Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are set to make a return to Valhalla for the 106th PGA Championship, a venue where both have previously clinched significant victories.
Woods, a champion of 15 major titles, famously won the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla through a three-hole playoff against Bob May. This victory marked him as the first golfer since Ben Hogan in 1953 to secure three majors in a single year. He continued his success into the following year by winning the 2001 Masters, completing what is known as the Tiger Slam—four consecutive major championships.
Rory McIlroy, currently ranked second in the world, captured his most recent major title at the 2014 PGA Championship on this same course. In a dramatic finish, McIlroy raced against the onset of darkness to win, edging out Phil Mickelson by a single stroke. McIlroy managed to conclude the game just as night fell, despite the close contention from Mickelson and other players who were less than pleased with how the events unfolded. Reflecting on the moment, McIlroy said he had to be assertive to avoid postponing the play until the next day, emphasizing that the end result was all that mattered to him.
Since then, McIlroy has not added any major titles to his record, but he has achieved 20 top-10 finishes at majors, including second place at each of the other three major tournaments. The Northern Irish golfer has increased his PGA Tour wins from nine to 25 and his victories on the DP World Tour from nine to 17.
Meanwhile, Woods, now 48, has won 10 majors since his 2000 victory, with a notable hiatus ending with his win at the 2019 Masters. This win followed a significant period after his 2008 US Open victory, which he achieved on a broken leg. Recently, Woods has faced challenges simply walking the full 72 holes of a tournament due to severe leg injuries sustained in a 2021 car accident. Despite these difficulties, he completed the Masters last month and discussed his ongoing efforts to strengthen his body and extend his practice sessions in preparation for returning to Valhalla.
Reflecting on his 2000 triumph, Woods mentioned a critical moment when he overcame May’s lead with a crucial par save and a birdie near the end, leading to a playoff which he won. Justin Thomas, a close acquaintance of Woods, shared that Woods often downplays the drama of that victory, suggesting it seemed straightforward at the time due to his dominance in the sport. Thomas humorously noted that Woods reminds him of how young Thomas was during those years, adding a light-hearted perspective to their discussions of past glories.
