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Scottie Scheffler. Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Meet the only eight players who have a shot to win PGA Championship

By Jack Dougherty | Last updated 5/14/24

The PGA Championship returns Thursday through Sunday to Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville for the second major championship of the season.

Valhalla is lengthy at 7,609 yards, but the heavy rain forecast this week will only make the course play longer.

Because of this, the winner of the 2024 PGA Championship will most likely be a bomber who thrives with long irons. These conditions will take dozens of contenders out of the mix.

Here are the eight players who can win this week's PGA Championship:

1. Scottie Scheffler

Duh. Scheffler is the most likely winner of the PGA Championship, and there may not be a close second. The world's top-ranked golfer has won four of his past five starts, including a four-stroke victory at the Masters. Scheffler is by far the best tee-to-green player in the world, and Valhalla is a ball striker's paradise.

2. Rory McIlroy

McIlroy hasn't won a major championship since 2014, but this might be his best chance to end the drought finally. The Northern Irishman is coming off back-to-back wins at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the Wells Fargo Championship, and he won the PGA Championship the last time Valhalla hosted the tournament in 2014. An elite driver, McIlroy fits this course perfectly.

3. Brooks Koepka

Defending Champion @BKoepka has arrived at Valhalla #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/X60kHL6DTn
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 13, 2024

Koepka was embarrassed by his T45 finish at the Masters, so he immediately got to work and turned his game around ahead of the season's second major. The 34-year-old won LIV Golf Singapore by two shots in his most recent start. The reigning champion and five-time major winner isn't afraid to go toe-to-toe with Scheffler.

4. Jon Rahm

Rahm is another player whose game should fit Valhalla well. He's a long, accurate driver and a fantastic long-iron player, which are the most important skills needed to tackle this 7,609-yard beast. Rahm hasn't finished worse than T10 on LIV this season, but he's flying a bit under the radar this week.

5. Bryson DeChambeau

This is a perfect week for DeChambeau's bomb-and-gouge strategy. It's how he won the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot by six strokes, and it will be how he might win the 2024 PGA Championship. DeChambeau's T6 at the Masters was a great sign considering Augusta National isn't a great course for him, but Valhalla is right up his alley.

6. Ludvig Aberg

Aberg is the real deal. The rising star ranks third on the PGA Tour this season in total driving, and he finished second at the Masters in his first major championship start. The Swede has two wins and 11 top-10 finishes in his 17 worldwide starts. The only worry for Aberg is a knee injury that forced him to withdraw from the Wells Fargo Championship, but that was likely precautionary and not serious.

7. Joaquin Niemann

This is going to be the biggest surprise of the group, but Niemann can absolutely win the PGA Championship this week. The Chilean has two wins and seven top-10 finishes in eight LIV starts this season, and he hit the ball great at Augusta en route to a T22 finish. Niemann ranks eighth in the Data Golf Rankings. It's time for him to prove it on the big stage.

8. Wyndham Clark

Clark has become a big-game hunter rather quickly. The 30-year-old has won two signature events (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Wells Fargo Championship) and a major championship (U.S. Open) over the past year. Valhalla will play similarly to Los Angeles Country Club, where Clark won his U.S. Open title. He can ride his elite driving distance and put to another major victory.

Just missed this cut: Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Max Homa, Cameron Smith and Justin Thomas.

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