2024 PGA Championship Preview (Georgia Bulldog edition)

The Valhalla Golf Club is once again hosting the PGA Championship. Seven former Bulldogs will be in action. The Louisville, Kentucky course has hosted the PGA Championship three previous times. Former Bulldogs have had some success at this course, but none of them have ever won. In fact, a Bulldog has never won the PGA Championship period, but some have come close.

As you can see, two of the five best PGA Championships by Dawgs have been at Valhalla. One of them was by Franklin Langham. Langham's son George is on this season's Georgia golf team.

This week, seven former Bulldogs golfers are in the field (I never count Patrick Reed). The seven are the most from any school in the nation. Oklahoma State is next with six.

Here is a deeper look at all seven...

HARRIS ENGLISH - Official World Golf Ranking (47th)

Harris English has made 11 of 12 cuts this season which is a much better percentage than his 28-out-of-42 cuts he made in the previous two golf seasons combined. This season, he has a pair of top 10s as well as seven top 25s. Last month, he finished tied for 22nd at the Masters after he shot a one-under 71 in the final round. He has only missed the cut twice at the PGA Championship, but one was last year. The other time that he missed the cut was in 2014 when the tournament was played at Valhalla. He shot 74, 72 in the two rounds birdied both times at holes seven and 16.

BRIAN HARMAN - Official World Golf Ranking (10th)

Brian Harman is one of two Georgia golfers to have ever won a major. He has made ten of 12 cuts this season with a runner-up at the Players Championship last March. In five of 12 tournaments this season, the lefty has shot at least three of the four rounds under par. He missed the cut at the Masters last month. He shot an 81 in the first round, but rebounded nicely by shooting even par in the second. He played in nine previous PGA Championships including finishing tied for 40th in 2014 played at Valhalla. He shot 71, 69, 69, 74 for a final score of two under par. He had 12 birdies in the four rounds and just eight bogeys and a double. The double happened in final round on hole ten (he birdied that hole in two of the first three rounds).

RUSSELL HENLEY - Official World Golf Ranking (17th)

Russell Henley has made 10 of 11 cuts this season and has four top tens includinig three fourth place finishes. Five is the most top tens he has ever had in a season and he did that three times (2017, 2021, 2023). In 11 tournaments this season, he has shot under par in the first round seven times and even par two more times. He finished tied for 38th at the Masters last month and saved his best round for the last (71). He has made the cut at the PGA Championship an impressive seven of ten times, but one of the missed cuts was in 2014 in Valhalla. He started well in that tourmanet shooting a 69 in the first round, but struggled in the second round at shot 75. The two over par score made him miss the cut by one stroke.

CHRIS KIRK - Official World Golf Ranking (25th)

Chris Kirk has also made 10 of 11 cuts this season. Kirk's highlight was winning The Sentry back in January. It was his sixth career PGA Tour victory. Back in April, he finished tied for 16th at the Masters. It was his best Masters finish. His best-ever major finish happened in 2022 at the PGA Championship. He did not fare as well in the PGA Championship back in 2014 when the tournament was played at Valhalla. He went 74, 72 in the two rounds. The one over in the second round was an adventure. He had six birdies, six pars, five bogeys and a double that day.

KEITH MITCHELL - Official World Golf Ranking (79th)

Keith Mitchell has made 11 cuts this season and missed just two. He has two top 10s and seven top 25s this season. In 69 events over the last three seasons, Mitchell has 26 top 25s (38%). He has played in 11 majors in his career and four of them have been in the PGA Championship. That is the most in any major. The three made cuts in the PGA Championship is also the most of any of his majors.

SEPP STRAKA - Official World Golf Ranking (21st)

Sepp Straka has made eight of the 12 cuts this season on the PGA Tour. He has been red hot as of late. In his last four tournaments starting with the Masters, he has finished T-16th, T-5th, T-11th, T-8th). In his last four majors, he has three finishes in the top 16 including a tied for seventh at last year's PGA Championship. The tied for seventh was a lot better than his finishes of 66th and 78th in his other PGA Championships.

BRENDON TODD - Official World Golf Ranking (67th)

Brendon Todd has made ten of 12 cuts this season. He has two top 10s and three top 25s among those ten. His best finishes were tied for sixth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and tied for fifth at the Valero Texas Open. The one thing he needs to improve this season is that he has finished 76 in the final round in three of his last four tournaments. He has made the cut just twice at the PGA Championship, but one was in 2020 when he finished tied for 17th. He actually shared the lead with Jason Day after the first round of competition after shooting a five-under, 65.

The weather in Louisville appears to be a mixture of sun and rain during the four main days. Here is when all seven Bulldogs will tee off in the first round and who they are playing with (two of them are in one group and one is playing with the Masters champ).