PGA Championship 2024 Latest News: Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka and Seth Waugh Press Conferences To Come

Hello and welcome to the latest news from Valhalla, where play was temporarily suspended on Tuesday for a period just before lunchtime. Play has resumed, though, and press conferences are continuing on a slight delay to the original programme.

PLAY SUSPENDED

Tiger Woods has begun speaking to the media

Woods is here and is discussing his PGA Championship win in 2000 first. He's also sporting a little bit of a goatee this week, which is new!

Says that Bob May, who he beat that week, is one of the best players Southern California has ever produced. Big claim.

Woods on the course changes

Says it's gotten bigger and the course is more open now with fewer trees. It's the same framework as in 2000, but has got a little bigger and longer (as have every course these days).

Woods on physical limitations

My body feels OK, says Woods. Wishes his game was a little sharper but admitted that he doesn't have that many competitive reps. That was the reason why he came up early, to shave off a little bit of the rust off.

I still feel like I can win golf tournaments and hit all the shots, I just need to play better for more than two days, like I did at Augusta.

A question comes up on the goatee. Says it's laziness that he has not shaved and that he cut himself trying to trim it up this morning, so he's going to roll with it, it seems! 

Woods on Jimmy Dunn leaving

We're making steps. It may not be giant steps, but we are making steps. Would not be drawn on whether he would like to see a deal go through with the PIF. 

Before that, Woods said the negotiations are fluid but they are making steps. 

Woods says he does not believe Jimmy Dunn's role was superfluous, as the departing official said yesterday. TW said he felt Jimmy was doing a great job.

The PGA Tour is for the players and by the players. We have an influence, and we're trying to make the PGA Tour the best it can be, day in, day out. That's one of the reasons we have arguments. Without those kinds of conflicts, we can't have that progress. It's been good.

Woods on huge crowds watching him still

I think I appreciate the huge crowds even more nowadays because I don't go out and play all that much. If I'm not here, I'm at home where it's quiet. I appreciate the warmth and the support of the fans. That's something that I didn't appreciate, say 10 years ago, as much as I do now.

Woods on JT playing a Major in his hometown

Having a Major come to your home town is special. It's special for JT, and to play in a Major is great. I never had that chance because I missed the US Open at LA Country Club, unfortunately.

Woods on Ryder Cup captaincy

We're still talking. I'm not sure whether I will have time to do it. I don't know whether I can fulfil the captaincy role properly. I need to feel like I can give that job the amount of time it deserves. 

PLAY TO RESUME

Away from Tiger Woods' press conference, we're hearing that play has resumed at Valhalla. Good news!

Woods departs

Following a short but sweet press conference at Valhalla, Woods has headed off for the day to continue his practice and rehabilitation work before a final day of practice tomorrow.

6 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM TIGER WOODS PRESS CONFERENCE

My body is OK but I wish my game was a little bit sharper

"Yeah, my body's okay. It is what it is. I wish my game was a little bit sharper. Again, I don't have a lot of competitive reps, so I am having to rely on my practice sessions and getting stuff done either at home or here on-site."

Woods went on to say that he needs to be "mentally ready" on Thursday and hopes to put in a full-week performance, hence his reason for coming up on Sunday in order to try and knock some more rust off.

"I still feel like I can win golf tournaments"

"I still feel that I can win golf tournaments. I still feel I can hit the shots and still feel like I still have my hand around the greens and I can putt. I just need to do it for all four days, not like I did at Augusta for only two."

Woods unsure whether he has "time" to fulfil Ryder Cup captaincy role

"We're still talking. There's nothing that has been confirmed yet. We're still working on what that might look like. Also whether or not I have the time to do it. I'm dedicating my so much time to what we're doing with the PGA Tour, I don't want to not fulfill the role of the captaincy if I can't do it. 

"What that all entails and representing Team USA and the commitments to the PGA of America, the players, and the fans and as I said, all of Team USA. I need to feel that I can give the amount of time that it deserves."

"Get some sleep"

Woods shared some priceless advice from one pro golfer who is a father to another...

There has been progress with the Saudi PIF

Woods was asked about Jimmy Dunn saying there has been no meaningful progress made in negotiations between the PGA Tour and the PIF, with the 15-time Major winner remaining fairly cagey with his answers.

Woods said: "We're working on negotiations with PIF. It's ongoing; it's fluid; it changes day-to-day. Has there been progress? Yes. But it's an ongoing negotiation, so a lot of work ahead for all of us with this process, and so we're making steps and it may not be giant steps, but we're making steps."

Asked if he was personally open to a deal with the Saudis, Woods replied: "I'm personally involved in the process."

Woods appreciates crowds more than he did 10 years ago

"I think that I appreciate it more now, just the fact that I don't come out here very often. I don't play much, and I'm at home where it's quiet and it's so different to coming out to practice rounds when there's thousands of people out there like it was at Augusta...

"But appreciating the warmth and the support of the fans is something that I ,probably 10 years ago, certainly didn't appreciate then as much as I do now."

JON RAHM PRESS CONFERENCE

The Spaniard was speaking to the media ahead of what is his eighth PGA Championship already - quite remarkable given he's only 29 years old. He also called the feat "crazy" as he still considers himself to be a youngster.

Asked about the Ryder Cup and his long-term ambitions there, Rahm reiterated he would do "whatever I can" to play at Bethpage next year.

Rahm said: "I said I would do whatever I can to get into that Ryder Cup team, and I made that commitment to Luke, and I want to be able to be a part of it. So again the schedule's going to be the hardest thing in that regard."

Elsewhere during the two-time Major winner's press conference, a question was posed regarding the state of the PGA Tour and how Rahm sees it "from the other side", but the Spaniard pointed out that he "remains committed to the PGA Tour" and wishes to remain a member.

He said: "See you guys keep saying "the other side" but I'm still a PGA Tour member, whether suspended or not. I still want to support the PGA Tour. And I think that's an important distinction to make. I don't feel like I'm on the other side. I'm just not playing there. That's at least personally."

MORE FROM TIGER:

JORDAN SPIETH ON POTENTIAL OF CAREER SLAM:

"I mean, I'm aware. It's very cool, but I would take any and all and as many majors as possible regardless of where they come. It's just kind of a cool thing if you're able to hold all four. There's just not many people in the game that have done that and you have an opportunity to do things that are very unique in the game of golf, that's what kind of stands out, stands the test of time afterwards, so, yeah, anytime we come to these weeks the idea is to have prep to try to peak for really four times a year, and this is one of them."

Rory McIlroy files for divorce

Court documents filed in Florida on Monday show the World No.2 is separating from his wife Erica, just before the second men's Major of the year at Valhalla.

Full story: Rory McIlroy Files For Divorce On Eve Of PGA Championship

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP TEE TIMES:

Here are the pick of the Thursday tee times from Valhalla:

• 9.04am ET (2.04pm BST): Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley
• 9.15am ET (2.15pm BST): Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose
• 9.37am ET (2.37pm BST): Brooks Koepka, Max Homa, Jordan Spieth
• 3.13pm ET (8.13pm BST): Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Scottie Scheffler

PGA CHAMPIONS' DINNER

No Rory McIlroy...

MISS TIGER WOODS' PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY?

Read: 7 Takeaways from Tiger Woods' PGA Championship Press Conference

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP FUTURE VENUES:

• 2025: Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina
• 2026: Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
• 2027: PGA Frisco, Frisco, Texas
• 2028: The Olympic Club, San Francisco, California
• 2029: Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, New Jersey
• 2030: Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Maryland
• 2031: The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
• 2034: PGA Frisco, Frisco, Texas