By: Megan Saul

Media Production Editor

The 2024 Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Championships took place from May 16 through May 19 at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. The PGA Championship is an annual tournament organized by the PGA of America. It is one of the four major golf tournaments where only professional golfers are allowed to participate. Winning, let alone participating, in this tournament is a challenge and an accomplishment as only the 70 best-performing golfers qualify. Throughout the four days, the golfers play a total of four rounds of golf, 18 holes each day and 72 holes in total.

Although the tour ended smoothly, it started out rough with many issues and challenges. On Friday before round two of the tournament, there was an accident that resulted in one death. John Mills, the victim of this accident, was working at the tournament when a shuttle bus hit him while he was crossing a road. The PGA of America shared, “This morning we were devastated to learn that a worker with one of our vendors was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus outside Valhalla Golf Club. This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones.” 

As a result of the incident, there was an increased number of police officers at the golf course, which created another conflict with the number one ranked golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler. Police arrested Scheffler for second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic. Despite these serious misdemeanors, Scheffler referred to this event as a misunderstanding. Police soon released him from jail in time for him to tee off. Scheffler said, “I definitely never imagined ever going to jail, and I definitely never imagined going to jail the morning before one of my tee times for sure.”

Throughout the tournament, the leaderboard changed countless times. Notable golfers included Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau, and Viktor Hovland. This year’s winner was Xander Schauffele, a 30-year-old golfer from San Diego, California. Although he has been close to winning a major many times and is often in the lead during the start of tournaments, this was his first time winning a major tournament. To win the tournament, Schauffele made a nerve-racking putt that lipped into the hole, allowing him to score a birdie and win with a final score of 21 under par. He said, “It’s been a while since I’ve won, and I really just kept saying it all week, I just need to stay in my lane. Man, was it hard to stay in my lane today. I tried all day to just keep focus on what I’m trying to do and keep every hole ahead of me. I stayed very patient… I just wanted to be aware of everything. I wanted to know exactly where I stood.’” This win earned Schauffele 3.3 million dollars. As this is only Schauffele’s first win at a major tournament, he is sure to be back on the podium for many more.

(Sources: CBS Sports, CNN, ESPN)