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PGA Championship Preview

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Fresh off of watching Rory McIlroy play some of the best golf he’s played in years (more on that later), we are now in PGA Championship week. The second major of the year is being contested at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. The only major of the year that doesn’t invite amateurs has arguably the strongest field that will take to the course in a professional event this season with all of the top 50 on the OWGR list competing. With the special invitation given to Talor Gooch and five other members of the LIV League who were not otherwise eligible, 16 members of the 54 League are in the field. There are also 21 PGA Club Professionals teeing it up. (Normally the PGA of America invites the top 20 from the PGA Professionals Championship, but PGA Pro Michael Block earned his way into the field with his finish at the 2023 PGA Championship at Oakmont).

This is the third time that Valhalla has hosted the PGA Championship with prior winners being Mark Brooks (1996) and Tiger Woods (2000). Valhalla has also hosted two Senior PGA Championships and was the venue for the 2008 Ryder Cup. The course is a monster playing 7,609 yards as a par 71. The bentgrass greens average 5000 square feet making these some of the smallest greens players will see all season on tour. In 2021 the fairways were converted to Zoysiagrass specifically to make the course firmer and faster earlier in the season. There are 3 layers of rough (a mixture of Kentucky Bluegrass and tall fescue), increasing in height the further off the fairway the errant shot flies.

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Scoring will be lower than you would expect at a PGA Championship. The course, while lengthy, has three scorable par 5’s and 2 sub 400 yard par 4’s. More importantly, the course has been receiving rain all week and the forecast for the weekend is not much better. The fairways which drain very well, will still not be as firm and fast as we would normally see with dry conditions.

By issuing the invites to Gooch, David Puig, Dean Burmester, Adrian Meronk, Lucas Herbert and Patrick Reed, the PGA of America made for an interesting field. Much like at Augusta, the pre-tournament media room and coverage has been filled with discussions of the “Tour Wars.” Jon Rahm made waves on Tuesday by stating that he “is still a member of the PGA Tour.” How the LIV players compare to the PGA Tour players will make for a compelling backdrop no matter how your loyalties lie in this “fight.”

There are a few other interesting backstories in play this week. Monday the story broke that Rory McIlroy filed for divorce this week. Some pundits are downplaying his chances as his “mind will be elsewhere.” My two takes on this are that Rory knew he was filing for divorce on Sunday at the Wells Fargo when he played Xander Schauffele into a body bag and that in May 2014 Rory ended his engagement with Caroline Wozniacki and went on a tear. Rory won the 2014 PGA Championship.

Finally, if you believe in coincidences, Matt Fitzpatrick won the US Open at Brookline where he had previously won the US Amateur. Valhalla has hosted the Junior PGA Championship. The winner? Akshay Bhatia.

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Excitement Builds for the 2024 PGA Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club

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Xander Schauffele

The 2024 PGA Tour Championship is in full swing at the historic East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, where the top 30 golfers from the FedExCup standings are battling it out for the prestigious title of season champion. This thrilling event marks the culmination of the FedExCup Playoffs, with millions of fans eagerly watching as the best players in the world compete.

Scottie Scheffler Leads the Pack

Scottie Scheffler enters the Tour Championship as the FedExCup points leader, a position he’s impressively maintained for the third consecutive year. Starting with a two-stroke lead at 10 under par, Scheffler is determined to secure his first FedExCup title after coming close in previous years. Close on his heels is Xander Schauffele, who has had an incredible season, winning both the PGA Championship and the Open Championship. Keegan Bradley, fresh off his victory at the BMW Championship, has surged to fourth place and is poised to make a strong showing.

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East Lake Golf Course
East Lake Golf Course

Tournament Highlights and Fan Experiences

Fans attending the Tour Championship can expect a fantastic experience, with plenty of activities and amenities to enjoy. The event features shaded bleachers, food and drink options, and special lounges like the Tito’s Stillhouse Lounge and the Coca-Cola Café. Whether you’re watching the action from the No. 1 Tee Shaded Bleachers or enjoying the vibrant atmosphere at The Landing on the 17th fairway, there’s something for everyone at this iconic event.

Catch the Action Live or Secure Your Tickets

The Tour Championship will be broadcast live throughout the weekend, with coverage on Golf Channel and NBC. The final round will take place on Sunday, September 1, where the FedExCup champion will be crowned.

For those looking to witness the excitement in person, tickets are still available. Don’t miss your chance to see the world’s best golfers compete for glory at East Lake Golf Club. Click here to buy your tickets now and be part of the excitement! For more details about the event, visit the East Lake Golf Club’s official page.

This week is set to be a thrilling finale to the PGA Tour season, so make sure you’re tuned in or, better yet, there in person to experience it all!

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“It Was A Great Day Until It Wasn’t”

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We all remember the images of Rory McIlroy, head bowed in the scoring area at Pinehurst, as Bryson DeChambeau putted out to win the US Open immediately followed by he and his caddie Harry Diamond trunk slamming on the way out of town. McIlroy refused to speak to the press about his two missed short putts on both 16 and 18. Until today.

Speaking at his press conference at the Genesis Scottish Open Rory finally answered the questions that every reporter wanted to ask following the meltdown at Pinehurst. He also address the criticisms that both Hank Haney and Smylie Kaufmann raised last week about Rory’s choice of caddy.

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4th Round at Pinehurst

With respect to the final round at the US Open McIlroy was very candid. “[I]t was a great day until it wasn’t. I did things on that Sunday that I haven’t been able to do the last couple of years. Took control of the golf tournament. Holed putts when I needed to… mostly when I needed to (with a slight laugh).” “It was a tough day. A tough few days after that.” “I look back on that day…I’ll learn a lot from it and I’ll hopefully put that to good use. It’s something that’s been a bit of a theme throughout my career and I’ve been able to take those tough moments and turn them into great things not very long after that.”

Haney, Kaufman Criticize Harry Diamond

Hank Haney, once the coach of Tiger Woods, and Smylie Kaufman, a former tour pro and now commentator, both publicly questioned Rory’s choice of caddy following Pinehurst. Haney questioned McIlroy using his friend Harry Diamond rather than a more professional looper like veteran Steve Williams. Kaufman was quoted as saying, “I felt like Harry Diamond really should have stepped in on the 15th hole.” “I don’t really ever see Harry stepping in a ton. Rory always, if he has a question, he’ll ask, but for the most part, Rory kind of goes and does his thing…”

Rory didn’t mince words defending Diamond during his interview. “You know, it’s certainly unfair. Hank Haney has never been in that position. Smylie has been in that position once…I just wish that you know, these guys that criticize when things don’t go my way, they never say anything good when things do go my way. So where were they when I won Dubai earlier this year or Quail Hollow or the two FedEx Cups that I’ve won with Harry or the two Ryder Cups or whatever? They are never there to say Harry did such a great job when I win…”

Rory seems motivated. He might lap the Scottish Open field this week.

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Keegan Bradley Surprise Pick to Captain 2025 Ryder Cup Team

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In a move nobody saw coming, the PGA of America selected Keegan Bradley to Captain the 2025 Ryder Cup being hosted by Bethpage State Park on the heralded Black Course. Ever since the US was trounced by the Europeans in Rome last fall most on this side of the pond presumed Tiger Woods, winner of the 2002 US Open at Bethpage, would be named the US Captain. Bradley, a 6 time winner on the PGA Tour (including the 2011 PGA Championship), at 39 becomes the youngest US Ryder Cup Captain in 40 years.

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A Surprise Even for Keegan

How shocking was the Bradley pick? Keegan never interviewed for the position. He received a call Monday from 2023 Captain Zach Johnson, PGA of America President John Lindert and PGA of America Special Advisor Seth Waugh offering him the position. “I didn’t have one conversation with anybody until I was told I was the captain” said Keegan at his introductory news conference today. “I had trouble when they called me. I felt funny after the call because I don’t think I reacted in the way they were expecting me to. I was in complete shock. And it was heavy.” “I don’t think I’ll ever have a bigger surprise in my live, but something Seth said to me was, you know, ‘Your number was called. It’s time for you to step up.’ And when he told me that, I sort of…it sort of hit me. You know that this is a heavy job.”

Bradley’s Bethpage Connections

There probably isn’t a US professional more familiar with the Black Course. While from New England, Keegan attended and played golf at St. John’s University in nearby Queens, New York. During the time he played for St. John’s there was a poorly kept secret that the SJU team had access to the Black to practice weekly. Former St. John’s coach Frank Darby and former Director of Agronomy (superintendent) Craig Currier had an arrangement by which the SJU team would park at the maintenance building lot on the opposite side of Round Swamp Road from the clubhouse on Mondays when the Black is closed. As long as the team members only played holes 3 through 14 and didn’t cross Round Swamp, nobody would be the wiser. Of course, there was that one time…”my senior year we were playing…and we were just like, ‘we’re going over.’ “We did it. We went over. And we got in so much trouble. They called the police…”

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