Tag: PGA Championship

PGA Championship 2024 Friday second round tee times and groups

PGA Championship tee times are here.

For the second time in less than 365 days, Xander Schauffele opened a major championship with a 62. Schauffele’s 9-under effort during the first round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, gives him a three-shot lead over Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala and Mark Hubbard after 18 holes. His previous 62 came at the U.S. Open last year (he’d go on to finish T-10).

Some other big names in the mix include Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Tom Kim at 5 under, Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler at 4 under and Cam Smith, Viktor Hovland, Max Homa and Bryson DeChambeau at 3 under.

The second round starting times were delayed 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Here are the updated tee times and groups for the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship. If you’re looking for how to watch information, you can find it here.

PGA: Tournament hub | Weather forecast

Friday tee times

1st tee

Tee time Players
8:35 a.m.
Rich Beem, Sebastian Soderberg, Kazuma Kobori
8:46 a.m.
Josh Bevell, Aaron Rai, Jordan Smith
8:57 a.m.
Andrew Putnam, Jesse Mueller, Charley Hoffman
9:08 a.m.
Si Woo Kim, Tom Hoge, Alex Noren
9:19 a.m.
Y.E. Yang, Matthieu Pavon, J.T. Poston
9:30 a.m.
Jake Knapp, Jason Dufner, Francesco Molinari
9:41 a.m.
Thomas Detry, Jimmy Walker, Rasmus Hojgaard
9:52 a.m.
Austin Eckroat, Luke List, Mackenzie Hughes
10:03 a.m.
Sungjae Im, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Beau Hossler
10:14 a.m.
Thorbjorn Olesen, Brendon Todd, Keith Mitchell
10:25 a.m.
John Somers, Brice Garnett, Jesper Svensson
10:36 a.m.
Emiliano Grillo, Evan Bowser, Alejandro Tosti
10:47 a.m.
Vincent Norrman, Wyatt Worthington II, Chris Gotterup
2:05 p.m.
Doug Ghim, Tyler Collet, Adrian Meronk
2:16 p.m.
Larkin Gross, Lucas Herbert, Grayson Murray
2:27 p.m.
Lucas Glover, Stephan Jaeger, Russell Henley
2:38 p.m.
Ludvig Aberg, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas
2:49 p.m.
Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley
3 p.m.
Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose
3:11 p.m.
Cam Smith, Hideki Matsuyama, Viktor Hovland
3:22 p.m.
Brooks Koepka, Max Homa, Jordan Spieth
3:33 p.m.
Tony Finau, Tyrrell Hatton, Sahith Theegala
3:44 p.m.
Akshay Bhatia, Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood
3:55 p.m.
Sepp Straka, Takumi Kanaya, Nick Taylor
4:06 p.m.
Andy Svoboda, Ben Griffin, Dean Burmester
4:17 p.m.
Preston Cole, Tim Widing, Adrian Otaegui

10th tee

Tee time Players
8:35 a.m.
David Puig, Thriston Lawrence, Matt Dobyns
8:46 a.m.
Tracy Phillips, Denny McCarthy, Keita Makajima
8:57 a.m.
Talor Gooch, Cameron Davis, Harris English
9:08 a.m.
Jason Day, Shane Lowry, Nicolai Hojgaard
9:19 a.m.
Min Woo Lee, Chris Kirk, Billy Horschel
9:30 a.m.
Gary Woodland, Tom Kim, Joaquin Niemann
9:41 a.m.
Collin Morikawa, Phil Mickelson, Matt Fitzpatrick
9:52 a.m.
Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm, Cam Young
10:03 a.m.
Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Scottie Scheffler
10:14 a.m.
Patrick Cantlay, Camilo Villegas, Will Zalatoris
10:25 a.m.
Patrick Reed, Sam Burns, Padraig Harrington
10:36 a.m.
Brad Marek, Mark Hubbard, Maverick McNealy
10:47 a.m.
Braden Shattuck, Taylor Montgomery, S.H. Kim
2:05 p.m.
Michael Block, Luke Donald, Shaun Micheel
2:16 p.m.
Jeff Kellen, Alex Smalley, Ben Kohles
2:27 p.m.
Ryan Fox, Josh Speight, Matt Wallace
2:38 p.m.
Zac Oakley, Adam Svensson, Ryo Hisatsune
2:49 p.m.
Adam Hadwin, Martin Kaymer, Taylor Pendrith
3 p.m.
Byeong Hun An, Alexander Bjork, Eric Cole
3:11 p.m.
Adam Schenk, Corey Conners, Nick Dunlap
3:22 p.m.
John Daly, Lee Hodges, Robert MacIntyre
3:33 p.m.
Peter Malnati, Kurt Kitayama, Victor Perez
3:44 p.m.
Ben Polland, Zac Blair, Ryan Van Velzen
3:55 p.m.
Jeremy Wells, Sami Valimaki, K.H. Lee
4:06 p.m.
Jared Jones, Taylor Moore, Patrick Rodgers
4:17 p.m.
Kyle Mendoza, Andy Ogletree, Erik van Rooyen

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Jordan Spieth can still win the career Grand Slam at Valhalla, but it won’t be easy

The closest he’s come to hoisting the Wanamaker trophy came back in his magical summer of 2015.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Before Jordan Spieth finished packing his bags for the 2024 PGA Championship and got on the plane bound for the Bluegrass State, he knew one of the questions that he would get asked in his pre-tournament press conference. In fact, the assembled media on Tuesday didn’t even have to ask because Speith addressed it in his opening remarks.

“It’s a major championship. It’s the one that’s eluded me so far, and it would be pretty incredible to work my way into contention and have a chance this week and see if I can try to make that history,” he said.

The history that Spieth, 30, was referring to is winning the career Grand Slam. A dozen golfers have won three legs of the “impenetrable quadrilateral” but only five golfers — Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen — have won the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship. Spieth won the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open, then raised the Claret Jug after winning the 2017 British Open at Royal Birkdale. The closest he’s come to hoisting the Wanamaker trophy came back in his magical summer of 2015 when he was the runner-up to Jason Day at Whistling Straits.

After storms on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday softened Valhalla Golf Club, Thursday morning dawned sunny and windless, making conditions ideal for scoring. Xander Schauffele posted a bogey-free 62. Tony Finau and Sahith Theegala carded 65s and Rory McIlroy shot 66, but bogeys on the sixth and ninth holes (Spieth’s 15th and 18th, respectively) left the Texan with a 2-under 69 and seven shots off the lead and tied for 16th as the afternoon wave played the course.

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: How to watch | Tournament hub | Friday tee times

On his final hole of the day, Spieth hit a wedge from 124 away from the hole that landed in a greenside bunker on the right. His next shot barely escaped the bunker and forced him to balance carefully as he chipped to save par. his attempt finished 5 inches from the cup and had to sting because, with storms forecast for Friday and Saturday, Spieth had to know that today was the day to make birdies and go low. After signing his card, Spieth was not among the players who talked with the media.

Coming into the PGA Championship, Spieth has had a frustrating year. In 12 events on the PGA Tour this season, he has three top 10s (third at The Sentry, T-6 at the WM Phoenix Open and T-10 at the Valero Texas Open), but he missed the cut at the Players Championship and the Masters.

“I stand by what I’ve kind of said a little bit this year,” Spieth said on Tuesday. “I feel like my mechanics are more sound than they have been in a long time. I feel like I’m driving the ball better, maybe, than I’ve ever driven the golf ball. I feel like I’m playing better than my results, and that’s really frustrating. It’s a different kind of frustration. It’s not kind of the same as when you’re searching for stuff.”

The numbers back up Spieth’s statement, to a point. At the end of Spieth’s amazing 2015 season, when he won two majors and almost won two more, he ranked 15th on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and coming into this season’s PGA Championship, while his ranking is also 15th, his average of 0.504 is slightly higher than it was nine years ago and his average driving distance of 304.2 yards is more than 12 yards longer. Spieth is still an excellent putter too, but as the chart below reveals, his iron game, represented by Strokes Gained: Approach the Green has fallen dramatically.

Thursday at Valhalla Golf Club, it was more of the same. Spieth drove the ball well but hit only half the greens in regulation, and as Scottie Scheffler climbed the leaderboard early Thursday afternoon, Spieth ranked 107th in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (-0.428).

Spieth has 54 more holes to play at the 106th PGA Championship, and he might stage a comeback and contend on the weekend. There were certainly flashes of solid iron play on Thursday, like the shot from 186 yards out to 10 feet to set up a birdie on 12 and the wedge from 102 yards to 2 feet on 13. A loose tee shot that Spieth liked coming off his driver’s face on the sixth hole led to a bogey, but starting Friday he can’t give away more shots and hope to win the one major that’s eluded him. He’s not chasing down Secretariat or American Pharoah at nearby Churchill Downs, but he’s already a few furlongs behind after the first turn.

The Butch Harmon effect: Rory McIlroy’s improved wedge game keys start at 2024 PGA Championship

It’s been a game-changer for the four-time major winner.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In early April, Rory McIlroy flew to Las Vegas to see legendary golf instructor Butch Harmon for a second set of eyes.

“These are my Trackmans right here,” Harmon told his son Claude Harmon III on the “Son of a Butch” podcast, pointing to his nearly 81-year-old blue eyes. “These have worked pretty good for the last 40 years for these guys.”

Harmon had watched McIlroy make 26 birdies at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and finished T-21. One week later, McIlroy missed greens at TPC Sawgrass with his short irons.

“I explained to him you have a golf swing built to drive the ball. You’re the best driver of the ball in the game that I’ve seen since Greg Norman. The problem is you hit your wedge shots with your driver swing,” Harmon explained. “You have this big-old long swing and this big-old follow-thru and the balls to high in the air. I need to show you how to hit three-quarter shots, bring the ball flight down so one hop and stop. You’ll control the distance better. I said, ‘Look, you need to put your own take on how you do it’ and so far he’s done a nice job of it.”

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: How to watch | Tournament hub | Friday tee times

McIlroy, who entered the 2024 PGA Championship having won in his previous two starts, had one of those wedge shots Harmon talked about on Thursday that kept his round from coming off the rails.

At the par-5 18th hole, the ninth hole of the day for McIlroy who started on the back, the Northern Irishman leaked his tee shot to the right and into the water. He took a penalty and a drop and layed up to 120 yards. He had made bogey on the previous hole to fall back to 1 under after a pair of early birdies at Nos. 10 and 13 and was in danger of dropping back to even on a day where balmy conditions and receptive greens were a recipe for low scoring.

But McIlroy hit a beautiful wedge shot that hopped and stopped about 5 feet from the hole. McIlroy drained the par saver, made birdie at No. 1 and strung together three birdies in a row starting at No. 5 and including a chip-in at the sixth en route to an opening-round 5-under 66. That matches his opening-round 66 in the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, which he went on to win.

Of the up-and-down at 18, which felt as good as any birdie, he said, “That kept any momentum that I had going into the next nine.”

That wasn’t his only good wedge shot. McIlroy had his own way of describing how he’s been dialed in so well of late with the short irons.

“I think just the same feelings I’ve been having with my golf swing, feeling strength in the club face on the way back, and then trying to keep that strength so that it forces me to really get out of the way on the down swing,” he said. “That’s the thought with the wedges and with the irons.”

It’s been a game-changer for the four-time major winner and could be the ticket to get him a third Wanamaker trophy. McIlroy, who is seeking his first major since winning the 2014 PGA Championship here nearly 10 years ago, sits four behind the pacesetter Xander Schauffele, who he chased down last week at the Wells Fargo Championship, and tied for fourth with Bob MacIntyre.

“I sort of felt like it was pretty scrappy for the most part,” said McIlroy, who didn’t drive it anywhere near as well as he did last week. “I don’t really feel like I left many out there. I thought I got a lot out of my game today… not really happy with how I played but at least happy with the score.”

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Rusty Tiger Woods saved by trusty putter in first round of 2024 PGA Championship

Woods shot a 1-over 72 in the first round at Valhalla on Thursday.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Tiger Woods was back on the golf course Thursday morning at the 2024 PGA Championship for the first time in competition since his last-place finish at the 2024 Masters, and it showed early.

After an iffy start off the 10th tee on the back nine that featured numerous knee-knocking par saves, Woods found some form briefly on the front nine but leaked oil down the stretch en route to an opening-round 1-over 72 at Valhalla Golf Club. A four-time PGA Championship winner in 25 previous appearances, Woods won the 2000 PGA held here at the big ballpark in the Bluegrass State but missed the cut the last time the championship was at Valhalla in 2014.

“I am getting stronger for sure. It’s just that I just don’t play a whole lot of competitive rounds,” Woods said on Thursday. “I haven’t played since the Masters. So it’s a little bit different than being at home and playing a flat Florida course.”

Starting on the par-5 10th hole, Woods missed a great look at birdie that frankly didn’t come close to the hole. Missing greens and fairways can come with a real penalty at Valhalla, especially given the thick, juicy rough courtesy of three days of rain leading up to the first round, and Woods learned that lesson the hard way on the par-3 11th where he made bogey after airmailing the green.

TRACKER: Tiger’s 1-over 72 with shot-by-shot analysis

He got the shot back with his first birdie of the day two holes later on No. 13, but immediately gave it away after another poor tee shot on No. 15. Woods then fought off bogeys like Bruce Lee fending off attackers on Nos. 16-18 to make the turn at 1-over 37.

“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,” Woods explained. “These are all things that normally I adjust to very quickly, and it just took me a few holes to get into it.”

Woods rode the par train for two more holes around the turn before he made his second birdie of the day thanks to a dart to five feet on the par-3 3rd hole. His trusty putter then inexplicably cooled off on Nos. 4 and 5 as he missed a pair of birdies by mere inches. For a moment Woods got back in the red numbers after he walked in a birdie putt on the par-5 7th hole, but consecutive bogeys on Nos. 8 and 9 sealed the deal for his 1-over round.

PGA: Leaderboard | TV, streaming info | Photos

“I three-whipped the last two holes. Wasn’t very good,” Woods said of his closing stretch. “Bad speed on 8; whipped it past the hole. And 9, hit it short. Hit it off the heel of the putt and blocked the second one. So wasn’t very good on the last two holes.”

Once again in his pre-championship press conference, the 15-time major champion was adamant he can still hit whatever golf shot is required. It’s just a matter of walking and whether or not his surgically repaired leg that’s held together by pins and screws can hold up for 72 holes. Valhalla is far from an easy stroll, and at times Woods was carefully maneuvering his way up and down the hills on property. The walk will put some real pressure on his body, especially given Friday’s weather forecast of 71 degrees and a 77 percent chance of rain.

Thankfully for Woods he’ll have a 24-hour break from when he walked off the course to when he’ll tee off again Friday afternoon at 1:29 p.m. ET, once again alongside Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott.

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Photos: PGA Championship 2024 Thursday’s first round at Valhalla Golf Club

Valhalla is a “big boy golf course,” as defending champion Brooks Koepka called it.

And they’re off.

The 2024 PGA Championship is underway at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, the second men’s major of the season.

Scottie Scheffler, no surprise, came into the event as the betting favorite. He is also in the first week of being a dad, after he and his wife Meredith welcomed son Bennett into the world.

Valhalla Golf Club is a “big boy golf course,” as defending champion Brooks Koepka called it on Wednesday. Valhalla is a par 71 measuring 7,609 yards. The course has 62 sand bunkers and five water hazards, which come into play on seven holes. The course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1986.

PGA: Leaderboard | TV, streaming info | Friday tee times

Check out the leaderboard here and some photos below from Thursday’s first round of the 2024 PGA Championship.

 

 

 

Xander Schauffele’s golf equipment at the 2024 PGA Championship

Here are the sticks in Schauffele’s bag.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A complete list of the golf equipment Xander Schauffele is using at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club:

DRIVER: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana PD 70 TX shaft

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Xander Schauffele’s driver” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/9g7Am5″]

FAIRWAY WOOD: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana PD 80 TX shaft

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Xander Schauffele’s fairway wood” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/PyMKee”]

HYBRID: Callaway Apex UW ’21 (21 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX shaft

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Xander Schauffele’s hybrid” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/LXMnAa”]

IRONS: Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

WEDGES: Callaway JAWS Raw (52 degrees), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56, 60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Xander Schauffele’s wedges” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/DKvQ9y”]

PUTTER: Odyssey Las Vegas prototype

BALL: Callaway Chrome Tour

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Xander Schauffele’s golf ball” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/rQmGkG”]

GRIPS: Golf Pride MCC Align (full swing) / SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0 (putter)

PGA: Leaderboard | TV, streaming info | Photos

Closing time: Michael Block starts 2024 PGA Championship bogey-quad at Valhalla

The Block Party may finally be coming to an end.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — “Closing Time” by Semisonic was played on the speakers as the Block Party may finally be coming to an end.

PGA of America club professional Michael Block, who made a name for himself with an ace and T-15 finish at last year’s PGA Championship, has been enjoying 15 minutes of fame that have lasted a year now. In his return to the PGA Championship this week at Valhalla Golf Club, the 47-year-old got off to a shaky start (to say the least).

Block began the first round on Thursday with a bogey on the par-4 1st hole and then made an eight-course meal of the par-4 2nd hole. He just missed the fairway off the tee and then came up short and left of the green with his approach. His third shot went over the green.

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: How to watch | Tournament hub | Friday tee times

His fourth shot went into a bunker. His fifth shot also went over the green. He was finally on the dance floor with his sixth shot, but missed the 11-footer for triple bogey. Block then tapped in to put the carrot on the snowman for a quadruple bogey eight.

The head pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club‎ in Mission Viejo, California, was in the first group off Thursday morning alongside Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald and 2003 PGA champion Shaun Micheel.

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12 golfers have won three legs of the career Grand Slam in men’s pro golf

Only five men have ever claimed a career Grand Slam.

Jordan Spieth has a Masters Green Jacket, a U.S. Open as well as a British Open title on his resume of 13 PGA Tour wins.

But a PGA Championship victory has eluded him so far.

He’s on the list of 12 golfers to have won three of the four legs of the men’s grand slam.

There’s only five golfers that have completed the career slam, and Spieth could be next.

Ahead of the 2024 PGA at Valhalla, he was asked about whether chatter of him needing this one more is a motivation.

“It’s very cool, but I would take any and all and as many majors as possible regardless of where they come,” he said. “It’s just kind of a cool thing if you’re able to hold all four. There’s just not many people in the game that have done that and you have an opportunity to do things that are very unique in the game of golf, that’s what kind of stands out, stands the test of time afterwards, so, yeah, anytime we come to these weeks the idea is to have prep to try to peak for really four times a year, and this is one of them.”

Here’s a look at the list that Spieth is currently a part of.

Photos: John Daly is playing in his 30th PGA Championship in 2024 at Valhalla Golf Club

His 1991 PGA victory introduced the John Daly experience to the world.

John Daly is back at the PGA Championship, in the field on a lifetime exemption by virtue of the tournament’s rule that a champion will always get a spot.

Daly hasn’t made the cut at the PGA since he tied for 32nd in 2007. In fact, in 29 career appearances in the PGA – 10th all-time – Daly only made seven cuts.

At Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville in 2024, he’s proving once again that he’s still one of the most popular figures in pro golf. And that seems to be true among the pros, too.

“JD is the man. I’ve always loved being around him. He’s gotten close with my dad, as well. What was it, Bethpage? Him and my dad hung out for a while and my dad got to come out and watch me until probably about the back nine,” said Brooks Koepka on Wednesday after playing a practice round with him, Jake Knapp and Akshay Bhatia.

“He’s been great,” Koepka continued. “We text a lot. We have pretty good communication. It’s always fun. Try to play with him at least once. I think played with him at the British last year and then this year, tried to get nine holes with him.”

PGA: Leaderboard | TV, streaming info | Friday tee times

At Valhalla this year, fans flocked to get autographs, and Daly pulled up in his golf cart to the gallery to sign.

2024 PGA Championship
John Daly signs autographs for fans while driving his golf cart near the 18th green at the 2024 PGA Championship Valhalla Golf Club.

Daly, of course, was perhaps the most dramatic winner in the history of the event, driving overnight as the ninth alternate in 1991 to win at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Indiana. He was unable to play a practice round, yet won by three shots.

That victory introduced the John Daly experience to the world and fan interest has seemingly never wavered.

Check out some photos of John Daly at the 2024 PGA Championship.

LIV Golf’s Talor Gooch hopes his 2024 PGA Championship invite can be ‘beacon of hope for the rest of the game’

“This is the first time that one of the majors have recognized a LIV Golf performance,” Gooch said of his invitation.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Talor Gooch was slightly shocked when he received his special invitation to this week’s 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. How did he react?

“Went to my wife and said, ‘Babe, we’re not going to Vegas next week, we’re going to Kentucky,’” Gooch told Golfweek with a chuckle after his Wednesday practice round.

After Gooch won for the first time on the PGA Tour at the 2021 RSM Classic, he took his talents to LIV Golf six months later and has found a comfortable home on the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit. Last season the 32-year-old won three events en route to an $18 million bonus as the season-long points leader.

When it comes to LIV Golf and major championships, Gooch’s name seems to always populate headlines. First, there was the shorts snafu at the 2022 Masters. Last year he was boxed out of the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club after the USGA altered its exemption criteria. Instead of fighting to try to earn his way again and stick it right back to the governing body, Gooch cried foul and decided not to play.

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Earlier this year he made a wild claim that the Masters would have an asterisk due to the lack of LIV players (13) in the field. Earlier this month, Gooch announced in a sour tone that he’d be one of 11 players who wouldn’t be attempting to qualify for the U.S. Open or Open Championship. In contrast, 34 LIV players are currently slated to play a qualifier for the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 next month.

Of the 16 LIV players in this week’s field, seven were given special invites from the PGA of America. Four were inside the top 100 of the OWGR. Of the three who were not, Dean Burmester and David Puig both tried to earn their way in by playing on the DP World Tour and Asian Tour, respectively, and both won at least once. The outlier is Gooch, who has only played for LIV since he joined the Saudi-backed circuit.

“This is the first time that one of the majors have recognized a LIV Golf performance,” Gooch claimed on Wednesday. “(Joaquin Niemann) got a special invite to Augusta, but he was chasing after that. I wasn’t going and playing in Dubai and South Africa and Europe to try to get world ranking points and things like that. Great for those guys and I’m glad that play outside of LIV has gotten recognized, but this is the first time that LIV play has been recognized, which I hope is a step in the right direction.”

When asked why he didn’t follow in the footsteps of Niemann, Burmester or Puig, Gooch said he wanted to enjoy his offseason and also added that his wife gave birth to their first child in January, which took priority.

Now that the baby boy has been born, why not try to qualify this year?

“It’s just scheduling,” he explained. “In the last five years I haven’t tried to qualify for the U.S. Open. The last time I tried was in 2017, so just scheduling. It didn’t work out.”

“Same thing with the Open. I’m gonna be in Europe in Spain for LIV in that off week, I already have things scheduled with family,” he added. “The following week we’re gonna be in Birmingham and I would have to go another week prior. It’s just chaos, so it just didn’t work out.”

Gooch didn’t rule out altering his schedule for next season, but a lot will be riding on his performance this week. You could even argue he’s feeling the most pressure out of just about anyone in the field of 156 players.

As for reconciliation in golf, Gooch said he was confident in what the near future of LIV looks like and that those who claim to have knowledge on a deal that would unite the game “is making a guess.”

“I think the majors have a chance to be on the forefront of that,” said Gooch. “That’s why it’s so cool seeing what the PGA of America did, because they were the first to say, ‘You know what, we’re going to rise above all this and we’re going to be hopefully that beacon of hope for the rest of the game.’”

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