Valhalla Golf Club and Championship Golf are a match made in heaven. Designed by an all-time major winner, Jack Nicklaus, Valhalla’s challenging and unique layout is attributed to the course’s location on a floodplain. During the club’s 38-year history, it has been home to tournaments that other courses can only dream of—hosting the 2000 PGA Championship, where we saw Tiger Woods take down Bob May in a cumulative three-hole playoff, the 2008 Ryder Cup where the USA dominated Europe 16 ½ to 11 ½, and McIlroy’s wet win over Phil Mickelson in 2014.
The Venue
Valhalla has recently undergone renovations in both hosting facilities and the physical layout of the course ahead of the championship in May. Renovations include enhancements to the stunning clubhouse and the construction of a 36,000-square-foot agriculture center near one of Valhalla’s most scenic holes, No. 15. Notable changes include the increased visibility of the waterfall on the spectacular No. 13 Island and the introduction of a new tee box on No. 18 for tournament week. This two-year plan is valued at approximately $17 million, with the $4.75 million clubhouse renovations being the most significant investment.
The Field
With past champions Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, and, yes, even John Daly, at the championship, there will be no shortage of world-class golfers strutting around Valhalla. This doesn’t even include Scottie Scheffler, who is on a ridiculous run of exceptional play, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Wyndham Clark, who are all searching for their first Wannamaker Trophy.
As this is a PGA America event, the field also includes PGA club pros. The 2023 PGA Championship showed how exciting it is to watch club pros try to compete with the best-ranked golfers in the world. Including club pros in the field of a major championship allows spectators to better understand how difficult it is to excel in the highest threshold of golf. Take the story of Micheal Block, who will be back in action this May at Valhalla. Block shot one over to finish T-15th last year at Oak Hill—an improbable week for a club pro, earning him an invite to the 2024 PGA Championship. For Block, a 46-year-old golf pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, this was a life-changing experience, though his play following the tournament didn’t match up to his PGA Championship success.
Who to Watch
Scottie Scheffler
The current world No. 1 has been tearing through his competition, only slowed by the impending appearance of his first child. Scheffler has four wins and one second-place finish in his past five starts. He is red-hot, and there’s no indication that he’s slowing down anytime soon.
Rory McIlroy
Fresh off win No.25 with Shane Lowry at the Zurich Classic, the question is whether McIlroy can keep this momentum rolling and capture his second victory at Valhalla and third Wannamaker Trophy.
Brooks Koepka
The always entertaining Koepka looks to defend his 2023 PGA Championship title. Koepka was not his dominant self at Augusta, finishing T-48th at this past Masters. Will he be able to turn it around and win Wannamaker number four?
Corey Connors
Connors has been solid on tour this year, having made the cut in every event but lacking in any Top 10s. Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor, Taylor Pendrith, and Adam Svensson are the other Canucks in the field.