April showers bring May ... showers? They will this week at the 2024 PGA Championship as soggy conditions are expected to engulf Valhalla Golf Club for the year's second major championship. Already playing north of 7,600 yards, Valhalla will only play longer as thunderstorms and scattered showers roll through the area throughout the week.
Rain has already messed with the typical cadence of pre-tournament preparation as Tuesday thunderstorms forced competitors to cram for the examination that is Valhalla early in the morning. Scattered showers and thunderstorms have continued with the tournament set to begin Thursday, and it appears as if they will factor into play through the 72 holes in Louisville.
"I'm glad I came and played last week, Sunday, Monday," said Justin Thomas. "Just not only for my own preparation standpoint but just with how the weather potentially looks."
Round 1 should receive a reprieve from the precipitation and allow all 156 players to (hopefully) finish their first 18 holes. They will need to if the PGA Championship is going to stay on track as another low-pressure system is expected to bring showers and thunderstorms into the region Friday afternoon and into Saturday morning. These showers should begin to wane Saturday afternoon and lead into a dry Sunday where a champion will be crowned.
2024 PGA Championship weather forecast
| Day | Temp (Hi/Lo) | AM Winds (Gusts) | AM Rain | PM Winds (Gusts) | PM Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thursday | 80 / 62 | 5 mph (6 mph) | 8% | 7 mph (9 mph) | 16% |
Friday | 76 / 63 | 8 mph (14 mph) | 65% | 9 mph (20 mph) | 65% |
Saturday | 81 / 64 | 8 mph (12 mph) | 60% | 9 mph (14 mph) | 60% |
Sunday | 84 / 63 | 8 mph (12 mph) | 22% | 8 mph (12 mph) | 15% |
Inclement weather is nothing new for the PGA Championship as heavy showers poured upon Oak Hill in the third round just last year. Players remained on the golf course, and it proved to be a crucial Moving Day as 36-hole leader Scottie Scheffler shot 73 while Brooks Koepka (the ultimate winner) shot the round of the day with a 66. Koepka ultimately clipped Scheffler by two at the end of the tournament.
Playing in wet and soggy conditions is a bit of an acquired taste; it does play into the hands of those who are plenty long off the tee. This year's leaderboard has the potential to draw comparisons to last year when heavy drivers of the golf ball like Koepka, Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy and Kurt Kitayama all finished inside the top 10.
"It's all very right in front of you," Thomas said. "You just hit a driver really far and really straight and hit your irons well. That seems to be the theme here."
