Ten years on from the last time it staged the PGA Championship, Valhalla will host the Major again with many seeking parallels between that 2014 season and this one but it is worth noting that much has changed at the layout.
The sport itself has undergone a recent radical revolution whether fans like it or not and while there are certainly similarities both at the venue and on the PGA Tour this might be a very different experience.
Punters have rushed to back Rory McIlroy to repeat his Major-winning exploits at the site of his last triumph at the top level.
McIlroy comes into the PGA Championship with a Wells Fargo win and those who look for patterns will note that he did the same in 2014.
Pre-rollback, Valhalla will play longer than in 2014
The 2024 PGA Championship will play at par 71, exactly like it did in 2014, with a total length of 7,609 yards, which is 151 yards more than the 2014 yardage.
Hole No 2 will now be a par 4, instead of a par 5.
The extra Championship tees in key locations enhance length.
The first hole will become a 484-yard par-4 by adding 38 yards.
Stretched to 494 yards the 12th hole remains a par 4.
A 36-yard gain will get you to a 254-yard par-3 on hole 14, and another 28 yards will take you out to 570 yards on hole 18.
The Championship tees were moved to a new location approximately nine feet below the 13th hole, which retains its 2014 yardage.
Turf changes could also impact how Valhalla plays
Zeon Zoysia replaced bent grass for the fairway turf and tee tops during a comprehensive makeover in 2021. Over three months, thirty acres of Zeon Zoysia were planted.
Zeon Zoysia is a warm-season grass that resembles bent grass and can withstand significantly lower cutting heights than standard Zoysia grass because of its smaller blade. The PGA of America claims that there were several causes for the change in grass, most notably the fact that bent grass is hard to maintain in the “transition zone,” which is the region between temperate weather, which is ideal for cool-season grasses, and hot, humid weather, which is ideal for warmer-season grasses.
The new fairways also allow for more firm and fast playing conditions throughout the season, although that firmness may be mitigated this week by significant chances for rain over the next few days.
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