🏌🏻Rory's Innovative Gear Tweak

Good morning! The PGA Championship tees off in two days’ time, and the stars have started to assemble at the Valhalla Golf Club.

Tiger Woods was one of the early arrivals, alongside defending champion Brooks Koepka. New dad Scottie Scheffler reached the venue on Monday following his son’s birth.

Check out our detailed preview of the Major here.

Fun Fact: Who was the last non-American to win the PGA Championship? Answer at the end of the email.

⛳ This day in history: On this date in 1995, Kelly Robbins won the only major of her career at DuPont Country Club in the LPGA Championship. She held on by one shot over Laura Davies.

NEXT ON THE TEE
Tournaments This Week

Major: The PGA Championship

📍 When and Where: May 16-19, Valhalla Golf Course
💰 Purse: $17.5 million
🏌🏻 Headliners: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka

LPGA Tour: Mizuho Americas Open 

📍When and Where: May 16-19, Liberty National Golf Club
💰 Purse: $3 million
🏌🏻 Headliners: Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang, Lydia Ko

ALBATROSS
Scheffler Arrives At Valhalla After Son's Birth

The PGA Championship is just a couple of days away and the stars have started assembling at the Valhalla Golf Club.

📍Daddy Scheffler Arrives: World No 1 Scottie Scheffler showed up to the practice area at Valhalla Golf Club following the birth of his first child. Scheffler and his wife, Meredith, are now parents to a son.

Scheffler has not competed since winning the RBC Heritage on April 22, meaning he arrives at Valhalla after three weeks away from competitive golf.

🚀 Grand Slam At Stake: Jordan Spieth eyes the career Grand Slam once again. This will be his seventh attempt. His best finish at the PGA Championship – since he started chasing the Grand Slam – came in 2019 when he finished T-3.

⛳️ Strong Field: Ludvig Aberg will make his debut at the PGA Championship following a commendable runner-up finish earlier at the Masters.

Xander Schauffele leads the pack of notables eyeing their first major title, an illustrious group that includes Patrick Cantlay, Will Zalatoris, Tony Finau and Max Homa.

⏳ Record Attendance: Around 200,000 fans are expected to flood through the gates from Thursday through to Sunday after record sales for both general and hospitality tickets. With the men’s professional game still fractured, the Majors have assumed even more significance in recent years.

🌦️ Weather Watch: The weather is expected to play a key role at this week's event. Drier weather is expected on Thursday before a low-pressure system brings showers and thunderstorms back to the region Friday into Saturday morning.

TWEET
Worth Mentioning

EAGLE
This Subtle Tweak Is A Game-Changer For McIlroy

Rory McIlroy is heading to this week's PGA Championship in hot form following consecutive PGA Tour victories at the Zurich Classic and the Wells Fargo Championship.

A subtle tweak to his equipment has played a crucial role behind his success.

📌 McIlroy uses a TaylorMade Qi10 driver – and it's proving quite the weapon. At Quail Hollow, McIlroy produced 6.1 Strokes Gained: Off the Tee en route to his 26th career PGA Tour win.

But that's not what we are talking about...

📌 McIlroy has made a subtle change to his golf ball. He still uses a TaylorMade TP5x, one of the best premium golf balls on the market but decided to put a MySymbol ball into play.

📌 Instead of using a traditional number on his golf ball, he utilized the brand’s MySymbol program and custom printing abilities to have his TaylorMade TP5x stamped with his nickname: ‘RORS’.

📌 McIlroy's ball features a line that runs through the side stamp to help with his putting alignment, something McIlroy still has to put on himself.

LOCKER ROOM
What else is making news 

PGA Tour: Jimmy Dunne, who last year helped negotiate the PGA Tour's controversial framework agreement with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has resigned from the tour's policy board.

Special Edition: Elijah Craig releases a special small batch bourbon in honor of the 2024 PGA Championship.

LPGA Tour: The Mizuho Americas Open takes place this week at the Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City - here are five things you need to know.

Sponsor Demands: The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of the PGA Tour's major sponsors, demands stability and has urged the Tour to resolve its dispute with LIV Golf.

BIRDIE
EXCLUSIVE: The PGA Championship 2024 Preview

The 2024 PGA Championship will be played from May 16–19 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, United States.

In this Golf Reporter Exclusive, we take a look at everything that you need to know about the year's second Major.

⛳️ Venue: Val Halla Golf Club, situated on Shelbyville Road in the eastern part of Louisville, is a private golf club crafted by renowned golfer Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1986.

With a length of 7,458 yards, a slope rating of 148, and a course rating of 78.4, it offers a challenging experience for golfers.

🏌‍♀Records: Check out all the records.

Most wins: 5, Jack Nicklaus, Walter Hagen
Most runner-up finishes: 4, Jack Nicklaus
Oldest winner: Phil Mickelson in 2021 (50 years, 11 months)
Youngest winner: Gene Sarazen in 1922 (20 years, 174 days)

📺 Telecast and Streaming Details: Live coverage of the 2024 PGA Championship will be available on ESPN and CBS, as stated on the official PGA Championship website. Additionally, viewers can access live streaming through platforms like ESPN+, Hulu + Live TV (CBS and ESPN streaming), and Paramount+ with SHOWTIME (CBS streaming).

Read the full article.

DRIVING RANGE
Improve Your Tempo and Timing

In today's video, we break down the tempo between the backswing and downswing, focusing on timing and how to synchronize them effectively.

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