The PGA Championship at Valhalla has been and gone as Xander Schauffele continued his fine form to land his first major title in Louisville.
The diminutive American ended questions over his final round temperament to produce an excellent performance to stave off a resurgent Bryson DeChambeau.
Of course, those at the top of the leaderboard caught the headlines, but several players couldn’t take advantage of Valhalla’s favourable conditions.
Here, The Golfing Gazette looks at three players who were well below par in 2024’s second major championship.
Wyndham Clark
2023 U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark should have been well-suited to Valhalla’s set-up. As one of the bigger hitters on tour, the 30-year-old should have been able to post a low score by exploiting the soft conditions.
However, a four-over 75 on day two left the American facing a second consecutive missed cut in the majors.
His failure in Louisville must see questions raised over his ability to deliver at the highest level. T2 at The Players was impressive, but making cuts and contending at the majors are what the best are judged on.
An improved performance as he defends his title at Pinehurst No.2 is non-negotiable.
Jon Rahm
Jon Rahm missed the cut by one shot after posting a 70 and 71 on his first two days at Valhalla.
His weak effort in the year’s second major comes after finishing on nine-over-par at Augusta at the start of April.
After the PGA Championship, Rahm admitted to being surprised by his performance. The Spaniard looked unsettled at times and a long way from the dominant player who claimed The Masters title in 2023.
There is a lot of work to be done for the LIV Golf star ahead of the U.S. Open.
Cameron Smith
A LIV Golf player who did make the cut but will be disappointed with his performance is Cameron Smith.
The Aussie has been in fine form on the breakaway tour, finishing second in Singapore and landing back-to-back team victories for Rippeer GC.
Smith finished on three-under-par, 18 shots adrift of Schauffele at the top of the leaderboard.
After his T6 at Augusta, many would’ve anticipated Smith competing at Valhalla. It’s certainly back to the drawing board for the LIV man ahead of the daunting Pinehurst No.2 test.
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