Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson’s status for 2024 PGA Championship

The PGA Championship is the second major of the golf season, and it is an event that attracts all of the sport’s top players. This year’s tournament will be held at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, and it will present an opportunity for Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Brooks Koepka to assert themselves and their position in the golf world. While Scheffler is undoubtedly the game’s best player at this point and Koepka is still a great clutch player even though he defected to the LIV Tour, golf fans still have an overwhelming interest in Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

At this point in their respective careers, Woods and Mickelson are both capable of the occasional strong round. However, few believe they are capable of contending in the major golf tournaments — let alone winning them.

Tiger has won 82 tournaments in his career, and that’s tied with Sam Snead for the most in the history of the professional golf. He has also won 15 major titles, including 5 Masters titles, 4 PGA championships, 3 U.s. Opens and 3 Open Championships.

Tiger Woods was able to compete in the Masters

Woods participated in the Masters last month, and it was something of a longshot that he would make the cut in the legendary tournament. Woods came through with a superb performance on the second day when he finished the weather-delayed first round with a score of one over par 73  and then shot an even par 72 in the second round.

His one-over two-round total easily made the cut. However, Woods lost his consistency on moving day and in the final round. He finished with scores of 82 and 77 in those two rounds and lost any chance to have a strong competitive finish.

However, Woods’ ability to play the final rounds was earned after he made the cut at the Masters for the 24th time, setting a new record in the process.

Prior to the start of the golf season, Woods said he he was hoping to play in one tournament a month, with a concentration on the four major championships.

He only played in one tournament prior to the Masters  and he was forced to withdraw from the Genesis Open due to illness. However, the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open Championship (British) all remain in play for Woods.

At this point in his career, the 48-year-old Woods has emeritus status. He has battled back from so many injuries — back, knee and ankle — that it’s clear he no longer has the physical capability to be at his best for four consecutive rounds. Nevertheless, Woods is always treated like a visiting hero and fans want to see him play at the highest level he can muster.

Mickelson’s presence represents a much different perspective

Phil Mickelson was Woods’ biggest rival in professional golf for years. He gained his status as one of the game’s superstars because of his remarkable shot-making ability and his gambling style on the PGA Tour.

When it came to the most difficult shots, Mickelson was known for his courage that would allow him to plan out and execute golf swings that no other player would attempt. While he was successful on many of them, he also failed at certain moments. That kept him from winning tournaments that a more conservative approach might have led to success.

Mickelson gained many fans because of his style, but he was also ridiculed from time-to-time because he refused to change his approach when tournaments were on the line.

Lefty’s legacy changed dramatically when he left the PGA Tour and became the most prominent name to join the LIV Tour. That move labeled him as an “enemy” of the golf establishment, but he has not backed down from his choice or his support of LIV.

The 54-year-old Mickelson has six major championships to his credit, and that includes three Masters titles, two PGA Championships and one Open Championship.

His previous major titles has earned him an invitation to the PGA Championship.

Woods and Mickelson are longshots behind Scheffler and Rory McIlroy

Scheffler is the favorite to win the Masters at odds of +350. Rory McIlroy is the second choice at +1250, while LIV defector Jon Rahm checks in at +1400 and is the third choice. Xander Schauffele and Koepka both have odds of +1600. Koepka is also a member of the LIV tour.

As far as Woods and Mickelson are concerned, both are extreme longshots to win at 125-1, and that’s the equivalent of +12500.

Neither Woods nor Mickelson should be expected to be in contention on Sunday, but both may be capable of putting together an exciting round together at one point in the tournament or another.