Valhalla changes set to place emphasis on accurate driving at US PGA Championship

The changes conducted to the Valhalla golf course in Kentucky since Rory McIlroy lifted the Wanamaker Trophy a decade ago are subtle but significant.

In 2021, the course replaced its former bent grass fairways with a variety of grass called Zeon Zoysia grass which required less watering and fewer chemicals than the original bent, which also plays much faster and firmer.

The club also removed the strips of bluegrass rough between the fairways and bunkers, allowing balls to trundle unimpeded into the bunkers. The changes are expected to place a greater demand on accurate driving.

“Hitting the fairways is way more a premium here than it is at a lot of places,” said Keith Reese, PGA general manager at Valhalla since 2013, in the official programme. “It’ll be interesting to see if the players have to adjust their aiming points off some of the tees this year, just because we are getting more roll than we typically would.”

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Apart from the grass changes, some 130 yards has been added, including an extra 50 yards on the Par 4 first hole; 20 yards to the Par 4 12th, and a new tee – adding 30 yards – to the Par 3 14th. Another 30 yards has been added to the Par 5 18th, the scene of McIlroy’s dramatic US PGA Championship win in 2014.

Gotterup looks here to stay and so does the moustache

The moustache is staying – for now at least – as something of a lucky charm for Chris Gotterup, after the 24-year-old American, a former college standout, became the seventh first-time winner on the PGA Tour this season with an impressive win in the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic.

For good measure, the breakthrough win brought with it the last exemption into the field for this week’s US PGA Championship at Valhalla ... as well as another two years for his playing rights.

“I think the biggest thing is the two more years,” said Gotterup of getting that guaranteed PGA Tour card to the end of 2026. “I’ve got no stress in my life for two years other than golf stress ... now I can just focus on trying to make a move further up the FedEx Cup standings.

“I still feel like a rookie but I feel like I belong at a high level. Not that I didn’t before, but now I have some more accolades to prove it.”

Gotterup, just two years into pro life after starting out on the Korn Ferry Tour, will be playing in his second career Major at Valhalla. He qualified for the US Open in 2022 in Brookline, where he finished tied-43rd.

As for the impressive moustache?

“I don’t think I can shave it now,” he said.

Word of Mouth

“Brooks is a man who’s comfortable in uncomfortable moments ... he’ll win a lot more, he’ll want to win all four Majors a couple of times.” – coach Pete Cowen on defending champion Brooks Koepka’s mentality heading into the US PGA Championship at Valhalla.

By the Numbers: 20/156

There are 20 club professionals in the field of 156 at this week’s US PGA Championship. The best performance by a club professional was a third-placed finish by former tour player Tommy Bolt in 1971. In last year’s championship at Oak Hill, Michael Block – a club pro in California – finished tied-15th, the first club professional in over 30 years to finish inside the top-30.

On this day: May 14th, 2000

Jesper Parnevik was known for his fashion sense, particularly his headwear which included flipped-back baseball caps, visors, straw hats and panamas at various points of his flamboyant career. But the Swede could get the job done too.

His victory in the Byron Nelson in Dallas came the hard way, where he was forced to beat Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III in a playoff, while Tiger Woods’s final round charge came up short, one shot shy of also getting into the sudden-death shoot-out.

Parnevik’s fourth career win on the PGA Tour was achieved with rounds of 70-65-68-66 for a total of 11-under-par 269, although he very nearly had cause to regret a missed putt from inside 12 inches on the 12th hole of that final round.

“After that putt missed on 12, I didn’t see getting in a playoff. I was shocked after that. I was happy to get into a playoff, that was a huge bonus,” admitted Parnevik of added holes where Mickelson was first to depart and then he got the better of Davis to claim a pay-day of $720,000.

X-Twitter Twaddle

“I love coming to Quail Hollow. I love the people, the golf course and of course the winning. Thank you to the staff and fans for all the support this week and over the years.” – Rory McIlroy after securing his fourth career win in the Wells Fargo at Quail Hollow in North Carolina. No wonder! McIlroy’s four wins alone have earned him $7.5 million for those successes in 2010, 2015, 2021 and 2024.

“74 on Sunday is never a good day. Finished tied-8th. Just never got going.” – a frustrated Pádraig Harrington after a disappointing final round in the Regions Tradition, won by Doug Barron. Harrington is in the field for this week’s US PGA at Valhalla as a past champion.

“Forever a Miami Hurricane.” – a post from the University of Miami to toast Sara Byrne, the Cork golfer and reigning Irish Close champion who has finished her studies stateside and who is set to join the professional ranks in the summer after finishing her amateur days in the Palmer Cup and – hopefully – the Curtis Cup.

In the Bag: Rose Zhang (Cognizant Founders Cup)

Driver: Callaway Paradym AI Smoke Triple Diamond (9.5 degrees)

3-wood: Callaway Paradym AI smoke Max (14.5 degrees)

5-wood: Callaway Paradym AI Smoke Max (18 degrees)

Hybrid: Callaway Paradym AI Smoke (21 degrees)

Irons: Callaway X-Forged Star Japan (5-pW)

Wedges: Callaway X-Forged Star Japan A (49, 54 and 58 degrees)

Putter: Odyssey AI-One Double Wide

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X

Know the Rules

Q: A spider’s web is closely attached to a tree and interfering with your swing. You remove the web and play your shot on to the green. What is the ruling?

A: There is no penalty. A spider’s web is deemed a loose impediment even though they are attached to another object and may be removed. This is covered in the Rules of Golf – definition of loose impediments and Rule 15.