Valhalla will once again play host to the PGA Championship when 156 of the world’s best players descend upon the Louisville course for the second men’s Major of 2024.
Brooks Koepka returns as the tournament’s defending champion after his commanding two-shot victory at Oak Hill last year, while Scottie Scheffler will look to keep his imperious start to the year going having won four of his last five starts, including his second career Major at the Masters last month.
Valhalla has hosted the tournament on three prior occasions – 1996, 2000 and 2014. In 2014, it was Rory McIlroy who claimed the Wanamaker Trophy with a one-shot victory over Phil Mickelson. The Northern Irishman now returns to the course looking to end his ten-year drought having not won a Major since.
In 2000, meanwhile, it was Woods who emerged victorious, winning a playoff against Bob May to not only defend the title but claim his third Major championship of that calendar year.
However, while Woods’ heroics may have stolen the headlines, the 2000 PGA Championship saw another bit of history in the third round when Jose Maria Olazabal shot a nine-under-par 63 to break the course record at Valhalla.
Jose Maria Olazabal set the course record at Valhalla at the 2000 PGA Championship
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Having shot consecutive rounds of level par on Thursday and Friday, Olazabal stormed into contention after a sparkling third round which featured six consecutive threes.
The Spaniard even had the chance to shoot what would have been, at the time, the first 62 in Major championship history as he headed up the par-5 18th, but an errant approach shot meant he had to settle for a par.
Olazabal eventually finished T4 and six shots off eventual winner Woods after a final-round 69.
Lowest scores in PGA Championship history
Olazabal’s 63 is not only the course record at Valhalla but also the joint-lowest round in PGA Championship history.
Over the years, the tournament has seen 16 other rounds of 63 – here’s a look at the full list…
- Bruce Crampton (1975 PGA Championship, Firestone)
- Raymond Floyd (1982 PGA Championship, Southern Hills)
- Gary Player (1984 PGA Championship, Shoal Creek)
- Vijay Singh (1993 PGA Championship, Inverness)
- Michael Bradley (1995 PGA Championship, Riviera)
- Brad Faxon (1995 PGA Championship,…
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