The best Players To Watch at the PGA Championship 2024
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The professional golfing landscape is as unsettled as it has been with LIV Golf making waves. However, the PGA Tour remains king. LIV’s fan base is roughly 20% that of the PGA Tour, and 2024 looks like an exciting year in the making. Let’s take a look at five golfers to keep an eye on as the new season approaches.
Justin Thomas
Is this a bit too on the nose? Of course, we should be watching Justin Thomas. The American out of Louisville, Kentucky, is among the winningest golfers since his breakout 2017 season. He has two major titles to his name, and in May 2018, he topped the Official World Golf Ranking. Thomas has been an online sports betting favorite since he emerged as one of the top golfers in the world.
The last few years haven’t been smooth sailing for the former Alabama Crimson Tide golfer. He missed the FedEx Cup Playoffs this year in heartbreaking fashion at the Wyndham Championship.
After a brilliant eagle putt on the par-5 15th hole, his name bumped up to the 70th and final playoff spot. However, with a bogey on 16 and a par on 17, Johnson needed a birdie on 18 to reach the playoffs. He chipped from the short fairway on his third shot for birdie, ricocheting off the pin, mere inches away from the birdie he needed. It is rare to see a golfer of Thomas’ caliber miss the playoffs, and he will surely be back next season.
Scottie Scheffler
We can’t include a golfer of Thomas’ caliber looking for a rebound year without including one of the tour favorites. Scottie Scheffler is the world’s top-ranked golfer and topped the money list last season. While John Rahm got more wins, Scheffler saw more consistent results in 2022-23.
The former Texas Longhorn turned pro in 2018 and has nine professional wins. He won his first major championship at the Masters Tournament in 2022. He also won last year’s The Player Championship by five strokes. The former Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year and PGA Tour Rookie of the Year has topped the money list in back-to-back seasons and looks to continue his run.
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Viktor Hovland
As far as players looking to win their first major championship in 2024, Viktor Hovland jumps off the page. Hovland’s ten wins tops Scheffler’s nine despite him turning pro a year later and being the fourth-ranked player in the world. Despite that, Hovland’s odds to win the 2024 PGA Championship rest at +2500, good for seventh-best odds.
The Norwegian has long been among the most talented young golfers on the Tour. He won the 2018 U.S. Amateur, the first Norwegian player to win the tournament, and finished 12th place at the 2019 U.S. Open as an amateur with a 280. That is the lowest 72-hole score by an amateur in the U.S. Open, beating Jack Nicklaus’ record. His win at the Puerto Rico Open in 2020 was the first PGA Tour win for a Norwegian player. The following year, he became the first Norwegian to win on the European Tour.
Hovland is without question the most likely player to win their first career major tournament in 2024 and is poised for a breakout season. Keep an eye out for him, especially after tying for 2nd in last year’s PGA Championship.
Rory Mcllroy
Yes, you’re reading this right. Breakout candidates are not just reserved for young players. None of the players on this list are more accomplished than Rory. He has 24 PGA wins, 16 European Tour wins, and four major championships. Between 2011 and 2014, it appeared that Mcllroy would become the face of golf as Tiger Woods began to decline. However, as has often been true with guys like Jordan Speith and others, the Tour had other ideas. Mcllroy’s 2014 PGA Championship win capped off a season that saw him win multiple majors for the first time and looked to be the start of his run. As it turned out, at least as of now, it was the end. Since that 2014 PGA Championship win, McIlroy has failed to win another major.
Mcllroy is far from done, though. The 34-year-old from Northern Ireland nearly captured his 5th major championship in last year’s U.S. Open, finishing a solo second and just a stroke behind Wyndham Clark. He is currently ranked number two and poised for a breakout in 2024.
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Gordon Sargent
We’ve spent a lot of time on golfers on the tour, but what about a golfer who isn’t? At least, not yet. Gordon Sargent is arguably the top amateur player in the world and his PGA Tour membership via PGA Tour University Accelerated at the Men’s World Amateur Team Championship in Abu Dhabi. The PGA Championship is among the events where Sargent could make his first appearance.
The 20-year-old junior at Vanderbilt is second in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and won an NCAA Division I Championship as a freshman — just the ninth time that has happened in history. If he chooses, he could take a full slate of PGA Tour events in 2024, so keep an eye out for the Birmingham native.
How Strong Is the PGA Tour?
The Tour has been under fire of late, thanks to the emergence of LIV Golf. However, the numbers suggest it is as strong as ever, thanks to the standout golfers mentioned in this post. The 2024 season looks to be an exciting one without a clear favorite. Don’t miss any of the action.