At Glance
‣ Tiger Woods has been preparing for the PGA Championship at Valhalla, a course where he has previously won and aims to compete despite the challenges posed by his physical condition.
‣ Woods has a strategic plan to play once a month and participate in all four Majors, with a focus on doing more prep work for the courses he’s less familiar with, unlike Augusta National.
‣ Despite recent struggles with injuries and performance, Woods remains ambitious, aiming to win a fifth PGA Championship title and add to his 15 Major victories, symbolically challenging his own achievements as represented in his Sun Day Red apparel brand’s logo.
Tiger Woods 🤝 Valhalla Golf Club
Back like he never left. 🏆🐅#PGAChamp
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship)
Tiger Woods, as many had anticipated, made his way to Kentucky a bit earlier than the rest. He wanted to scope out Valhalla before the PGA Championship kicks off next week. The man’s a four-time winner of this very championship. So, you can bet he’s not just there for the scenery.
Next week, he’s set to play at Valhalla for only the third time this year. Remember his performance at The Masters? Yeah, he finished last among those who made the cut. But that was his first full event of the year. Woods, a 15-time Major champ, mentioned he’s aiming to hit the green at least once a month. And, of course, not miss any of the four Majors. Given he knows Augusta National like the back of his hand, he’s planning to ramp up his prep for the other venues. “Pinehurst, Valhalla, and Troon, here I come,” he might as well have said at The Masters.
Now, there’s a pic of him at Valhalla floating around. This Kentucky course isn’t just any course for him. It’s where he bagged the second of his four PGA Championship titles. Plus, it was a crucial part of his Tiger Slam—winning all four Majors in a row, capped off with the 2001 Masters.
Back in 2000, Woods lifted the Wanamaker Trophy at Valhalla after a nail-biting playoff against Bob May. That victory marked him as a back-to-back PGA champion—a feat he repeated in 2006 and 2007. Brooks Koepka’s eyeing to replicate this sequence at Valhalla this year. He’s the defending champ, looking to score back-to-back wins, just like he did in 2018 and 2019.
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Woods had to sit out the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla due to an injury. But he was back for the 2014 PGA Championship at the same venue, which Rory McIlroy won. There’s this tweet that sums it up pretty well: “Tiger Woods Valhalla Golf Club. Back like he never left. #PGAChamp.”
Last year, Woods had to miss the PGA Championship and withdrew from the 2022 event, won by Justin Thomas, after his third round. The 82-time PGA Tour winner is hoping his body will be up for the challenge this time, especially after feeling the toll of The Masters last month.
As for snagging a fifth PGA Championship title? Woods isn’t counting himself out. He even joked on the Today Show with Carson Daly about wanting to “ruin” his new Sun Day Red apparel brand’s logo. The logo, a tiger with 15 stripes, represents his 15 Major wins. Woods’s goal? To mess up that neat symbolism by winning more. “My job is to ruin it,” he said, chuckling.
