Sam Torrance: My predictions and hopes for 2024, including McIlroy and PGA-LIV talks
Sam Torrance shares his predictions and hopes for golf in 2024, featuring Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and a potential union between PGA Tour and LIV Golf chiefs.
The Masters
Jon Rahm will be defending the Green Jacket in April and I’m sure he will do very well, but could this finally be Rory McIlroy’s time to complete the career grand slam?
I see there being a lot of competition, with 2022 winner Scottie Scheffler also very good at Augusta.
One man to look out for may be Justin Thomas, who has slipped to 29th in the world rankings but must be due a resurgence – and it could be here, at a venue that suits him.
US PGA Championship
Valhalla is a great course and defending champion Brooks Koepka will be very tough to beat.
Although he won it in a different setting last year, Oak Hill, he has five majors – three of them in this tournament – so can’t be underestimated.
The last time the US PGA was played at Valhalla, however, McIlroy won and that could be an omen. He is in his absolute prime right now; some of the golf he played last year was sublime.
US Open
Wyndham Clark faces a huge task to defend the US Open but he did win it very well last year.
Pinehurst No2 Course is a great layout with some very difficult runoffs – a lot of the greens are like upturned saucers – so accuracy in iron play will be paramount.
With that in mind, it could be a week for someone with a great short game, like Collin Morikawa.
The Open
Brian Harman barely put a foot wrong on his way to lifting the Claret Jug at Hoylake last year; everyone was waiting for him to slip up but he never did, and was a very worthy winner.
He will probably put up a good defence at Troon, a course that is not dissimilar, although it is a great drivers’ course – and no one drives it better than McIlroy.
Scheffler is another contender here; he is bound to be up there in at least one major.
Players to watch
McIlroy, Scheffler and Rahm I’ve already touched on, but Viktor Hovland played some of his best golf last year and could do anything in 2024. These might be obvious names but there is a reason they are top of the rankings.
Beyond them, I see big years for some of the rising stars of the PGA Tour, such as Tom Kim and Max Homa. Min Woo Lee is another who is a beautiful player.
I hope Will Zalatoris returns from his serious injury to major-contending form again as I think he has a big future, while Tyrrell Hatton is a long-standing favourite of mine and it would be no surprise to see him win a first major.
I’m sure that the Hojgaard twins will have a fantastic year, Rasmus on the European circuit and his brother Nicolai on the PGA Tour.
Adrian Meronk is an enormous talent and can overcome his disappointment at missing the Ryder Cup with a strong year.
My fellow Scot Bob MacIntyre is set for his first full season in the US, which can hopefully lift him back into the world top 50 and all of the majors.
I’ll be rooting for Matt Wallace to do the same after he impressed me with his courage and talent last year.
Now the dust appears to be settling on the LIV Golf rows, it’s time for the players who made the jump to show what they’ve got. They’ve made a good start on the DP World Tour, winning five of the first six events in the southern hemisphere.
Bryson DeChambeau, for one, is an immense talent, while it’s been a while since Dustin Johnson showed what he can do.
Tiger
No one can predict what Tiger Woods might be capable of, given both his injury history and his talent. Don’t forget he won the Masters out of the blue in 2019.
He looked to be swinging well when he played alongside his son Charlie at the PNC Championship last month. We don’t know what his fitness is like but he has made some encouraging noises.
Tiger is an enigma and his own man. He’s very, very special; let’s hope he can do something special this year.
PGA-LIV truce
The deadline for an agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has been extended so we’ll have to wait and see what comes of the continued dialogue, but it seems like LIV Golf is not going away.
Over the next few months there are some huge decisions to be made by everyone in golf administration. Obviously we want the best playing the best on a regular basis so we all hope something can be worked out.
Sam Torrance OBE is a former Ryder Cup-winning captain and one of Europe’s most successful golfers. Follow him @torrancesam