Many highs, but some unsettling lows as we look at 8 huge stories from the 2024 PGA Tour season
An arrest. A missed short putt on the 72nd hole of a major. An amateur victory.
They were all among the storylines for the 2024 PGA Tour season, a season that ended at the RSM Classic, the last of 43 official events for the year.
Each season has its own character, and 2024 seemed to be a year of redemption and heartbreak at the same time. Here’s a look at eight of the big stories from this past year on the PGA Tour:
Scottie Scheffler’s season
Scheffler solidified his spot as the No. 1 player in the world with seven victories including the Masters, the Players Championship and the Tour Championship while adding the Olympic gold medal in Paris for good measure. It was a massive and historic year for Scheffler. Especially when you consider …
Scottie Scheffler smiles while waiting to tee off on the fourth hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Matt Stone-USA TODAY Sports
Scottie Scheffler’s arrest
In many ways, this is the No. 1 story of the year. Before the second round of the PGA Championship against the backdrop of a fatal pedestrian vs. car accident on the access road to Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky, Scheffler made a left-hand turn that ended up with him being arrested, taken to a police station and booked before being released, returning to the course and shooting 66. The story played out for a few weeks before charges were dropped.
Nick Dunlap’s win
No amateur had won on the PGA Tour in 33 years, but Dunlap, a sponsor’s exemption to The American Express, played brilliant golf including shooting a 60 in the third round to win what turned out to be his last event as an amateur. Toss in a win later in the year at the Barracuda Championship, and Dunlap is the first golfer to win on tour as an amateur and as a pro in the same year.
Bryson DeChambeau of the United States reacts on the 18th hole after finishing the third round of the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort on June 15, 2024, in Pinehurst, North Carolina. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
The U.S. Open
Just when it looked like Rory McIlroy would end his 10-year major drought, a roller-coaster back nine saw him secure the win, then give it away with three bogeys in his last four holes, including two missed short putts on 16 and 18. Bryson DeChambeau tried to give the tournament away on the 18th as well, but managed a great up and down from a greenside bunker for a one-shot win and heartbreak for McIlroy fans.
No deal, still
The year started with Jon Rahm jumping from the PGA Tour to the LIV Tour and lots of talk about how a deal could be struck between the two rival leagues by the Masters. Instead, there remains a divide in the game, the PGA Tour has answered hardly any questions about negotiations while LIV is seeing the Public Investment Fund that backs the golf league pledging to cut its spending in coming years. Meanwhile, the LIV Tour can’t get any traction in television ratings. And the fans are still a secondary thought.
Grayson Murray walks the fairway from the 1st tee during the third round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. (Photo: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports)
Grayson Murray
From celebration to tragedy. Murray’s win at the Sony Open in January was a victory for overcoming substance abuse and mental health issues. But by May, Murray walked off the course at the Charles Schwab Challenge before the round was over and flew home to Florida. The next day it was confirmed that Murray had committed suicide.
Xander’s majors
For a few years, the question was when Xander Schauffele would break through and win a major after so many near misses. Then came the PGA Championship in Kentucky, where Schueffele held off a charging Bryson DeChambeau to get that first win. Just two months later, Schauffele crashed through the major barrier again, this time winning the British Open. It could be he’s in for more majors in the coming years.
Tiger’s rugged year
The greatest player of his generation continued to be an afterthought on the tour for another year. Woods only started in five events. His best finish was 60th in the Masters, and he missed the cut in the last three majors of the year and withdrew from the Genesis Invitational that he hosts. It all fueled more talk that Woods should maybe just hang up his clubs.
