PGA Championship 2024, Preview: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler Aims Another Major At Valhalla

Only 31 days separate that moment from when Scottie Scheffler slipped on the Masters green jacket to when the world's No. 1 player embarks on the second leg of the Grand Slam at the PGA Championship. (More Sports News)

And, yet it seems so much has transpired in such a short time.

Fresh off his second Masters victory, Scheffler beat another strong field in the RBC Heritage for his fourth win in five tournaments. That made the gap between him and everyone else in the world ranking the widest since the peak years of Tiger Woods. And then, he disappeared to Dallas to await the birth of his first child.

A sleepy time in golf came to life, however.

First, it was Rory McIlroy, coming off another Masters disappointment, injecting much-needed fun back into his golf by partnering with Irish pal Shane Lowry to win in New Orleans. It was a team event, sure. It felt important to McIlroy. That much was evident when he got on stage and belted 바카라�Don't Stop Believing바카라� by Journey.

바카라�I couldn't believe he was doing it, to be honest,바카라� Lowry said.

And then, halfway around the world, Brooks Koepka finally got fed up with his ordinary play. He called his performance at the Masters 바카라� he never broke par over four rounds 바카라� a wake-up call. And he woke up with 17 birdies in 54 holes to win in Singapore.

The significance was not so much becoming the first player to win four LIV Golf titles. It was the timing 바카라� his final start before defending his title in the PGA Championship.

바카라�I think the embarrassment of Augusta really kicked things into overdrive for me and really having to put my nose down and grind it a little bit harder,바카라� Koepka said. 바카라�I'm not looking to do that again.바카라�

Scheffler remains the overwhelming favourite 바카라� +350 according to BetMGM Sportsbook, with McIlroy next at +1200 바카라� when the 106th PGA Championship returns to Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 16-19 for the fourth time.

The last two PGA champions at Valhalla were No. 1 in the world 바카라� McIlroy in 2014, and Tiger Woods in 2000. The difference is the calendar. This will be the first PGA Championship at Valhalla in May. The club, now privately owned, changed the fairway turf from bent to zoysia, which can be cut shorter and runs faster.

Scheffler had high expectations at Augusta National, coming off two wins and a runner-up finish, and he delivered a four-shot victory.

The only question for the PGA Championship is going three weeks without competition 바카라� rare for Scheffler in the middle of a season 바카라� and arriving amid a life-changing moment.

And, to think it was only two months ago when his position as golf's No. 1 player was in question during a stretch of poor putting, to the point that Scheffler was expending a lot of energy off the course blocking out the noise.

He finds this more manageable.

바카라�I think I'd rather have the target on my back than be in any other position,바카라� Scheffler said as he was leaving Harbour Town.

바카라�It is challenging walking into the press room every week because I was No. 1 in the world for a long time last year. But, I was never answering questions like, Hey, you've been playing great.' It was more like, Hey, you've been playing great BUT you've been doing this one thing really, really bad.바카라�

He laughed before adding, 바카라�I think it might be tougher to handle that kind of stuff.바카라�

The target is substantial. Jim Nantz, who has called every PGA Championship for CBS since 1991, recalled being at a recent roundtable with golf greats like Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, Lee Trevino and Gary Player. It wasn't long before the conversation turned to Scheffler.

바카라�After I heard what they think of his game, I don't think there's any kind of limitations we can put on Scottie Scheffler,바카라� Nantz said.

바카라�I'm not trying to put words in their mouths, but I got a sense they were talking about a player that's going to be a dominant player for a long time.바카라�

High praise also is coming from Woods, with whom Scheffler has been compared.

The 27-year-old Texan doesn't pile up the wins, the majors and the moments that Woods did for the better part of a decade. It's all about the strike from tee to green that keeps him in just about every tournament.

Scheffler has played 22 tournaments in the last 12 months. He finished in the top five in half of them, with five victories.

바카라�You just stand back and you watch the ball flight, there's something different about his. It's just so consistent,바카라� Woods said on the 바카라�Today바카라� show.

"If he putts decent, he's going to win. If he putts great, he blows away fields. If he has a bad putting week, he contends. He's just that good of a ball striker.바카라�

The last two weeks have at least raised possibilities of reliable challengers. McIlroy has gone 10 years since his last major 바카라� the PGA Championship at Valhalla 바카라� and the freedom he showed in New Orleans offers hope that he can make a good run at ending the drought.

Koepka seems to be a threat at every major, and his win in Singapore would indicate that his iron play is close to where he wants it. He will try to match Woods with four PGA titles, and Phil Mickelson with a sixth major.

Easily overlooked is Jordan Spieth, who gets his eighth crack at trying to become the sixth player with the career Grand Slam. It hasn't been a focal point because Spieth has missed the cut in four of his last five tournaments that had a 36-hole cut.

It probably only will be a topic at Valhalla if Spieth's golf makes it one.

The pressure falls on Justin Thomas, who grew up in Louisville. It's rare for players to have a hometown major, especially when the city doesn't get a steady diet of championship golf.

McIlroy experienced some of that at Royal Portrush for the 2019 British Open in his native Northern Ireland. He had an 8 on the first hole, a 79 in the first round and missed the cut.

Nicklaus had that at the 1964 PGA Championship in Columbus, Ohio. He was runner-up but had to close with a 64 to finish three behind.

바카라�The hardest thing I'll have is putting pressure on myself and wanting to perform well,바카라� Thomas said. 바카라�But then again, I do a good job of that without a hometown event. Maybe two negatives will equal a positive.바카라�