PGA Power Rankings: Top 5 Golfers for 2024 PGA Championship
PGA Power Rankings: Top 5 Golfers for 2024 PGA Championship
The 2024 PGA Championship is back at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky, to host the second major of the PGA Tour season.
Rory McIlroy is coming off of his first solo win of the year at the Wells Fargo Championship, mounting a comeback on Sunday to beat Xander Schauffele by five strokes. This follows his team win with Shane Lowry at the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Prior to these wins, it had been a pedestrian year for Northern Ireland's superstar, recording one top-ten finish with a T3 at Valero.
The other juggernaut of the PGA Tour, Scottie Scheffler, is back in the field following the birth of his son. Scheffler ranks first in strokes gained off-the-tee and approaching the green, while sitting fifth strokes gained around the green. The putter is the only blemish on the World No. 1 golfer's resumé thus far, but he's managed to win four of the past five events played this season. This includes his second green jacket at The Masters, his second time winning a green jacket during his career.
Brooks Koepka is the defending champion following his winning score of 9-under-par at Oak Hill CC in Rochester, New York in 2023. Koepka competed at Valhalla in 2014 during McIlroy's win, recording a T15 finish. He's seeking his fourth PGA Championship win, which would also be his sixth major title.
PGA handicapper Matt MacKay is back with his top-five power rankings and a course analysis of Valhalla ahead of the 106th PGA Championship that's set to tee off on Thursday morning.
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP DATE, START TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: May 16-19, 2024
- Where: Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky
- Where to Watch: ESPN, ESPN+, CBS
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE: VALHALLA GOLF CLUB
One of the lengthier courses of any major, Valhalla Golf Club runs over 7,600 yards despite playing as a par 71. Designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened nearly four decades ago, there have been several renovations made since the last major was held here in 2014.
Zoysiagrass fairways and tee boxes have been implemented due to the local conditions, a cost-saving measurement that subsequently runs faster upon impact. Bentgrass greens remain intact, measuring between 12 and 12.5 feet via Stimpmeter, which are faster than the default speeds of most greens.
Two different creeks, over 60 bunkers, and numerous contours along fairways and greens are the primary hazards for golfers to conquer. Due to the distance of the course, plus the greens averaging just 5,000 square feet, off-the-tee and approach shots reign supreme.
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP POWER RANKINGS
| GOLFER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +400 |
| Rory McIlroy | +750 |
| Brooks Koepka | +1400 |
| Xander Schauffele | +1400 |
| Jon Rahm | +1600 |
| Ludvig Åberg | +2000 |
| Bryson DeChambeau | +2800 |
| Collin Morikawa | +3000 |
| Max Homa | +3500 |
| Joaquin Niemann | +3500 |
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP POWER RANKINGS
1. Scottie Scheffler (+400) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
No surprise here, I've got Scottie Scheffler atop this week's PGA power rankings. The World No. 1 is back from celebrating the birth of his first child, and now, he'll look to record his third consecutive win at Valhalla.
Scheffler is ranked first strokes gained off-the-tee and approaching the green, while he's only finished outside of the top-five three times in all ten events played. He already won the first major of the year at Augusta National, so as long as his putter cooperates, expect another dominant outing from Scheffler during his debut at Valhalla.
2. Rory McIlroy (+750) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
Rory McIlroy's last major win came at Valhalla in 2014. It's fitting, following back-to-back wins at the Zurich Classic and Wells Fargo Championship, that McIlroy is now positioned to extend his winning streak to three consecutive events, just like Scheffler.
Everyone knows McIlroy is a beast with his driver, so the length of Valhalla suits that piece of his game well. The approach shots are a different story. McIlroy greatly improved his approach shot game at Quail Hollow this past week, where he notched his fourth win at that venue. Perhaps this boost of confidence is coming at the right time to replicate it at Valhalla, another course where McIlroy experienced success nearly a decade ago.
3. Ludvig Åberg (+2000) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
24-year-old Swede, Ludvig Åberg, impressed during his debut at Augusta National. He competed with Scheffler until the last few holes on Sunday, relying on his elite off-the-tee game, approach shots, and putter to contend against the field.
Now, Åberg is set for another debut at Valhalla. In fact, it's his first time playing in any PGA Championship event. Ranked 17th or better in strokes gained off-the-tee and strokes gained approaching the green, Åberg is 20-1 in the outright winner market for a reason. He's built for a lengthy track like Valhalla.
4. Bryson DeChambeau (+2800) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
Bryson Dechambeau may rival McIlroy's strength off-the-tee, recording tee shots well over 320 yards with consistency. At Augusta National, DeChambeau started hot, until he began to unravel during the final couple of rounds.
At 28-1 odds, we're landing good value on DeChambeau, who has a pair of T4 finishes at the 2020 and 2023 PGA Championship events. If he can tune up his putter, which betrayed him at the worst times during The Masters, we could see this power-hitter contend atop the leaderboard on Sunday.
5. Will Zalatoris (+8000) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
After undergoing a procedure on his back in 2023, forcing him to miss the majority of the 2023 PGA Tour season, Will Zalatoris is primed for a big outing at Valhalla.
In only two previous PGA Championship events, Zalatoris recorded a T8 finish in 2021 and The Ocean Course and a runner-up finish at Southern Hills C.C. in Tulsa, Oklahoma during 2022. This season, we've seen Zalatoris come close to an outright win, logging three top-ten finishes, including a T9 at The Masters.
Ranked 21st strokes gained approaching the green and 45th strokes gained tee-to-green, Zalatoris is great with his driver and irons. The putter is a different story, although he tends to step up at majors as we've seen in both of his past outings at the PGA Championship.
80-1 is fantastic value to get on Zalatoris, making him worthy of a 0.25 unit wager at Valhalla this week.
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GOLF ODDS
Matt is an avid writer, editor, and researcher. He enjoys analyzing the game within the game which is fantasy sports and sports betting. Music is another constant in his daily life. Matt loves spending time with his wife and three pets. He likes to read, listen to podcasts, and is constantly motivated to create the most accurate and engaging content in the sports betting industry.