Tiger Woods joins JT with scouting mission ahead of PGA Championship at Valhalla

Tiger Woods is in Kentucky scouting Valhalla Golf Club, the site of this year’s PGA Championship.

Woods will attempt to play all 72 holes in the PGA Championship for the first time since 2020, when he tied for 37th at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. He did not compete in 2021 and 2023 and withdrew in 2022 at Southern Hills after the third round.

The @TWLegion X account, which tracks Woods, first reported the news of his trip to Valhalla, which came on the heels of Justin Thomas visiting the course.

On Sunday, Thomas posted to his Instagram account a picture of the scenic 18th hole at Valhalla, a dogleg par-5 that has produced plenty of drama over the years.

In 2014, the last time Valhalla hosted the PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy won by a stroke over Phil Mickelson. But the round ended in almost complete darkness. McIlroy and Bernd Wiesberger—the final pairing that day—raced to finish the round, teeing off with Mickelson and Rickie Fowler—the penultimate pairing—still in the fairway. It created a surreal scene that is also McIlroy’s last major triumph.

Fourteen years prior, Bob May gave Woods a run for his money at the height of his powers. Fresh off victories at the U.S. Open and Open Championship, Woods had his third straight major title in his sights. Both players carded 5-under 31s on the back nine, which included a pair of birdies on the par-5 18th. Woods then prevailed in a three-hole playoff, with his birdie on the 16th hole being one of the most defining moments of his career.

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The 1996 PGA Championship at Valhalla also ended in a playoff. Mark Brooks birdied the 18th hole to force extra holes with Kentucky native Kenny Perry. At the time, the PGA of America employed a sudden-death playoff, so play began on the par-5 18th hole. Brooks made a birdie there, while Perry missed the fairway and did not reach the green in four—handing the Wanamaker Trophy to Brooks.

Of course, Valhalla also hosted the 2008 Ryder Cup, in which the Americans won the biennial competition for the first time since 1999. Woods did not compete then, recovering from knee surgery after his electric U.S. Open win at Torrey Pines three months prior.

Nevertheless, Woods has had success at this course before and perhaps he can produce one more special moment on this Jack Nicklaus layout. At any rate, Valhalla will undoubtedly produce more drama in 2024.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.