ea pga tour 2023 update notes

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EA Sports PGA Tour update 6.0 patch notes: Season 5 is here

• Author: Marco Wutz

Update 6.0 for EA Sports PGA Tour has arrived on PC , PS5 , and Xbox Series X|S , bringing the FedExCup Playoffs as well as Season 5 into the game. Among the content and features offered by this patch is the North Course at Olympia Fields Country Club, which is now available in all game modes. Three weeks of new challenges will also be released that recreate key moments from each of the three FedExCup Playoff events.

Season 5 came with a new Pro Pass with exclusive rewards in the free and premium version, such as Scottie Sheffler’s Signature Irons Spec, the new Orange TaylorMade MyStealth 2 Driver, or Jordan Spieth’s Scottie Cameron 009 Putter.

Match Play is now available to play in both Online and Private Match modes. Online leaderboards have been updated to differentiate between Match Play and Stroke Play performance. Since this is the first online turn-based format that has been released, the developers are looking for player feedback on this to further tune the experience. The final highlight is that one round tournaments are now available in Career mode.

You can watch the trailer for the update below and can scroll down further for the full EA Sports PGA Tour update 6.0 patch notes .

EA Sports PGA Tour update 6.0 patch notes

• Specs for Season 5:
• Superior Power and Superior Accuracy: These specs focus on significantly improving your Power or Accuracy attribute.
• Xander Schauffele and Sungjae Im’s signature series specs will be added to the store.
• Complete the Pro Pass and earn Scottie Sheffler’s Signature Irons Spec.
• Aiming arc and ball trails are no longer visible on the black screen during a fade-out.
• Fix for HUD being momentarily visible at the end of hole flyovers that were initiated from the scorecard menu.
• Updated aiming arc to show the power of the arc using the exact lie effect percentage when the player’s Lie Effect setting is off. When the Lie Effect setting is on, the aiming arc continues to use the average of the lie effect range to determine the power of the arc.
• Fixed the “Team Ball” Quick Play format, which was not scoring the match correctly and showing the wrong type of scorecard. The fix was applied to servers on August 4th.
• Fixed numerous issues related to how FedExCup Starting Strokes for the TOUR Championship were being displayed and sorted in scorecards, leaderboards, and the HUD.
• Tournaments:
• Fixed issues where the Tournament fee was not being charged back to the player’s account after experiencing an error. The fix was applied to servers on July 27th.
• Challenges:
• Fixed instances where pro golfers were being shown instead of the player’s created golfer when previewing challenge rewards.
• Fixed issue where Scottie Scheffler was always the AI opponent in challenges. This fix was already applied to servers on August 4th.
• Fixed issue where Live Quests were not being displayed in the UI. The fix was applied to servers on August 9th.
• Improve texture resolution and overall visual quality on 5 courses:
• Chambers Bay
• TPC Sawgrass
• TPC Scottsdale
• Augusta National: Reprimanded and corrected camera operators in the towers on holes 12, 13, and 15 who were not filming their greens.
• Bandon Dunes: Fixed tree hit box being too big on the right side of the tee shot for hole 9.
• Bandon Dunes: Fix for tree disappearing during the hole 7 flyover when using performance mode.
• Bandon Dunes: Adjusted sun glow effect in the morning so that it is better aligned with the position of the sun.
• Bay Hill: Fixed inconsistent bark texture on willow oaks.
• Chambers Bay: Updated bunker textures to improve visuals when viewing from a distance.
• Chambers Bay: Improved antialiasing on the fence on the right side of hole 16.
• Evian Resort: Fixed base of camera tower on hole 16 being slightly off the ground.
• Lighthouse Pointe: Fix for stairs on the lighthouse being slightly above the terrain..
• Oak Hill: Fixed trees floating above the ground on the left side of the fairway on hole 17.
• Pebble Beach: Fixed collision that was missing on some sidewalk curbs.
• PGA WEST: Improved antialiasing on wooden planks that line bunkers around the course.
• Royal Liverpool: Added the internal out of bounds area to the course, which was previously missing.
• Royal Liverpool: Fixed chimney textures on Hole 1 sometimes being incorrectly displayed as white on some graphics settings.
• Royal Liverpool: Updated bunkers so that the sod edge wraps the full perimeter of all bunkers.
• Royal Liverpool: Fixed some walls and bushes popping in during the flyover camera on hole 1.
• Royal Liverpool: Adjusted sun glow effect in the morning so that it is better aligned with the position of the sun.
• Tara Iti: Fixed 3D grass not appearing properly on a number of greens.
• Tara Iti: Fixed a patch of grass that was floating above the terrain on hole 18.
• Teeth of the Dog: Cut grass that was clipping through the concrete base of the patio on the left side of hole 1.
• The Country Club: Cut grass that was clipping through the bridge near the 10th green.
• TPC Boston: Fixed tree hit box being too big on the left side of the tee shot for hole 14.
• TPC Boston: Buoyed some ducks that were floating below the level of the water height.
• TPC Scottsdale: Fixed inconsistent collision on the floating WM logo next to holes 17 and 18.
• TPC Southwind: Improved antialiasing on fence near the green and right side of hole 1.
• Wetlands: Cut grass that was clipping through the concrete base of the structure next to the 15th green.
• Global: Updated thumbnail images for all clubs so that they’re oriented to better display the club.
• Challenges: Fix for the challenge card remaining on the screen if the player exits back to gameplay quickly after changing a setting.
• Equipment: Fix for “Copy Bag” applying Bag 1 instead of the currently selected bag if “Copy Bag” is used immediately after changing equipment.
• Equipment: Fix for the wrong item being focused in the yardage breakdown panel when navigating between bags.
• Equipment: Updated the “Swap All” confirmation popup to clarify that the item is applied to all compatible clubs, not only the currently selected type of club.
• Gameplay: Changed “Exit” button to “End Round” and removed the confirmation popup if the round is completed.
• Gameplay: Added a background to the shot types screen.
• Identity: Fix for golfer name being erased after navigating quickly through identity screen contents.
• Loading: Fix for showing the incorrect seasonal trophy when returning from gameplay.
• Main Menu: Added a notification that links the player to the skills screen after skill points have been earned.
• Main Menu: Fix for the timer of a pinned quest being cut off in the main menu.
• Online: Updated the matchmaking timer to only display minutes and seconds.
• Online (Stroke Play): Fixed the outro leaderboard so that it correctly shows the course logo instead of always displaying the TPC Sawgrass logo.
• Online (Stroke Play): Changed the order of columns in the outro leaderboard from Win/Ties/Losses to Win/Losses/Ties.
• Private Match (Stroke Play): Show leaderboard with match results in the end round screen.
• Private Match: Fix for Private Match being in an unplayable state if the player spams “Select” in the golfer selection screen.
• Quests: Removed the “Manage Golfers” button from the Quests tab due to issues caused by being able to change your golfer while in Career mode.
• Quests: Added a notification that links the player to the rewards screen after completing quests.
• Rewards: Fixed text overlap that occurred when viewing multiple packs with long names.
• Skills: Fixed shot types information panel alignment so that it no longer overlaps with text behind it.
• Tournaments: Updated background image for tournaments on Royal Liverpool to show an image of the course.
• Update UI to use the latest version of the TravisMathew logo.
• Fixed the inner element of the BMW logo being transparent instead of solid white.
• Fixed crash that could occur when backing out of a sub item tab in the equipment screen.
• Additional crash and stability-related fixes.
• Accessibility:
• Fix for menu narration reading subtabs first instead of main tabs after accessing a main tab for the second time.

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EA Sports PGA Tour 2023 review – serious players have much to master in EA’s return to the virtual fairway

Electronic Arts; PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S The controls can be tough to get the hang of, but the visuals are stunning, the commentary impressive and the play itself gives you all the challenge and realism you could want

A fter an eight-year hiatus from the world of golf simulation, Electronic Arts is back on the fairway, bringing its considerable licensing power and slick sports TV presentation skills with it. Featuring 30 courses, a large roster of current professionals, and a physics model built around the official TrackMan data for authentic ball flight measurement and swing analysis, this game is exactly what you’d expect from EA Sports – comprehensive, packed with options and deadly serious about the sport.

Those hoping for an accessible knockabout are going to be quickly disappointed. The new swing mechanic, which requires you to pull down on the analogue stick to bring the club back, then forward again to unleash your shot, takes considerable time and effort to master. There’s a slight lag between your input and the onscreen swing visual, which makes timing tricky, especially when you’re not going for a full-power shot. Consequently, you spend a lot of matches over-hitting wildly, and this isn’t helped by the fact that the transition on the stick from pull-back to forward has to be precise or your golfer just pulls a practice swing. The difficulty is compounded by the fact that there’s no real tutorial mode. Instead you get a Coaching Academy section in the Challenge mode, which has lots of little mini-games based around various elements of the sport – but these don’t provide tips or feedback, so it’s all trial and a lot of error.

In the main Career mode, which lets you create a player then guide them through a competitive year (hopefully ending with a shot at the Masters), you start with hopeless stats and need to earn XP points to build your skills in driving, approach play, short game and putting before you have any chance of winning cups. It’s an RPG element that feels kind of weird within this very serious simulation, and it forces you to spend hours entering lesser tournaments and trying the hundreds of skill challenges to build up your XP and raise your stats. There’s a quick game mode that lets you jump into a round on any course with any player, so you do get to experience high level play from the outset – but if you want to beat Career get ready for a real golfing grind.

When you do start to get the hang of the controls, PGA Tour 2023 becomes an enjoyable and engrossing sim. The visuals are beautiful, with lusciously detailed courses, from Liberty National with its view of the Manhattan skyline to Pebble Beach where the holes edge along rugged cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. These courses don’t simply provide aesthetic contrast – they play very differently and require planning. Each hole demands that you tweak your swing, club and shot shaping depending on the shape of the fairway, the lie of the bunkers and myriad other factors. The commentary is also extremely good, with genuinely interesting and helpful observations, and excellent reactions to your play – I managed to land an incredible shot from a bunker 30ft from the flag and there was notable surprise in Rich Lerner’s voice. Together with the slick UI and swooping overhead cameras, EA has done a superb job of simulating modern sports broadcasting.

Alongside the Career, Challenge and Quick Play modes there are also various tournament options, including online matches against friends or the wider community. A range of daily, weekly and seasonal tournaments also allow you to earn XP and items for a limited period before they’re refreshed, so you’ve got lots of reasons to keep coming back. Unfortunately, the game features a loot box mechanic, rewarding in-game achievement with random packages of cosmetic goods and XP boosts. You can also earn in-game money to spend in the game’s outfit store, but those who can’t wait can buy the currency with real cash. Considering the money the Fifa series has made from micro transactions this is hardly surprising, but it sits uneasily in the more austere atmosphere of a golf sim.

This is a promising return to golf for EA Sports. It’s slow of pace, it’s tough to get into, and it’s a little staid and fuddy-duddy at times (most of the background music makes you feel like you’re on hold to a financial service call centre), but the accuracy of the ball physics, the huge range of shots and the highly tactical nature of the play gives serious players the challenge and realism they want. I wish there was a smoother on-ramp for beginners, or a much more basic arcade mode for those who want to thrash through a few holes with pals, but this is a sim after all and when it comes to sport, EA does not mess around.

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Ea sports pga tour update 1.000.005 drives out for season 3 us open patch this june 13 (update).

EA has putted out EA Sports PGA Tour update 1.000.005 and this is for Season 3, which brings the US Open content drop. Players can expect the Los Angeles Country Club course to be part of the free content roll out and more. Read on for what’s new in the EA Sports PGA Tour June 13 patch notes.

EA Sports PGA Tour Update 1.000.005 Patch Notes for June 13 | EA PGA Tour Season 3 Patch Notes:

Size: 17.5GB (Xbox)

Update : The complete patch notes are now available.

• Command Series: Improves Power and Control attributes.
• Escape Series: Improves Accuracy and Recovery attributes.
• Patrick Cantlay
• Jessica Korda
• Lexi Thompson
• Additional cosmetic content will be added to the store later this week.
• Updated aiming arc to add an effect and change color if the ball is projected to collide before it reaches its apex. This is intended to better indicate when aimed at obvious obstructions like bunker lips directly in front of the golfer or trees that are out of view.
• Related to these changes are visual improvements to the putt read line, aiming arc, and online ball trails.
• Fixed flat edges sometimes being displayed on shot dispersion indicator when aimed on extremely sloped terrain.
• Fixed big hit moments sometimes showing incorrect ball tracer lines near where the ball is hit.
• Note that the ball typically flies further and with a slightly lower trajectory when playing at high altitude courses like Banff Springs
• Minor improvements to ball rolling physics, fixing some unnatural movement that could occur when slowly rolling down steep slopes.
• Fix instances where swinging while the golfer is moving to address the ball would result in a frozen swing animation.
• Fix instances where the golfer could get stuck in a continuous shuffle.
• Update address camera obstruction logic to move to the next highest available camera instead of always moving to the highest camera.
• Fix drop ball camera positioning for left-handed golfers.
• Only show drop-down text such as “For eagle to win hole” when the golfer is on the green or within 50 yards of the hole.
• Update drop-down text to say “…to win match” instead of “…to tie hole” in cases where tying the hole will win the match.
• Fix for the ball flight graph not being updated when ball flight is skipped.
• Improve AI golfer’s ability to make short putts.
• Fix for rare occurrences that could incorrectly place the golfer under tournament structures for their next shot.
• Fix for ball being visible in practice state after a hole flyover is viewed while the golfer is in practice state.
• Fix for a crash that could occur after completing the last hole in a playoff.
• Updated David Lingmerth to have Sweden instead of USA flag.
• Permanently disable golfer reaction NIS in online gameplay in order to speed up play for all players.
• Fix for softlock during online gameplay if player expires their hole timer while using “Fast Play” setting.
• Fix for incorrect order of players in online in-game scoreboard after a player quits or disconnects during a round.
• Fix for crowd members obstructing the golfer in the first shot of some challenges.
• Added animation to challenge banner shown after holing out.
• Fix for some visual settings not being saved persistently unless the save button was pressed multiple times.
• Fix for putting grid setting not updating when changed during active gameplay.
• Numerous fixes and improvements for commentary during rounds that use Match Play scoring.
• Reworked St. Andrews ambience, added additional bird and background sounds.
• Fix for crowd sometimes not applauding short putts.
• Fix for commentary mentioning “beautiful afternoon” when using “Morning” time of day.
• Global: Update a number of courses to use course-specific or tournament-specific tee markers depending on the context for the round.
• Chambers Bay: Fix for ocean texture flickering.
• Chambers Bay: Remove misplaced terrain decal on right side of hole 17.
• East Lake: Fix for a structure handrail being visible behind the 9th green when structures are disabled.
• Lighthouse Pointe: Fix for some online spectator cameras being obstructed by trees on holes 10 and 16.
• Oak Hill: Fix tee marker placement.
• Pebble Beach: Add collision to bushes on the right side of hole 3.
• Pebble Beach: Remove long grass that was encroaching on hole 8 tee box.
• Pebble Beach: Fix unnatural seagull movement on hole 7.
• Pebble Beach: Fix for incorrect color on some tournament structures such as holes 5 and 6.
• Teeth of the Dog: Fix blurry hole images shown in hole preview screen.
• TPC Scottsdale: Fix for the caddie being visible while playing holes 17 and 18.
• TPC Scottsdale: Add collision to a variety of cacti.
• Quail Hollow: Fix for some crowd members clipping through each other in the tournament structures on the 15th hole.
• Wilmington Country Club: Fix incorrect tree hitbox on hole 3.
• Updated Scottie Scheffler’s head model.
• Dustin Johnson updated to use Taylormade glove.
• Xander Schauffele updated to use Callaway glove.
• Update Jessica Korda’s outfits and logos.
• Fix texture clipping on EA SPORTS V-Neck polos.
• Fix some instances where the golfer’s hand was clipping through the glove.
• Fix for golfer hair clipping with hat for few seconds when entering gameplay using low visual settings.
• Brighten texture on “EA SPORTS – White” ball.
• Fix for softlock caused by exiting gameplay quickly after entering a round.
• Fix for softlock occurring if the “Sharing Options” popup is viewed while a round is being completed.
• Fix for softlock when “hold to skip” is used during TPC Scottsdale hole 16 NIS.
• [PS5] Fix for starting an activity from within the EIS resulting in being unable to enter Quick Play without restarting the game.
• Structures, outfits, wipes, etc. update to use the latest U.S. Open logo.
• Updated The Open logo on pin flags.
• Ensure the loading screen for Augusta National always shows the Masters Trophy instead of the seasonal trophy.
• Wells Fargo Championship updated to use one-color white logo.
• FedEx St. Jude Championship updated to use one-color white logo.
• Career: Update all in-game leaderboards to show “E” in the “Total” column for any golfer that has not teed off yet.
• Career: Fix for navigating to “FedExCup Rankings” when the player attempts to directly open “Statistics” or “Official World Golf Ranking”.
• Career: Fix for “Season Timeline” overlapping in gameplay if the quest tab is accessed from the scorecard screen after viewing quests from “Season Summary” in the Career Hub.
• Challenges: Fix for text overlapping the golfer in some preview rewards screens.
• Equipment: Add “Change Club” button to the first driver slot.
• Equipment: Fix for the “Equip to all” button applying blueprints to incorrect clubs in non-default bags in some circumstances.
• Equipment: Fix for the equip confirmation pop-up having a non-functional “No” button.
• Equipment: Fix text overlap that occurs when using “Copy Bag”.
• Leaderboards: Removed “Sort” and “My Position” from all leaderboards.
• Leaderboards: Removed “View Profile” button when viewing an empty leaderboard.
• Manage Golfers: Unable to delete multiple golfers without leaving and reentering the screen to refresh the list of golfers.
• Online: The “Players in session” counter now shows “1” instead of “0” when a player is in an online lobby prior to matchmaking.
• Online: Fix for “Add Players” button being shown when 4 players are in a lobby.
• Outfits: Remove “Equip to all” button when a “None” node is selected.
• Outfits: Fix for incorrect outfit sometimes being displayed after quickly navigating between outfits.
• Outfits: Fix for the wrong item being selected after using “Equip to all” twice on the same item.
• Outfits: Update outfits screen to more consistently display the item description area when navigating through nodes.
• Outfits: Remove icon transparency on non-equipped clothing categories.
• Outfits: Fix text overlap that occurs when using “Copy Outfit”.
• Private Match: Fix for “Start Round” button still being displayed after a player left and there is only one player remaining in the EIS.
• Quick Play: Fix for custom holes that were previously selected continuing to persist even though a non-custom hole select option was most recently selected.
• Quick Play: Fix for the “Go To Mode Select” button not working when focused on a nameplate.
• Settings: Fix for gameplay style text incorrectly changing to “Custom” when Swing or Putt Mechanic is changed in Tournaments or Online mode.
• Store: Add timer to indicate when pages will be updated with new content.
• Store: Remove the ‘Rotate Camera’ button hint when attempting to equip a newly purchased VFX item.
• Store: Add text description to body of “Insufficient Funds” pop-up message.
• Store: Item names are now centered.
• Tooltips: Full redesign and update of gameplay onboarding tooltips.
• Tooltips: Fix tooltips being displayed during a hole flyover or “Unplayable Lie” screen.
• Tooltips: Fix for gameplay tooltips being displayed on the scorecard screen if the screen is opened during the intro NIS.
• Tooltips: Update references of “Competitive” to “Online”.
• Tournaments: Update rewards pop-up to display a score of 0 as “E”.
• Fix for double input being recorded on store pages when using mouse input to dismiss an error popup.
• Fix for players being able to access locked challenge tiles by using mouse input to click the “Select” button prompt.
• Fixes to various screens and gameplay HUD elements in order to scale correctly and better support wide screen monitors.

Here’s what EA has announced so far regarding the new title update:

⛳️ NEW COURSE ⛳️ The Los Angeles Country Club arrives in #EAPGATOUR tomorrow 🎮 Stay tuned for upcoming details about the @usopengolf update and what’s coming for Season 3! pic.twitter.com/nwWyjyv9SL — EA SPORTS PGA TOUR (@EASPORTSPGATOUR) June 12, 2023

That’s about it so far, though that will change within the day as more news about Season 3 surfaces. Let’s hope this brings 60fps into the game, and touch on some bugs too.

Once we know more, we’ll update the article, so stay tuned.

Update : Full patch notes are now out.

WTF did you clowns do to the swing meter ? YOU LAST UPDATE DESTROYED PUTTING AND NOW YOU HAVE COCKED UP THE SWING METER…GARBAGE

Looks like they removed the auto-calculated % of swing to stop at line. Plus removed the over swing area. It makes it more like real golf where you know how far your club goes, but then have to guess how much to dial it back. I know lots of people like scoring super low, and this makes that a lot harder. However I think it is better than making the pros score unrealistically low just to keep the tournaments “competitive”

Hopefully there is a setting to put the line back in for people who want it. I didn’t check settings, just played a couple holes and instantly noticed the change.

They need to put a practice range in this game like 2k

the need to fix putting and include replays as the replay would prove the game mistakes so we can give feedback.

Top Games and Upcoming Releases

EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR™ Pure Strike Gameplay Deep Dive

Check out the innovative gameplay coming in ea sports pga tour.

EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR™ brings all four major championships - The Masters, PGA Championship, the U.S. Open Championship and The Open as well as the race to the FedExCup - to your home. Along with these prestigious competitions come a variety of gameplay innovations powered by Pure Strike. Check out the gameplay deep dive video below to hear more about the gameplay innovations for EA SPORTS PGA TOUR.

Design Philosophy with Pure Strike

When making EA SPORTS PGA TOUR, our ultimate goal is for you to feel like a major championship golfer every time you pick up the controller. This philosophy has informed every aspect of the game's design. From the distance and control of shots to courses with true-to-life physics and shot types sculpted for the pros, EA SPORTS PGA TOUR provides an experience like that of an in-real-life pro-golfer. Our Design Philosophy continues to inform all the gameplay innovations including the newest advancement in EA SPORTS PGA TOUR gameplay with Pure Strike.

Pure Strike gives you all the tools you need to realistically attack every hole on every course the same way the pros do. Featuring ShotLink® powered by CDW and data from TrackMan, Pure Strike helps ensure that each professional golfer’s unique swing and attributes will be accurately reflected in the game. Pure Strike incorporates the three parts of every golf shot: fluid swing mechanics that are highly accurate to a player’s backswing length and speed of follow through, innovative ball behavior allowing every bounce and roll to behave more accurately across a variety of terrain and course conditions, and lifelike course dynamics that play true to their real life course counterparts. 

Ball Behavior and Course Dynamics bring real-life experiences to every round of golf

Thanks to the Frostbite engine, EA SPORTS PGA TOUR brings you stunning visual fidelity for thirty courses at launch, but the experience of playing on one of these prestigious courses is only complete with course dynamics that have the ball behave just like it would on the course in real-life. 

Whether it's facing 20 mph winds over the rock-hard terrain at the Old Course at St Andrews, to the suffocating rough at Bay Hill every one of the world-renowned courses in EA SPORTS PGA TOUR has been designed to challenge you the same way it would a professional golfer.

Your ball is tracked in-game by measuring power, swing, apex, and carry which is visible on screen after you hit your shot.

There are a variety of factors that impact the bounce and roll of the ball after you’ve taken your swing that also vary based on where the ball has met the different terrains on a course. The firmness of the ground, the speed of the ball’s roll, the ball’s spin, and the terrain the shot was hit from all impact the way the ball behaves once your shot lands.

But it’s not just the bounce and roll of the ball that’s unique. Each course also has its own flight physics based on elevation, wind, and other factors. So if you’re playing at one of the higher elevation in-game courses like Banff Springs in the Rockies, the ball will fly farther than when you’re playing at a low elevation course like Pebble Beach, which sits at sea level.

No two courses are identical, so shots on every course will behave differently based on the speed and firmness of the fairway, fringe and green, as well as the firmness and length of the first cut and second cut. On every golf course in the game, you can set speed and firmness of the terrain to either slow, average, fast, or tournament. Other courses will have terrains where you’ll be able to control length and firmness with three options: short, medium, and long.

We built each course with state of the art LIDAR data captured by helicopter or drone, mapping all of the vegetation, slopes, and terrain into the engine. From there, we designed a custom physics profile for each course using a combination of archival video footage, data from ShotLink® powered by CDW, and in-depth interviews from course superintendents. All this data made for a powerfully accurate depiction of courses that appear in-game.

As a result of course dynamics, at each course you’ll need to develop unique strategies to take successful shots in a variety of conditions so that from The Masters to The FedExCup you feel like you’re playing the course in real life.

Adjust strategy with Shot Types for more authentic golf

EA SPORTS PGA TOUR provides you with an authentic pro-golfer experience, and the 20 shot types in the game allow you to expand your experience with a variety of shots that professional golfers execute on the course.

There are 20 total shot types in EA SPORTS PGA TOUR under the categories driving, approach, shot game, and putting that are represented with gold, silver, and bronze shot types. To learn more about shot types and read a breakdown of each shot, visit our blog on shot types.

Fluid Swing Mechanics provide more realistic shot results

There are a variety of decisions a player can make to impact their swing and shot, so from the swings themselves to specific golfer skills, Pure Strike’s gameplay mechanics are made to feel like you’re truly playing as a professional golfer. We even captured swings from professional golfers to ensure that their unique swings make it into the game for a true-to-life experience..

Take the swing mechanic, for example, when you swing with your swing stick, three components will impact the resulting shot. 

• Backswing length: How far your golfer takes the club back as you pull down on your swing stick.
• Forward swing speed: How fast your golfer swings forward or how fast you push up with your swing stick.
• Swing plane: Maps the path your swing takes and matches to the path your swing stick moves.

In addition to the swing itself, your golfer’s Swing Meter is directly tied to your golfer’s animation. You can time shots exactly how you would in real life since there’s no artificial meter you have to hit in order to carry out the perfect swing, the visuals say it all.

Both backswing length and forward swing speed will impact the power of your shot. So if your backswing is too long you’ll overswing but if it’s too short, you’ll underswing. If your forward swing is too fast or slow, your shot won’t go the intended distance. So getting the perfect shot will rely on your ability to time and carry out these actions accurately, just like a real golfer would. And you’ll receive on-screen feedback after every shot, so you’ll know if you over-or-under swung. 

The swing plane impacts the curve on the shot and the initial direction of the launch. If the swing plane is inaccurate, the curve and direction of the ball will shift for the backswing and forward swing respectively.

When putting, the goal is to backswing perfectly which dynamically updates as you adjust your aim on the green.

Golfer Skills Make Each Shot and Golfer Unique

Golfer skills also impact your ability to swing on the course. Each golfer has their own set of skills which you can unlock and develop the more you play. And you’ll be able to build your own golfer in Career mode to match your style of play. Each golfer skill set impacts gameplay differently but all of them combine to create a unique golfer with strengths and weaknesses that you’ll have to strategize around.

There are four key skills that impact your golfer: power, accuracy, control, and recovery. 

• Power controls the distance your shots can go, impacting all shot types in the same way. 
• Accuracy is unique for different skill areas of your game: driving, approach and short game. So when you achieve a higher accuracy skill, your shots will be easier to execute. 
• Control impacts the shape and spin control the golfer has over the shot which, similar to accuracy, is unique for each skill area. With higher control attributes, your shot will have more natural spin and you’ll be able to shape your shot more as well as add more spin while your shot is in the air. 
• Recovery affects how negatively your shot is impacted when not on the tee, which influences approach and short game shots. For example, if you are in a bad lie, your power wouldn’t be affected as much despite an unfavorable position with high recovery attributes. This is similar for natural spin out of bad lies and golfer-controlled spin from unfavorable lies. A higher recovery attribute provides more natural spin to help stop the ball quicker and more Spin Control while the ball is in flight.

Customize Your Experience with a Variety of Gameplay Styles

Gameplay styles can control and impact all aspects of the game with your selection of four styles: Arcade, Pro, Tour, and Simulation. Arcade provides you with exciting, larger-than-life mechanics like Power Boost and Spin Control while Pro gives you challenging gameplay paired with the aids and exaggerated mechanics of arcade. 

In contrast, Tour style has you playing like a top-tier professional golfer with more challenges and no aids. And Simulation, the most challenging game style gives you the most difficult set of game mechanics. 

These gameplay styles control all of the settings under gameplay including zoom levels, swing difficulty, putting difficulty, putt read, power boost, wind display, and more, but if you’d like to take full control of your gameplay experience, you can toggle these to create your own Custom Gameplay Style for a unique gameplay experience. The full details for settings to customize your gameplay with gameplay styles are detailed below.

With EA SPORTS PGA TOUR, Pure Strike’s unique course dynamics and new ball behavior make each course experience unique and true-to-life, shot types impact your strategy, and more. If you’d like to learn more about gameplay in EA SPORTS PGA TOUR, read about shot types here and watch the full gameplay deep dive here.

Pre-order now!*

*Conditions & restrictions apply. See https://www.ea.com/games/ea-sports-pga-tour/disclaimers for details.

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"This isn't good"; "It's time to retire" - Fans unhappy with reports of Tiger Woods being the lone PGA Tour player in direct negotiations for PIF deal

F ans on social media have reacted to Tiger Woods being the sole player in direct negotiations between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Recently, the Associated Press reported that Woods would be the only player continuing talks with the Saudis.

He will be joined by Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, along with Joe Gorder, John W. Henry, and Joe Ogilvie. Nuclr has shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) account with the caption:

"JUST IN: The Associated Press is reporting that Tiger Woods will be only TOUR player to participate in direct negotiations with the Saudis. He will join Commissioner Jay Monahan, board chairman Joe Gorder, John W. Henry of Fenway Sports and Joe Ogilvie as the two sides look to strike a deal. @TWlegion."

Fans were disappointed with the Tour's decision and expressed their opinions in the comments section.

"This isn't good," commented a fan.

Another fan suggested that Tiger Woods should retire from golf and take up the responsibility of PGA Tour Commissioner.

"Tiger should quit the tour and become the commissioner of the PGAT. It's time to retire," wrote a fan.

Meanwhile, some fans were excited about Woods taking the talks further with PIF and believed the deal would be finalized.

"As long as Tiger is playing on the PGAT, he is the boss. His legacy is the PGAT, he will be the best to preserve it," commented another fan.

"Realistically, with Tiger there along with board chairman Joe Gorder, John W. Henry of Fenway Sports and Joe Ogilvie, Monahan must be on the trip just to carry luggage, order meals, & take notes. He's not needed for anything else, or there would already be a deal in place," wrote another fan.

Here are more fans reactions:

"We are making progress in our negotiations with the PIF" - Jay Monahan on negotiation deal between PGA Tour & PIF

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan opened up about the negotiation deal with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in his recent interview. The deal has been in talks since it was announced in June 2023.

Rory McIlroy was one of the PGA Tour Players' Directors earlier. However, he resigned from the position in November 2023. It was reported that he would probably replace Webb Simpson on the board soon.

Nonetheless, McIlroy failed to earn the support of all the players' directors and will not return to the position. Currently, Tiger Woods , Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati, Webb Simpson, and Adam Scott serve as the PGA Tour Players Directors, and out of all of them, only Woods will reportedly initiate further talks with PIF.

Monahan provided an update on the negotiation deal, saying they "are making progress" and also about McIlroy's return. He said (via Sportstar):

"Today's news is in no way a commentary on Rory's important perspective and influence. It's simply a matter of adherence to our governance process by which a tour player becomes a board member.

"Webb remaining in his position as a member of the policy board and PGA Tour Enterprises board through the end of his term provides the continuity needed at this vital time. We are making progress in our negotiations with the PIF," he added.

Meanwhile, next week, PGA Tour players and LIV golfers will compete at the PGA Championship 2024 . The Major will start on May 16 and the event's final will be held on May 19 at the Valhalla Golf Course.

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2024 pga championship: 5 most fascinating storylines to watch at valhalla, share this article.

The second major tournament of the golf season tees off in Kentucky this week as the world’s best head to Louisville’s Valhalla Golf Club. A number of LIV Golfers will be in the field once again as the Jack Nicklaus-designed course prepares to play host to the PGA Championship for the fourth time (1996, 2000, 2014) a decade after the event last rolled through. 

Already there’s no shortage of fascinating storylines to follow, and that no longer includes Scottie Scheffler Baby Watch as the 2024 Masters Champion and wife Meredith welcomed their first child last week .

So if you’re just getting up to speed on what the talk of the course is this week, look no further. We’ve got you covered.

1 All eyes on Rory

May 12, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Rory McIlroy plays his shot from the 16th tee during the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament. Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

We begin with the talk of the PGA Tour right now.

Rory McIlroy arrives at Valhalla seeking his third PGA Championship and playing well enough to capture it. The 35-year-old ran away with last week’s Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow (the site of next year’s PGA Championship), finishing 17-under par and winning by five strokes. McIlroy won the PGA when it was last held at Valhalla in 2014 tournament by finishing one stroke ahead of Phil Mickelson.

As of Tuesday, Rory held the second-best odds in the field (+750) behind only Scheffler (+450) at BetMGM.

But it’s been a decade since the Northern Irishman captured one of the sport’s four majors. Each time it seemed like McIlroy was ready to make a run, a different part of his game has betrayed him. On Monday, McIlroy filed for divorce from his wife of seven years , Erica Stoll.

2 Tiger's Prowling

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – MAY 14: Tiger Woods of the United States speaks to the media during press conference during a practice round prior to the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 14, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

When he last saw Tiger Woods, he was limping to the end of the Masters both literally and figuratively.

His body was worn down from four days of early tee times and a hilly terrain in Georgia. Woods did make the cut at Augusta, tying the Masters record, but finished 16-over par — by far the worst score of anyone who played all four rounds.

Now he arrives at Valhalla sporting a new goatee for, uh, reasons , and hoping his body can hold up a bit longer. A win this week already doesn’t seem likely. Woods told reporters on Tuesday that he wished “my game was a little bit sharper”.

Despite all of this, there’s still nothing in golf like the atmosphere when Tiger shows up. He’ll begin the week paired with Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley. Hopefully those two enjoy playing for big crowds.

3 Jordan Spieth on Grand Slam Watch

May 3, 2024; McKinney, Texas, USA; Jordan Spieth plays his shot from the second tee during the second round of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson golf tournament. (Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports)

Thanks to the nature of rotating hosts for the PGA Championship, Jordan Spieth doesn’t often face the same types of questions about not being able to win the tournament as, say, someone like McIlroy does at Augusta.

But just like Rory, Spieth is one jewel shy of completing the career Grand Slam by winning all four majors. His best finish at the PGA Championship came when he finished second in 2015 — the same year won both the Masters and U.S. Open.

“For me, it’s like the PGA Championship feels decently similar to a number of tournaments we play,” Spieth said . “I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s played on some of the biggest, best golf courses. But the identity is not the same as the other three. In my mind, you don’t need to find a different way to win, versus guys who don’t have some of the other ones.”

Spieth is looking to become the sixth player to ever win all four majors. He’s +6600 to do so and can thank those long odds on the fact he missed the cut his last time at Valhalla in 2014 and has finished T10 or better just once since the WM Phoenix Open in early February. In the same span, Spieth has missed the cut four times.

4 LIVing up to the moment

Jon Rahm of Spain talks with Brooks Koepka of the United States on the practice range during a practice round prior to the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 03, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

It’s been an inconsistent stretch for the reigning PGA Championship winner. Brooks Koepka’s LIV season hit a rough patch in March with finishes of 12th, 28th and 46th before he placed 10th at Adelaide in late April. Now he arrives in Kentucky looking to defend his title after winning the LIV Singapore event.

Koepka’s reputation as someone who performs better the bigger the tournament will again be put to the test after a T45 at the Masters. He’ll share that burden with LIV newcomer Jon Rahm, who nearly missed the cut at Augusta before finishing 9-over par one year after winning a green jacket.

Rahm and Koepka are among the biggest LIV names in the field and, right or wrong, plenty will be said about the strength of the Saudi-backed league based on how the two perform this week.

5 Another spin around the Block

May 25, 2023; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Michael Block plays his shot from the sixth tee during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament. (Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports)

Hey, Michael Block is back in the field!

You remember him . He’s the club pro from Southern California’s Arroyo Trabuco who made the cut at the 2023 PGA Championship during a charmed run that saw him finish T15. That tie ultimately ended up playing a massive role in his future as it guaranteed him a spot in this year’s field.

You’ll just have to get up pretty early to watch him. Block tees off at 7:15 a.m. ET on Thursday alongside Luke Donald and Shaun Micheel.

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EA Sports PGA Tour Patch 7.0 Ryder Cup Update & Much More Available Today - Patch Notes

EA Sports PGA Tour patch 7.0 is scheduled to arrive tomorrow highlighted by Season 6 and the Ryder Cup update.

UPDATE: (9-26) The update has arrived!

In the main menu, you’ll now see your golfer representing either team Europe or USA, proudly wearing the uniform of your chosen team. Additionally, you will be greeted with the captivating Ryder Cup theme music and see that the UI and background reflect the theme of your selection.

You can now play the prestigious Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, the host of the 2023 Ryder Cup. Additionally, you have the opportunity to participate in the Ryder Cup on other iconic courses that have previously hosted the event, including Kiawah Island, Oak Hill, The Country Club, and Whistling Straits.

The new patch will also include updated and improved zoom cameras, new items in the store, gameplay and course fixes, UI updates and much more. Check out the patch notes below, along with a new gameplay video from TheApexHound as he teamed up and played with some members of the team. For additional details on the update read the official blog .

• New USA and Europe “MultiVerse” gear sets are available in Pro Pass and Challenges.
• Superior Command and Superior Escape Specs are available in Pro Pass and Tournaments.
• Official Team USA and Team Europe clothing and bag sets
• Nelly Korda Signature Series Specs
• Cobra AeroJet “Volition” Driver
• Brooks Koepka’s Scotty Cameron Putter
• Patrick Cantlay’s Scotty Cameron Putter
• New gear from Scotty Cameron, Jordan, and Nike

• G/Fore Hats
• Titleist colored golf balls
• Under Armour shoes
• TaylorMade clubs
• XP Boosters are a new consumable item that allows players to earn XP at an increased rate for a fixed amount of time.
• Boosters will only be available in the store at limited times during the season.
• Fixed logic in match play formats that was ending the match before the leading golfer hit their final putt in situations where they have already clinched a tie in the match (aka. dormie).
• Fixed logic in match play formats that would incorrectly display “3 UP” in the scorecard immediately after a golfer scored a triple bogey on the first hole.
• Fixed logic in best ball formats so that golfers are skipped when their score is too high to tie the current hole.
• Fixed logic in skins format to advance to the next hole when 2 golfers have tied the hole and no remaining golfers can beat the current score.
• Fixed putt meter power target line not being visible on the first putt of a round.
• Updated golfer etiquette so that they no longer leave their ball in the cup after holing out in a multiplayer match.
• Balls on the green for other golfers are no longer shown when playing alternate shot and foursomes formats.
• The golfer is now hidden while viewing the unplayable lie menu to select drop position.
• Moved the aim info widget further away from the aim marker.

• Updated the low-view putting zoom camera to allow for moving the camera all the way back to the ball.
• Improved accuracy of the low-view putting zoom camera by ensuring that it is always perfectly level. Previously, the camera could include a small amount of roll when on severe slopes.
• Updated zoom camera so that it now transitions smoothly without resetting its orientation when toggling between zoom camera heights.
• Fixed a number of rare issues where golfers or balls could be invisible during an online match.
• Improved syncing of remote golfers in Online and Private Match lobbies.
• Fix for some Stroke Play round results in Online mode not being recorded to leaderboards. The fix was applied to servers on August 11th.
• Fixed the Crowd round setting being selectable in Private Match when it should have been forced to Off. The fix was applied to servers on August 17th.
• Fixed an issue where the Match Play “All Time” leaderboards were not showing stats when filtering for a specific gameplay style. The fix was applied to servers on August 30th.
• Fixed an issue where some players were being disconnected when entering an online match and being returned to the main menu with the error message “Authentication Required. Please try again.”. The fix was applied to servers on September 18th.
• Fixed opponent’s Ball Trail VFX sometimes being shown on your golfer when playing in online match play.
• Updated lobbies in match play, foursomes, four-ball, alternate shot, and best ball formats to be pre-populated with golfers so that the player doesn’t have to manually add them each time.
• Added a new option to golfers in quick play lobbies that allows players to change a golfer from CPU to a locally controlled golfer and vice versa.
• Updated round settings confirmation popup to clarify which round of the tournament the player is about to enter.
• Fixed course preview screen so that it correctly shows which holes you will play in the upcoming round when using quick rounds.
• Fixed current position being shown as 3,333rd in the event info screen when starting a new 1 round event.
• Fix for no “Event Results” leaderboard being shown for any tournaments that the player skipped.
• Fixed broken hole location in “No Need For Speed Here” challenge. The fix was applied to servers on August 11th.
• Fix for the pro golfer you are playing sometimes being replaced by your created golfer after restarting a change.

• Fixed a broken daily tournament “6 Holes – Arcade on Top of the Rock”. The tournament was moved to Torrey Pines to resolve the issue. This fix was applied to servers on August 17th.
• Improved UI navigation so that when entering Pro Pass you view your current level instead of level 1.
• After previewing a reward, you are now returned to the level you were viewing instead of level 1.
• Fix for needing to reboot the game in order to claim Premium Tier rewards if the player previously claimed Free Tier rewards and then purchased Pro Pass Premium.
• Fixed incorrect level progress sometimes being shown in the Rewards Summary screen after a level up occurs.
• Updated UI animations added sound effects when unlocking and claiming levels.
• Various improvements to support cleanly transitioning from one season to the next.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when using the notification to view rewards after completing a daily or weekly quest. This was mitigated by updating the quest reward packs to be sent to the player’s inventory instead of being automatically  opened. The fix was applied to servers on August 21st.
• Updated tab order so that “Live” Quests are listed first.
• [Banff Springs] Fixed lake reflection flickering while viewing from the green on hole 4.
• [Banff Springs]: Fixed camera being obstructed by the crowd on the hole 4 tee box.
• [Olympia Fields] Adjusted lighting on tee boxes to make for a more consistent overall lighting level.
• [Pebble Beach] Course specific memory optimizations.
• [PGA WEST] Added American Express sign to water on hole 17.
• [Royal Liverpool] Fixed incorrect first cut grass on right side of fairway on hole 8.
• [Torrey Pines] Adjust color of the cliff to be darker
• [TPC Scottsdale] Fixed incorrect color on some structure railings.
• [Wolf Creek] Fixed incorrect handicap listed for hole 9.

• Bryson DeChambeau updated to wear Puma baseball hats.
• Danielle Kang updated to wear FootJoy Premiere shoes.
• Fixed missing Under Armour logo on the back of Jordan Spieth’s pants in his Round 1 outfit.
• Fixed EA Sports Standard Belt Buckle clipping through Woven Belt Strap.
• Fixed Under Armour Curry 8 Spikeless missing Under Armour logo on the back of the shoes.
• Fix for some hairstyles clipping through snapback hats.
• Fix for the Odyssey Ten putter head being misshapen in gameplay.
• Fixed Nike logo appearing on some non-Nike polos on the golfer in the main menu after equipping and rebooting title.
• Fix for Ping G425 LST and Masters driver appearing slightly disconnected from the shaft when viewed in the Equipment screen.
• [Career] Fixed incorrect mode description being displayed in the scorecard screen if a quick play round was played previously.
• [Course Select] Fix for Pebble Beach background being briefly displayed when entering the Course Select Screen.
• [Course Select] Updated Olympia Fields and Royal Liverpool to display the short version of their names in the tile and description.
• [Gameplay] Update text in Match Play formats to say “…to halve hole” instead of “…to tie hole”
• [Gameplay] Fixed incorrect club thumbnails being shown in the HUD for a created golfer when playing in a local multiplayer match.
• [Online] Fix for the leaderboard in the scorecard screen sometimes showing a different player highlighted at the bottom even though it should always highlight your stats.
• [Online] Updated popup text to clarify when a player has been kicked from a lobby by the host.
• [Online] Added button hints to the View Golfer screen.
• [Outfits] Fixed “Set outfit as default” button flashing briefly at the bottom right of the screen when navigating from a tab back to the outfits screen.
• [Leaderboards] Updated so that when a leaderboard is initially viewed it shows the value of each filter instead of the category of the filter.
• [Main Menu] Fixed main menu tabs disappearing if the player loses network connection in the equipment screen.
• [PC] Fixed the “enter” key on the numpad not registering.
• [Private Match] Removed the “Are you sure…” invite confirmation popup.
• [Private Match] Removed team name information from “Change Teams” popup.
• [Private Match] Fixed “Custom Hole Select” tab being available to a guest player if they accept an invite while in a Custom Hole Select screen.
• [Pro Pass] Updated all text referencing “node” to “level”.
• [Pro Pass] Updated levels to show reward quantity.
• [Pro Pass] Added a notification that indicates when a level was unlocked after returning from gameplay.
• [PS5] Fixed menu background theme not being updated when using a PS5 Activity to leave Career mode.
• [Quests] Fix for the quest slider reset to the top when pinning quests.
• [Quick Play] Fix for the pro golfer you’ve selected being replaced by your created golfer if you return to the event info screen from Quests or Settings tab by pressing the “Back” button.
• [Tournaments] Updated the tournament payout popup to specify when a player achieved “Missed Rank” position for a tournament.

• Wholesale improvements to commentary for alternate shot and best ball formats.
• Fixed cases where you could hear the crowd clapping after a bad shot was made.
• Fixed a couple commentary lines that were Career mode specific, incorrectly being mentioned during Quick Play rounds.
• Fixed Harris English being misgendered in Career mode commentary, incorrectly referred to as “she/her”.
• Update The Open Championship logo shown on flag wipes.
• Fixed an issue where the store UI could get stuck permanently on screen.
• Fixed a crash related to playoffs in Career mode.
• Fixed a crash related to saving progress in Career mode.
• Fixed a softlock that could occur after accepting an invite while in gameplay.
• Xbox Series S memory optimizations.
• Additional crash and stability-related fixes.

* Pro Pass content requires gameplay to unlock. Requires EA SPORTS PGA Tour (sold separately) and all game updates to play.

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Scottie Scheffler detained by police en route to Valhalla GC

• Scheffler detained by police
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PGA Championship 2024: Xander Schauffele makes major history (again), but, 'It's just Thursday'

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As far as bounce-back rounds go, Xander Schauffele’s opening effort at the PGA Championship was textbook — but then, he didn’t seem to have much interest in redemption.

Schauffele’s closing 71 on Sunday at the Wells Fargo Championship cost him a chance to end a two-year winless drought on the PGA Tour but there was clarity in that loss, most notably the progress he continues to make with swing coach Chris Como to become a longer and more accurate ball-striker.

There was also Rory McIlroy’s 6-under 65 Sunday at Quail Hollow Club that would have steamrolled anyone, which explains why Schauffele didn’t show up at the year’s second major looking for a bounce-back performance.

Lowest scores in men’s golf major history: Rounds of 63 and lower in Masters, PGA, U.S. Open and The Open

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“Not winning makes you want to win more, as weird as that is,” Schauffele said following another historic start at a major. “For me, I react to it and I want it more and more and more and it makes me want to work harder and harder and harder. The top feels far away, and I feel like I have a lot of work to do. But just slowly chipping away at it.”

That fire produced a flawless, 9-under 62 Thursday at Valhalla to match the major championship record that was last reached by (checks notes), Xander Schauffele on Day 1 at last year’s U.S. Open. In fact, Schauffele has two of the four 62s shot in major championship history, along with Rickie Fowler (2023 U.S. Open) and Branden Grace (2017 Open Championship).

For Schauffele, it was a solid start: nothing more, nothing less.

“I feel there's spurts, moments in time where you feel like you can control the ball really well; you're seeing the greens really well; you're chipping really well,” he said. “But over a prolonged period, it's tough to upkeep high performance.”

Maintaining this level of play is the challenge as evidenced by his performance last week at Quail Hollow, another big course with major pedigree. He opened his week in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a 64 for a three-shot lead and added a second-round 67 (four-stroke advantage) before cooling on Saturday with a 70 and eventually coming up short to McIlroy.

The week unfolded similarly at last year’s U.S. Open with rounds of 70-73-72 following his opening 62 to eventually tie for 10 th , all of which explains Schauffele’s largely subdued response to his first-round fireworks.

His fellow competitors, however, didn’t spare the flowers.

“One of the easiest 9-unders you've ever seen, it makes you feel like you're shooting a million,” said Justin Thomas, who was grouped with Schauffele on Day 1 and posted a respectable 2-under 69. “He's such a complete player. This year he's hitting it even further. As good as he drove it. Now he's doing the same, just 15 yards further and faster. He's smart. I've always thought he has one of the best demeanors out here, which is obviously something that you can't necessarily just change overnight.”

Schauffele’s statistical improvements since he began working with Como are impossible to ignore. His strokes-gained numbers are better than last year off the tee, as are his driving distance and greens in regulation, and Thursday’s effort was a ball-striking masterpiece, with the world No. 3 picking up nearly 5 ½ shots on the field, tee to green.

It's why one of the game’s most consistent players is having a particularly impressive season with eight top-10 finishes in a dozen starts, including a runner-up showing at The Players Championship and last week’s near miss at Quail Hollow.

But Schauffele doesn’t do victory laps or put much stock in bounce-back rounds, even another bogey-free 62 for the record books.

“It's a great start to a big tournament," he shrugged. "One I'm obviously always going to take. It's just Thursday."

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Jimmy Dunne resigns from PGA Tour policy board nearly one year after orchestrating deal with LIV Golf backers

Dunne had been a member of the pga tour policy board since the start of 2023.

The man who set up the deal between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund -- the financial backers of LIV Golf -- will not be around to potentially see it through. Jimmy Dunne on Monday resigned from his post on the PGA Tour policy board stating that the no longer sees how he can be useful to the body.

Dunne explained his abrupt resignation in a letter.

"When I arrived on the Board in January 2023, everybody involved with the game was concerned about the fundamental threat of LIV Golf. They were successfully luring away some of our top players, including several major champions. It was clear that the fracture would greatly damage our game and the Tour. On top of that, the Tour was engaged in burdensome litigation that was expensive, unwelcome, and uncertain. "As directed by Commissioner [Jay] Monahan, I engaged LIV's majority owner, the Public Investment Fund, to see if we could end the lawsuits and reunify the game. Importantly, we were able to come to an agreement in which the lawsuits were dismissed with prejudice and a path was created for the Tour to remain in control of professional golf. Since there was no exclusivity clause, the players had a full range of options to seek outside investors. That resulted in a multi-billion-dollar commitment from the Strategic Sports Group. I believe that history will look favorably on this outcome and the very real opportunities now afforded the Tour."

Dunne further notes that he has not negotiated with the PIF since June 2023, and since players now outnumber others on the board, he felt like his role moving forward was "utterly superfluous" given "no meaningful progress has been made towards a transaction with the PIF."

Dunne's resignation comes roughly one year after the PGA Tour and the PIF announced a framework agreement to merge commercial operations under a new for-profit entity, which has since been dubbed PGA Tour Enterprises. The agreement dropped expensive litigation between the two parties and made it so the discovery process could be avoided. 

Beyond making first contact with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan last April, Dunne testified in front of Congress alongside PGA Tour chief operating officer Ron Price to detail the discussions.

PGA Tour Enterprises has been busy accepting a $3 billion infusion from its now-primary investor, Strategic Sports Group. However, conversations with the PIF about bringing the PGA Tour and LIV Golf under one umbrella have stalled. PGA Tour chief competitions officer Tyler Dennis told a small group of media last week at the Wells Fargo Championship that he had "no material updates" on the state of negotiations.

"Unifying professional golf is paramount to restoring fan interest and repairing wounds left from a fractured game," Dunne concluded. "I have tried my best to move all minds in that direction."

Dunne was not a member of the transaction subcommittee, which is tasked with negotiating with the PIF. Rory McIlroy announced after his first round last week that he would have a role on this committee after being boxed out of a potential return to the PGA Tour policy board.

It was expected that McIlroy would return to the post from which he resigned last fall as Webb Simps hoped Rory would take his place. A small subset of board members -- reportedly consisting of the likes of Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Spieth (who took McIlroy's vacant seat) -- was uncomfortable with the 35-year-old's potential return.

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World No. 1 and 2 Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are the favorites to win the 2024 PGA ... [+] Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

It’s PGA Championship week as one of the strongest fields in golf prepare to tee off at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville. As you watch and wager on the second major championship of the year, fans and bettors can target some of the top golfers from The Masters who are now chasing green jacket winner Scottie Scheffler as the clear favorite to win the 106th PGA Championship.

Fans can listen to the leading golfers during their early week press interviews, and golf transcripts are posted on ASAP Sports.

Television broadcast coverage of the 2024 PGA Championship is Thursday and Friday on ESPN (1-7 p.m. ET), and Saturday and Sunday on ESPN (10-1) and CBS (1-7 p.m.). Fans can also stream online and watch PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ (subscription).

PGA Championship Top Players Odds And Interview Schedule

Leading favorites and contenders golf odds from FanDuel Sportsbook refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. All players press conferences on Tuesday, May 14 unless noted. All times Eastern.

• +400: Scottie Scheffler (3:30 p.m.)
• +1000: Rory McIlroy (Wed., May 15 at 9 a.m.)
• +1400: Brooks Koepka (3 p.m.)
• +1400: Xander Schauffele (4 p.m.)
• +1600: Jon Rahm (1 p.m.)
• +1800: Ludvig Aberg (Wed., May 15 at 11 a.m.)
• +3000: Max Homa (9:30 a.m.)
• +3300: Justin Thomas (9 a.m.)
• +6000: Jordan Spieth (12:30)
• 22000: Tiger Woods (12 p.m.)

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Note that in the past week, Koepka and Schauffele’s odds to win the 2024 PGA Championship have both dropped from +2100 to +1600 (16/1). World No. 4 Schauffele is currently leading the Wells Fargo Championship by 1-shot over Rory McIlroy through Saturday’s third round, and Xander is attempting to go wire-to-wire to capture the $3.6 million top prize.

Tiger Woods returns to competitive play, and he won the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla .

Other leading win contenders 2024 PGA Championship golf odds :

• +2500: Collin Morikawa
• +2800: Bryson DeChambeau
• +3000: Cameron Smith, Patrick Cantlay
• +3500: Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Joaquin Niemann
• +4000: Tommy Fleetwood, Cameron Young
• +4500: Dustin Johnson, Will Zalatoris, Hideki Matsuyama

Key Stats And Notes Of Top Players

Xander Schauffele : Since the beginning of the 2023 PGA Tour season, Schauffele ranks No. 2 in Strokes Gained : Total on courses over 7,400 yards and No. 5 in SG: Tee-to-Green. He’s No. 2 in Par 4 Efficiency this season, including fourth on holes ranging between 450 and 500 yards, and No. 4 in Par 5 Efficiency.

Wyndham Clark : Since the beginning of 2023, Clark is No. 3 in SG: Total under “difficult” scoring conditions. Last year’s U.S. Open champion is also No. 5 in SG: Total and No. 6 in SG: Tee-to-Green on difficult courses over 7,400 yards. Clark is No. 4 in Par 4 Efficiency this year and No. 6 in Par Efficiency from 450-500 yards.

Strokes Gained leaders over their last 24 rounds back to March and the Arnold Palmer Invitational :

• Scheffler - SG: Total (1), Off-the-Tee (1), Approach (2), Around-the-Green (2)
• McIlroy - SG: Total (11), Off-the-Tee (4)
• Schauffele - SG: Total (2), Off-the-Tee (12), Around-the-Green (19)
• Matsuyama - SG: Total (4), Around-the-Green (1), Approach (11)
• Clark - SG: Total (6), Putting (3), Approach (19), Off-the-Tee (21)
• Thomas - SG: Approach (9), Around-the-Green (7)

Hovland, Matsuyama, McIlroy and Scheffler top the Tour in Par 4 scoring from 450-500 yards over their last 24 rounds.

Brooks Koepka celebrates with the Wanamaker trophy after winning the PGA Championship golf ... [+] tournament at Oak Hill Country Club on Sunday, May 21, 2023, in Pittsford, N.Y.(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

DeChambeau (318 yards), Niemann (317) and Rahm (313) are leading LIV Golf in driving distance . Dustin Johnson won the LIV Golf Las Vegas event Super Bowl week by 1-stroke over Talor Gooch, who was added to the 2024 PGA Championship field. Three-time PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka won the recent LIV Golf Singapore event by 2-shots over Cam Smith ahead of the PGA Championship.

Niemann, Koepka, Rahm, Johnson and DeChambeau are all top-10 in Greens-in-Regulation this season on the LIV Golf Tour.

Last year’s top-10 finishes in the 2023 PGA Championship:

• 1 - Brooks Koepka (winner)
• T2 - Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler
• T4 - Bryson DeChambeau, Kurt Kitayama, Cameron Davis
• T7 - Rory McIlroy, Sepp Straka
• T9 - Patrick Cantlay, Justin Rose, Cameron Smith

Hole-By-Hole Valhalla Golf Club

Three Par 5’s at Valhalla play between 570 and 600 yards. Seven of the Par 4’s play between 460 and 508 yards on the Jack Nicklaus-designed course.

Kerry Haigh - Chief Championships Officer

I spoke directly with Kerry Haigh today, and he’s Chief Championships Officer of the PGA of America. Mr. Haigh is responsible for the overall operation, administration and golf course setup for the PGA Championship.

“The back nine is incredible,” Haigh said noting the natural hillsides and amphitherters on most holes creating spectacular viewing and settings for fans and spectators.

The long Par 4’s at holes No. 12 and 16 will play among the toughest scoring holes, along with the long Par 4’s on the front at No. 2, 6 and 1 with the opening hole adding a new tee box and creating a longer second shot into the green. Hole No. 7 called “Genuine Risk” is a definite risk/reward approach.

The Par 5 is a unique hole with a split fairway. “The landing area to the left is among the narrowist on the course (26 yards), and players will have to carry more than 210 yards over water on their approach shot to the green,” Haigh said before adding that the golfers in the 2014 championship were nearly split on which way and direction to play the hole. Playing to the right adds 40-50 yards to the hole and is a safer route, but players still have to avoid the water hazard skirting the front and the entire left edge of the green.

The wind was blowing more than projected today as Mr. Haigh was out on the golf course. If that’s the case during championship play, then a winning score or most top players scores will most likely come in less than -16 under par which Rory McIlroy shot in winning the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla. Firmer and faster conditions on newer zoysiagrass fairways, along with 151 yards added length to 7,609 yards and 3 inch Kentucky bluegrass and fescue step-cut rough will add to some of the challenges. Haigh determines the setup and variety of hole locations around the pure bentgrass greens and chipping areas around the greens.

Hole No. 2 plays as a Par 4 in the championship, but is a Par 5 for members. Of which Haigh added that the Valhalla Golf Club membership elected to shut down play on the golf course since Nov., 2023. Improvments and small projects to enhance the appearance across the entire course, renovated clubhouse and new entrance and rail fencing to create a special ambiance and Kentucky feel will be a victory for Valhalla as a special showcase for the city of Louisville.

Profile Of A PGA Championship Winner

Sportshandle also analyzed all of the past winners of the PGA Championship with more than 100 years of data. Here is some of the data and interesting tid bits.

• The average age of the winner is 32 years old
• 59 individual winners were secured by people born in the United States. Australia is next with 5 individual winners
• Texas (8) and California (8) have produced the most PGA championship winners from American players
• The most common winner’s first name started with the letter ‘J’ - 17 times. Think Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Joaquin Niemann, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth. Next most popular with 9 and 7 names started with ‘D’ or ‘B” - Dustin Johnson, Denny McCarthy, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Brian Harman

Check out more golf news , picks and information you can bet on for the PGA Championship as major championship coverage delivers the most watch and wager action.

You can bet on it.

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PGA Championship

Valhalla golf club.

Ranking The Field

PGA Championship 2024: Power rankings for the entire field at Valhalla

Can anyone beat Scottie Scheffler ? Another major week is upon us, and the Schefflers have officially welcomed their first baby into the world , which means the Masters champion has arrived at Valhalla. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka have also won in their last starts ahead of the 2024 PGA Championship. There's so much to pack as this star-studded field descends upon Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, the host for the 106th PGA Championship .

Just 30 days ago, Scheffler separated himself from the field at Augusta National and captured his second Masters green jacket. He hasn’t lost since then, and he brings that streak to our season’s second major championship.

RELATED: PGA Championship DFS picks 2024: Why Brooks Koepka is an easy bet at Valhalla

It has been 10 years since we visited Valhalla, when McIlroy was victorious —but it's also the site of his last major championship given his 10-year winless drought. Of course, the defending PGA champion is Brooks Koepka, and just like he did last year, he has won in his last start on LIV. Below you will read my rankings of the top 70 players in the field. Below them, the competitors are broken into segments. Included are all of the relevant facts and figures you will need to win your PGA Championship pool, outright or prop bets or PGA Pro club contest!

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I have designed these rankings to be a fantastic reference tool. Take a moment to peruse the key in case any of the information below is baffling. Then dive right in and bookmark this article link. You are going to need it Monday through Sunday to ensure all of your trifectas in Louisville lead you to collect at the window on Sunday night!

• Age: Self-explanatory and gives great perspective. Some of these guys are older than you think. Did you know Jordan Spieth is 30?!
• Odds to win: These are the futures odds listed for each player across multiple domestic betting boards.
• OWGR/Data Golf: Let’s face the facts, the OWGR is incomplete. To give us a better top line view of player performance, I also included the Data Golf rankings .
• Player trend: This list is meant to be an immediate reference tool for next week. Quite simply, what direction is a player’s game heading since the Masters. Up is good, down is bad and everyone loves emojis.
• PGA Championship appearances/cuts made: The number of times a player has competed in the tournament along with the number of successful cuts made.
• Best PGA Championship finish: Again, another quick reference tool. In the past 10 years, eight of the PGA champions have finished inside the top 8 prior to winning. (Exceptions: Justin Thomas, 18th and Collin Morikawa as a rookie.) PGA Championship experience counts!
• Notes: A quick summary for each player to pique or deter your interest in his chances to win or play well in the 106th PGA Championship.

More PGA Championship coverage

Nos. 126 and beyond

The PGA Championship has such incredible depth and the task of ranking each player is really fun. The "126 and beyond" section is covered in Corebridge Financial Team members, global qualifiers and past champions. I recommend you Google a couple of the names in this group. CFT member PGA Professional Tracy Phillips is 61 years old! Ben Polland just won the PGA Professional National Championship.

Each major has a unique aspect to the field: the Masters and its amateur invitees, the U.S. Open and Open Championship qualifiers, and the PGA Championship has its amazing stories of the PGA of America's members who fulfill their dream by making this field. Will there be another “Block Party?," set into motion by another incredible storyline from a pro? We sure hope so.

Rich Beem, Josh Bevell (CFT), Evan Bowser (CFT), Preston Cole (CFT), Tyler Collet (CFT), John Daly, Matt Dobyns (CFT), Larkin Gross (CFT), Jared Jones (CFT), Takumi Kanaya, Jeff Kellen (CFT), Kazuma Kobori, Ben Kohles, Kyle Mendoza (CFT), Shaun Micheel, Jesse Mueller (CFT), Zac Oakley (CFT), Adrian Otaegui, C.T. Pan, Tracy Phillips (CFT), Ben Polland (CFT), Braden Shattuck (CFT), John Somers (CFT), Josh Speight (CFT), Jesper Svensson, Ryan van Velzen, Jimmy Walker, Jeremy Wells (CFT), Tim Widing, Wyatt Worthington II (CFT) and Y.E. Yang.

RELATED: Michael Block on his 'Year of Blockie!'

Nos. 101-125

David Puig played in a number of Asian Tour events and earned victories in Malayasia in February and Singapore in October during off weeks from LIV. The 22-year-old earned a special invitation to the PGA Championship.

How Foo Yeen/R&A

The process of building these rankings can create some very interesting comparisons. Who would have thought three years ago Phil Mickelson would win the PGA Championship at Kiawah at nearly 51 years old? A few slots lower, we have the even more unbelievable saga of Michael Block at Oak Hill . Both he and Brad Marek are the only two Corebridge Financial Team members in the field who have made the cut at a PGA Championship. Three more past champions populate this segment: Jimmy Walker, Jason Dufner and Martin Kaymer. Kaymer has two top-20 finishes in his last two LIV starts.

101. KH Lee, 102. Phil Mickelson, 103. Brad Marek (CFT), 104. Lee Hodges, 105. Brice Garnett, 106. Sebastian Soderberg, 107. Ben Griffin, 108. Alex Smalley, 109. Thirston Lawrence, 110. S.H. Kim, 111. Francesco Molinari, 112. Alexander Björk, 113. Nick Dunlap, 114. Charley Hoffman, 115. Sami Valimaki, 116. Martin Kaymer, 117. Peter Malnati, 118. Lucas Herbert, 119. Jason Dufner, 120. Michael Block (CFT), 121. Luke Donald, 122. Andy Ogletree, 123. Camillo Villegas, 124. David Puig (above), 125. Grayson Murray.

A 2024 PGA Championship Fantasy Preview

Here's a link to the PGA of America's fantasy game.

Nos. 71-100

Taylor Pendrith won his first PGA Tour title two weeks ago at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, then backed it up with a T-10 last week at Quail Hollow.

Tim Heitman

Rickie Fowler, Taylor Pendrith ( above ), Billy Horschel, Emilaino Grillo and Erik Van Rooyen have all won on the PGA Tour since the last PGA Championship, and they all could make some noise. U.S. Open winner Gary Woodland is in the final year of his major exemption. The modern game is amazing, and the next generation of talent keeps pushing everyone. To win this week, you must possess great driving and excellent approach capabilities from long range. A few of these guys will supplant the lower ranked players and make the cut—can you predict who they might be?

71. Mackenzie Hughes, 72. Taylor Pendrith, 73. Adrian Meronk, 74. Adam Hadwin, 75. J.T. Poston, 76 . Andrew Putnam, 77. Zac Blair, 78. Keita Nakajima, 79. Maverick McNealy, 80. Emiliano Grillo, 81. Thomas Detry, 82. Billy Horschel, 83. Padraig Harrington, 84. Doug Ghim, 85 . Victor Perez, 86. Aaron Rai, 87. Rasmus Højgaard, 88. Beau Hossler, 89. Thorbjorn Olesen, 90. Gary Woodland, 91. Vincent Norrman, 92. Justin Rose, 93. Matt Wallace, 94 . Rickie Fowler, 95. Eric Cole, 96. Ryo Hisatsune, 97. Chris Gotterup, 98. Jordan Smith, 99. Alejandro Tosti, 100. Adam Svensson.

Ranking the top 70 players (with write-ups for the top 50)

70. andrew svoboda.

Age: 44 Odds to win: 500-1. OWGR/Data Golf: N/A, Corebridge Financial Team Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: Rookie Best PGA Championship finish: N/A

69. Jake Knapp

Brennan Asplen

Age: 29 Odds to win: 150-1. OWGR: 51. Data Golf: 98. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: Rookie Best PGA Championship finish: N/A

68. Keith Mitchell

Age: 32 Odds to win: 100-1. OWGR: 78. Data Golf: 63. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 4. Cuts made: 3. Best PGA Championship finish: 34th (2022)

67. Brendon Todd

Age: 38 Odds to win: 200-1. OWGR: 64. Data Golf: 60. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 5. Cuts made: 2. Best PGA Championship finish: 17th (2020)

66. Tiger Woods

Age: 48 Odds to win: 100-1. OWGR: 801. Data Golf: N/A. Player trend: ❓ PGA Championship appearances: 22. Cuts made: 17. Best PGA Championship finish: Won (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007)

65. Robert MacIntyre

Age: 27 Odds to win: 180-1. OWGR: 84. Data Golf: 223. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 4. Cuts made: 3. Best PGA Championship finish: 49th (2021)

64. Cam Davis

Age: 29 Odds to win: 150-1. OWGR: 62. Data Golf: 78 Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 3. Cuts made: 3. Best PGA Championship finish: 4th (2023)

63. Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Age: 29 Odds to win: 150-1. OWGR: 54. Data Golf: 24. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 4. Cuts made: 1. Best PGA Championship finish: 30th (2021)

62. Mark Hubbard

Age: 34 Odds to win: 200-1. OWGR: 79. Data Golf: 74. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 2. Cuts made: 2. Best PGA Championship finish: 51st (2020)

61. Kurt Kitayama

Age: 31 Odds to win: 100-1. OWGR: 48. Data Golf: 67. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 4. Cuts made: 3.| Best PGA Championship finish: 4th (2023)

60. Min Woo Lee

Age: 25 Odds to win: 65-1. OWGR: 34. Data Golf: 47. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 2. Cuts made: 1. Best PGA Championship finish: 18th (2023)

59. Tom Hoge

Age: 34 Odds to win: 100-1. OWGR: 60. Data Golf: 39. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 4. Cuts made: 4. Best PGA Championship finish: 9th (2022)

58. Erik van Rooyen

Age: 34 Odds to win: 150-1. OWGR: 66. Data Golf: 71. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 4. Cuts made: 2. Best PGA Championship finish: 8th (2019)

57. Patrick Rodgers

Age: 31 Odds to win: 250-1. OWGR: 77. Data Golf: 82. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 2. Cuts made: 1. Best PGA Championship finish: 29th (2023)

56. Nick Taylor

Age: 36 Odds to win: 300-1. OWGR: 26. Data Golf: 77. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 3. Cuts made: 1. Best PGA Championship finish: 68th (2015)

55. Lucas Glover

Age: 44 Odds to win: 150-1. OWGR: 35. Data Golf: 45. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 12. Cuts made: 6. Best PGA Championship finish: 5th (2009)

54. Denny McCarthy

Age: 31 Odds to win: 180-1. OWGR: 31. Data Golf: 19. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 4. Cuts made: 4. Best PGA Championship finish: 29th (2023)

53. Luke List

Age: 39 Odds to win: 250-1. OWGR: 67. Data Golf: 83. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 5. Cuts made: 3. Best PGA Championship finish: 6th (2019)

52. Chris Kirk

Age: 38 Odds to win: 130-1. OWGR: 22. Data Golf: 31. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 9. Cuts made: 5. Best PGA Championship finish: 5th (2022)

51. Nicolai Højgaard

Age: 23 Odds to win: 130-1. OWGR: 36. Data Golf: 85. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 2. Cuts made: 1. Best PGA Championship finish: 50th (2023)

50. Talor Gooch

Jason Butler

Age: 32 Odds to win: 100-1. OWGR: 644. Data Golf: 35. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 4. Cuts made: 2. Best PGA Championship finish: 20th (2022)

An elite amongst strokes gained/social media leaderboards, Talor Gooch’s play over the last two LIV seasons garnered a special exemption into the PGA Championship field, and he warrants serious consideration. Gooch has 15 top-15 finishes in 20 events and three wins.

49. Austin Eckroat

Age: 25 Odds to win: 250-1. OWGR: 50. Data Golf: 65. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: Rookie Best PGA Championship finish: N/A

A 2024 PGA Tour winner, Austin Eckroat’s ball-striking is built for big courses. He’s ranked sixth in the Valhalla field for strokes gained T2G.

48. Dean Burmester

Age: 34 Odds to win: 65-1. OWGR: 130. Data Golf: 38. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 3. Cuts made: 2. Best PGA Championship finish : 54th (2023)

Dean Burmester ranks third on the individual LIV season-long standings. That’s ahead of Brooks, DJ, Talor Gooch and Tyrrell Hatton. He has a win and six top-15 finishes in six starts.

47. Ryan Fox

Age: 37 Odds to win: 130-1. OWGR: 61. Data Golf: 143. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 5. Cuts made: 4. Best PGA Championship finish: 23rd (2023)

Ryan Fox’s style of play fits a PGA Championship. He possesses incredible power and a competitive short game. Those are two keys that led to a top 25 at Oak Hill a year ago and a top-40 finish at Augusta National last month.

46. Russell Henley

Age: 35 Odds to win: 150-1. OWGR: 18. Data Golf: 12. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 10. Cuts made: 7. Best PGA Championship finish: 12th (2015)

Russell Henley is ranked 18th in the world and even higher via Data Golf. Henley’s ability to do everything well earned him three top-10s in 10 starts this season. The former University of Georgia Bulldog has 11 top-10s at majors in his career, including 2021 at Torrey Pines (a decent comp course), where he was the 54-hole co-leader before fading on Sunday.

45. Alex Noren

Age: 41 Odds to win: 80-1. OWGR: 57. Data Golf: 22. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 11. Cuts made: 7. Best PGA Championship finish: 22nd (2020)

Alex Noren has won 10 times on the DP World Tour. Two weeks ago in Dallas, he finished third for his sixth top-25 result in a row. The Swede can compete in birdie-fests as well as events where he needs to grind out pars, where he can rely on a stellar short game.

44. Patrick Reed

Age: 33 Odds to win: 65-1. OWGR: 92. Data Golf: 55. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 10. Cuts made: 8 Best PGA Championship finish: 2nd (2017)

Last month, Patrick Reed finished 12th at the Masters and continues to play well in majors. Another top-20 result at Oak Hill a year ago was fueled by one of the world’s best short games.

43. Stephan Jaeger

Age: 33 Odds to win: 100-1. OWGR : 92. Data Golf: 55. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 1. Cuts made: 1. Best PGA Championship finish: 50th (2023)

Stephan Jaeger is the only player to beat Scottie Scheffler in the past two months. Jaeger has picked up nearly 17 yards of distance off the tee in the past two years, making him one of the leading off-the-tee players—and he couples that with a very good short game, which should be a good combination at Valhalla.

42. Adam Schenk

Age: 32 Odds to win: 150-1. OWGR: 45. Data Golf: 41. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 2. Cuts made: 1. Best PGA Championship finish: 41st (2022)

Adam Schenk finished 12th at the Masters last month. Schenk struggled earlier in 2024 but is now showing the form that led to a ninth-place finish at the 2023 Tour Championship and consistent play this spring.

41. Matthieu Pavon

Age: 31 Odds to win: 150-1. OWGR: 20. Data Golf: 54. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: Rookie Best PGA Championship finish: N/A

Matthieu Pavon is the only player on the PGA Tour ranked top 20 in strokes gained/approach and putting—two key skills for success at Valhalla. The Frenchman’s victory at Torrey Pines proves he has the potential to show some form in majors.

40. Si Woo Kim

Orlando Ramirez

Age: 28 Odds to win: 75-1. OWGR: 44. Data Golf: 21. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 8. Cuts made: 2. Best PGA Championship finish: 13th (2020)

Si Woo Kim is an elite ball-striker. Kim has gained positive strokes off the tee in 29 straight measured events. Wet Kentucky rough is going to present a serious challenge to the contenders, but Si Woo hits fairways and has a stellar short game.

39. Tom Kim

Age: 21 Odds to win: 65-1. OWGR: 23. Data Golf: 57. Player trend: ↘️ PGA Championship appearances: 3. Cuts made: 0. Best PGA Championship finish: N/A

Tom Kim has tons of talent, but a lack of ball speed makes him feel as if he’s stuck in the mud. Over his past five starts, Kim continues to lose strokes to the field across the board. Valhalla’s length might be too much for Tom as just making the cut has been difficult for him at the PGA Championship.

38. Shane Lowry

Age: 37 Odds to win: 45-1. OWGR: 41. Data Golf: 49. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 12. Cuts made: 9. Best PGA Championship finish: 4th (2021)

Shane Lowry has five top-25 results in his past six PGAs. Fresh off an Irish team win with Rory McIlroy at the Zurich Classic last month, Lowry’s putter might feel inspired by his countryman’s karaoke. When Shane shines with the flatstick, he contends.

37. Brian Harman

Age: 37 Odds to win: 65-1. OWGR: 9. Data Golf: 25. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 9. Cuts made: 5. Best PGA Championship finish: 13th (2017)

Brian Harman faces a narrow path to the top of the leaderboard in domestic major championships where rough is prevalent due to his lack of ball speed and distance. The defending Open champion is world class in other components, but 7,600 yards of soaking wet Valhalla rough will probably put too much of a reliance on his fantastic flatstick.

36. Sam Burns

Age: 27 Odds to win: 50-1. OWGR: 27. Data Golf: 27. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 3. Cuts made: 2. Best PGA Championship finish: 20th (2022)

Sam Burns had a strong start to 2024 with four top 10s prior to the Masters. That early season ball-striking has left Burns. A missed cut at the Masters leaves him below his usual major ranking. Maybe his new baby will inspire a great off-the-tee week. He shook off the rust nicely at Quail Hollow.

35. Keegan Bradley

Age: 37 Odds to win: 200-1. OWGR: 19. Data Golf: 56. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 13. Cuts made: 11. Best PGA Championship finish: Won (2011)

Keegan Bradley’s game was built for PGA Championships. The Boston bomber won the PGA in his first try and has missed the cut only twice in 13 starts. If you’re looking for a value pick in DFS or prop bets, or a sneaky pool pick, Bradley’s a worthwhile shout.

34. Byeong Hun An

Age: 32 Odds to win: 80-1. OWGR: 32. Data Golf: 43. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 7. Cuts made: 4. Best PGA Championship finish: 22nd (2022)

Ben An was not in last year’s PGA Championship—he was ranked 140th in the OWGR but has ascended quickly in 2024. Fresh off another strong result at Quail Hollow, Ben is a fantastic sleeper pick to contend in Kentucky. His strength is driving and that will certainly help him differentiate. Keep this name to yourself prior to picking in your PGA betting pools.

33. Jason Day

Age: 36 Odds to win: 40-1. OWGR: 24. Data Golf: 48. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 14. Cuts made: 11. Best PGA Championship finish: Won (2015)

Jason Day has been a very good PGA Championship player throughout his career. He has six top 10s in this championship and a win (2015). In his past five starts, Day has been gaining over a stroke on the field with his driver. That’s good for two reasons, first that level of off-the-tee play will be an advantage. Two, if Jason continues to play like this, he will make the cut, and we will get to see all four of his outfits this week!

32. Adam Scott

Age: 43 Odds to win: 80-1. OWGR: 53. Data Golf: 29. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 22. Cuts made: 17. Best PGA Championship finish: 3rd (2006, 2018)

Adam Scott has played above the tour average in 2024. Going into Valhalla, his driver and putter have been hot. That combination is the key. In Scott’s last five starts he’s gaining nearly two strokes on the field with his flatstick and another two off the tee. Forty is the new thirty for a man who has six career top 10s in this championship.

31. Harris English

Age: 34 Odds to win: 150-1. OWGR: 47. Data Golf: 36. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 7. Cuts made: 5. Best PGA Championship finish: 19th (2020)

Harris English finished top 25 at both The Players and the Masters. He’ll need to enhance his iron game this week to get serious on Sunday, but that driver and putter should surely have him playing the weekend.

30. Viktor Hovland

Age: 26 Odds to win: 30-1. OWGR: 7. Data Golf: 10. Player trend: ↘️ PGA Championship appearances: 4. Cuts made: 4. Best PGA Championship finish: 2nd (2023)

Viktor Hovland is the season’s biggest mystery. The reigning FedEx Cup champion has worked with more coaches in 2024 than he has top-20 results. A textbook fit for the PGA Championship with his long-iron acumen and accurate driving, Hovland has some serious work to do. Viktor is an amazing talent and will draw attention at these high odds but were he to win I’m not sure the mystery would really be solved.

29. Tyrrell Hatton

Age: 32 Odds to win: 55-1. OWGR: 17. Data Golf: 8. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 9. Cuts made: 7. Best PGA Championship finish: 10th (2016, 2018)

Tyrrell Hatton’s consistent ball-striking makes him an excellent pick at Valhalla. This Kentucky championship will require great approach play, long/accurate driving and opportunistic putting—three skills Hatton continues to display on the LIV circuit. Don’t miss this pick if you’re looking for a solid middle-tier contender.

28. Jordan Spieth

Age: 30 Odds to win: 35-1. OWGR: 21. Data Golf: 37. Player trend: ↘️ PGA Championship appearances: 11. Cuts made: 9. Best PGA Championship finish: 2nd (2015)

As always, if you’re backing Jordan Spieth, be prepared for an epic roller-coaster. In his past five cut events, Spieth has missed the weekend four times! The issue is approach play. Even though he started the week off well at Quail Hollow, it was another average showing—I’m not sure this is the year for the Career Grand Slam.

27. Tommy Fleetwood

Age: 33 Odds to win: 45-1. OWGR: 11. Data Golf: 13. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 9. Cuts made: 6. Best PGA Championship finish: 5th (2022)

Tommy Fleetwood’s iron game is off. Fleetwood played well at Augusta National, and then he was awful at Harbour Town. Those two weeks are a perfect microcosm for his year. Tommy may take us all by surprise like he did last month down Magnolia Lane, but backing him in good conscience would mean ignoring the obvious issues he has been facing.

26. Taylor Moore

Age: 30 Odds to win: 150-1. OWGR: 55. Data Golf: 58. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 1. Cuts made: 1. Best PGA Championship finish: 72nd (2023)

Taylor Moore has successfully navigated every cut in 2024 (11 events). Moore’s success stems from great driving and a very solid short game. In his last five events, he’s gaining an average of four strokes on the field. This is another name most casual golf fans won’t know. This might be your sneakiest option in a PGA Championship pool to gain an edge on the rest of your participants.

25. Akshay Bhatia

Age: 22 Odds to win: 100-1. OWGR: 33. Data Golf: 33. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: Rookie Best PGA Championship finish: N/A

Akshay Bhatia is one of a handful of players entering the 106th PGA with two wins in the last year. The approach game is absolutely electric. In a world class field, this wonderkid is ranked top 10 SG/tee to green and gaining nearly five shots against the field with his iron game (on average). Bhatia will make birdies, and if scoring counts in your contest, then I suggest you consider the 22-year-old.

24. Corey Conners

Age: 32 Odds to win: 65-1. OWGR: 52. Data Golf: 34. Player trend: ↘️ PGA Championship appearances : 5. Cuts made: 3. Best PGA Championship finish: 12th (2023)

Major championships are the best time to earn points for the Presidents Cup team. Corey Conners is looking to lead that International squad this September in his home country. The PGA is the best fit for his game, and I believe we will all see that this week. Ranked third in GIRs, Conners’ consistency is key during weeks where accuracy matters so much.

23. Joaquin Niemann

Age: 25 Odds to win: 46-1. OWGR: 91. Data Golf: 7. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 6. Cuts made: 3. Best PGA Championship finish: 23rd (2022)

Joaquin Niemann has a very rocky relationship with the weekend at the PGA Championship. With two LIV wins and six top 10s in seven events he’s earned a good look on your outright card. He’s one a few guys in this middle tier who can win.

22. Sungjae Im

Age: 26 Odds to win: 55-1. OWGR: 38. Data Golf: 53. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 5. Cuts made: 2. Best PGA Championship finish: 17th (2021)

Sungjae Im is trending in the right direction. At the RBC Heritage and Wells Fargo, Im looked like the Sungjae of old. That’s important because we need key components to our friendly pools and DFS games. Im has never been a household name, but fans know his ball-striking history. The trend is your friend here as Im impresses us for the third time in a row.

21. Cam Smith

Age: 30 Odds to win: 30-1. OWGR: 56. Data Golf: 28. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 8. Cuts made: 7. Best PGA Championship finish: 9th (2023)

Very little about Cam Smith’s game fit going into Oak hill last year. He finished ninth. Never a good choice soon after fishing season, we’ve hit May and Smith’s success is picking up. Cam has finished second in two of his past three LIV starts.

20. Dustin Johnson

Maddie Meyer

Age: 39 Odds to win: 35-1. OWGR: 379. Data Golf: 62. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 14. Cuts made: 10. Best PGA Championship finish: 2nd (2019, 2020)

I always believed Dustin Johnson would win a PGA Championship. The best player in the world for some time, his power and touch just fit perfectly. Years removed from those days, I still think there’s one more major run in him. Of the four annual options, the PGA still makes the most sense. We saw signs last year at Oak Hill and LACC. With a LIV win in Las Vegas a couple months ago, he has my attention.

19. Max Homa

Age: 33 Odds to win: 35-1. OWGR: 10. Data Golf: 15. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 5. Cuts made: 3. Best PGA Championship finish: 13th (2022)

I asked Max Homa at The Players why he’s such a good fit at TPC Sawgrass. He replied, “because my misses are small.” Small misses and a positive putter are the keys this week in Kentucky. If Homa get build on the “major” momentum from the Masters, I think Valhalla makes great sense for golf’s greatest tour ambassador.

18. Sahith Theegala

Age: 26 Odds to win: 40-1. OWGR: 12. Data Golf: 14. Player trend: ⬆️ PGA Championship appearances: 1. Cuts made: 1. Best PGA Championship finish: 40th (2023)

In six signature events this season, Sahith Theegala has two runners-up and a sixth place. Theegala finished ninth at The Players and got that first career win under his belt in the fall. Short game has always been the 26-year-old’s strength, but the ball-striking this season is vastly improved, and in turn, so have the results. He’s a new name for major championship contention—one we will hear for years to come.

17. Sepp Straka

Age: 31 Odds to win: 150-1. OWGR: 25. Data Golf: 42. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 3. Cuts made: 3. Best PGA Championship finish: 7th (2023)

I don’t even want to write this because it will alter the PGA Championship betting odds. Sepp Straka is a huge sleeper this week. Not because he finished top 20 in three of his past four majors. Not because he’s an elite driver. Not because of his accurate long iron game and fabulous flatstick. The reason I love Sepp is Zoysiagrass. The fairways at Valhalla are Zoysia, and Straka’s record on this particular type of grass are proven.

16. Matt Fitzpatrick

Age: 29 Odds to win: 40-1. OWGR: 14. Data Golf: 16. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 8. Cuts made: 4. Best PGA Championship finish: 5th (2022)

Matt Fitzpatrick is gaining an average of four strokes on the field in his past five starts. That won’t scare Scottie Scheffler, but it’s very good. What I like about Fitzpatrick in major championships is how well-rounded he is. If you love backing players like Cantlay and Schauffele, then Matt should catch your eye. Especially when you consider he comes with much more favorable odds.

15. Tony Finau

Age: 34 Odds to win: 45-1. OWGR: 28. Data Golf: 30. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 9. Cuts made: 8. Best PGA Championship finish: 4th (2020)

Tony Finau is a tee-to-green machine. A scorecard of 7,600 yards gives Tony an edge. Few players in the field can keep up with Finau’s ball speed. As a result, off the tee and approaches over 200 yards favor him. Finau’s issue is the flatstick. If the forecast remains wet, and the course plays super long, take Tony. His added length and accuracy will help bolster a lineup even with his faulty flatstick.

14. Hideki Matsuyama

Age: 32 Odds to win: 35-1. OWGR: 15. Data Golf: 17. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 11. Cuts made: 11. Best PGA Championship finish: 4th (2016)

Hideki Matsuyama has been given the wagering world a lot of headaches lately. A very late WD at the start of Wells Fargo last week was just another example of the Matsuyama madness. Here’s why: If he’s healthy, Hideki is a real threat to win. Leverage your betting card or PGA pool on team Japan and you might just be saying sayonara.

13. Justin Thomas

Age: 31 Odds to win: 30-1. OWGR: 29. Data Golf: 20. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 8. Cuts made: 7. Best PGA Championship finish: Won (2017, 2022)

All pressure is self-induced. Will the PGA Championship in JT’s home state be too much? I don’t believe it will. Thomas’ ball-striking has been solid all season after a sketchy 2023 campaign. JT has five top-15 results in nine starts for 2024. He’s ranked 11th tee to green and ninth on approach. If those analytics don’t impress you, he has also won two of these.

12. Will Zalatoris

Age: 27 Odds to win: 35-1. OWGR: 30. Data Golf: 51. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 2. Cuts made: 2. Best PGA Championship finish: 2nd (2022)

Will Zalatoris has played in two PGA Championships. He finished eighth and runner-up, losing to Thomas in a playoff at Southern Hills. Zalatoris is another whose game matches the PGA Championship character. You must be a great driver, incredible long iron player, and above average scorer. In majors, Zalatoris continues to contend because he knows how to do all three. Will’s lone tour win came at nearby TPC Southwind. Two similar designs, they both have Zoysiagrass fairways. Ball-strikers love that blade, watch out for Will.

11. Cameron Young

Age: 26 Odds to win: 40-1. OWGR: 16. Data Golf: 26. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 2. Cuts made: 1. Best PGA Championship finish: 3rd (2022)

In his past eight majors, Cameron Young has five top 10s. Few players can boast that kind of elite record. Young uses his incredible power and accuracy to tame the toughest tracks. The New York native also has two top 10s in his past three starts. Valhalla will be a brutal test, and he can separate when the long game really matters. A bad pick for a regular birdiefest, back this slugger in Louisville.

10. Collin Morikawa

Andrew Redington

Age: 27 Odds to win: 25-1. OWGR: 13. Data Golf: 9. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 4. Cuts made: 4. Best PGA Championship finish: Won (2020)

I loved seeing Collin Morikawa back in the mix at the Masters. The 2020 PGA champion has the long iron accuracy to contend on any major course. With soft conditions looming, those approach skills will help him differentiate himself. In his four PGA starts, Morikawa has gained an average of 10 strokes on the field. The best player of his age group on these tests is back in the conversation.

9. Patrick Cantlay

Age: 32 Odds to win: 31-1. OWGR: 8. Data Golf: 6. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 7. Cuts made: 6. Best PGA Championship finish: 3rd (2019)

A major comparison course for Valhalla is Jack Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village Golf Club. Patrick Cantlay is an annual contender at the Memorial. Architects have traits, and Jack’s course characteristics can be seen clearly in both. Cantlay has been very average by his standards this season. Patrick must make a push here. His major resume needs a couple of wins and what better place to break through than a course your completely comfortable on.

8. Bryson DeChambeau

Age: 30 Odds to win: 31-1. OWGR: 117. Data Golf: 18. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 6. Cuts made: 4. Best PGA Championship finish: 4th (2020, 2023)

Very few courses actually fit Bryson DeChambeau. In many ways, that must be very frustrating. Valhalla is a DeChambeau-style design. Soft conditions mean it will fit him even more. The longest player in the game will attack this course like Winged Foot in 2020 where he won the U.S. Open. The beauty of Bryson will also be his gameplan and touch. An excellent putter can allow him to score in ways others just cannot. That advantage is why he led at Augusta and even more why a PGA Championship will be his next major.

7. Wyndham Clark

Age: 30 Odds to win: 25-1. OWGR: 3. Data Golf: 11. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 3. Cuts made: 1. Best PGA Championship finish: 75th (2021)

Wyndham Clark’s return to Wells Fargo could have been better. Clark also missed the cut at the Masters after an unbelievable start to the season. Fact is, Wyndham is part of the outright winner conversation because of his ability complement raw power with world class touch. On the PGA Tour, he has been a top three player with Schauffele and Scheffler. Can Clark contend again in a big spot? I say yes. Honestly, I really don’t even feel like we have witnessed Wyndham’s full potential. If he goes there this week, he’s one a few who can keep pace with Scottie.

6. Ludvig Åberg

Age: 24 Odds to win: 16-1. OWGR : 6. Data Golf: 3. Player trend: 🔥 PGA Championship appearances: Rookie. Best PGA Championship finish: N/A

The best player to have never played in a major championship rolled up to Magnolia Lane and finished runner-up. I’m not concerned about Ludvig Åberg’s knee and the WD last week at Wells Fargo. This is a rookie! Last year in college, he would have played seven or eight events a semester. He’s played 24 tournaments and a Ryder Cup since leaving school less than a year ago. If anything, this week of rest shows he understands what is most important. Take a break before the big week. Åberg has every skill needed for a deep run this weekend and we all know it.

5. Xander Schauffele

Age: 30 Odds to win: 16-1. OWGR: 4. Data Golf: 2. Player trend: ⬆️ PGA Championship appearances: 7. Cuts made: 5. Best PGA Championship finish: 10th (2020)

What does Schauffele’s disappointing Sunday at Quail Hollow mean for Quail Hollow? Well, for the second time in 2024, he let a 54-hole lead slip away. Xander backers will say that Rory just outplayed him, but even par on a Sunday in a signature event won’t ever get the job done. Schauffele is one of the most well-rounded players in the field. He will be part of the Sunday conversation, but unfortunately just like last week, it’s likely he’ll record his ninth top-10 finish of 2024 but stay winless since July 2022.

4. Jon Rahm

Age: 29 Odds to win: 14-1. OWGR: 5. Data Golf: 5. Player trend: ➡️ PGA Championship appearances: 7. Cuts made: 6. Best PGA Championship finish : 4th (2018

Imagine how angry Jon Rahm must’ve been after his performance at the Masters. We were fuming after making him No. 1 in these rankings and backing him, but we know the Spaniard was running way hotter. I believe Rahm is still a member of the big three at the top. Throughout his career, he has dominated on courses like Valhalla. Torrey Pines, Muirfield Village, Riviera and Augusta National are great examples. There’s no doubt Rahm’s adjustment to life on LIV is a work in progress, but rest assured it is major season and there won’t be any DJs dropping beats at Valhalla.

3. Rory McIlroy

Age: 35 Odds to win: 12-1. OWGR: 2. Data Golf: 4. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 15. Cuts made: 14. Best PGA Championship finish: Won (2012, 2014)

There’s no doubting McIlroy is a generational talent who over his entire career has gained over six strokes on average against the field. He’s also riding in hot off the commanding win at Quail Hollow, a strong comp course with the elite off-the-tee and long-iron game required, and a team win in New Orleans. McIlroy is habitually at the top of major leaderboards, no matter the venue, with has seven top 10s in his last nine. When it comes to major No. 5 on Rory’s resume, don’t stop believin’.

2. Brooks Koepka

Age: 34 Odds to win: 16-1. OWGR: 37. Data Golf: 50. Player trend: ↗️ PGA Championship appearances: 11. Cuts made: 11. Best PGA Championship finish: Won (2018, 2019, 2023)

Brooks Koepka has successfully defended two major championships. Koepka just won LIV Singapore two weeks ago. Brooks has six top 10s and three wins in his last nine PGA Championships. Oak Hill is an excellent comp course for Valhalla. Another interesting comp that really catches my attention is the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club. Koepka captured that title on the same exact agronomy as we will see this week in Kentucky. He’s confident, he will be comfortable, and quite honestly can beat Scottie Scheffler.

1. Scottie Scheffler

Age: 27 Odds to win: +450 OWGR: 1. Data Golf: 1/1 Player trend: 🔥🔥 PGA Championship appearances: 4. Cuts made: 3. Best PGA Championship finish: 2nd (2023)

In his past five starts, Scottie Scheffler is gaining an average of 15 strokes against the field! Not since the days of Tiger Woods have we seen such ball-striking supremacy. Unless there’s a conflict due to the birth of baby Scheffler, there’s no reason why Scottie would not win. Scheffler beat one player by four and the rest of the field by seven last month at a very difficult Masters. He’s gaining 15 strokes on everyone per tournament. If there’s one pick to win the 106th PGA Championship it has to be the undisputed number one player in the world.

Keith Stewart is a five-time award-winning PGA professional, a betting contributor and content partner with Golf Digest and founder of Read The Line, the premier on-site live golf betting insights service covering the LPGA and PGA TOUR. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter here and raise your golf betting acumen. Keith's winning content can also be found on Sports Grid, Bleacher Report and The Sporting News. Follow him on Twitter @readtheline_ .