three straight majors since Ben Hogan in 1953.
In April, Woods showed grit and moxie and that he’s still got the shots to stay within striking distance of the lead through 36 holes, even in some of the most difficult conditions that had been seen at the Masters in a long time. Woods set a Masters record, making the cut for the 24th consecutive time, but shot 82 on Saturday.
“This one was done sort of with string and tape, really,” CBS commentator Frank Nobilo said recently on the “Musings on Golf” podcast.
But as far as winning a 16th major championship? Nobilo said it’s time to be realistic.
“This is going to come across as negative but you’ve got to say no,” he said on the podcast. “I would never say no against Tiger Woods but to be realistic if you added all the players up together you’d say that his chances of winning are close to none, right? If he was to do what he did in 2019 (at the Masters) again that’s how amazing that would be. I didn’t think 2019 would happen and if I went back to the week before I think I’m on record saying I don’t think it’s possible. That’s how good a performance that was.”
If Woods only is capable of making the cut, it begs the question: How much longer will he keep showing up at majors? ESPN golf analyst Curtis Strange, a two-time U.S. Open champion, also expressed doubt that Woods would be adding to his 82 career PGA Tour titles.
“When that energy and that adrenaline wears off either sometime Thursday or Friday, what does he have after that?” Strange wondered. “We saw it a little bit at the Masters, the energy wore out, and there’s not the goal of winning, so what else is there for him? I think he’ll hit a lot of good shots and make some putts, but can he do it over four days?”
Curtis Strange is a part of ESPN’s broadcasting crew.
Strange’s ESPN colleague Andy North was more hopeful.
“I think every one of the majors he plays he’s got a better chance. I think they all become easier walks for him as we get into the season. But I think he’s played well at Valhalla. He’s got some great memories there. He’s got a lot of great shots he can step up on tees and remember hitting. I think that’s really important,” North said.“Where is his game in the last month? How much work has he been able to get in? I think that’s what it all boils down to.”
For that answer let’s listen to what Woods said on Tuesday during his pre-tournament press conference. He noted that his body is OK, that the fused ankle “is what it is,” and added, “I wish my game was a little bit sharper. Again, I don’t have a lot of competitive reps, so I am having to rely on my practice sessions and getting stuff done either at home or here on-site.”
But Woods still has the self-belief that he can hit the shots and that he can find some of the old magic at a place where he tasted victory in 2000.
“It’s getting around is more of the difficulty that I face day-to-day and the recovery of pushing myself either in practice or in competition days. You saw it at Augusta. I was there after two days and didn’t do very well on the weekend,” he said. “I still feel that I can win golf tournaments. I still feel I can hit the shots and still feel like I still have my hand around the greens and I can putt. I just need to do it for all four days, not like I did at Augusta for only two.”
Max Homa played with Woods during the opening two rounds at Augusta National and raved about the way Woods performed to make it to the weekend at the Masters. Asked how much gas Woods still has in the tank, Homa said, “If he had made anything he would have been right around the lead. So, it was a tough draw for him in that we had to play 20-odd some holes the second day. He wasn’t limping too bad. So, yeah, I think he’s got a decent amount.”
But can Tiger win again?
“At some point it probably just comes down to him, just how badly does he want it,” Homa said. “Watching him play those two days at Augusta, I very much thought he could win another golf tournament. So I don’t know tank-wise, but he works his ass off and he’s really, really good at golf so I would put nothing past him at this point. It always would be crazy to think he would win another one.”
Of Woods’s manic effort to keep playing after being involved in a single-car accident that battered his body and required multiple surgeries, Nobilo agreed.
“Everything he’s done to still play golf again, I don’t know of a single person that would be even trying to play golf again with what he’s gone through,” he said.
Woods’s quest for major No. 16 and win No. 83 begins on Thursday at 8:04 a.m. ET off the 10th tee in a grouping with Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley.
