pga tour long drive

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Longest Drives

10 Longest Drives In PGA Tour History

Since 2003 every shot on the PGA Tour has been laser measured. So who on Tour has boldly gone where no man has gone before?

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10 longest drives In PGA Tour history

The most extreme of the longest drives in PGA Tour history is the 787-yard tee shot by Carl Cooper on the third hole at the 1992 Texas Open. It finished beyond the green. The 12th green that is. His shot had hit a downhill sloping concrete cart path on the 456-yard par-4 and bounced along. Cooper took another three shots to get back to the green.

So some drives are counted as official by the PGA Tour and some are not. The peculiar circumstance of Cooper’s shot means that his mammoth hit is excluded from the long-drive records. So, too, Dustin Johnson ’s 489-yarder on the 12th hole at at Austin Country Club during the 2018 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. In this case it was for being in matchplay .

In 2000, the PGA Tour started using the laser-based ShotLink system at some of its tournaments to record and measure drives and since 2003, the PGA Tour has used ShotLink at all its tournaments to measure the golf shots.

On the 18th hole in the third round of the Mercedes Championship of 2002 at Plantation Course at Kapalua, Tiger Woods’ drive was recorded at 498 yards. The 15 longest drives of that season were all recorded on that hole during that round. All these drives were later excluded from the official records. If they were not, then Davis Love III's official longest drive would merely be the joint-ninth longest drive.

The official 10 longest drives in PGA Tour history:

• 477 yards by Max Homa (2023) on the 7th hole at Kapalua (Plantation)
• 476 yards by Davis Love III (2004) on 18th hole at Kapalua (Plantation)
• 473 yards by Jeff Sluman (2003) on 14th hole at PGA West (Palmer)
• 467 yards by Charley Hoffman (2009) on 1st hole at La Cantera (Resort)
• 463 yards by Dustin Johnson (2011) on 7th hole at TPC Boston
• 460 yards by Scott Stallings (2022) on 15th hole at TPC Scottsdale
• 459 yards by Luke List (2023) on 7th hole at Kapalua (Plantation)
• 457 yards by Justin Thomas (2019) on 10th hole at Club de Golf Chapultepec
• 455 yards by Ryan Brehm (2023) on 18th hole at Kapalua (Plantation)
• 455 yards by Bubba Watson (2019) on 2nd hole at Pebble Beach Links

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Contributing Writer Roderick is the author of the critically acclaimed comic golf novel, Summer At Tangents . Golf courses and travel are Roderick’s particular interests. He writes travel articles and general features for the magazine, travel supplement and website. He also compiles the magazine's crossword. He is a member of Trevose Golf & Country Club and has played golf in around two dozen countries. Cricket is his other main sporting love. He is also the author of five non-fiction books, four of which are still in print:  The Novel Life of PG Wodehouse ; The Don: Beyond Boundaries ; Wally Hammond: Gentleman & Player and England’s Greatest Post-War All Rounder .

While places like Valhalla and Quail Hollow are out of action for the public, there are still several other former PGA Championship venues you can consider...

By Jonny Leighfield Published 16 May 24

It's PGA Championship week, and the GOAT is rocking a goatee at Valhalla Golf Club, just like he did when winning these five events...

By Barry Plummer Published 16 May 24

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“Long Drive” Fairway Challenges

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Which players are the longest drivers on the PGA Tour?

Bryson DeChambeau is the biggest hitter on the PGA Tour, but which other players make up the top 10?

With new drivers being released left, right and centre, you'll start to see the biggest names in the world with a new driver in their hand. Bryson DeChambeau leads the way in the driving distance statistics, but which other players make up the current top 10?

DeChambeau has been on a quest for more speed and distance for a while now and his success at the US Open and rise in the world rankings have led a few other big names to start thinking about their own distance.

Reports have been circulating that Rory McIlroy has upped his swing speed in an attempt to leave every other play behind him, but how far does the Northern Irishman currently drive the ball?

Take a look below at the current top 10 longest hitters on average on the PGA Tour, starting with the 10th and leading down to No.1, Mr DeChambeau.

* Top 10 year-to-date through to the Sentry Tournament of Champions

#10 - Dylan Frittelli

Nationality:  South African

Average Distance:  312.8 yards

#9 - Luke List

Nationality:  American

Average Distance:  313 yards

#8 - Will Zalatoris

Average Distance:  314 yards

#7 - Dustin Johnson

Average Distance:  314.4 yards

#6 - William Gordon

Average Distance:  315.8 yards

#5 - Sam Burns

Average Distance:  317.5 yards

#T3 - Cameron Champ

Average Distance:  318 yards

#T3 - Wyndham Clark

#2 - Rory McIlroy

Nationality:  Northern Irish

Average Distance:  322.7 yards

#1 - Bryson DeChambeau

Average Distance:  329.2 yards

NEXT PAGE:  PGA Tour players stat comparison: Tiger Woods vs Bryson DeChambeau

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Kyle Berkshire’s long-drive secrets: 6 simple power tips I learned from golf’s longest hitter

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Andrew Tursky

Every golfer wants to hit the golf ball longer, and literally no human hits it longer than Kyle Berkshire.

Berkshire’s distance resume speaks for itself. He recently won the 2021 World Long Drive Championship , he was the first to break the 230 mph ball speed barrier and he’s also nearing 160 mph of swing speed with the driver . For reference, the average swing speed on the PGA Tour is around 113 mph .

Berkshire has all of the accolades on the World Long Drive tour, but he remains hungry for more. At just 24, he says his fastest speeds and longest drives are likely ahead of him, and he works tirelessly toward his speed goals.

Recently, during a Cobra-Puma media day event — alongside Formula F1 Ferrari-sponsored racers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz — I spent time with Berkshire and learned about his process for creating more distance. I saw firsthand his mind-blowing speed, and I also got myself into a long drive contest against Berkshire that didn’t go very well for me ( more on that story in the Fully Equipped podcast below ).

By combining natural talent with education and hard work, Berkshire has learned how to create distance. During the day with Berkshire, I was a sponge for information.

Here are 6 things I learned from Berkshire about hitting the golf ball farther.

1) Low reps, high weight and … sprints?

Berkshire is all about creating power, and that starts with tuning his body without a golf club in his hands. But for all of the fancy new-age workouts, Berkshire keeps it quite simple.

“I’m a pretty simple guy when it comes to [working out],” Berkshire said. “I recommend the big three lifts in power lifting: squat, bench press, dead lift. Overhead press, as well. Olympic lifting, definitely, I incorporate 3-5 times a week. I keep the reps low, I keep the weight high.”

If you’re not a big gym rat – and I don’t blame you – maybe you can try Berkshire’s other favorite training drill that doesn’t require a gym membership.

Berkshire says that when he was training for the World Long Drive Contest, he would do sprints in the morning 3-5 times per week.

“I want my body to be used to moving fast… my goal is I want to put on as much strength as possible without putting on a lot of size. I found that the more size I put on, the harder it is to get to certain positions in my swing.”

2) No swing tips necessary

According to Berkshire, you can increase speed and distance without changing your swing technique at all.

Those are like magic words to any golfer, aren’t they? More distance without any hard work? Sign me up!

Well, not quite. If you want to build more speed like Berkshire, you’ll still have to put in the hard work on the range.

“The big thing is I’ll hit 300 balls in the morning and 300 balls in the afternoon, typically,” Berkshire said.

That means 10 bags worth of the typical 30-ball buckets at your local range, and he does so all using his driver. You’ll also want to throw in a few shorter sessions where you’re swinging all-out with no regard for where the ball goes.

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“Three times a week, I’ll swing 50 drivers as hard as I possibly can,” Berkshire continued. “You should be spraying it all over the place, because you’re overloading your central nervous system. Once it’s overloaded, you sleep that night, you recover, you eat food and it comes back stronger. You’ll fire your swing faster, and then with the increased strength from the gym, you’ll progress even quicker.

“And what you’ll be left with is your same swing. No swing tips here. What’s going to happen is your swing is going to be the same, it’s just going to fire and happen quicker and create more speed.”

3) Eat clean, and eat a lot

Berkshire works hard in the gym and on the range, and he leads an active lifestyle. As such, he needs to fuel his system and also keep from losing too much mass.

Of course, that doesn’t mean pounding burgers, fries and ice cream. Although Berkshire says he “indulges” every so often, he sticks to healthy whole foods such as lean meats, fruits, vegetables and carbs to reach his nutrition goals.

“When I’m prepping for Worlds, I need to eat 6,000-7,000 calories a day to keep from losing weight,” Berkshire says. “So I try to eat as much clean food as I can…in the off-season, like I am now, I try to have about 300 grams of protein a day, 500 grams of carbs and maybe 80 grams of fat. That adds up to roughly 3,600-3,800 calories a day because I’m still training every day…I will definitely indulge a little bit, but I do treat my body like a temple. I do want it to run at its best so I choose my food accordingly. So whole food sources is probably 90 percent of my diet.”

To build more distance in your game, combine fitness with nutrition. The engine of your swing needs to stay finely tuned to hold up to the increased speed training and gym work.

4) Find the right driver and shaft

You can swing as fast and hard as you want, but if you don’t have the right driver in your hands , you’ll never be able to truly maximize distance for your swing.

In Berkshire’s bag, he carries three different drivers for different purposes. He has two 48-inch drivers that are his competition weapons, and a shorter build that he uses when he actually plays golf on the course. The longer drivers have flexible shafts because he wants to release the clubhead and hit a draw. His shorter, on-course shaft, though, has a very stiff flex because he wants to hold the face off and hit a controlled fade. It’s more difficult to release the club head with a driver that has a stiffer shaft.

The driver that you need depends on your swing and your goals. To get the most out of your driver, consult a trusted fitter or local professional to see what clubhead, loft, shaft, flex and length are correct for you.

Cobra Radspeed Driver

5) No stretching

Staying injury-free is crucial for Berkshire to continue honing his craft and building speed. While it may seem counterintuitive to some, he doesn’t do any stretches before swinging or lifting.

“I don’t stretch,” Berkshire said. “I do not stretch because I found when you stretch a cold muscle before you exercise, or [swing], the muscle can actually be at a higher risk of injury. Because when you’re stretching a muscle that’s cold, it doesn’t have the malleability of a warm muscle.”

Instead, Berkshire opts for a more relaxing way to engage the muscles.

“The other thing I’ll do is get massages 3-4 times a week, trying to keep the muscles open and relaxed,” Berkshire said.

6) ‘Kill it’

Swing thoughts can truly help determine the outcome of your shots. Some people get bogged down with technical positions or fear-inducing thoughts that cause tentative swings.

Berkshire’s swing thought is simple: “Kill it.”

He says this thought helps get him mentally prepared to swing the hardest that he can. When you’re looking to rip the farthest drive you’ve ever hit, you don’t want tension, you just want to kill it.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2021? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company  True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below!

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3d printing is changing golf club design forever | fully equipped, the clubs xander schauffele used for a for pga championship-record 62, robotic testing data reveals how rory mcilroy's driver got even better, 7 cool equipment finds inside adam scott’s golf bag | bag spy.

Andrew Tursky is the Senior Equipment Editor at GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com.

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Dan pohl to rory mcilroy: longest drivers on pga tour since 1980, share this article.

The PGA Tour has been keeping average driving distance stats since 1980.

In 2003, the mark of 321.4 yards was achieved by Hank Kuehne and was the standard-bearer for almost two decades. During the 2019-20 season, Bryson DeChambeau broke Kuehne’s 17-year-old mark. One year later, DeChambeau broke his own mark.

Go back to 1997, where John Daly was the first to surpass the average distance of 300 yards. In all, Daly led the Tour in driving distance 11 times.

Being a big hitter doesn’t always lead to victory. Only eight of the 20 golfers on this list won a Tour event in the same year that he led in driving. In case you were wondering, neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson ever led the Tour in driving distance.

This is the list of the longest drivers on Tour starting in 1980 through the 2022-23 season.

Dan Pohl at the 1992 L.A. Open at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo: Getty Images)

Dan Pohl – 1980, 1981

The first officially recognized long-drive champ, Dan Pohl led the PGA Tour in 1980 (274.3 yards) and then again in 1981 (280.1). He did not win on Tour either season. In 1980, his best finish was a solo second at the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am. His best finish in 1981 was a solo third at the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club.

Bill Calfee

Bill Calfee hits driver in a 1983 PGA Tour event. (Photo: Associated Press)

Bill Calfee – 1982

Bill Calfee led the PGA Tour in driving in 1982 (275.3). Calfee entered 26 events that season but got DQ’d from one of them and missed the cut in 15 others. He went from February to mid-July without making a weekend. The closest he came to winning was a T-7 in the Texas Open.

John McComish – 1983, 1987

John McComish led the PGA Tour in driving twice: 1983 (277.4) and 1987 (283.9). He only played five seasons on Tour. His best finish in his rookie season of 1983 was a T-22 in the USF&G Classic. In 1987, his best finish was a T-9 in the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic.

Bill Glasson

Bill Glasson at the 1994 Phoenix Open. (Photo: Gary Newkirk/Allsport)

Bill Glasson – 1984

Bill Glasson led the Tour in driving in 1984 (276.5). Glasson made only six cuts in 19 events that season. His best finish was T-13 at the Buick Open. He pocketed just $17,845 that season.

Andy Bean after winning the 1986 Kapalua International in Maui, Hawaii. (Photo: Mike Powell/Allsport)

Andy Bean – 1985

Andy Bean led the Tour in driving distance in 1985 (278.2). Bean had a really good season, posting eight top-10s and making 23 of 27 cuts. His best finish was a T-3 at the PGA Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver.

Davis Love III

Davis Love III at the L.SA. Open at the Riviera Country Club in Pacifica Palisades, California. (Photo: Getty Images)

Davis Love III – 1986, 1994

Davis Love III led the Tour in driving distance twice: 1986 (285.7) and 1994 (283.8). Love made 22 cuts in 1986 and posted a T-3 at the Canadian Open in his first full season on Tour. In 1994, he finished solo second in the United Airlines Hawaiian Open. He did not find the winner’s circle either season he was the long-drive leader.

Steve Thomas –  1988

Steve Thomas led the Tour in driving distance in 1988 (284.6). Thomas played 29 events but missed 20 cuts and posted just one top-10, a T-8 in the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic. He earned $22,669 in 1988.

Ed Humenik at the 1992 Players Championship at TPC at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Florida. (Photo: Gary Newkirk/Allsport)

Ed Humenik – 1989

Ed Humenik led the Tour in driving distance in 1989 (280.9). In his first full season on Tour, Humenik played in 30 events but missed 19 cuts and posted only three top-25 finishes. His best showing was T-14 in the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic. His season ended with 11 consecutive missed cuts.

Tom Purtzer

Tom Purtzer hits a tee shot during the 1994 Nissan L.A. Open at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo: Getty Images)

Tom Purtzer – 1990

Tom Purtzer was the first driving-distance leader on the PGA Tour in the 1990s (279.6). Purtzer had three top-10s and 10 top-25s but no victories in 1990.

John Daly watches the ball fly during the 1992 Nissan Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo: Stephen Dunn/Allsport)

John Daly – 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002

In 1991, John Daly started his reign as the Tour’s long-drive leader. In 1997, he became the first to break the 300-yard average barrier. He did it four more times, including his final season as the top driver in 2002, when his season-long driving average was 306.8. Daly was the first to post a Tour victory during one of his seasons atop the driving-distance category, and he did it three times: the 1991 PGA Championship, the 1992 B.C. Open and the 1995 British Open.

Hank Kuehne

Hank Kuehne tees off on the 10th hole during the second round of the 2004 Players Championship. (Photo: A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Hank Kuehne – 2003, 2004

Hank Kuehne won back-to-back driving-distance titles. He averaged more than 320 yards per pop in 2003 (321.4), the first player on this list to break the barrier. His 2004 season average was seven yards less (314.4) but still almost two full yards farther than the next-longest player. In 2003, his best finish was a T-2 at the Shell Houston Open (although he did win an unofficial event, the Franklin Templeton Shootout). In 2004, he missed 15 cuts in the 30 events he entered. His best finish was a solo fifth in the Nissan Open.

Scott Hend at the 2005 Booz Allen Classic at Congressional in Bethesda, Maryland. (Photo: Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

Scott Hend – 2005

Scott Hend held the top position for one season in 2005. His 318.9-yard average was almost two yards farther than Tiger Woods’ average that year. Hend posted a T-6 finish at the Bank of America Colonial but missed 19 cuts in the 28 events he entered.

Bubba Watson

Bubba Watson tees off on the 15th hole during the final round of the 2007 Memorial at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo: Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports)

Bubba Watson – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014

Bubba Watson had the first of his big-driving years in 2006 and topped the distance list three years in a row before a four-year gap. In 2006, Watson had a T-3 in the Chrysler Classic of Tucson, his best event of the season. In 2007, he finished T-2 in the Shell Houston Open. In 2008, he had a T-2 in the Buick Open. In 2012, he won the first of his two Masters titles. In 2014, he won the Northern Trust in February and two months later took home another green jacket. Watson is the only golfer to lead the Tour in driving distance and win more than one event in the same season.

Robert Garrigus

Robert Garrigus at the 2012 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. (Photo: Kevin Liles/USA TODAY Sports)

Robert Garrigus – 2009, 2010

Robert Garrigus led this category twice: 2009 (312.0) and 2010 (315.5). Garrigus didn’t win in 2009 but finished his 2010 season with a win at the Children’s Miracle Network Classic in November.

J.B. Holmes

J.B. Holmes watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third day of the 2011 Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Arizona. (Photo: Allan Henry/USA TODAY Sports)

J.B. Holmes – 2011, 2016

Five years after winning his first PGA Tour title, J.B. Holmes found himself atop the driving-distance category in 2011 (318.4). He did it again five years later in 2016 (314.5). In 2011, his best finish was T-5, which he did twice. In 2016, Holmes was solo third at the British Open and T-4 at the Masters.

Luke List at the second round of the 2013 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego. (Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports)

Luke List – 2013

Luke List spent one year on top of this list: 2013 (306.3). That year he made nine of 24 cuts with a season-best finish of T-16 at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson at the 2015 WGC-Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral in Doral, Florida. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

Dustin Johnson – 2015

Dustin Johnson made his lone appearance atop this list in 2015 when he averaged 317.7 yards. He won the WGC-Cadillac Championship and posted two T-2 finishes, including at the U.S. Open.

Cameron Champ

Cameron Champ waves to the crowd on the 18th green during the final round of the 2019 Safeway Open at the Silverado Resort in Napa, California. (Photo: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Cameron Champ – 2019, 2022

Cameron Champ is the most recent distance leader with an average of 317.9 yards per drive. He won the Sanderson Farms Championship early in the 2018-19 season. He won the driving title again at 321.4 yards in 2021-22, besting Rory McIlroy, who posted 321.3.

Bryson DeChambeau

Bryson DeChambeau plays his shot from the 4th tee during the final round of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego. (Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press)

Bryson DeChambeau – 2020, 2021

Bryson DeChambeau broke the 17-year-old PGA Tour driving distance mark during the 2019-20 season when he averaged 322.1 yards per drive. He did so one year after he tied for 34th in distance at 302.5 yards. DeChambeau won the Rocket Mortgage Classic during the 2019-20 season.

During the 2020-21 season, he reached a new mark of 323.7, almost 4 ½ yards farther than Rory McIlroy, who was No. 2 at 319.3. DeChambeau won twice during the Tour’s 2020-21 “super” season, at the September U.S. Open and then in April at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy plays his shot from the fourth tee during the third round of the 2023 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. (Photo: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)

Rory McIlroy – 2017, 2018, 2023

Rory McIlroy spent back-to-back seasons atop the long-drive category in 2017 (317.2) and 2018 (319.7), with the latter season coming oh-so-close to that 320-yard average. In 2023, McIlroy earned his third driving title (326.3) and while doing so, became the first to surpass the 326-yard mark.

Driving distance leaders, 1980-2023

Here is the complete list of the top drivers each year based on PGA Tour’s average yards per drive since the stat was kept in 1980. Source: pgatour.com .

How the PGA Tour obtains driving data:

“The average number of yards per measured drive. These drives are measured on two holes per round. Care is taken to select two holes which face in opposite directions to counteract the effect of wind. Drives are measured to the point at which they come to rest regardless of whether they are in the fairway or not.”

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Tiger woods, jon rahm and ludvig aberg among the notables to miss the cut at 2024 pga championship, how all 16 liv golf players have fared so far after two rounds of the 2024 pga championship, shot-by-shot: tiger woods shoots 6-over 77 on friday at 2024 pga championship at valhalla, lynch: scottie scheffler got cuffed, but golf world's reaction was even more embarrassing, what some golfers at 2024 pga championship said about scottie scheffler arrest, fatal car crash at valhalla golf club, in pictures: rory mcilroy and wife erica stoll, john daly withdraws from 2024 pga championship.

Full recap of Thursday and Friday at the PGA Championship

Scottie Scheffler arrested by police before second round

World number one golfer Scottie Scheffler was charged with assaulting a police officer outside Valhalla Golf Club hours before starting his second round at the 2024 PGA Championship.

Scheffler — who was also charged with third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic — was released by police just in time to take to the course for his tee-off time of 10:08am ET. He impressed with a five-under round of 66 that moved him into third, at nine-under for the tournament.

The Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections, who posted a mugshot of the 27-year-old, said he was booked in at 7.28am local time and released at 8.40am. Scheffler later described the incident as “a big misunderstanding”.

The start of Friday’s second round was delayed by 80 minutes because of an unrelated crash near the course . Louisville police said a shuttle bus had struck and killed a pedestrian outside the golf club. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg later named him as local man John Mills.

• YOU CAN FOLLOW live coverage of day three at the PGA Championship with us right here .

Xander Schauffele 36-hole leader at PGA Championship with Morikawa, Scheffler chasing

Xander Schauffele stepped onto the first tee Friday at Valhalla Golf Club after a historic first round at the PGA Championship. He shot a 9-under 62, giving him the 18-hole lead. It tied the men’s major scoring record, the lowest round in PGA Championship history.

Friday’s round for Schauffele didn’t smash records or set career-scoring bests. But it kept the 30-year-old atop the PGA Championship leaderboard heading into the weekend.

Schauffele shot a second-round 68, giving him the 36-hole lead. It’s the second consecutive week Schauffele led a tournament after 36 holes. Last week, Schauffele couldn’t secure the win, thanks to a dominant performance from Rory McIlroy.

The seven-time PGA Tour winner is looking for a different outcome this week, attempting to capture his first major championship.

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Watch out for Bryson

This is the second time Bryson DeChambeau has started a major with back-to-back rounds in the 60s.

The other was his win at the 2020 U.S. Open.

Koepka records 8 birdies in second round

It was a roller coaster second round for Brooks Koepka.

He shot a 3-under 68, which consisted of eight birdies.

But it also included three bogeys and a double.

Koepka sits at 7-under-par, five off the lead held by Xander Schauffele.

Tiger birdies 18 but misses cut

(Photo: David Cannon / Getty Images)

Tiger Woods finished the 2024 PGA Championship at 7-over-par.

He shot a 6-over 77 in his second round.

But Tiger finished the PGA at Valhalla, where he won this event in 2000, with a birdie on 18.

Woods hasn't made a cut at the PGA since 2020.

Schauffele shoots second-round 68

Best 36-hole score to par in PGA Championship history:

2019 Brooks Koepka, -12 (led by seven)

2024 Xander Schauffele, -12

Here comes Koepka

(Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Brooks Koepka had a double bogey on the par-5 10th.

He's rallied with three birdies since, including one on the par-4 15th.

Koepka has seven birdies on the day and is four off the lead at 8-under-par.

What's at stake for Robert MacIntyre

Robert MacIntyre has never previously been in the top 20 entering the third round of a major.

Where PGA champions need to be after 36 holes

31 of the last 34 winners of the PGA Championship have been in the top 10 through 36 holes.

Over the last 30 years, 91 percent of men's major winners have been in the top 10 entering the third round.

McIlroy going in the wrong direction

Rory McIlroy, who won the PGA the last time it was staged at Valhalla, is going in the wrong direction.

After being 1-under-par through 11 holes, McIlroy records a double-bogey 6 on the par-4 12th.

He is 4-under-par for the tournament, eight back of the lead.

Needs a strong finish coming in to get back in the mix.

Inside the most bizarre day in major golf with the arrest of Scottie Scheffler

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The most shocking day in golf major championship history began with a tragedy, and saw Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 male player in the world, arrested, booked into a local jail and released in time to tee off.

It was just after 5 a.m. on a rainy Friday morning that police were called to the street outside of Valhalla Golf Club. A shuttle bus traveling down Shelbyville Road struck and killed John Mills, a local man working the PGA Championship for a tournament vendor.

The fatal wreck caused traffic to be shut down in both directions outside of Valhalla, which is hosting the major championship for the first time in a decade. Scheffler arrived at the scene an hour later, amid a steady rain and flashing police lights, seeking to enter the property and begin preparation for an 8:48 a.m. tee time for Round 2 of the PGA Championship. A police and security presence outside of a major championship routine is typical, even common. “I drive by cops like that probably 10 times a year,” one PGA Tour swing coach said, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter.

What happened next was anything but common. When Scheffler, traveling eastbound, attempted to move his vehicle into the westbound lane, according to the Louisville Police Department arrest report, detective Bryan Gillis attempted to stop the vehicle. The police report said Scheffler continued forward, “dragging Detective Gillis to the ground,” and noted that he suffered injuries that required medical treatment, as well as irreparable damage to his $80 uniform pants. Jeff Darlington, an ESPN NFL reporter assigned to cover the second golf major of the year, happened to be on the scene and watched it unfold, reporting that Scheffler’s vehicle moved 10 to 20 yards before coming to a final stop.

Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, said Scheffler was originally instructed to go in and that the officer directing traffic was not part of the event traffic detail. “So that’s where the miscommunication arose and that’s why we’re here,” Romines said Friday morning.

When Scheffler did stop, he lowered his window and the officer reached in, grabbed Scheffler’s arm and pulled the door open, Darlington reported. The officer then put Scheffler in handcuffs and pushed him against the car. As Scheffler was escorted toward a police car in the rainy dark, a video filmed by Darlington showed Scheffler turning to say, “Can you help?”

“You need to get out of the way,” another officer told Darlington. “Right now, he’s going to jail, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Schauffele drops a shot, lead is 1

Xander Schauffele makes his first bogey of the week.

The last player to go the first 36 holes of a PGA Championship without a single bogey is Hale Irwin in 1993.

Schauffele falls to 12-under-par, one ahead of Collin Morikawa.

Schauffele improves to 13-under-par

Xander Schauffele is now 13-under.

The lowest 36-hole score to par in men's major championship history is 14 under by Jordan Spieth at the 2015 Masters.

Will Zalatoris: Players discussed delaying, canceling PGA Championship second round

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A small group of players discussed not playing the second round of the PGA Championship as scheduled following the death of a pedestrian outside of Valhalla Golf Club, as well as the arrest of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.

Will Zalatoris detailed the 20-30 minute conversation, which took place in the Valhalla locker room, to a small group of reporters after his round Friday afternoon. The group of unnamed players considered approaching the PGA of America about the cancellation or delay of Friday’s play, he said.

“Some of the guys were talking about, wondering if we should even play today,” Zalatoris said. “At one point there were a group of guys in the locker room talking about going to the PGA of America about it, but I think it was dead in the water in the locker room. It was bizarre. We just didn’t know … when Scottie was going to get out, any of the details.”

Tee times were delayed by one hour and 20 minutes on Friday after a shuttle bus struck and killed John Mills, who was working for a tournament vendor. The PGA moved the first tee times from 7:15 a.m. ET to 8:35.

Scheffler practicing, signing autographs

(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)

During his Friday post-round news conference, Scottie Scheffler said that he was "going to go back to his normal routine." That includes having a meal, practicing in the afternoon, going to the gym before heading home and getting some rest before the weekend.

Well, the broadcast showed Scheffler practicing bunker shots and signing autographs for fans.

Scheffler shot a second-round 66.

Schauffele solo leader

(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

Xander Schauffele is the solo leader at the PGA Championship.

He fires a 3-under 32 on the front nine, which includes a lengthy birdie on the 9th hole.

Schauffele makes the turn at 12-under-par, one shot ahead of Collin Morikawa.

Scottie Scheffler climbs PGA Championship leaderboard hours after arrest

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Scottie Scheffler, the world’s most dominant golfer, rose up the leaderboard of the PGA Championship on Friday, hours after he was arrested while trying to navigate a traffic backup caused by a crash that killed a pedestrian outside Valhalla Golf Club.

In an extraordinary sequence of events over about three hours, Scheffler was handcuffed while arriving at the course before sunrise, booked while wearing an orange jumpsuit in downtown Louisville and driven back to the course with stunned crowds following his every move as his newly hired local lawyer told reporters that he would comply with an investigation into his interaction with a police officer who was directing traffic. Scheffler faces charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

Scheffler’s day on the course finally began at 10:08 a.m. ET, when he teed off nearly four hours after his arrest. He went on to shoot a 5-under-par 66, climbing into a tie for third on the leaderboard. Scheffler, who said he began stretching in a jail cell Friday in hopes of returning to Valhalla in time for his tee time, said after the round his head was “spinning.”

“It was a chaotic situation and a big misunderstanding,” Scheffler said.

Scottie Scheffler: A fan favorite

Following his second-round 66, Scottie Scheffler high-fived fans as he walked off the course to sign his scorecard.

Two spectators had T-shirts with Scheffler's face. One of the tees showed Scheffler's mugshot that the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections posted Friday morning when the World No. 1 was booked in downtown Louisville.

Scheffler was arrested Friday morning while trying to navigate a traffic backup caused by a crash that killed a pedestrian outside Valhalla Golf Club.

Scheffler: ‘I did spend some time stretching in a jail cell’

(Photo: Brian Spurlock / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Scottie Scheffler said he feels his head is “still spinning” after the sequence of events he experienced on Friday. He was arrested and handcuffed Friday morning while arriving at the course before sunrise, booked in an orange jumpsuit in downtown Louisville, then returned to Valhalla Golf Club and shot a second-round 66 at the PGA Championship.

Scheffler faces charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday at 9 a.m., according to online court records, two days after the PGA Championship is scheduled to end.

Asked to encapsulate what transpired, Scheffler described his pre-round routine, which took place in jail.

“I did spend some time stretching in a jail cell that was a first for me,” Scheffler said after his second round.

Scheffler said his “main focus after getting arrested” was whether he could continue playing in the PGA Championship. He said that he was in “shock” when he got arrested and that he was “shaking for an hour,” trying to calm down.

While getting fingerprinted in jail, Scheffler said a police officer offered him a sandwich.

“Sure, I’ll take a sandwich, I didn’t eat breakfast yet,” Scheffler said.

Scheffler teed off at 10:08 a.m., nearly four hours after his arrest. He described Friday's round as “pretty good.”

“It was nice to be able to put together a solid round today for sure,” Scheffler said.

Tiger Woods cards second triple-bogey of round

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This isn’t pleasant to watch: Tiger Woods, a 15-time major winner, has carded his second triple-bogey seven in the space of three holes.

This time his game deserts him on the fourth, having also bogeyed the third. He’s now eight over — seven over for the round — and his hopes of making it to the weekend are long gone.

2024 PGA Championship highlights: Xander Schauffele leads with 62

The first round of the 2024 PGA Championship is over at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, with Xander Schauffele off to a great start as he seeks his first major championship.

Schauffele shot a 62 (nine birdies, no bogeys) on Thursday, tying a record he shares with two others for best round at a major. He holds a three-shot lead on Tony Finau, Saheeth Theegala and Mark Hubbard.

Scottie Scheffler , who entered the tournament as the No. 1 player in the world and won the year’s first major championship at the Masters, shot a 4-under 67 and is tied for 12th place.

Tiger Woods teed off early in the morning and shot a 1-over.

USA TODAY Sports provided updates throughout the day. Here's how the first round went:

Mark Hubbard climbs to second place

Mark Hubbard put up a fantastic ending to the day as he jumped to second place after finishing the first round at 6-under-par.

Hubbard birdied three of the last four holes, and the late push began with a 30-foot putt on the par-4 15th. He doesn't have a PGA Tour win, but he ends the day just three shots back of the leader and he's tied with Tony Finau and Sahith Theegala.

First round on pace to break PGA Championship history

It’s been a great day to golf at Valhalla Golf Club, so great that the tournament record is set to be broken.

With the first round nearly wrapped up, 66 golfers are under par, which would be the most in PGA Championship history. The previous record was 60 in 2006 at Medinah. 

Several players have noted the grass has been very soft and has played a factor in the low scores. A majority of the the players at the top of the leaderboard teed off in the morning.

Late golfers making some noise

Most of the crowd has left Valhalla Golf Club with the sun setting soon, but those still on the course are playing some good golf.

Mark Hubbard and Maverick McNealy are part of the third-to-last group to tee off Thursday, but they are both shooting well as they get close to wrapping up the day. Both are 4-under-par.

Scottie Scheffler wraps up first round

The top player in the world had a great first round in Louisville, finishing the day at 4-under-par and in a tie for 10th place. 

Scheffler had a perfect start to the day with an eagle on No. 1, and he’s been able to overcome a couple of bogeys to be one of several players with low scores. He’s been on fire this year with four tour wins, including the 2024 Masters, and he remains in the hunt for another major championship this weekend.

Afternoon golfers climb leaderboards

No one has been able to get near Xander Schauffele’s incredible first round, but those who teed off in the afternoon are making progress.

All eyes have been on world No. 1-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler, and he’s played a steady first round at 4-under-par through 16. But some lesser known golfers had impressive days that were nearly free of mistakes. Tom Kim shot a 5-under-par to finish the day in a tie for fourth place, and Thomas Detry is also tied with Kim on the leaderboard.

Another hot streak for Collin Morikawa

Collin Morikawa nailed three consecutive birdies in the front nine to get him out of an early hole, and he’s done it again on the back nine to propel him near the top of the leaderboard.

Morikawa birdied Nos. 12-14 to put him at 4-under-par and is now tied for sixth. He’s knocked in some big putts during the hot streak, all of which were at least 10 feet away from the cup.

Tom Kim having mistake-free first round

Tom Kim has been impressive in his young PGA Tour career, and the 21-year-old is having another outstanding round on Thursday at 5-under-par through 13 holes.

Kim hasn't bogeyed in the first round so far, and he has birdies in three of his last four holes. His best finish in a major came in The Open in 2023 when he finished tied for second.

Thomas Detry climbing leaderboard

Thomas Detry has played a mistake-free first round so far as he’s made five birdies and avoided any bogeys through 11 holes. His shots on the fairway have been excellent and have set him up for relatively short putts. He’s tied for fourth place alongside Rory McIlroy and Robert MacIntyre.

The Belgian golfer has never won a PGA Tour event.

Scottie Scheffler finishes front nine strong

Scottie Scheffler had a hot start to the day with an eagle on No. 1, and he’s keeping a steady pace at 3-under-par through nine.

The world No.1-ranked player looked immortal until he bogeyed on the par-4 fifth, but he regained ground with a birdie on the par-5 seventh. He had a chance to climb up the leaderboard on No. 8 with a 56-foot putt for birdie, but it fell just short of the cup. 

Xander Schauffele remains in first place after his fantastic 9-under-par day.

Collin Morikawa drills long putt to get under par

The 2020 PGA Championship winner is heating up after a slow start.

Collin Morikawa had two bogeys through five holes, but he's found a rhythm with three consecutive birdies on Nos. 6-8. He capped off an impressive streak with a 41-foot putt on the par-3 eighth to secure the birdie and put him at 1-under-par for the first time on Thursday.

Jon Rahm struggling early

Jon Rahm had an odd beginning of the week at the PGA Championship with his press conference, and things aren't looking good on the course either.

Rahm has quickly fallen into a hole with bogeys on three of his first five holes, including three in a row on Nos. 4-6. The Spaniard hasn't been able to get close on the green and his putter hasn't done him any favors either. Rahm is 4-over-par through six.

Scottie Scheffler cruising in solid start

Scottie Scheffler is showing early why he is the world No. 1-ranked player.

After his incredible eagle on No. 1, the 2024 Masters champion is in a groove after he picked up a birdie on the par-4 fourth hole to put him at 3-under-par and already launching himself into the top 10 of the leaderboard. Scheffler had great second shot on No. 4 to set up the birdie to put himself 13 feet away from the hole. It was a breeze with the putter, having no problem sinking the putt.

Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, others within striking distance

For the first round of a major championship, scores have been rather low for those players who teed off early at Valhalla. A brief fog delay caused tee times to be pushed back slightly, and the moist early conditions allowed many golfers to rack up the birdies.

In addition to Xander Schauffele's 9-under 62, fellow Americans Tony Finau and Sahith Theegala shot 65s to finish their opening rounds just three shots off the pace.

Other excellent early rounds included 5-under 66s from Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Scotland's Robert MacIntyre. Among a group at 4-under 67 were Americans Ben Kohles, Brooks Koepka and Taylor Moore.

Scottie Scheffler tees off at PGA Championship, follows with epic shot

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler has a tough act to follow as he tees off at the second major championship of the golf season.

But after one hole, he appears to be up for the challenge.

Chasing Xander Schauffele's course record 62, the world's No. 1-ranked player safely launched his tee shot down the right side of the fairway on No. 1 ... and hit his approach shot into the hole for an eagle, from 167 yards out.

On ESPN's broadcast of the tournament, anchor Jim Nantz succinctly said, "Hello dad" as the ball took one hop into the cup.

Scheffler is playing in his first tournament since his wife Meredith gave birth to their son Bennett earlier this month.

Brooks Koepka soars on No. 7

The first eagle of the 106th PGA Championship belongs to defending champion Brooks Koepka.

Going for the green in two on the 590-yard par-5 seventh hole, Koepka hit his second shot from 211 yards out to within three feet of the hole. He converted the eagle putt to get him to 3-under for the tournament, then followed it up with a birdie to get to 4-under with one hole left to play.

Koepka has won five major titles in his career, including three wins in this event. He previously won the PGA Championship in 2018 and 2019 in addition to last year.

Shortly after Koepka's eagle on No. 7, Bryson DeChambeau got one of his own on the same hole by holing out a 51-yard shot from the fairway.

Tiger finishes Round 1 at 1-over

Tiger Woods sits 10 shots off the pace at Valhalla after shooting an opening round of 1-over par.

On the same course where he won the 2000 PGA Championship (in a playoff over Bob May), Woods finished with back-to-back bogeys on holes 8 and 9 for a 72.

It was an up-and-down round of three birdies and four bogeys for Woods, who's seeking to tie the record of five PGA titles held by Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen.

Cam Smith gets his feet wet

Australian Cam Smith found himself in an interesting situation during his opening round that may seem quite familiar to many weekend duffers.

Tied for sixth at 3-under par, Smith's wayward drive on the par-5 seventh left him just to the right of the fairway landing area. The problem was, his ball was in the hazard and sitting in some shallow water.

Smith declined to take a drop and chose to play it out of the hazard … but not before taking off his shoes and socks to take his stance.

The Australian was able to make solid contact and get the ball back in play safely. His approach shot from 243 yards found the right rough, but he chipped it to within seven feet and sunk the putt for an unconventional par.

Xander Schauffele ties history with 62

Xander Schauffele has set a blistering pace at the 2024 PGA Championship, shooting a major championship record-tying 62 in his opening round to lead the tournament by three shots over Tony Finau.

Starting his round on the back nine, Schauffele – currently No. 3 in the World Golf Rankings – collected nine birdies without a bogey to get to 9 under par.

Finishing up with a two-putt par on the 415-yard, par-4 ninth hole at Valhalla Country Club, Schauffele's 62 tied the record he shares with Rickie Fowler (2023 U.S. Open) and Branden Grace (2017 British Open) for the lowest round ever in a men's major championship.

Tiger adds another birdie

Tiger Woods is back into red figures after notching his second birdie on the front nine at the par-5 seventh. (He began his round on hole No. 10.)

After a 300-yard drive into the landing area surrounded front and back by water, Woods found a fairway bunker on his second shot, but hit his approach shot to 13 1/2 feet and nailed the putt for birdie to get to 1-under for his round with two holes to play.

The birdie put Woods in a tie for 20th place.

Schauffele on record-setting pace

Continuing his early assault on Valhalla, Xander Schauffele has jumped out to a big lead with two holes to play in his opening round. With a two-putt birdie on the Par-5 seventh hole, Schauffele moved to an astounding 9 under par.

It was his fourth birdie on the front nine – after starting with five birdies on the back nine. If he birdies one of his two remaining holes and gets to 10-under, he would find himself in uncharted territory.

No player has ever shot 61 in any round of any major championship.

Schauffele leads Tony Finau and Robert MacIntyre by four shots.

Tiger back to even after birdie

Tiger Woods finally took advantage of a Par 3 on No. 3, using an iron to get within 5 feet of the cup and easily tap in for birdie. But no one has been able to stop Xander Schauffele (-7), who added another birdie at No. 4 and has a two-shot lead over Tony Finau, after he birdied 18 to close out his front nine.

Xander Schauffele moves to 6-under

Another hole and another birdie for Schauffele. He made good on the par 4, No. 2, while Rory Mcllroy hit the pin on the first hole of the back nine and tapped in for an easy birdie putt. McIlroy sits at 2-under, four shots off the lead.

Rory McIlroy struggling at end of front nine

Rory McIlroy showed a bit of frustration after his long putt for par on 17 went wide and settled for a bogey. He is 1-under and seeking his first major in 10 years, while Viktor Hovland's struggles on 17 also led to a bogey, and he is at 2-under. Three Americans are on top of the leaderboard, led by Xander Schauffele (-5), Tony Finau, who missed a birdie chance at 16, and Doug Ghim, who are one shot back.

Tiger finishes up and down front nine, Schauffele increases lead

Tiger Woods had one birdie and two bogeys in an uneven first nine holes and finds himself at 1-over after he settled for par on the Par 5 18th. Xander Schauffele is the leader at 5-under at the start of the back nine after another birdie on the 18th. Tony Finau is off to a torrid start as well and is one shot back after three straight birdies on 13, 14 and 15.

Xander Schauffele surges to PGA Championship lead

Schauffele, seeking his first major victory, birdied Nos. 13, 15 and 16 to take the outright lead at 4-under through his first seven holes. Doug Ghim and Jordan Spieth, who is off to a great start with birdies on three of his first four holes to start the day, are one shot back. After a bogey on 15, Tiger Woods, who has been playing with fire with his putting all morning, is back to 1-over for the round.

Golfers struggling with Par 3s, McIlroy, Spieth joins leaders at 2-under

With golfers usually making up scores when a hole is a Par 3, the early stages of Round 1 at the PGA are proving difficult. So far, only nine birdies have been made on the four Par 3 holes that have been played (No. 3, 8, 11, 14). But there have been 20 bogeys on those holes as well. Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, after his birdie on No. 13, Doug Ghim, Xander Schauffele, Robert MacIntyre, Jordan Spieth and Sahith Theegala are on top at 2-under.

Jumbled leaderboard early in first round

Through the early portion of the first round, no golfer has broken through to establish themselves as the one to beat. Doug Ghim and Xander Schauffele are the early leaders at 2-under, and there are nine golfers at 1-under, including Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald. Tiger Woods again settled for par on No. 13 and is still 1-over through three holes. Find the live updating PGA Championship leaderboard here.

Tiger off to slow start

After Tiger settled for par on his first hole, his tee shot on the par 3 No. 11 went awry, and he had to settle for a bogey. Woods sits at 1-over, and his putting will be the key moving forward to see if he can take advantage of the multiple holes set up for easy scores.

Rory McIlroy starts with birdie

Rory McIlroy knocked down a birdie putt to get his PGA Championship started with a bang. McIlroy joins Martin Kaymer, Xander Schauffele and Luke Donald – who bogeyed No. 5 – at 1-under.

PGA Championship leaderboard

As more golfers join the fray at Valhalla, Luke Donald and Doug Ghim find themselves at the top of the leaderboard at 2-under. Matt Wallace, Xander Schauffele and Adam Hadwin are in a three-way tie for third place at 1-under. Find the live updating PGA Championship leaderboard here.

Tiger Woods nets par on No. 1 at PGA Championship

Tiger Woods had about a 10-foot putt for birdie, but rolled it past the hole to the right. Woods recovered, however, and made his putt for par. Tiger joins 15 other golfers at even at Valhalla.

Luke Donald birdies No. 4 at PGA Championship

Luke Donald carded a birdie on the par-3 No. 4 hole to move to 2-under and take early sole possession of the lead at the PGA Championship. Donald's best finish at a PGA Championship came in 2006 when he tied for third.

Rory McIlroy starts PGA Championship

Rory McIlroy, who has finished at the top of the leaderboard in his past two tournaments, is just barely off the left side of the fairway as he starts his 2024 PGA Championship.

Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose teed off alongside McIlroy. Johnson and Rose were also in the rough, but just off to the right.

Tiger Woods starts PGA Championship

Tiger Woods ripped a perfect drive down the middle of the fairway to kick off his 2024 PGA Championship.

Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley followed, with Bradley joining Woods on the fairway and Scott finding the rough.

The next group off the No. 10 tee will be Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose at 8:25 a.m. ET.

Justin Thomas starts PGA Championship

Ludvig Aberg, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas are on the course after teeing off on No. 10. The group behind them is Tiger Woods, Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley, who are scheduled to tee off at 8:14 a.m. ET.

Nine golfers are through one hole, and Luke Donald leads the way at 1-under. Meanwhile, Doug Ghim, Tyler Collet, Adrian Meronk and Ben Kohles are even-steven. Find the live updating PGA Championship leaderboard here.

Luke Donald with first birdie of 2024 PGA Championship

After splitting the fairway on his drive off the tee, Luke Donald wrapped up his first hole at the PGA Championship with about a 15-foot putt to card a birdie on the par 4 No. 1 hole.

PGA Championship weather

The Louisville forecast for Round 1 – aside from foggy – says partly cloudy with a high of 83 degrees. Winds from SW at 8 mph, according to the Weather Channel.

First group off No. 10 tees off

The second group is on the course, with Doug Ghim, Tyler Collet and Adrian Meronk teeing off from the No. 10 hole.

PGA Championship underway

Michael Block, Luke Donald and Shaun Micheel have teed off from the par-4 No. 1 hole, and the 2024 PGA Championship has begun.

PGA Championship delayed due to fog

Morning starting times for the first round of the PGA Championship are being pushed back 10 minutes due to a thick fog hovering at Valhalla.

PGA Championship live stream

For cord-cutters, select focuses of the PGA will be available on CBS Sports HQ over the four-day event. Cord-cutters can also turn to Fubo, which carries CBS and ESPN.

PGA Championship live TV coverage

• TV channels: ESPN, ESPN2, CBS
• Live stream: ESPN+

Thursday : Noon-8 p.m., ESPN

Friday: 1-8 p.m., ESPN

Saturday: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., ESPN; 1-7 p.m., CBS

Sunday: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., ESPN; 1-7 p.m., CBS

Daily TV coverage of the 2024 PGA Championship tournament will be available on ESPN and CBS. ESPN2 will offer an alternate telecast ESPN BET at the PGA Championship from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. followed by PGA Championship with No Laying Up from 1-3 p.m.

What time does Tiger tee off at the PGA?

Tiger Woods is set to tee off at 8:04 a.m. ET Thursday.

PGA Championship Round 1 start time

The first round of the PGA Championship starts at 7:15  a.m. ET on Thursday when Michael Block, Luke Donald and Shaun Micheel tee off.

PGA Championship tee times for Round 1

Here is every tee time and grouping for Round 1 of the PGA Championship.

PGA Championship

Valhalla Golf Club

Can Kyle Berkshire, the world's top long driver, make it on the PGA Tour? We're about to find out

E ditor's note: This story originally ran last December. Since then, Kyle Berkshire’s PGA Tour dreams haven’t come to fruition, but on Friday he added another long drive world championship to his collection. And with Bryson DeChambeau reaching the quarterfinals in his impressive debut at the competition, the line between tour pros and long drivers has never been more blurred.

During a rare moment on the eve of the 2020 Masters in which the conversation shifted from Bryson DeChambeau, Golf Channel's Brandel Chamblee turned his attention to another big hitter. "Imagine Kyle Berkshire," Chamblee said with Augusta National Golf Club as a backdrop. "Imagine him out here if he could chip and putt."

At that point, few people had considered the possibility of a World Long Drive champ trading in his title belt for a green jacket. Even fewer knew Berkshire had already begun making the radical transformation from pro hitter to tour pro.

With the ability to swing a golf club more than 150 miles per hour and produce ball speeds over 230, Berkshire doesn’t just hit golf balls, he hurts them. The same could be said for the 100 driver heads he's estimated cracking the past three years. Those staggering numbers led Kyle to a convincing win at the 2019 World Long Drive Championship. And at 22, Berkshire looked to have a long and lucrative long drive career ahead of him.

He still might, but recently Berkshire has turned his attention to a new pursuit. Well, an old pursuit.

BELOW: LISTEN TO THE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE PODCAST ON KYLE BERKSHIRE

The former junior and college golfer is about to embark on a journey that has rarely been attempted, but if ever there was a time to try, it's now. After all, we’re coming off a season in which a former physics major pulled off his own groundbreaking experiment that proved just how important distance is in today's game.

Bryson's breakthrough year came after he decided to bulk up and become more like, well, a long drive champ. He put on 40 pounds, ratcheted up his swing speed, and became, at least statistically, the longest hitter on tour. Along the way, he won the U.S. Open in dominating fashion.

In a sense Berkshire is looking for similar results while traveling from the opposite direction. So can Kyle chip and putt on the level necessary to score with the game's best? Can the longest hitter on the planet make it all the way to the PGA Tour? We're about to find out.

“I think at the very least, it’s going to be something people are going to really enjoy following," says Berkshire, who proudly posted the Chamblee Live From The Masters clip to Instagram the following day. "And it could really turn into an unbelievable story. If I’m three, four years from now walking up the final fairway with a two-shot lead and the tournament in my pocket, it could be one of the coolest stories in the history of golf.”

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At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, and with long flowing locks that would make Samson jealous, Kyle Berkshire is an imposing figure. But it wasn’t always that way. Golf Digest Top 50 Instructor Bernie Najar, currently the Director of Instruction at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland, remembers beginning to work with Berkshire when he was just a scrawny 12-year-old.

“He was a kid who came out to work on his game," Najar said. "He was a special character. Not someone out of the gates you’d look at and wow this is going to be the longest player in the world, but certainly you look at the player and you knew they had very good hand-eye coordination and for a smaller kid his age, he could hit the ball pretty hard.”

Even then Berkshire hated being out driven by older, bigger kids. By the time he was a senior in high school, that was no longer a problem.

“You can’t coach speed, just like in basketball you can’t coach 7-foot, you can’t coach somebody swinging 135," said Brad Stracke, who recruited Berkshire from Crofton, Md. to play at the University of North Texas after seeing him play in a junior event. "I mean, they’ve got to have that in their genes.”

At that point Berkshire was far from the best player in the field, but he was certainly the longest. And in college, he only got longer. Somewhere between his freshman and sophomore years, Berkshire was strong enough to break the screen on a team’s simulator, and was starting to pay closer attention to his swing speed numbers.

“I think working with the Trackman and seeing the numbers and seeing them jumping up pretty quickly, I think he kind of got addicted to it, the swing speed and seeing his ball come off the face like that," says Stracke, who has coached two future PGA Tour winners in Sebastian Munoz and Carlos Ortiz during his time at UNT. "I think that’s what triggered it, I really do.”

On the course, there was one shot from a team practice Stracke will never forget Berkshire hitting.

“I remember at Gleneagles we were on a hole you have to hit iron off the tee," Stacke said. "It’s really tight and there some guys down there 275 and I lasered them and I was like, 'Kyle, you can hit.' And he said, 'No, coach, I can’t hit.'

"I said, 'what are you going to hit?' And he said '3-iron.' And I said, 'Well, they’re 275.' And he said 'no, no, no.' And then they left and he flew the ball and it would have hit right on top of their cart. I’m like, holy cow. I knew you were long, but I had no idea you were that long.”

That led to a life-changing conversation between the coach and a player who had yet to crack the Mean Green's lineup.

“I pulled him in my office and I basically said, ‘You could be No. 1 in the world in long drive," Stracke said. "Are you going to be No. 1 on the PGA Tour? Probably not. But how many guys are No. 1 in their craft in the world? And I said, you can be that guy.”

But even Stracke was surprised by how quickly his vision came to fruition. Berkshire walked away from college golf to pursue long drive full time in 2017. Originally, he was hoping it would help him gain confidence that could benefit his golf game, but by the time what would have been his senior season rolled around, he was already ranked No. 1 in the sport. He punctuated that status with a win at the 2019 World Long Drive Championship, the Super Bowl of the long drive circuit.

By that point, Berkshire had stopped playing golf completely to put all his energy into training and practicing for long drive. According to his long drive coach, Bobby Peterson it’s Berkshire’s work ethic that sets him apart.

“There’s a lot of guys that have the talent to do this sport, but the one thing I’d say Kyle has beyond anyone I’ve worked with in 30 years is focus," Peterson says. "When he sets his mind to a task, he’ll do it.”

Peterson owns and operates the One Stop Power Shop in Newton Grove, N.C., where he works with a stable of long drive competitors not just on technique, but with their equipment and fitness. He’s been officially with Berkshire since the beginning of 2019.

"We set up practicing really late one night and it was hot and I have those little bags you put air in them and I blew up a pillow and said ‘I’m going to take a little power nap while you get loose.'" Peterson says. "Well, two hours later he’s standing over me and he says, ‘What did you think of that?’ And I went, ‘It’s good.’ I fell asleep and he was warming up and hitting. And he just kept hitting and hitting for two hours. And his hands were bleeding and he had a rash on his arm over here where he was really releasing. I said why didn’t you wake me up and he said well, honestly, you had your sunglasses on and I thought you were just watching and if you saw something wrong you would say something. So for two hours he just ripped shot after shot and it was one of the best practice sessions ever.”

Peterson conservatively estimates that Berkshire hit 50,000 drives full out in practice last year, a number bound to go down as he works on other parts of his game. But so far, fewer reps hasn’t hurt Berkshire’s long drive results. What finally slowed him down was something no one saw coming.

As with virtually all other professional sports, the World Long Drive Association has struggled through the Covid-19 pandemic, to the extent that its owner Golf Channel wound up canceling the 2020 season. And with no plans to resume in 2021, long drivers came together to host a series of their own events, highlighted by a national championship in Memphis in November. We'll give you one guess who won that.

To fill the void left by the World Long Drive Association being put up for sale, the Professional Long Drive Association has been formed, and a series of eight events has been scheduled for 2021, including a World Championship in September.

But the sport is still not on the same footing as it was, which is part of why Berkshire acknowledges the time is right to try out pro golf. And since he’s still making good money from competition, sponsors, and a popular YouTube channel, he says he can afford to chase a dream that never went away.

"It’s great to be a long drive champ and it’s a huge deal to me, but I don’t want to be that guy who avoids potential failure," Berkshire says. "I’m not going to be this untouchable guy who’s unbelievable at what he does. I want to push myself and I have an opportunity to do something great and I’m in a position in my life to really pursue it and I’m kind of putting it on the line here.”

There’s a history of the PGA Tour and long drive crossing paths. In its early years, the World Long Drive Championship was held in conjunction with the PGA Championship. And several PGA Tour pros won the event, from John McCommish to Lon Hinkle to Dennis Paulson. But those guys were accomplished golfers first before stumbling into long drive success. Berkshire would be the first to truly go the other way and make it on the highest level.

In the late 1980s, an era that featured far smaller purses than today, long drive competitions held at many PGA Tour stops were a decent way for golfers to supplement their incomes. But money wasn’t the only difference between then and now. Another was how back then extreme power on tour was almost discouraged.

The PGA Tour only started keeping driving distance as an official stat in 1980. And for a long time after that, the widely held belief was that accuracy was much more closely correlated to tournament success. In a 1989 Daily Press story titled “A Long Drive to Nowhere,” McCommish claimed “Leading in driving distance is the kiss of death.”

And two-time reigning U.S. Open champ Curtis Strange said of "Big John" and the day’s longest players, “They’re hitting 9-iron out of the rough. I’m hitting 6-iron out of the fairway. I’d rather hit 6-iron out of the fairway.”

Three decades later, thanks to golf statisticians from Mark Broadie to Scott Fawcett to Lou Stagner, that thinking has been turned on its head. And younger players from Bryson to Berkshire are believers in newer numbers, most notably Broadie’s strokes gained metric, which better quantifies how much each shot is worth during a tournament.

Broadie has mathematically proven how valuable long tee shots are—even if they don’t find the fairway. The list of major champs over the last three decades makes an equally compelling case. Beginning with John Daly in 1991, a Grip-It-And-Rip-It Era was ushered in.

Since then, Daly, Davis Love III, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, and Bryson DeChambeau have all captured at least one major while leading the tour in driving distance at least once. Tiger Woods could have easily been another, but even though he had the length, Woods often purposely laid back off the tee more than his peers.

So, yeah, not exactly the kiss of death.

Being conservative is not an option in Long Drive. Hitters get six to eight attempts to crank a golf ball as far as possible. But while traditionally viewed as novelty performers, the reality is that most are actually very good players. And the line between a hitter and a tour pro has narrowed in recent years, especially with Long Drive equipment now having to conform to USGA standards.

With more televised competitions, the sport had become more mainstream—perhaps influencing the PGA Championship to bring back its own long drive competition in 2014 after a 30-year hiatus. In 2018, that contest was won by DeChambeau, who later went on to claim the biggest victory of his career by bombing his way around Winged Foot at the 2020 U.S. Open.

Although plenty of other players had pushed the game in that direction, it’s DeChambeau who has underscored the direct correlation between driving distance and tournament success. In gaining 20 yards to increase his average to 322 yards, he also became the PGA Tour’s leader in strokes gained driving. And Berkshire was paying close attention.

“Watching Bryson win the U.S. Open at Winged Foot was the moment I think, if I ever make it on tour, that’s the moment I’m going to go back to that started it all for me in terms of this drive," Berkshire said. “He made every pundit and critic look like a complete jackass. And that appeals to me. That appeals to me very greatly. That’s something I really want to do is prove everyone wrong and prove everyone who believes in me right.”

One pundit who hasn’t been surprised by DeChambeau’s distance experiment succeeding is Chamblee. And the Golf Channel analyst uses a baseball analogy to explain why he won’t be shocked if Berkshire or another long driver finds his way to the PGA Tour.

“Imagine there were 40 guys who got together for kicks and they all threw it 120, 118 miles per hour, faster than the fastest in professional baseball. Well, that’s what’s been going on in the world of professional golf," Chamblee says. "If we look at the longest drivers in professional golf, meanwhile there’s 50 or 100 or 200 guys that drive it miles longer. I mean, miles longer. They’re swinging 150 miles per hour, the best on the PGA Tour is 125 miles per hour. It would have been ludicrous to think that those pitchers wouldn’t have made their way into Major League Baseball or the moves they have wouldn’t have made their way. The fastest pitchers were in the majors. They were in the bigs. The fastest swingers are not playing at the highest level in golf. It’s crazy to think those moves won’t make their way into professional golf.”

Which is not to say Chamblee thinks Berkshire will have it easy. If anything, he can point to his own competitive career as an example of just how hard it is to make it on tour. While Berkshire never even cracked the starting lineup in college, Chamblee was an All-American at the University of Texas. And yet it still took him years to succeed at the highest level before ending his playing career with one PGA Tour win.

“This not just about who can lift the most weight in the gym," Chamblee says. "This is about who can lift the most weight in the gym and who can play the best chess. Those are two different animals, but that’s what golf is. It’s not just power. It’s nuance and strategy. And patience.”

Patience is one thing Berkshire seems to have. He says he’s “ahead of schedule” and has received encouragement to start playing from many, including DeChambeau. The two have become friends and the mutual admiration for each other was apparent during a recent meeting. Berkshire was impressed by DeChambeau's gym routine while Bryson was blown away by Kyle's distance, including a 302-yard 8-iron that went viral.

Although he doesn’t have a specific timetable on when he will start entering tournaments, he plans to start small with Florida mini-tour events even though he could likely use his long drive stardom to get a few starts on the PGA Tour. Again, the goal isn’t just to play against the best, but to eventually be one of the best.

“If I emailed every event I could asking for an exemption, it’s very probable I wouldn’t have to write too many before I would get one," Berkshire says. "But I want to make sure I make this entrance the right way. I don’t want to shoot 80-80 and get blown away. I want to go out, I want to make a statement. . . . I’ll know when I’m ready.”

With what he calls a potential “miraculous” path through familiar qualifying sites, Berkshire has made qualifying for the 2021 U.S Open at his favorite course a first—and lofty—goal.

“I can tell you right now, the first hole at Torrey Pines is a driver hole," Berkshire says. "There’s nothing more I’d love to do than hit a 360-yard opening salvo that carries that bunker and leaves me 80 yards left. That’s what I’d love to do and that’s what I’m trying to make happen.”

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JAKARTA, INDONESIA - OCTOBER 09: Jamie Sadlowski of Canada plays a shot during round four of the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by Zurich at Royale Jakarta Golf Club on October 9, 2016 in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo by Arep Kulal/Asian Tour/Asian Tour via Getty Images)

Arep Kulal/Asian Tour

Jamie Sadlowski thought he was ready when he decided to pursue his own tour pro dreams in 2016. The Canadian nicknamed “Super Freak” had won a 2016 U.S. Open local qualifier and even made some cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour. In many ways, he is the closest comparison to what Berkshire is attempting. But there are also several important differences.

Although both won World Long Drive titles at young ages, Sadlowski eventually put in more than a decade competing and doing as many as 80 corporate events a year. Unlike Berkshire who has only been doing long drive for three full years, he was burned out and decided to completely walk away from the sport. Also unlike Berkshire, the 2008 and 2009 World Long Drive champ thought shifting to tournament play required him to re-tool his golf swing.

“Things have changed, Bryson has changed so much now just in the last year," Sadlowski says. "We were always of the opinion that you can’t do both, it’s impossible. But now the more you read, the more you see what these guys are doing, you see Tony, you see Bryson, you see Rory, DJ, all these guys what they’re doing. I had that, I owned that, and I changed it.”

In hindsight, Sadlowski says his struggle to make it on tour can be traced to him going from being “a doer to a thinker.” But it’s also a reflection of the difference in pacing between a long drive competition and a golf tournament. One requires you to peak for three minutes at a time, the other stresses focus over four long rounds. After making just $11,000 over three seasons on Canada’s Mackenzie Tour and failing to make the weekend in both of his PGA Tour starts, he’s hoping a return to his athletic instincts will help.

“It’s a different transition when you’re programmed to do something," Sadlowski says. "It’s like teaching a sprinter to be a long-distance runner. They’re the same, but they’re different. You have a different mentality about them.”

A final key difference between Sadlowski and Berkshire is that Sadlowski never had much of a foundation as a tournament golfer. Like the movie character Happy Gilmore, Sadlowski was always focused on his first love: hockey. That’s where Berkshire may have an edge, even if all his tournament experience came on the junior level.

Sadlowski and Berkshire just missed overlapping on the long drive circuit so they don’t know each other, but both are very familiar with each other’s careers. And in seeing some of the playing videos Berkshire posts to social media, the 32-year-old Sadlowski is particularly impressed—and also perhaps a bit envious—that Berkshire brings the same swing that made him a long drive champ to the golf course.

“I would tell him don’t change anything," Sadlowski says. "You know, putt, chip your butt off, and learn how to flight some wedges, flatten shots out. And why not? If there’s any time to be inspired, it would be now from how much the game has changed in just the past six to eight months. And I sit here in Canada, shaking my head I’m like, ‘what has happened?’ You know, before it was, we’re going to shorten the backswing up and get it in play a little more. Yeah, that’s important stuff, but it’s also important to hit it 400 yards.”

That last point seems so obvious, but again, prioritizing distance over accuracy goes against long-held conventional wisdom. As someone well versed in the game’s modern metrics, though, Berkshire knows the importance of distance as well as anyone.

"I don’t have to have everything firing on all cylinders, I don’t have to be making more 20-footers than everybody else, I don’t have to be avoiding trouble off the tee every time to stay with people," Berkshire says. "I can hit a loose shot off the tee here or there, I could three-putt maybe once or twice more than most guys could, I can miss the green with a wedge in my hand here or there and still be OK because again, the statistical advantage of me being 50 yards ahead of someone off every hole or even being able to hit an iron off the tee when they’re hitting driver the same distance, that accuracy advantage of an iron has over a driver, that’s very significant, so I have a wider path to walk.”

So how good of an actual golfer is Berkshire? He says he’s back to his peak form of being a plus-four handicap, but the goal is to get to at least a plus-six before truly testing his game in a pro event.

Obviously, a lot of that improvement will have to come in the short game, which is why Kyle has spent approximately 80 percent of his practice time within 150 yards in recent months. Even the worst chippers and putters on the PGA Tour have elite touch. His swing coach Najar estimates Berkshire is a plus-two handicap as a putter on a good day and that’s not good enough. Yet.

As for his full swing, Berkshire doesn’t need an overhaul, but in an effort to tighten his dispersion, he has been working with Najar on honing what he calls a “pull cut.” The shot will make him shorter, but it’s a move that would help eliminate a two-way miss. That’s also why he’ll probably use a 45-inch driver instead of the 48-inch one typically used in long drive competitions.

“I think his biggest challenge is controlling his club speed,” Najar said. “Let’s just say he’s swinging at 140. To take a swing at 60 miles per hour is pretty extreme as far as going the other way. Being able to be soft with your grip, being able to just lightly clip the ball off the ground when you have adrenaline. So I think controlling his adrenaline, I think learning to vary his speeds, those are the big challenges.”

Berkshire says he’s working on putting more backspin on the ball to make it go straighter. He’s also been collaborating with Callaway on a 2-iron that he can hit farther than most PGA Tour pros hit their drivers.

Even taking something off his fastball, Berkshire has been comfortably swinging at about 140 miles per hour in practice rounds. By comparison, DeChambeau leads the PGA Tour at 133 miles per hour, 20 miles faster than the tour average. And while Berkshire knows distance will be his biggest physical advantage, he’s also hoping it will give him a mental edge.

“I know PGA Tour players are some of the most mentally strong players in the world, that’s why they get there," Berkshire said. "But I can’t help to think it’s got to affect some of them if I’m 60, 70 yards past them.”

Berkshire’s speed could cause some huge misses, especially if there’s a sudden shift in wind. But when it comes to talent and potential, well. . .

“There are times, where I’m telling you," Najar says, "This guy, he has shots that I’ve never seen anyone else hit.”

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The old axiom, “You drive for show, you putt for dough” has long been disproven. Just look at this past season’s PGA Tour money list, which is filled with big hitters from Bryson to DJ to Rory. By contrast, only one of the tour’s top 10 putters, according to strokes gained, finished in the top 22 in the money. That player? Bryson DeChambeau.

“I’d say the world of golf has been working on their doctorate," Chamblee said. "It started with Tiger, then came the money, then came the interest, then came the athletes, and now has come the knowledge. And you know, their dissertation is Bryson DeChambeau because he’s put together added length with an understanding of how to use that length on a golf course and plot his way around. But then the caveat, that Brodie has always offered, “all things being equal,” all things aren’t equal with Bryson because he became a much improved putter. And that’s the name of the game so he’s done it. It’s been this 23-24-25-year education in the world of golf. And it’s not done at all.”

Perhaps it’s Berkshire who will author the next defining chapter in the game, but despite his seemingly superhuman length, he’s got a long way to go—especially after taking such an extended break while contemporaries like Collin Morikawa, Matthew Wolff and even DeChambeau have become established PGA Tour stars.

No one on the PGA Tour can hit it anywhere near as far as Kyle can, but they’re miles ahead when it comes to mastering all the shots you need to compete at the highest level. If Berkshire never makes it there, though, Najar notes it won’t be due to a lack of effort.

“Everybody out there’s working hard, but I would say he obsesses over golf 24/7," Najar said. "With anything and everything he can do whether it’s what he can do in the gym, what he’s eating, how to visualize, equipment optimization, so he’s really committed. And he’s got a genius mind for thinking of combinations.”

Speaking of that mind, Berkshire is also reuniting with famed sports psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella, whom he worked with during his junior golf days. It’s all part of helping Kyle adjust from one type of competition to another.

Not that Berkshire hasn’t faced pressure in long drive. On his way to winning the 2019 World Long Drive Championship, Berkshire was down to his final ball in the round of 16 after missing the grid with his first seven attempts. He responded by pumping a draw 426 yards, 420 of that in the air, to advance.

But as his long drive coach Bobby Peterson says, tour golf brings with it a different dynamic. Remember even World No. 1 Dustin Johnson shot a pair of 80s at the Memorial just a few months before winning the Masters.

“And I think that’s another learning lesson that’s waiting for Kyle is the ups and downs of that," Peterson said. "Because right now he’s one of the top guys or the top guy in long drive and where’s he going to be at in golf? So how he handles that as a person hopefully will help him grow just in general as a person because adversity seems to lead us or destroy us and I think it will lead him because he’s that motivated to get better at things.”

And while he’s got the time and money to pursue a second career right now, being a tour pro is expensive. As Chamblee says, you only have so much time until the wolf is at the door. But Kyle claims the experience going to be worth it—no matter the results.

“My hope is that it gets big enough and positively impacts a lot of people one way or the other," Berkshire said. "If people like laughing at me for shooting an 80, I mean, then that’s good. If people love watching me because I shot a 67 and lit the course on fire, then that’s good. I think a lot of positives will come from it regardless. I think that’s definitely the best part about it. It’s kind of a win-win for everybody, quite frankly.”

If you’ve watched any of Berkshire’s videos, you’d probably agree. Kyle’s patented pre-shot rocking motion disappears when he’s hitting shots on the course vs. the grid, but the jaw-dropping power is still there.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kyle Berkshire (@kyleberkshire)

The guy can hit a putter over 300 yards, hit stingers that would make Tiger Woods drool, and he routinely takes apart long holes with ease. In one video, Berkshire comfortably reaches Firestone Country Club’s famed 667-yard par-5 16th hole, known as “The Monster,” with a driver and a 3-iron to set up an easy two-putt birdie.

As entertaining as those videos are, though, Berkshire wants to be much more than a sideshow in professional golf. In hearing him discuss his goals of making it on tour, it’s clear the risk of not going for it is greater than trying and coming up short.

“I mean business," Berkshire said. "I’m not doing this to have fun. I’m not doing this to just goof around. I mean every bit of this. If I’m pursuing this, it’s because I want to be in the final group on Sunday. It might happen, I don’t know if I can get good enough, but I sure as hell not going to say that I can, because I think I can. And I’m going to do the things that I need to do to the best of my ability with the team around me that I have which I’m very confident in. I think it can lead to some pretty crazy stuff and the only way we can know is if I try.”

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PGA Championship Day 2 Fact or Fiction: Tiger Woods Is Becoming Tough to Watch

Jeff ritter , bob harig , john schwarb , john pluym , pat forde | 19 hours ago.

Welcome to the PGA Championship edition of SI Golf’s Fact or Fiction. We’ll be here after every day’s play with a series of statements for writers and editors to declare as “Fact” or “Fiction” along with a brief explanation. Responses may also (occasionally) be “Neutral” since there's a lot of gray area in golf.

Do you agree or disagree? Let us know on the SI Golf X account.

Two triple bogeys in his first four holes Friday doomed Tiger Woods’s chances to make the cut at Valhalla, but he gave fans a thrill with a near-ace . Flashes of the old Tiger are all that matters at this stage of his career.

Pat Forde: FICTION. When the flashes are overshadowed by triples, there isn’t much there to latch onto. It’s more sad than a rush of nostalgia or a jolt of joy. He’s welcome to play as long as he wants—that’s a personal decision—but it’s a bit depressing to watch him in this state.

Bob Harig: FICTION. By flashes of the old Tiger, fans would like to see him shoot some good scores and perhaps even thrill with a back-nine close call on Sunday. Nobody wants to see him struggle to walk 18, which has been the problem at consecutive majors. Woods has earned the right to do this as long as he wants, and his pride suggests he will do all he can to be ready for Pinehurst next month, but it’s tough to see the struggles.

John Pluym: FACT. All of Tiger’s back injuries as well as the damage caused to his lower leg in his automobile accident make it next to impossible for him to practice, let alone compete. Still, having him on the golf course is a thrill for those in person at tournaments as well as fans watching from home. He had back-to-back birdies during the second round showing us what he used to do on a regular basis. So let’s enjoy the flashes of great play while we still can. 

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. I’m with Bob and Pat on this. I don’t expect Woods to seriously contend in a major ever again, much less win one, but seeing him so diminished is becoming a drag. His car accident was three years ago — how much healthier can he possibly get?

John Schwarb: FICTION. Tiger’s short game did him in this week, and next he’ll go to Pinehurst No. 2 which is a really bad place to be loose around the greens. I love the highlights, but the bottom lines are getting increasingly tougher to take. 

Jon Rahm’s unusual week began when he said he’s still a PGA Tour member, supports the Tour and “I don’t feel like I’m on the other side, I’m just not playing there.” He then missed the cut after a T45 at the Masters. Money aside, he’s regretting his decision to go to LIV Golf.

Pat Forde: FICTION. He certainly didn’t enjoy his Valhalla visit, but I don’t think he’s probably feeling much remorse going to LIV. And if he is, just check the bank account. The checks look good when they land.

Bob Harig: FICTION. This is golf, no matter where he plays. There are going to be some tough weeks and tough stretches and he’s going through one right now. We’ll see if he can get it back together next month at the U.S. Open.

John Pluym: FICTION. Rahm knew exactly what he was doing when he moved to LIV in December for a reported $350 million. Does throwing golf clubs during a major tournament make him regret his decision? Not likely. But it sure is embarrassing. And his game definitely looks like it has fallen off since he started competing in 54-hole tournaments. Rahm went for the bag, and now he has to live with his decision.

Jeff Ritter: FACT. I took Rahm’s words about the PGA Tour this week as a signal he still really believes he’s part of it, delusional as that may be. He’s cashing in on LIV, but in the past six months his legacy arrow is pointing straight down.

John Schwarb: FACT. The key words are “money aside” so, yeah, I think he’s got buyer’s remorse to the tune of hundreds of millions. There’s just a competitive fire that needs more than four weeks a year to burn and LIV isn’t it, and he knows it. 

Three players will go into the weekend at Valhalla at double-digits under par. The PGA Championship’s identity should be shootouts at courses with friendly setups. 

Pat Forde: FICTION. The tour already has plenty of those and doesn’t need another pitch-and-putt pushover. Valhalla has never been that hard, and the rain softened it up to make it defenseless. If the winner ends up 20-under or more, it won’t be regarded as an elite test of golf. Most folks like to see some suffering from the top players in majors, or at least a balance of rigor and opportunity. So far this tourney is lacking in rigor.

Bob Harig: FICTION. Once again, not even immense length can keep the world’s best from annihilating a course when it’s soft. And Valhalla is soft. That’s nobody’s fault. It is a shame there are not firm and fast conditions like there were at the Masters, when Augusta National offered a supreme test. The best hope not is simply an exciting weekend. If that happens, everyone will forget the low scores.

John Pluym: FICTION. A major championship is supposed to test the best players in golf, and they all should have fast greens, thick rough and narrow fairways. Do we really want the PGA Championship winner posting a score at more than 20-under? After all, this isn’t the Travelers Championship in Hartford, which Keegan Bradley won last year at 23 under.  

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. The PGA’s identity comes — partly — from its distinct trophy and the inclusion of the club pros. But the best golf tournaments feature setups where players can make quick, dramatic moves both up and down the leaderboard, rather than just going low as fast as possible.  

John Schwarb: NEUTRAL. Conditions dictate so much at majors but of course can’t be predicted, and Valhalla is very gettable right now hence the scores. But the PGA in is a constant battle for identity as the No. 4 major and generally I think letting players fire away isn’t a bad thing. 

Rangefinders and GPS devices can be used by players in competition this week, a rule the PGA of America implemented in 2021. The PGA Tour and LPGA should follow suit to try to solve its slow play problem.

Pat Forde: FACT. Anything that can be done that reasonably speeds up play, I’m in favor of. That includes eliminating the increased dawdling over putts with “aim pointing.” Five-hour rounds are a drag.

Bob Harig: FICTION. It looks awful. Players and caddies can use them during practice to figure things out. Those who do their homework should be rewarded. Those devices are meant for us hackers who are too lazy to walk off a yardage or to help us save time. They don’t save out time out here.

John Pluym: FACT. Anything that speeds up play would be good for the game, but I don’t know if GPS devices accomplish that goal. However, I do like what MLB has done with the pitch clock. Golf could use a “shot clock” and a “putt clock.” And practice rounds before the actual tournament should help eliminate all of the discussion between player and caddy during the four rounds anyway.    

Jeff Ritter: NEUTRAL. Do we have data showing the rangefinders save time? If so, I’m in. If not, leave them for us duffers while the pros and caddies continue to do their homework.

John Schwarb: FACT. Rangefinders aren’t a magic elixir fix as golf’s fidgety players will still take their sweet time over the ball, but it removes one variable that can take some time and that’s where the tours need to start fixing slow play—by nibbling around the edges. 

JEFF RITTER

Jeff Ritter is the Managing Director of SI Golf. He spent more than a decade at Sports Illustrated and Golf Magazine, and in 2020 joined Morning Read to help spark its growth and eventual acquisition by Arena Group, the publisher of Sports Illustrated. He has covered more than 25 major championships, and previously helped launch SI Golf Plus Digital, Golf Magazine’s first original, weekly e-magazine, and served as its top editor. He also launched Golf's “Films” division, the magazine’s first long-form video storytelling franchise, and his debut documentary received an Edward R. Murrow Award for sports reporting. His writing has earned first-place awards from the Society of American Travel Writers, the MIN Magazine Awards, and the Golf Writers Association of America, among others. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. A native Michigander, he remains a diehard Wolverine fan and will defend Jim Harbaugh until the bitter end.

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Bob Harig is a golf writer for SI.com and the author of the book "DRIVE: The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods," which publishes in March and can be ordered here. 

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JOHN SCHWARB

John Schwarb is the Senior Editor of SI Golf. He has covered golf for the St. Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times), PGATour.com and Visit Florida; and has also written for ESPN.com, The Golfers Journal and several magazines. He lives in Indianapolis and graduated from Indiana University.

Pat Forde covers college sports, the Olympics and horse racing for Sports Illustrated. Pat wrote two books and was nominated for the 1990 Pulitzer Prize. In addition to his work at SI, Pat is also the co-host of the College Football Enquirer podcast. He is an analyst for the Big Ten Network and contributes to national radio shows. In a career spanning more than three decades, Pat has worked at Yahoo! Sports, ESPN and the Louisville Courier-Journal. 

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• How to watch in the US
• How to watch in the UK
• How to watch from anywhere

How to watch PGA Championship: Live stream rounds 3 and 4 from anywhere

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The PGA Championship heads into its final few days, and it's proving to be a tough competition at the iconic Valhalla Golf Course. Keep reading to learn how to watch the PGA Championship live streams, including cable and recap options.

The tournament officially kicked off on Thursday with Round 1. Round 2 tee times were met with delays following an accident outside the club that resulted in a death. According to a statement on X from PGA of America, a worker with one of the PGA vendors was struck by a shuttle bus and killed. The accident led to some traffic buildup for both spectators and competitors.

Scottie Scheffler, the winner of the 2024 Masters Tournament and a favorite to win this year's PGA Championship, was arrested while trying to drive into the entrance of Valhalla after traffic had been stopped for the earlier collision. Scheffler was later released and has been able to participate in Round 2 of the tournament. 2023 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka is also participating in the competition this year, along with Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and others.

Keep reading to learn your watch options for the PGA Championship as it heads into the weekend for Rounds 3 and 4. Tournament coverage is spread across three channels/streamers, so we've highlighted ways to access all of them. 

• See also: Where to watch the Italian Open | Where to watch the Giro d'Italia | How to watch the WNBA

How to watch the PGA Championship in the US

Over the weekend, coverage will be split among three channels/streamers. On Saturday and Sunday, ESPN+ will live stream from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, followed by an ESPN broadcast from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Then CBS will take over for the rest of the day from 1 p.m. ET.

ESPN+ subscriptions start at $10.99 a month. For Paramount+ , you'll need to select the Paramount+ with Showtime tier, which costs $11.99 a month, to access CBS live streams. ESPN+ doesn't live stream the ESPN channel, so you'll need to try out a live TV streaming alternative to access this portion of the tournament without cable. 

Paramount Plus offers a huge library of on-demand content from Paramount, CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, and MTV. The Premium Plan also includes Showtime and live CBS streaming. It costs $12 a month or $120 a year

ESPN Plus is a sports subscription service that includes live sports, exclusive video content, and written analysis from ESPN. You can pay monthly or go for an annual deal for $110, which saves you about $22 a year. There's also a triple bundle with Hulu and Disney Plus, which offers an even better discount.

Sling TV is one of the cheaper live TV streaming packages out there, with plans starting at $40 a month. Plus, you can currently get $20 off your first month. You'll need to opt for the Sling Orange plan to access ESPN.

For just the essentials without any extra fluff, Sling TV is the streaming service you're looking for. It's more customizable than other plans, with three options you can choose from, so you pay for only what you need. New members get their first month for $20 off.

If you can't catch any of the action until the evening, Golf Central will air nightly breakdowns and highlights of the day's events via Peacock . These live recaps will start at 8 p.m. ET each night. Peacock subscriptions start at $5.99 a month.

Peacock is a streaming service featuring NBCUniversal TV shows, movies, original series, live sports, and news programs. Prices start at just $5.99 a month on one-month deals, with further discounts available on annual plans.

How to watch the PGA Championship in the UK

Sky Sports is the British home to PGA Championship live streams. You can find other international golf live streams here, like this week's LET: German Masters. Prices and contract lengths vary. 

How to watch the PGA Championship from anywhere

If you'll be traveling away from home during the tournament, you can keep up with your subscriptions via VPN (virtual private network). VPNs can temporarily alter your device's virtual location so that you can access your usual websites and apps from anywhere. They're also solid ways to increase your online privacy. This recommendation will work best for people who are simply traveling away from home right now since the services we've outlined today require country-specific forms of payment. 

Our go-to recommendation is ExpressVPN , which is an easy-to-use option with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can find more information in our ExpressVPN review and see highlights of the service below:

With its consistent performance, reliable security, and expansive global streaming features, ExpressVPN is the best VPN out there, excelling in every spec and offering many advanced features that makes it exceptional. Better yet, you can save up to 49% and get an extra three months for free today.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here . Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

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For Rory McIlroy, it's been a decade of glory and anguish

Pga championship returns to valhalla, where he last won a major in 2014.

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Rory McIlroy won four majors in four years – 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 PGA Championship, 2014 Open Championship and PGA Championship. But there’s winning, and then there’s winning.

He won the first two by eight shots apiece, and the second two in a span of three weeks.

“This is Rory’s time,” The Guardian declared. “The dawning of a new era.”

McIlroy now heads into the PGA Championship at Valhalla with two victories in his last two starts – just as he did at the 2014 PGA at Valhalla, which is still his most recent major victory.

“Just need to try to replicate whatever I did in 2014, just try to do that all over again,” he said after going 8-under in a span of eight holes (Nos. 8-15) to pull away at Quail Hollow on Sunday. “Yeah, I'm feeling really good with my game.

Rory McIlroy charges to victory at Wells Fargo

“I need to stay in my own little world next week and not get too far ahead of myself,” he added, “but if you can step on to the first tee at Valhalla on Thursday and feel as good about my game as I did today, I think I'll have a good chance.”

McIlroy has 20 major championship top 10s over the last decade (the most in golf, by three) but no wins. Where has he gone wrong? As he prepares for this week’s PGA Championship, the punditry will turn up the volume on that question, comparing him to his 2014 self.

Back then, his 281-yard 3-wood to 7 feet and subsequent eagle at the 10th hole sparked a furious comeback. (He later said he started his second shot 15 yards left of his intended line and got lucky.) With a two-stroke lead and in fading light, McIlroy gave no high-fives on the way to the 18th tee, where he watched Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson in the group ahead tee off, then arranged for them to move off to the side once they were several paces down the fairway to allow McIlroy and Bernd Wiesberger to drive. As Nick Faldo noted on CBS, McIlroy was playing into the group ahead while also playing through the world of golf.

It was McIlroy’s third win in as many starts – and his second straight major. (He had won The Open Championship three weeks earlier.) All of a sudden, he had joined Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win four majors before turning 26. Steeped in the game’s history, McIlroy marveled at that, as well as being tied with Ernie Els and Raymond Floyd at four majors, one behind Seve Ballesteros and two behind Europe’s all-time leader, Faldo.

Confoundingly, that’s where McIlroy remains.

Rory McIlroy comments after winning the PGA Championship

Looking for his edge

Rory McIlroy is too nice to win majors.

If there’s a through line to the criticism of this generational talent, that would be it.

Aggression, killer instinct, edge – McIlroy hasn’t always loved these terms. Asked last summer about his “ruthlessness” at Valhalla in 2014, he replied: “I find being that way pretty exhausting in life in general, to be that ruthless and that – it's not as if I can't get into that mode, but I don't feel like I need to be that way to be successful on the golf course.”

And yet, by the time he sat down with PGATOUR.COM at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard earlier this season, McIlroy was rethinking that.

“Especially Valhalla, there was like a killer instinct there,” he said, “that I've maybe, you know, if I've been lacking … that I've been trying to tap into over the past couple of years.”

He seemed to be tapping it when asked last week about the pileup at the last at the 2014 PGA.

“Yeah, I'd say I'm a pretty, you know, non-confrontational person,” McIlroy said at the Wells Fargo last week. “I'm not a huge fan of conflict, but when push comes to shove, I will (engage). That was one of those times when I needed to sort of assert my will on a situation.”

Whether he was pushy or assertive, he was golf’s new IT player, and his scoring average in the majors from 2007 through 2014, 71.25, was second only to Woods (71.21).

The story of McIlroy in the majors since then, however, has been cover-your-eyes stuff. He has tried playing less, playing more, stoicism, long hair, short hair, being on the PGA TOUR Policy Board, and not being on it. He has watched himself winning majors and visualized his name atop leaderboards, as at the 2022 Open Championship.

“I'm only human,” he said after finishing third at that ’22 Open at St. Andrews, where he became the only player to hold the 54-hole lead at a major, hit every green in regulation in the final round, and not win. “I'm not a robot. Of course, you think about it, and you envision it, and you want to envision it.”

Rory McIlroy's clutch up-and-down from bunker at The Open

McIlroy has tried minimizing the stakes, reminding that it’s just golf. Conversely, he has allowed himself to vent, as he did after finishing T7 at last year’s PGA. There, in the locker room at Oak Hill, he said he lacked the firepower to pull away from fields and was considering an overhaul, all of it captured in the Netflix docuseries “Full Swing.” When Brooks Koepka won, a frustrated McIlroy no longer had the most majors among his peers.

Meanwhile, he has won everything else but a major. The only three-time FedExCup champion, he’s a 26-time TOUR winner, a five-time Race to Dubai winner (DP World Tour No. 1) and a 17-time winner on the DP World Tour. He has won THE PLAYERS Championship, the Ryder Cup and been world No. 1. (He’s now No. 2, well back of Scottie Scheffler.)

Last month, McIlroy returned to a simpler and more joyful time as he and Shane Lowry played the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where they ate grilled oysters on the course, sampled the NOLA restaurant scene, won the tournament, wore beads, drank beer and sang karaoke.

“I think it freed me up a little bit,” McIlroy said before the Wells Fargo began.

He proved as much in Charlotte, North Carolina, especially with his 65 on Sunday. It was the best round of the day, even with the double at the last, and he won for a record fourth time at Quail Hollow. If he lacks any firepower, you could have fooled the runner-up.

“I mean, he played unbelievable,” Schauffele said of McIlroy. “Looked up at the board and I'm like dang, he's 6 under through six on the back nine.”

Small margins

McIlroy took just 25 putts in the final round at the Wells Fargo, so it would be easy to forget the role putting has played throughout his major drought.

In his toughest losses, McIlroy has struggled on the greens. At the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews, where he visualized his name atop the big, yellow leaderboard across from his hotel room, he took a staggering 36 putts in the final round, shot 70, and went from first to third.

“I hit a good putt on 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,” McIlroy said. “I was hitting good putts.”

(A contrarian might argue that a good putt is one that goes in.)

History repeated itself at last summer’s U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, where McIlroy took 34 putts, shot a final-round 70, and finished second to Wyndham Clark by one. As he walked off the course, McIlroy called it a carbon copy of the ’22 Open.

“When I do finally win this next major, it's going to be really, really sweet,” he said. “I would go through 100 Sundays like this to get my hands on another major championship.”

Statistically, his average putts per round show improvement in three of the four majors over his last 35 starts (since 2015) compared to his first 25 starts. But he has not putted well at the right time . In his major championship career, McIlroy has recorded 34 or more putts in four final rounds – once during his first 25 starts through 2014, and three times since September of 2020.

Rory McIlroy drains 33-footer for eagle to take the lead at Wells Fargo

His short irons and wedges have come under heavier scrutiny, and his ghastliest miss at L.A.C.C. came with a wedge from the middle of the fairway at the 612-yard, par-5 14th hole, where he dumped his third shot into the rough short of the green.

Although he got embedded-ball relief, McIlroy couldn’t get up and down, missing a 9-foot par putt. He said he had misjudged the wind, but it was a terrible mistake, and not entirely atypical of him. McIlroy can look befuddled with his short irons, most notably on approaches from 75-100 yards, where he was 163rd on TOUR last season, 95th in 2022, 141st in ’21.

As for his driving, always the strength of his game, since his first 25 starts in the majors he has averaged one fewer fairway hit per round in the majors from 2015 to today. Does it matter? When trying to shave what amounts to a half a stroke per round, everything matters.

What’s more, McIlroy averaged 70.2 in his opening rounds over his first 25 major championship starts (through 2014) but has dipped to 71.5 over his last 35 starts, more than a stroke off his previous pace. Again, everything matters; it’s hard to win majors from behind.

Barely 35, McIlroy is still young. And dry spells between majors are not unprecedented; Woods broke an 11-year drought at the 2019 Masters. But one of these weeks when everything looks ripe for McIlroy to break the streak – like this week – he’s going to have to break it.

Career-defining moments come infrequently, and he will need to reassert himself when they do. He’ll need to find his killer instinct, play with joy, and inhabit that which he crooned in NOLA – " Don’t Stop Believin’" – if he wants to party like it’s 2014 at Valhalla this Sunday.

“I mean, I've been sort of banging this drum for the last few years, but I'm a way better player now than I was back then,” he said Sunday night. “I haven't had the major record to back that up, but I've had the wins, I've done everything else there is to do in the game since 2014.

“The only thing I need to do,” he added, “is get another major.”

Cameron Morfit is a Staff Writer for the PGA TOUR. He has covered rodeo, arm-wrestling, and snowmobile hill climb in addition to a lot of golf. Follow Cameron Morfit on Twitter .