While Scottie Scheffler is having one of the greatest seasons in PGA Tour history, he’ll have to keep his foot firmly on the gas to keep Xander Schauffele in the rear view. With his second major victory of 2024 at the Open Championship, Xander positioned himself to pull neck and neck with Scottie for Player of the Year if he can close with a couple of wins and add a FedEx Cup to his mantelpiece.
Scheffler and Schauffele: Making History
Scheffler has recorded 5 tour wins, a major championship and 2 major Top-10’s, while Schauffele has won 2 major championships with 2 major Top-10’s. Neither has missed a cut, and Scottie has recorded Top-10’s in 14 of 16 starts (87.5%) while Xander has 12 Top-10’s in 18 starts (66.6%).
History in the Making
Only a few times in history have two players performed at the level of brilliant consistency displayed by Scheffler and Schauffele in the 2024 season—and of course we have to look at Jack and Tiger to provide perspective
Jack and TigerSet The Standard
In addition to their major championships, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods set a standard for consistent excellence that would seem impossible to replicate—yet Scottie Scheffler is on the cusp of doing just that.
The Rivalries
Jack and Tiger were challenged and pushed by a number of All-Time Top 100 players who would also earn their place in the Hall of Fame, creating intense rivalries that elevated their games to even greater heights.
Early in his career Jack clashed with Arnie and Player, followed later by legendary battles with Weiskopf and Watson.
Tiger and Phil went at it hammer and tongs for a decade and more, Vijay recorded 92 Top-10’s between 2001 and 2006, while Ernie Els had one of his greatest seasons in 2004—all when Tiger was at the pinnacle of his power.
When Scottie and Xander tee it up this week at TPC Southwind in Memphis for the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs, we will have the opportunity to see two players destined to be among the greats of the game at peak performance with the richest prize in golf history on the line.
Of course, there are other elite players who have no intention of allowing Scottie and Xander to steal the show, including Rory as he looks to redeem his 2024 season with a fourth FedEx Cup.
Through the annals of golf history, however, it is extremely rare to have two players performing at such a high level in the same year—so the next three weeks is a sure bet to deliver some pretty fantastic golf.
Kampen Golf Course, Pete Dye Design: Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex at Purdue University
Many of the premier University courses in the U.S. are found at schools that are known for nationally ranked athletic teams, such as Indiana University (Pfau Course), Texas Tech (Rawls Course), Ohio State (OSU Golf Club) and Stanford (Stanford Golf Course), but quite a few colleges not commonly associated with big-time sports offer fantastic golf facilities as well.
The Top 50 include classic designs by the eminent figures in golf course architecture, including Alister MacKenzie (University of Michigan Golf Course and Ohio State Golf Club), C. B. McDonald and Seth Raynor (Yale Golf Course), Donald Ross (Dennison University, Mark Bostick Course at Florida State and Orchards at Mount Holyoke college).
Also among the Top 50 are modern masterpieces by Tom Fazio (Karsten Creek at Kansas State and Great River at Sacred Heart University), Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (Warren Course at Notre Dame), Michael Hurdzan (The Meadows at Grand Valley State), and Tom Doak (Rawls Course at Texas Tech).
Tom Doak and Jim Urbina: The Rawls Course at Texas Tech
The first family of golf course architecture is present throughout the Top 50, with Robert Trent Jones original designs at the University of Georgia, Duke, Seven Oaks at Colgate University, Eisenhower Golf Club at The United States Air Force Academy, and Robert Trent Jones Golf Course at Cornell University, as well as updates to the Stanford Golf Course. Robert Trent Jones II designs include University Ridge (Wisconsen University) and The Blessings (University of Arkansas) while Rees Jones lent his celebrated skills to updating the wonderful RTJ design at Duke University.
Ohio State and The University of Florida turn to Jack
When Ohio State University decided to update their Alister MacKenzie championship course, it was fitting that Jack be the man to oversee every detail, and Nicklaus Design also remodeled the Seminole Legacy Course at The University of Florida to deliver a very stiff test of Division I golf.
Twenty-six states include at least one member of the Top 50, but Michigan (5) and North Carolina (4) boast the largest number. Illinois, Indiana, South Carolina and Texas follow closely with 3 each.
The Blessings at Arkansas State: Robert Trent Jones II
Ranked byGolfDay Rating, listings include the year a club was founded, course architect(s), current USGA course and slope ratings, a link for course description/photos, as well as current national rankings by Golf Digest. The Club website is also provided, as well as a link to Google Maps for each location.
While we’ve included the Top 50 below, you can also find a more comprehensive list with GolfDay University Courses, or click “courses near me” just to find the best golf in your area—with GolfDay rating and the distance from your location.
The GolfDay University course rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who provided the original design(s), updates that have been done on the course(s), the variety of courses located at the property, USGA Course and Slope Ratings, as well as practice facilities and programs.
If you are looking for great public golf, or planning a vacation, the GolfDay Search Engine makes it easy to find the best courses and a better bang for your buck.
Practice Facilities: Expansive Grass Driving Range with Target Greens, Putting and Chipping Green (Short Game Facility with Bunker available to University Golf Teams Only).
Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Rees Jones
USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.2/145
Practice Facilities: Expansive Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker (Unlimited Callaway Balls included with Greens Fee).
Practice Facilities: Expansive Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers. Heated and Covered Range available Year-Round.
Practice Facilities: Warm Up Net and Expansive Putting Green (Weisfeld Golf Center with Range and complete Short-game facility available to University Golf Teams only)
Course Architects: Donald Ross/Ron Garl/Bobby Weed/Scot Sherman
USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.0/138
Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Target Greens, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker (Chris Kane Complex including Indoor Bays and Swing Analysis).
Practice Facilities: Driving Range with Targets (Mats-Monday/Tuesday, Grass Irons only-Wednesday/Thursday, Full Grass Friday-Sunday), Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers (3). Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
Course Architects: Arnold Palmer/Eric Larson/Brandon Johnson
USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6/142
Practice Facilities: Driving Range (Grass: Friday-Sunday/Mats: Monday-Thursday) and Putting Green. Short Game Facility with Bunker–Members and Golf Team Only.
Course Architects: Wayne Stiles/John Van Kleek/Gil Hanse
USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.5/134
Practice Facilities: Warm Up Net, Putting and Chipping Greens. Full Range available after May 15 at Cole Field (2 miles from course) with Range Balls included in Greens Fee.
Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Target Greens, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers (2) and Indoor Simulator with TrackMan Technology.
Jon Rahm keeps packing on the Top 10’s and Bryson DeChambeau lit up the first three majors of the year–yet Joaquin Niemann continues to hold the lead in the LIV Power Rankings.
Of the 18 LIV players to tee it up for The Open Championship at Royal Troon, 11 made the cut where brutal wind and gnarly rough saw 10 of the Top 20 players in the World Rankings head home for the weekend.
The weather continued to play havoc with scoring as rain came in on Saturday afternoon, adding another element to the difficult conditions at Troon, and then on Sunday the wind abruptly turned 180 degrees presenting the players with an entirely new look—and requiring a big shift in strategy and approach amidst the pressure of the final round at a major championship.
As the leaders came back to the field, Jon Rahm battled the elements and stayed within striking distance at 2 over through the first three rounds. On Sunday Jon came out guns blazing with 3 birdies on the first 3 holes and 32 on the front-nine to pull within 2 shots of the lead before a wayward tee shot on the 11th hole led to a bogie that derailed his run.
Although Rahm didn’t pick up his third major, his T7 adds another Major Top 10 to an already phenomenal record, and he will join Phil, DJ, Sergio and Lee Westwood among the first 50 in All-Time Top 100 Players.
Joaquin Niemann: Holding on at #1
LIV Power Ranking Update
Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner up, Top-5 and Top-10 finishes–as well as performance at the major championships.
Top 5
No. 1 Joaquin Niemann: 87.4 Rating
Along with his two wins at Mayakoba and Jeddah, Niemann has also recorded 6-Top 10’s including his T6 at Andalucia last week, and improved his average finish of 9.6, second only to Jon Rahm.
Although his performance at the major’s has not met expectations thus far in his early career, it is only a matter of time before Joaquin breaks out in a big way—and there is nothing not to like about this young man (exemplified by the 4 birdies he made on the back nine Friday at Troon following a nightmare 8 at the Postage Stamp Par 3).
No. 2 Jon Rahm: 86.0 Rating
Still no LIV wins (incredibly), but five Top-5’s and four Top-10’s in nine LIV events this year is pretty tough to beat. And with all those great finishes, it’s not a surprise that Rahm also holds a substantial lead in average finish at 6.0.
Although Jon came up short at The Open, there was a glimpse of the fire that the world is used to seeing from Rahm when he is in the hunt on Sunday—look for him to break through with his first LIV win this weekend at The UK.
No. 3 Bryson DeChambeau: 84.6 Rating
In addition to his U.S. Open win, runner up at the PGA and T6 at The Masters, Bryson has recorded 2-Top 5’s (Jeddah and Nashville) along with 4 Top-10’s (including a T9 at Andalucia last week).
While Bryson missed the cut at The Open this week, his 2024 season has been nothing less than spectacular—and you can look forward to watching him bomb his way to the top of the leaderboard at major championships for many years to come.
Tyrell Hatton: Winner in Nashville
No. 4 Tyrell Hatton: 77.9 Rating
Hatton recorded a T3 at Andalucia on the heels of his first LIV win in Nashville at The Grove, where he dominated for a six-shot margin of victory.
For the season, Tyrell has recorded 3 Top-5’s and a Top-10 to go along with his win, while sporting the third best average finish at 10.1—just behind Niemann.
Sergio Garcia: Winner at Andalucia
No. 5 Sergio Garcia: 67.9 With his home-court win at Andalucia last week, Sergio jumped into the Top 5 on the Power rankings. In addition to his win, Garcia has also recorded a pair of runner-up finishes (Mayakoba and Trump Doral in Miami), as well as a T5 at Houston.
Dean Burmester: Top 20 at The Open
No. 5 Dean Burmester: 67.0 Rating
Dean got off to a fast start in the ’24 season with a T3 at Mayakoba, a T8 in Hong Kong, a win in Miami at Trump National Doral and another T3 at Adelade—but cooled off with no Top 10’s in his last four LIV events.
It seemed that the Burmester magic was back as he stayed among the leaders through Thursday and Friday at The Open, but as the rain and wind grew stronger on Saturday afternoon Dean’s hopes were washed away with a 41 on the back, and a 3rd round 76.
Burmester re-set and shot an even par 71 on Sunday for a solid Top 20 Open finish, so it seems that he’s ready to resume his early season success.
Notables
Brooks Koepka (No. 6/63.9 Rating)
For a lot of players making the cut at all four majors wouldn’t be all that bad, but for Koepka it’s a dismal year.
Brooks has recorded a win, a Top 5 and 2-Top 10’s thus far in 2024 however, so he’s still in position to make a move with big finishes at the U.K., Greenbrier and Bolingbrook Golf Club in Chicago. But will he be motivated?
Phil Mickelson: 102 Major Cuts
Phil (No. 41/33.0 Rating
Phil continues his slumber in the LIV events, but he was teeing it up on Saturday at Royal Troon while ten of the top twenty players in the world were lounging on the couch.
And although it wasn’t the same Phil who fought Henrik Stenson tooth and nail at Troon in 2016, firing that brilliant final found 65, he’s still got some game at 54 years old (finished in a tie with 2023 Open Champion Brian Harmon and ahead of Hideki Matsuyama, another World Top 20 player).
The 2024 Open Championship was also the 102nd time that Mickelson has made the cut at a major championship, tying Gary Player for second behind Jack.
The top private golf clubs in the U.S. feature classic designs by the preeminent course architects in golf, including Alister MacKenzie, C. B. McDonald and Seth Raynor, A. W. Tillinghast, William Flynn, Donald Ross and Colt & Alison.
Also among the Top 75 are modern masterpieces by Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, Gil Hanse and Tom Doak—all destined to grow in stature with the passing of time.
In addition to his fantastic original designs at Ballyneal and Sebonack (with Jack Nicklaus), Tom Doak has restored and updated seven of the Top 75, including Chicago Golf Club (No. 21), Shoreacres (No. 34) and Milwaukee Country Club (No. 32).
Ohoopee Match Club: Gil Hanse Masterpiece
Gil Hanse was retained by eleven of the Top 75 clubs to assure that their classic courses continue to provide a major championship test of golf, including Winged Foot (No. 1), Merion (No. 7), The Los Angeles Country Club (No. 16), and Southern Hills (No. 17). In addition, his original design at the Ohoopee Match Club in Georgia has opened to rave reviews.
Twenty-eight states include at least one member of the Top 75, but New York (10), California (7) and Pennsylvania (7) boast the largest number. Georgia, Illinois and Massachusetts follow closely at 5 each, Ohio with 4, and New Jersey and Colorado with 3 each.
Maidstone Country Club, East Hampton NY
Listed by GolfDay Rating, details include the year a club was founded, course architect(s), current USGA course and slope ratings, a link for course description/photos, as well as current national rankings by Golf Digest. The Club website is also provided, as well as a link to Google Maps for each location.
Merion Golf Club, Ardmore PA
While we’ve included the Top 75 below, you can also find a more comprehensive list with GolfDay Top 500 Private Clubs, or click “clubs near me” to find the best golf clubs in your area—with GolfDay rating and the distance from your location.
The GolfDay private club rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who provided the original design(s), updates that have been done on the course(s), the variety of courses located at the property, USGA Course and Slope Ratings, as well as club longevity and prestige.
If you are looking for great public golf, or planning a vacation, the GolfDay Search Engine makes it easy to find the best courses and a better bang for your buck.
While all eyes have been on Jon Rham since he joined LIV for the 2024 season, Joaquin Niemann quietly remains atop the LIV Power Rankings through the first nine events. And although Rahm has finished among the top 10 in every LIV event he’s played, Bryson DeChambeau has bulled past him into the No. 2 slot with his powerhouse performance at the U.S. Open.
Not only has DeChambeau moved to the top of the LIV Power Rankings, his fantastic play at the 2024 major championships (U.S. Open win, runner-up at the PGA Championship and Masters T6), has also moved Bryson onto the list of the All-Time Top 100 Players.
Bryson (No. 90) joins a long list of LIV players already residing among the Top 100, starting with Phil at No. 9 and DJ at No. 29, Sergio (32), Lee Westwood (34), Rham (52), Koepka (57), Paul Casey and Hendrick Stenson (T64), Louis Oosthuizen (85), Charl Schwartzel (90), Bubba Watson (T99) and Cameron Smith (T99)
Should DeChambeau keep it rolling and win The Open Championship, he would vault all the way into the All-Time Top 75.
And if Jon Rahm were to kick it up a notch and win The Open, he would move into the All-Time Top 50.
Joaquin Niemann: Hanging in at #1
Young Joaquin Niemann will need to marshal all of his talent to keep the big guys at bay—and keep in mind that Brooks Koepka is also due for a big performance at a major.
One thing is for sure, the race is heating up and the next few weeks will be about as exciting as it can get.
LIV Power Ranking Update
Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner up, Top-5 and Top-10 finishes–as well as performance at the major championships. There is one LIV event coming up before The Open Championship—Andalucia at The Real Club Valderrama (July 12-14).
Top 5
No. 1 Joaquin Niemann: 83.0 Rating
Niemann has won two LIV events in 2024 (Mayakoba and Jeddah), and also recorded 5-Top 10’s with an average finish of 10.0, second only to Jon Rahm.
Coming off a solid T3 at The Grove in Nashville, Joaquin will need to keep it going at Valderrama and have a good showing at Royal Troon if he hopes to hold off Rahm and a hard charging DeChambeau.
No. 2 Bryson DeChambeau: 81.1 Rating
Bryson moved steadily up the board last year after a strong showing at the 23’ PGA Championship (T4), finishing at No. 10 on the LIV Power rankings.
In 2024 DeChambeau has ramped it up further, mashing the pedal to the floor with a win at the U.S. Open, runner up at the PGA and a T6 at The Masters—not to mention 5 LIV top 10’s.
It’ll be a wild ride watching Bryson bomb it off the tee at Royal Troon.
No. 3 Jon Rahm: 78.5 Rating
Jon Rahm: 8 top-10’s
Rahm has still not notched an LIV win, but he’s recorded a top 10 in all eight events he’s played. His amazing 5.5 average finish leads the league by a wide margin, but that first win has somehow eluded him—perhaps some home court vibes at Valderrama will push him over the top (and get him revved up for The Open as well).
No. 4 Tyrell Hatton: 73.1 Rating
Hatton wins in Nashville
Hatton recorded his first LIV win at Nashville last week, dominating the field at 19 under and a six-shot margin over runner-up Sam Horsfield. Tyrell has also posted 3-Top-10’s in the ’24 campaign and added a strong showing at The Masters (T9).
At 32 years old, Hatton is in the prime of his career—and he’s been knocking on the door at The Open for a while now (2016–T5, 2019–T6, 2022–T11 and a T20 in 2023). Tyrell was born and still resides in Buckinghamshire, England, so The Open Championship is a prize he would dearly love to take. His game is very sharp right now, so look for Hatton among the leaders on the weekend at Troon this year.
No. 5 Dean Burmester: 66.0 Rating
T12 at PGA Championship
Dean got off to a fast start in the ’24 season with a T3 at Mayakoba, a T8 in Hong Kong, a win in Miami atTrump National Doral and another T3 at Adelade.
Following a solid tournament in Singapore (T14) and a terrific performance at The PGA with all four rounds under par and a T12 finish, Burmester was pretty mediocre in Houston and Nashville (T18 and T 25).
He still holds the 5th highest average finish in the league at 14.0, but Dean will need to step it up at Valderrama and The Open if he hopes to stay in touch with the leaders.
Notables
Brooks Koepka (No. 6/62.9 Rating)
4 T10’s at The Open
Brooks was showing signs of life before his dismal performance in Nashville (42) with a win in Singapore and 2-Top 10’s (Adelade and Houston). And although he hasn’t recorded a major Top 10 in 2024, he’s not been very far off (a poor third round knocked him out at the PGA and a tough second round cost him at the U.S. Open).
Koepka’s trademark at major’s has been his consistency and resilience—so three consecutive mediocre major championship finishes is a surprise.
In his last 7 starts at The Open, Brooks recorded 4 Top 10 finishes (2015–T10, 2017–T6, 2019–T4, and a T6 in 2021).
Looks like Brooks is due.
Cameron Smith (No. 7/62.6 Rating)
Cam recorded his second runner-up of the year in Singapore after a T6 at The Masters, and had a strong finish in Nashville last week (T9). When Smith has a putter in his hands, anything can happen—and if the short stick heats up as it did in 2022, there’s a good chance he’ll be raising the Claret Jug again in July.
Carlos Ortiz (No. 9/58.8 Rating)
First win in Houston
After a slow start to the 2024 LIV season, Carlos posted a T4 in Hong Kong in April and climbed into the Top 10 with his first LIV win 3 weeks ago at the Golf Club of Houston and continued his strong pay with a T9 in Nashville.
Phil (No. 43/30.1 Rating
Lefty Shades
Phil hasn’t made the cut at The Open Championship since 2018, and it’s been over ten years since he fired that brilliant 66 in the final round at Muirfield to come from 5 back and win the 2013 Championship.
Mickelson has done nothing in the LIV events this year other than a T6 at Jeddah back in March, and he missed the cut at both the PGA and the U.S. Open.
His last two starts at Houston (T37) and Nashville (T40) were disappointing to say the least, but as George Patton would say that is exactly why you should expect Phil to mount a major offensive at Troon a couple of weeks from now.
On the other hand, Phil may finally have run out of hat rabbits—but it’s always fun to watch him tee it up again a major championship.
Real Club Valderrama, Spain
2024 Upcoming LIV Schedule
Andacucia: Real Club Valderrama, Spain (July 12-14)
The summer is starting to roll, and it’s time to think about planning a golf trip. Myrtle Beach is the #1 golf destination in the U.S., offering more than eighty courses–along with great food, terrific nightlife, and gorgeous beaches for when you’re not on the course.
Many of the great modern architects are on display among the wide variety of courses in the Myrtle Beach area, including Tom Fazio (Barefoot Resort and TPC Myrtle Beach), Pete Dye (Barefoot and Prestwick), Rees Jones (Arcadian Shores), Tom Doak (Legends Resort) and Jack Nicklaus (Pawleys Plantation and Long Bay).
The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, perennially among the Golf Digest Top 100 public courses, was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. in 1948, with Rees Jones providing updates and renovations in 2003, 2013 and 2018.
And then there are the two masterpieces left to us by Mike Strantz at Caledonia and True Blue. We’ve included the Top 5 Golf Resorts and the Top 30 Public Courses in the Myrtle Beach area on the basis of GolfDay Rating, but a complete list of MB public courses is also available by visiting the GolfDay Course Search Page.
The GolfDay Rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who did the original design(s), updates that have been done on the course(s), USGA Course and Slope Ratings, current local and national rankings by Golf Digest and Golfweek, the quality and diversity of practice facilities, general course conditioning and current reviews.
The resort rating also includes a factor for the variety of courses located at the property as well as the quality of accommodations and level of service.
If you have yet to mark Myrtle Beach from your bucket list, now is the time. And even if you’ve made the trip many times before, MB never disappoints—so start getting a plan in motion.
Course Architects: Greg Norman/Tad Burnett/Davis Love III/Tom Fazio/Pete Dye
USGA Course/Slope Rating:
Norman: 74.2 Rating/141 Slope
Love: 74.9 Rating/141 Slope
Fazio: 73.4 Rating/144 Slope
Dye: 76.0 Rating/143 Slope
Practice Facilities: Lighted and Covered Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker. Dyer and Greg Norman Golf Academies.
Practice Facilities: Wedge Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker (Full Grass Driving Range available at True Blue Course. Range Balls included with Greens Fee).
Golfers all over the world are intimately familiar with The Masters and the beauty of Augusta National Golf Club, but Georgia is also home to some of the finest golf resorts and public courses you will find anywhere in the USA.
From Savannah and St. Simons Island along the Atlantic coast, to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the north, Georgia’s geography, natural beauty, and climate combine to create the perfect golfer’s paradise.
For an unforgettable golf get-away, Reynolds Lake Oconee (located about midway between Atlanta and Augusta), offers 99 incredible holes with designs by Jack Nicklaus (Great Waters), Tom Fazio (The National), Rees Jones (Oconee) and Bob Cupp (The Landing and Preserve).
If you are looking for the perfect combination of golf and beach, Sea Island has everything you can ask for. Davis Love III, along with brother Mark, have renovated and restored classic original designs by Colt & Alison, Walter Travis and Robert Trent Jones, Sr. to create two fantastic courses (Plantation and Retreat), and Tom Fazo added icing to the cake with his wonderful Seaside 18-hole layout (home to the PGA Tour RSM Classic held each year in November).
Top Georgia public venues also include a Donald Ross design (No. 4–Forest Hills), the University of Georgia Golf Course (No. 3, an RTJ original with Davis Love renovations) as well as Echelon (No. 5) and McLemore (No. 6)—two terrific Rees Jones layouts.
And when it comes time to start planning your next golf road trip, take a good look at the 23 great tracks along the Georgia Golf Trail.
The GolfDay Rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who did the original design(s), updates that have been done on the course(s), USGA Course and Slope Ratings, the quality and diversity of practice facilities, general course conditioning and current reviews.
Course Architects: Walter Travis/H. S. Colt/C. H. Alison/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Dick Wilson/Joe Lee/Rocky Roquemore/Tom Fazio/Davis Love III/Mark Love/Rees Jones
USGA Course/Slope Rating:
Plantation: 74.0/129
Seaside: 73.8/138
Retreat: 73.9/133
Practice Facilities: Expansive Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers and Performance Center with Club Fitting.
Seem’s like we were just watching Scottie Scheffler slip the green jacket over his shoulders, and suddenly the PGA Championship is upon us. The eve of a major championship is always alive with anticipation and excitement, but the ‘24 PGA has the protentional for all-time greatness.
This may be the most highly talented field ever assembled for a golf championship, when you consider Tiger’s 15 majors, Phil with 6, Brooks Koepka at 5, Rory at 4, and Jordan Spieth with 3—a total of 33 major championships between them.
For perspective, the 1963 PGA Championship included Ben Hogan with 9 majors, Sam Snead and Arnie with 7 each, while Gary Player had won 3 majors at that point and Jack 2 (the ’63 PGA was Jack’s third major)—28 total majors.
In addition, the 2024 PGA includes future Hall of Famers Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler–each with 2 major championships.
Tiger and Phil (21 Majors Between Them)
And although the odds are pretty long that Tiger or Phil will be among the leaders on Sunday, it won’t be for lack of will—and watching them battle once again to turn back the hands of time will make for memorable viewing (and hopefully they will both be teeing it up on the weekend).
The big show without doubt, however, will be Scottie Scheffler–and if anybody can take him down.
On top of that, Scottie’s momentum has reached a crescendo coming into the PGA, with 4 wins and a runner-up in his last 5 starts. Keep in mind as well that this wave has been gathering strength for quite a while, with 26 Top-10’s in his last 33 starts going back to last year (and with no missed cuts)—so anybody who steps up to take him on better be ready to absorb some heavy blows.
Brooks Koepka: Looking for Sixth Major
The Top Contenders
Koepka: Defending champion Brooks Koepka is coming off a Top-10 and a win in his last two LIV events, and looks like he is primed and ready in pursuit of his sixth major. Koepka lives for major championships, so don’t expect him to take a dive.
McIlroy: It’s been ten years since Rory won his last major championship, but it was The PGA and it was at Valhalla. And although Rory was the invisible man in his first 8 starts of 2024, he’s posted a win in each of his last 2 (including a heavyweight performance at Quail Hollow last week). If McIlroy is making a few putts, even Scheffler will need his best to hold him off.
Rory: Back to Back at Valhalla?
Rahm: Jon Rahm put up the highest career cut and Top-10 percentages on the PGA Tour outside of Tiger and Jack, and has finished in the top ten of every LIV event he’s played. At 29 years old, Rahm is just now coming into his prime—look for him to rebound from the lackluster Masters performance and put some heat on Scheffler as he goes for major number 3.
Schauffele: Xander is having a heck of a 2024 season with 8 Top-10’s in 12 starts, and he hasn’t missed a cut in two years—but somehow that first major championship has eluded him. Always a great ball striker, Schauffele has made vast improvement from the tee (currently 6th in Total Driving) and stands at No. 2 behind Scheffler in scoring average. It’s just a matter of time before he breaks through at a major, and remember that Phil didn’t win his first until he was 33.
Ludvig Aberg: PGA Tour Phenom
Notables
Twenty-four-year-old Ludwig Aberg is going to be a major force on the PGA Tour for another decade and more, currently standing at No. 3 on the Tour Power Rankings with 5 Top-10’s in 10 starts, including a runner-up at The Masters. He bombs it from the tee and sticks his irons like Miller, but the putter has been holding him back—if the short stick heats up look for Ludwig toward the top of the leaderboard late on Sunday.
Joaquin Niemann is the young star on the LIV circuit, and he’ll be flying under the radar with Koepka and Rahm grabbing most of the attention—but he has 2 wins and leads the LIV Power Rankings by a pretty wide margin. Niemann has major championship ability and a golf swing that’s easy on the eyes—watch for him this weekend.
Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville KY
Valhalla Golf Club
A Jack Nicklaus masterpiece, Valhalla will present a stiff test for the PGA Championship with a USGA Course Rating of 77.5 and a Slope of 154. 2024 will be the fourth time that Valhalla has hosted the PGA (1996, 2000, 2014).
