The second major golf championship of the 2024 season gets underway this week in Louisville, Kentucky as the world’s very best meet up at venerable Valhalla Golf Club for the 106th edition of the PGA Championship.
A year ago, a healthy Brooks Koepka claimed his fifth career major title and cemented himself as an all-time big stage player. With three career PGA Championship wins, Koepka joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players in the stroke play era with three or more PGAs.
The 34-year-old Florida bomber will be joined by several other generational players including Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
Who is best equipped to take the much-coveted title?
Our top 20 follows:
20. Jordan Spieth
The Texan is once again entering a major in very questionable form… After starting the season with a top-3 (Kapalua) and T6 (Phoenix), Spieth has claimed just a single top-25 result (T10) in his last nine starts, including four missed-cuts… Now 30, the one-time “Golden Child” has won just twice since that magical summer of 2017 which ended an historic three-year run of excellence… Spieth has twice finished inside the top 3 at the PGA Championship as he seeks to become just the sixth player in history to complete the career grand slam.
Odds: 70-1
Book Rank: T20
Last 6: 29, MC, 39, MC, 10, MC
Last 6 Majors: MC, 23, MC, 29, 4, 8
Best at PGA: 2nd (2015)
19. Dustin Johnson
The two-time major winner started his 2024 LIV Golf season with a T5 (Mayakoba) and win (Las Vegas) but then posted four straight poor results, ranging from T21 to T31 (in a 54-player field). He rebounded with a T7 in Singapore and so the longtime world No. 1 should enter Louisville with some confidence… Despite his four-start struggles, DJ sits inside the top 10 on the LIV Golf circuit’s season-long points standings… Finished runner-up at the PGA in both 2019 and 2020… With a win at Valhalla, the South Carolina native could become just the 13th player in history to claim three legs of the career grand slam.
Odds: 80-1
Book Rank: T28
Last 6: 7, 31, MC, 24, 21, 27
Last 6 Majors: MC, MC, 10, 55, 48, 6
Best at PGA: 2nd (2019)
18. Justin Thomas
Like his buddy Spieth, JT has stalled out on what was looking like a generational career. The 15-time PGA Tour champion has not landed in the winner’s circle since claiming his second PGA in May 2022 (24 months ago) and does not look close to being his old self… The former top-result machine enters the 2024 PGA amid a season with just three top-10s in ten starts… Even more mind boggling: in his last six major starts, spanning 2022-24 – in what should be his peak prime years (28-30), Thomas has failed to produce a single top-50 finish (yes, top-50 result!): T53 (2022 Open), CUT (2023 Masters), T65 (2023 PGA), CUT (2023 USO), CUT (2023 Open), and CUT (2024 Masters).
Odds: 55-1
Book Rank: T16
Last 6: 21, 5, MC, 64, MC, 12
Last 6 Majors: MC, MC, MC, 65, MC, 53
Best at PGA: Win (2017, 2022)
17. Viktor Hovland
After ending the 2023 year as the world’s hottest golfer, Hovland incredibly enters the PGA looking for his first top-10 finish of 2024 – proving how quick things can change in golf… Before missing the cut at the Masters, Hovland had posted five straight top-15s in the majors, including three top-10s… The Norwegian star finished T2 at the 2023 PGA.
Odds: 50-1
Book Rank: T14
Last 6: 24, MC, 62, 36, 19, 58
Last 6 Majors: MC, 13, 19, 2, 7, 4
Best at PGA: T2 (2023)
16. Cameron Young
The 27-year-old bomber from New York enters off a pair of poor finishes (T34, T62) but before that he’d reeled off three top-10s in a five-start span, including a T9 at the Masters and runner-up at the Valspar… Finished T3 at the 2022 PGA but missed the cut in 2023… The world No. 16, and 2022 PGA Tour Rookie-of-the-Year, seems so due for his first win (of any kind).
Odds: 55-1
Book Rank: T16
Last 6: 34, 62, 9, 2, 54, 36
Last 6 Majors: 9, 8, 32, MC, 7, 2
Best at PGA: T3 (2022)
15. Tyrrell Hatton
As a member of Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII GC, the fiery Englishman has played well in his maiden season on the LIV tour, recording three top-10s, including two top-5s in his last three starts… Hatton finished T9 at the 2024 Masters… His best result in the PGA is a T10 (in both 2016 and 2018)… The 32-year-old Ryder Cup star finished T13 and T15 in his last two PGA Championship starts.
Odds: 70-1
Book Rank: T22
Last 6: 5, 14, 9, 4, 21, 15
Last 6 Majors: 9, 20, 27, 15, 34, 11
Best at PGA: T10 (2016, 2018)
14. Wyndham Clark
The reigning U.S. Open champion is enjoying a solid season, albeit a bit up and down. In eleven starts on the season, Clark owns a win and three other top-3s, including two second-place finishes. In his seven other starts, though, the Colorado native has not posted a single top-25… In nine career major starts, Clark’s results are wild: MC, MC, MC, MC, MC, T76, T75, T33 and 1st… The late bloomer missed the cut at last season’s PGA and also missed the cut at the season’s first major – the Masters.
Odds: 40-1
Book Rank: T10
Last 6: 47, 3, MC, 31, 2, 2
Last 6 Majors: MC, 33, 1, MC, 76, MC
Best at PGA: T75 (2021)
13. Tommy Fleetwood
The 33-year-old Englishman enters Valhalla in good form with three top-13 results in his last four starts on tour, including a T3 at the Masters… Still in search of his first victory on American soil, Fleetwood has finished in the top 10 in four of his last six major starts, including three top-5s… Since 2017, he owns an impressive seven top-5 finishes in the majors… His best result at the PGA is a T5 in 2022.
Odds: 45-1
Book Rank: T12
Last 6: 13, 49, 3, 7, 35, MC
Last 6 Majors: 3, 10, 5, 18, 33, 4
Best at PGA: T5 (2022)
12. Max Homa
The 32-year-old L.A. native, and current world No. 9, is enjoying another solid PGA Tour season with three top-10 finishes, highlighted by a T3 at the Masters… That top-3 at Augusta National was Homa’s second straight stellar finish at a major championship, as it chased a T10 at The Open last summer… Incredibly, these are Homa’s only career top-10s in majors… His best finish at the PGA is a T13 (2022).
Odds: 35-1
Book Rank: T8
Last 6: 8, 55, 3, 25, 64, 8
Last 6 Majors: 3, 10, MC, 55, 43, MC
Best at PGA: T13 (2022)
11. Patrick Cantlay
On the season, the 32-year-old UCLA product has not been his usual steady self, posting just two top-10s in 2024… “Patty Ice” has not been particularly stellar in majors either, with just four top-10s in 25 starts… The current world No. 8 finished T9 at last year’s PGA.
Odds: 45-1
Book Rank: T12
Last 6: 29, 3, 22, 68, 36, 4
Last 6 Majors: 22, 33, 14, 9, 14, 8
Best at PGA: T3 (2019)
10. Joaquin Niemann
The 25-year-old Chilean star is the leading man on the LIV Golf circuit with a pair of wins and four additional top-10s… In his five most recent non-LIV starts, Niemann has gone: 5th, 1st (Australian Open), T4, 3rd and 22nd (Masters)… The uber-talented Niemann is still in search of his first top-10 finish in a major.
Odds: 40-1
Book Rank: T10
Last 6: 7, 3, 22, 9, 4, 1
Last 6 Majors: 22, MC, 32, MC, 16, 53
Best at PGA: T23 (2022)
9. Collin Morikawa
The two-time major winner appears to be heading in the right direction, and enters off three straight top-16 finishes, including two top-10s… Before this promising three-start run, the Cal native had posted just a single top-10 all season… On the major stage, the 27-year-old already has a Hall-of-Fame worthy resume, with two wins, four other top-5s and two more top-10s in just 17 career starts… He finished T3 at the 2024 Masters.
Odds: 35-1
Book Rank: T8
Last 6: 16, 9, 3, 75, 45, MC
Last 6 Majors: 3, MC, 14, 26, 10, MC
Best at PGA: Win (2020)
8. Bryson DeChambeau
The 2020 U.S. Open champ appears close to prime form, ala 2018-2020. The now 30-year-old has lost the bulk while maintaining his crazy swing speed… DeChambeau posted an impressive performance at the Masters but then chased it with a pair of shaky results on the LIV tour during its international swing (Australia and Singapore): two straight finishes outside the top 25… The California native owns three top-10s in his last six major starts, including a T6 at last month’s Masters and T4 at last year’s PGA.
Odds: 25-1
Book Rank: 7th
Last 6: 27, 26, 6, 7, 6, 4
Last 6 Majors: 6, 60, 20, 4, MC, 8
Best at PGA: T4 (2020)
7. Ludvig Aberg
The 24-year-old Swede, and former world No.1 amateur, enters in top form with eight straight top-25 finishes including five top-10s… Aberg made his major championship debut at the 2024 Masters, finishing solo second to world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler… Two weeks later, he moved to a career-best No. 6 in the OWGR, after starting 2023 outside 3000th… He appears to be the next great superstar.
Odds: 22-1
Book Rank: 6th
Last 6: 10, 2, 14, 8, 25, 19
Last 6 Majors: 2…
Best at PGA: Debut (2024)
6. Xander Schauffele
Despite not winning on the PGA Tour in almost two years, Schauffele enters the PGA as the world No. 3 – thanks to a bunch of top-10 finishes… In eleven starts on the 2024 season, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist owns seven top-10s highlighted by five top-5s… He enters off a runner-up to Rory McIlroy at the Wells Fargo… Xander, Cantlay, Fleetwood, and Hovland are considered the best players in the world without a major.
Odds: 14-1
Book Rank: T3
Last 6: 2, 18, 8, 5, 2, 25
Last 6 Majors: 8, 17, 10, 18, 10, 15
Best at PGA: T10 (2020)
5. Cameron Smith
The 30-year-old Aussie, and greatest putter on the planet, enters in solid form with a pair of runner-up finishes in his last three LIV starts (Hong Kong and Singapore) while also leading his Ripper GC to back-to-back team wins on the upstart circuit… Smith finished T9 at last year’s PGA and T6 at last month’s Masters. It was his fourth top-10 finish in his last six major starts, highlighted by a win at St Andrews.
Odds: 50-1
Book Rank: T14
Last 6: 2, 14, 6, 2, 41, 15
Last 6 Majors: 6, 33, 4, 9, 34, 1
Best at PGA: T9 (2023)
4. Jon Rahm
The former world No. 1 and two-time major winner enters Kentucky in solid form… The Spaniard has yet to win on the LIV tour but has finished in the top 10 in all seven of his starts this season and ranks No. 2 on the season-long points list… Like DJ, Rahm is looking to become just the 13th player in history to win three of the four legs of the grand slam… His best finish at the PGA was a T4 in 2018.
Odds: 18-1
Book Rank: 5th
Last 6: 10, 3, 45, 4, 8, 5
Last 6 Majors: 45, 2, 10, 50, 1, 34
Best at PGA: T4 (2018)
3. Rory McIlroy
The world No. 2 enters in seemingly tip-top form – off a win in Charlotte at the Wells Fargo and a team win at Zurich Classic alongside Shane Lowry… McIlroy has posted back-to-back top-10s at the PGA (2022-23)… He won his second career PGA at Valhalla in 2014… McIlroy is more than due for his long-awaited fifth career major.
Odds: 7-1
Book Rank: 2nd
Last 6: 1, 33, 22, 3, 19, 21
Last 6 Majors: 22, 6, 2, 7, MC, 3
Best at PGA: Win (2012, 2014)
2. Brooks Koepka
The Florida State product does not need help getting himself hyped for majors, as he has consistently excelled on the biggest stages. In a three-season blitzkrieg (2017-2019), Koepka won four times while finishing runner-up twice more. After battling a multitude of injuries, an injury-free Koepka returned to the big-game stage in 2023, first with a T2 at the Masters, followed by a win at the PGA – his fifth major. Koepka enters off back-to-back top-10s on the LIV tour, highlighted by a win in Singapore – his 4th career title on the breakaway tour.
Odds: 14-1
Book Rank: T3
Last 6: 1, 9, 45, 45, 28, 12
Last 6 Majors: 45, 64, 17, 1, 2, MC
Best at PGA: Win (2018, 2019, 2023)
1. Scottie Scheffler
In terms of who’s playing the best among the best, it’s hands-down Scheffler, who’s won four times (and a runner-up) in his five most recent starts, highlighted by a second victory at the Masters… The Texan has compiled an incredible nine top-10s in his last 12 major starts, including two wins and three additional top-3s… Scheffler owns three top-10s (T2, T4, T8) in four career PGA Championship starts.
Odds: 4-1
Book Rank: 1st
Last 6: 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 10
Last 6 Majors: 1, 23, 3, 2, 10, 21
Best at PGA: T2 (2023)
Five More to Watch
Talor Gooch – The Oklahoma State product claimed three LIV Golf titles in 2023 en route to winning the circuit’s season-long points title. In 2024, he holds down the No. 8 spot on the breakaway tour’s points standings with four top-10s. Despite attacks from the media, and mocking from PGA Tour players, the bookmakers have the world No. 668 Gooch ranked as one of the top-35 betting favorites in a field of 156.
Jason Day – The 36-year-old Aussie enters off a T4 at the Wells Fargo, his fourth top-10 finish in 2024 but first since Febraury. Now ranked inside the top 20 (No. 19), the former world No.1 seems to be in decent form after several years of physical and emotional setbacks. He finished T15 at the 2014 PGA at Valhalla, before winning it in 2015 at Whistling Straits.
Sam Burns – The LSU product started the 2024 season on a heater, reeling off four straight top-10 finishes on the West Coast swing, highlighted by a T3 in Phoenix. But Burns has struggled since the tour moved to the southeast, failing to post a top-10 in six straight starts. He is entering off a T13 last week at the Wells Fargo – his best result since leaving the west coast. The 27-year-old is still seeking his first top-10 in a major.
Hideki Matsuyama – The world No. 15 has enjoyed a solid 2024 but has been hampered by injuries as of late, pulling out of last week’s Wells Fargo with a sore back. On the season, Matsuyama won at Riviera and then posted T12, T6 and T7 before a T38 at the Masters. Even after his win at the Genesis Invitational, Matsuyama noted that he also had some neck issues.
Tony Finau – The Utah native arrives at the season’s second major in suspect form. Finau – a former top-10 machine – owns just two top-10s on the season and has fallen to No. 30 in a watered-down OWGR. Beginning in 2018, over a span of 13 major starts, Finau recorded an incredible nine top-10 finishes. Since then, though, he’s gone eleven straight majors without a single top-10 result.
