10 Big Names To Miss The Cut At The PGA Championship
There are a host of well-known players heading home early after a disappointing two days at the Valhalla Major – here are some of the biggest names to miss the cut
Ahead of the 2024 PGA Championship, many of the world’s best players appeared to have found their best form at the right time, making for the prospect of an intriguing second Major of the year.
At the halfway stage of the Valhalla tournament, that is certainly playing out, with big names including Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler all heading into the weekend eyeing realistic chances of lifting the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday evening.
However, for many other notable names, the last two days have not been nearly as satisfying, with some even failing to make it as far as Moving Day. Here are 10 of the biggest names to miss the cut at the PGA Championship.
Tiger Woods (+7)
The American couldn’t reproduce the form that has seen him claim the title four times, including at Valhalla 24 years ago.
That was not wholly unexpected given his lack of action in recent years due to injuries. However, Woods will still surely be disappointed that he couldn’t make his second Major cut of the year, after achieving the feat at The Masters.
After a one-over 72 gave Woods something to build on, he wasn’t nearly as assured in the second round, which included two triple bogeys.
On the plus side, he appeared to walk relatively freely, and will now be focusing on working on his game ahead of the third Major of the year, the US Open, where he has been granted a special exemption.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Jon Rahm (E)
The Spaniard has had an encouraging start to his LIV Golf career, with top-10 finishes in each of his seven tournaments in 2024. However, that form has not translated into success at the Majors.
Rahm only just made the cut at The Masters before finishing an underwhelming T45, but he couldn’t make the weekend’s action at Valhalla, with rounds of 70 and 72 leaving him one shot shy of the cut line.
Wyndham Clark (+4)
For the second Major in succession, the 2023 US Open champion failed to make the cut. After suffering a similar fate at The Masters, the World No.4 has been sent packing despite an encouraging enough even-par 71 in the opening round.
Clark couldn’t match that consistency in the second round, though, eventually succumbing to a 75 that included five bogeys and a double bogey to leave him five away from the projected cut line.
Phil Mickelson (+4)
Phil Mickelson misses the weekend just three years after he become the oldest player to win a Major with victory at the event – his second PGA Championship title.
Unlike another great on the list, Woods, Mickelson has been playing regularly in recent months with LIV Golf. However, like his opening two seasons with the circuit, he has generally struggled to find his best form in 2024, and that continued at Valhalla, with rounds of 74 and 72 leaving him four-over and out of the tournament.
Matt Fitzpatrick (E)
The 2022 US Open winner missed the cut at the PGA Championship for the second year in succession. Like Rahm, he only fell one shot beneath the cut line, but after heading into the second round on two under, he will feel as though it is a chance missed.
Despite that encouraging start to his tournament, Fitzpatrick struggled for consistency in the second round, with three birdies undermined by five bogeys to leave him heading home early.
Ludvig Aberg (E)
In 2023, finishing even-par would have been enough to stand five shots above the cut line, but, like Rahm and Fitzpatrick, Aberg became another high-profile name to miss out by one shot despite not finishing over-par.
The Masters runner-up got off to a slow start with a 72 in his opening round, and despite going two better in the second round, it wasn't quite enough to get him to Moving Day.
Adam Scott (+3)
The Australian has finished third at the tournament twice, but his last top-10 at it came five years ago, and that will stretch to at least six after a disappointing second round, in particular.
Scott was remarkably consistent in the opening round, with just one bogey interrupting 17 pars, but by the turn on Friday, his one over for the tournament had become four over, and he couldn’t claw it back.
The 2013 Masters champion eventually finished three over for the tournament, four shots adrift of the projected cut line.
Michael Block (+7)
The popular club pro may not have the pedigree of the other players on this list, but it would be remiss to leave out a man who created a sensation at the 2023 tournament by finishing T15, which included a slam dunk hole-in-one in the final round.
There was no repeat of those heroics at the 2024 edition. Instead, Block followed a 76 in the first round with a 73 in the second to leave him seven-over for the tournament. One consolation? That's identical to the score achieved by the great Tiger Woods.
Sam Burns (+3)
The American may have five PGA Tour wins and an appearance at the 2023 Ryder Cup under his belt, but he has largely failed to shine at Majors, with a T20 at the 2022 PGA Championship his best effort so far.
Last year, he couldn't make the cut, and he endured the same fate at Valhalla, finishing on three over after rounds of 72 and 73 to leave him to ponder what he needs to do to become a force at the game's big four tournaments.
Sepp Straka (+2)
The Austrian finished his final round at sunset, but his last-ditch effort to make the cut went awry.
A few minutes earlier, Tommy Fleetwood had eagled the 18th to squeeze above the cut line, but, needing a similar finish, the Team Europe Ryder Cup star bogeyed the hole to leave him two-over for the tournament and out of the weekend's action.
Other notable names who have missed the cut include LIV Golfer David Puig, who played thanks to a special invite and Chris Gotterup, who won the Myrtle Beach Classic. The likes of Chris Kirk, Adrian Meronk and Matthieu Pavon also miss out.
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
-
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The DP World Tour Golfer
Neergaard-Petersen is one of the big names emerging in European golf and, in this piece, we list some facts you may not know about the Dane
By Matt Cradock Published
-
PGA Tour Caddie Gives Fascinating Insight Into Season Earnings
Taking to social media, Ben Silverman's caddie, Bryan Kopsick, revealed just how much he made looping for the PGA Tour player throughout 2024
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Scottie Scheffler Arrest Helps Boost PGA Championship TV Numbers Despite NBA Playoff Competition
The World No.1's arrest on Friday and a stellar finish at Valhalla helped CBS record a notable bump in TV viewing figures compared to 2023
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
WATCH: How Team Schauffele Celebrated Xander’s Record-Breaking PGA Championship Win
The new World No.2 enjoyed landing his first Major title at Valhalla by partying alongside friends and family at their accommodation later on Sunday
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
The Astonishing Stat On Just How Low Scoring Was At The 2024 PGA Championship
The combined score to par for the PGA Championship field shows just how generous Valhalla was at the Major
By Mike Hall Published
-
'Beaming' Johnson Wagner Struggles To Replicate Xander Schauffele's Clutch PGA Championship Shot After Funny Shanks
Golf Channel analyst Johnson Wagner proved just how impressive Schauffele's clutch shot out of the rough was on 18 on Sunday...
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Which Players Secured Their Spots For The 2025 PGA Championship?
Following strong performances at Valhalla, we will see a number of players return to the PGA Championship in 2025
By Matt Cradock Published
-
2 Of LIV Golf’s Biggest Hitters Top PGA Championship Driving-Distance Chart
Rory McIlroy was the PGA Tour's biggest hitter in 2023, but even he couldn't hang with a pair of the LIV Golf League's longest drivers at Valhalla
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
‘Man For The People’ - Watch Classy DeChambeau Ensure Young Fan Gets His Golf Ball At PGA Championship
After throwing his golf ball to a young fan, which was intercepted by an older gentleman, DeChambeau waited until it was returned to its rightful owner as he battled it out at Valhalla
By Matt Cradock Published
-
'Definitely Disappointing' - Bryson DeChambeau Reacts To PGA Championship Near-Miss
The 2020 US Open champion shot a final round 64 to finish just one stroke shy of Xander Schauffele at Valhalla
By Elliott Heath Published