The fourth and final major of 2024 is here, as Royal Troon hosts the 152nd edition of The Open Championship.

Following his remarkable near-miss at the U.S. Open, the event offers Rory McIlroy one last chance to stop his major drought from stretching into an 11th year.

Bryson DeChambeau edged McIlroy out at Pinehurst and should again be among the contenders, while world number one Scottie Scheffler is targeting an improvement after a disappointing showing on home soil.

Ludvig Aberg, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa – who won the 149th Open three years ago – are also eyeing glory, while Tiger Woods will play his first Open at Troon in 20 years.

Here, we run through the best Opta stats and storylines surrounding the main contenders.

Can McIlroy bounce back?

McIlroy won his third major title at The Open in 2014, beating Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia by six shots at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. One month later, he made it four by winning the PGA Championship at Valhalla. 

Who would have thought that 10 years on, the Northern Irishman would still be yet to add another major title to his glittering trophy cabinet?

Perhaps his most gutting near-miss to date came at last month's U.S. Open. Neck-and-neck with DeChambeau at the top of the leaderboard as the final round drew to a close, McIlroy missed two putts from within four yards in the final three holes.

The world number two took three weeks off after that disappointment before struggling on the greens again at last week's Scottish Open, finishing tied for fourth as Robert MacIntyre triumphed on home ground.

McIlroy has had five top-10 finishes in his last seven Open Championship appearances, though, including finishing in the top five on each of his last three Open outings on Scottish soil.

He also finished in a share of fifth at his only previous Open at Troon in 2016, and produced his best Open performance of the last decade when the event was last held in Scotland, finishing third and two shots adrift of Cameron Smith at St. Andrews in 2022.

With 21 top-10 finishes in 37 majors since his 2014 PGA Championship win, McIlroy has generally put himself in contention on the big stage – an improvement he referenced at Tuesday's pre-tournament press conference.

The key, as he earlier told reporters after the Scottish Open, will be getting his putter to "cooperate" when it matters most.

Double bubble for Bryson?

Not since Woods completed his memorable 'Tiger Slam' has any player won the U.S. Open and The Open Championship in the same year.

Woods, of course, captured both titles as he won three straight majors to round off 2000, then kick-started 2001 by triumphing at The Masters.

Tom Watson (1982), Lee Trevino (1971), Ben Hogan (1953), Gene Sarazen (1932) and Bobby Jones (1926 and 1930) are the other players to have won both in the same year.

DeChambeau will attempt to write his name into the history books this week, though his record at The Open leaves plenty to be desired. 

Only in 2022 (T8) has he finished higher than 33rd at the event, a placing he managed in both 2017 and 2021. Across his six participations, he has also missed the cut twice and finished in a share of 60th last year.

The American has really turned up at the majors this year, however, finishing T6 at The Masters and second at the PGA Championship before claiming his second U.S. Open title.

PGA Championship victor Schauffele is the only other player to finish inside the top 10 at each of this year's three majors to date.

Indeed, DeChambeau is 28 under par across this year's opening three majors (-2 at The Masters, -20 PGA Championship, -6 U.S. Open), a better aggregate score than any other player. Write him off at your peril.

Scheffler to stay on top?

Victory at Augusta seemed to be paving the way for a dominant year in the majors for world number one Scheffler, though that has not quite been the case, even if he is enjoying a fantastic season nevertheless.

His arrest on the eve of the PGA Championship was far from ideal preparation for that tournament, and it was followed by a disappointing showing at the U.S. Open.

Will he get back to form at Royal Troon, and become the ninth player to win both The Masters and The Open in the same year, and the first since Woods in 2005?

Scheffler's best finish at The Open was a tie for eighth in 2021. But he has won six of his last 10 tournaments this year (Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players Championship, Masters, Heritage, Memorial and Travelers).

That marks the most wins on the PGA Tour in a calendar year since Woods in 2009.

The last six major tournaments have been won by American players. It is the USA's longest streak of major wins since 1982, and Scheffler is the very best of the bunch.

Can Harman hold onto the title? The other contenders and Woods is back

Four golfers have finished inside the top 10 at each of the last two editions of The Open: McIlroy, Cameron Young, Tommy Fleetwood and Brian Harman, who won the Claret Jug last year.

Harman comes into The Open as the world number 13, though it is worth noting he has only finished in the top 10 in three majors (U.S. Open 2017, The Open 2022 and The Open 2023).

Scottish Open champion MacIntyre is one of only three multiple winners on the PGA Tour this year (he won the Canadian Open in June), along with Scheffler and McIlroy.

Home favourite MacIntyre is aiming to become the first Scottish winner of a major since Paul Lawrie in 1999.

In his three Open Championship appearances so far, Morikawa has either won (2021) or missed the cut (2022, 2023). He is one of two players to win The Open at the first attempt this century, alongside Ben Curtis in 2003.

What about Schauffele? He finally ended his wait for a major title at the PGA Championship earlier this year. Since the 2022 edition of that tournament, the world number three has played in 10 major tournaments and has never finished outside the top 20.

And, finally, Troon will welcome back Woods after a two-decade absence.

The 15-time major champion bit back at a suggestion he should be considering retirement, and will be out to prove his doubters wrong. 

That being said, the last time he made the cut at The Open was in 2018, at Carnoustie (T-6th), and he failed to make the weekend at both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship this year.

Having also finished last of any player to make the cut at this year's Masters, Woods may be up against it at Royal Troon, though is firing on all fronts after Colin Montgomerie's retirement comments.

The course

Royal Troon is hosting The Open Championship for the 10th time. It will become the eighth course to welcome the tournament on 10 or more occasions and only the fourth venue in Scotland to play host that many times, after St. Andrews (30), Prestwick (24) and Muirfield (16). 

The first Open at Troon took place 101 years ago, in 1923, and the course has welcomed the tournament at least once in every decade since the 1950s.

The most recent Open to be held at the venue saw Henrik Stenson edge out Phil Mickelson by three strokes back in 2016. 

At that edition of the tournament, Stenson set records both for the lowest final score at a 72-hole Open (264) and the lowest score to par (20 under), with Smith matching that latter achievement two years ago. 

Does more history await this year?

Scottie Scheffler is aiming for Open Championship success at Royal Troon but had no idea about the potential of matching Arnold Palmer's piece of history this week.

The world number one has won six times on the PGA Tour this year, with the last player to do so by this stage being Palmer, way back in 1962.

Palmer coincidentally secured his seventh title of that year at the same Troon course in South Ayrshire, with Scheffler out to match that feat when starting on Thursday.

Scheffler will play in all-American three-ball with 2017 champion Jordan Spieth and 2022 runner-up Cameron Young, though admitted that Palmer's history had slipped his mind.

"That would be great [to match Palmer]," the 28-year-old said at Tuesday's pre-tournament press conference.

"No [I wasn't aware]. I try to stay off the internet as much as possible. I like to, when I'm at home, be at home and be present.

"I love the history of the game, and there's certain things that I know and certain things that I don't.

"That was something that for some reason I just never stumbled across, so I had no idea that that was a thing."

Scheffler has two major honours to his name so far, both at The Masters in 2022 and 2024, but finished all four rounds over par at last month's U.S. Open.

The 152nd Open in Scotland will pose a different challenge, yet one which Scheffler is relishing.

"I'm excited for the week. I think the golf course is great," the two-time major winner added.

"I feel like you have to be more creative here [with links golf] and I love that part of it. I feel this is really how golf was intended to be played.

"There's a lot more opportunity for shot-making and being creative around the greens. It really is fun to come over here and play."

Scottie Scheffler became the first player since Arnold Palmer in 1962 to win six times before July on the PGA Tour following his triumph at the Travelers Championship on Sunday.

The world number one beat Tom Kim in a dramatic finish at TPC River Highlands, having gone into the final round a shot behind his playing partner. 

Scheffler would make five birdies in a bogey-free round to shoot 65, taking his total to 22 under alongside the South Korean, who was the overnight leader. 

Kim would force a play-off on the final hole after sinking a 10-foot birdie, only for play to be halted soon after when multiple protestors ran onto the 18th green. 

However, Scheffler would remain composed and made the par-winning putt after his opponent was unable to get up and down from the sand. 

The American's latest triumph follows wins at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players, The Masters, RBC Heritage, and Memorial Tournament already this season. 

Scheffler also strengthened his position at the top of the world with another 66 points in the Official World Golf Rankings. 

The latest points for Scheffler mean he has now beaten Tiger Woods' long-standing record of 532 in the first six months of the year, something he set in 2000, a season he would go on to win nine times. 

Scheffler has now amassed 583 points in the first six months of 2024 and was pleased to pick up another PGA Tour title. 

"It has been a great season," Scheffler said. "I've been fortunate to come away with some wins, and it has been a lot of fun.

"Tom played his heart out today. He's a great player, great champion and it was fun battling with him today."

The PGA Tour heads to Michigan next for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where Rickie Fowler returns as defending champion at the Detroit Golf Club. 

Scottie Scheffler was left to rue "another frustrating day" at the US Open on Saturday, when Collin Morikawa found form on moving day at Pinehurst.

World number one Scheffler struggled once again in North Carolina, carding a one-over 71 to drop down to six-over par after the third day.

The two-time Masters champion has now shot four consecutive rounds over par for the first time in his professional career and catching the likes of Matthieu Pavon, Bryson Dechambeau and Tony Finau appears unlikely.

"Another frustrating day," Scheffler said on Sky Sports after his putter went cold once more. "Today was a day where I thought I played a lot better than my score.

"I'm having a lot of trouble reading these greens. I had a lot of putts today where I felt like I hit it really good. I looked up and they were not going the way I thought they were going to go."

Morikawa, in stark contrast, went on a hot streak with his putter and finished with a four-under 66 to move back to level par, sneaking within touching distance of the top 10.

The two-time major champion still has serious ground to make up to catch the leading trio on Sunday, with Ludvig Aberg, Patrick Cantlay, Corey Conners and Tyrrell Hatton all chasing at the top as well.

"If I play the way I did today, who knows what could happen," Morikawa said. "This course is only going to get tougher. 

"I know it's not going to be easy. Today was not easy by any means. I just put it in the right spot, kept the ball in front of me, really just played very simple golf."

Rory McIlroy remains in with the contending pack, aiming to end a 10-year wait for major success, but may be concerned if countryman Shane Lowry's words are anything to go by.

Lowry stayed on five-over for the tournament after battling through "torture" from the Pinehurst No.2 course, offering a warning to all competing this weekend.

"It's torture out there, honestly it's absolute mental torture," Lowry said. "That's the best level par I've ever shot in my life.

"Every single shot you have, even when you hit a good shot the putts you have, it's brutally difficult. It's not much crack out there, to be honest.

"The wind's in a different direction so some of the par fours are really long. You really just have to manage your way well around there and I did a great job today."

The third major of the year is upon us, and one man in particular will be hoping it goes more smoothly than the second.

World number one Scottie Scheffler saw his bid for a first PGA Championship crown unravel at Valhalla Golf Course, with Xander Schauffele ultimately edging out Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland for his first major crown.

Many expect the duo – currently the top two in golf's world rankings – to battle it out for glory on Course No. 2 at Pinehurst Resort this week, as the U.S. Open heads back to North Carolina. 

Rory McIlroy could have something to say about that, with last year's second-place finish at the U.S. Open the closest he has come to ending his decade-long major drought.

Ahead of the 124th edition of the tournament, which features the largest purse of any major at $20million, we run through the likely contenders, the storylines to keep an eye on and what to expect from the course.

The course

Pinehurst No. 2 is hosting the U.S. Open for the fourth time, having previously been used for the 1999, 2005 and 2014 editions. 

Since it first welcomed the event, the course has been home to the tournament more times than any other venue.

The course, which was renovated in 2011, is known for rewarding putting accuracy over driving excellence, and it has not always favoured home players in the past.

While Pinehurst No. 2's first staging of the U.S. Open produced a United States-born victor in Payne Stewart, New Zealand's Michael Campbell triumphed in 2005 and Germany's Martin Kaymer won by eight strokes in 2014. 

That was the second-largest margin of victory recorded at the U.S. Open since the World War II after Tiger Woods triumphed by 15 shots at Pebble Beach in 2000.

Expect four gruelling days. Indeed, across the previous four editions of the U.S. Open to be played at Pinehurst No. 2, only Kaymer in 2014 (-9) finished with a score better than one under par for the week.

The contenders 

Fresh off the back of his first major success, Schauffele will expect to be in the running again. He is one of four players to finish inside the top 10 at both of this year's majors to date, having ranked eighth at the Masters. The others to do so are Scheffler, DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa.

Five players have previous won both the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open in the same year – Gene Sarazen (1922), Ben Hogan (1948), Jack Nicklaus (1980), Woods (2000) and Brooks Koepka (2018).

The clear favourite once again, though, is Scheffler. 

He was arrested and charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer after attempting to pass an incident outside Valhalla ahead of his second round last month.

He finished the tournament in a share of eighth – an admirable effort, given the disruption – and saw his charges dismissed just 12 days after his arrest.

The incident has not done much to affect his form. Scheffler claimed his fifth title of the year at the PGA Tour's Memorial Tournament last week, becoming just the second player – alongside Woods – to win the Players Championship, Masters and Memorial in the same year.

He has won five of his eight tournaments on the PGA Tour since March, finishing T2 twice and T8 once in the other three. 

Reflecting on the way he responded to his arrest at Valhalla, Scheffler said: "I call it compartmentalising parts of my life.

"So I have my off-course life and then I have my on-course life, when I'm out here practicing and playing tournaments. I don't show up to these tournaments just to play. I'm here to do my best and compete."

Besides Scheffler and Schauffele, McIlroy will be hoping to go one better after finishing one stroke behind champion Wyndham Clark at last year's U.S. Open.

Having fallen short at the year's first two majors, the Northern Irishman hopes the firm conditions expected in North Carolina will play into his hands. 

"After the Open Championship in 2019 I'd had a disappointing run in the majors, and I tried to change my mindset," he told The Telegraph.

"Since then I've come to love it when it is fast and firm. If you look at my results in the U.S. Open and some of the toughest tests from 2019 until now, I would say the U.S. Open has arguably been my best major in the last few years."

Morikawa should also be there or thereabouts, having been narrowly edged out by Scheffler on his most recent outing at the Memorial.

Alongside Ludvig Aberg, he has the most top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this year without a victory (six). Might his luck turn this week?

The legends

The U.S. Open will also feature a couple of players attempting to recapture past glories, with Woods the one most fans are looking forward to seeing.

He missed the cut at the PGA Championship after carding scores of 72 and 77, subsequently admitting improvements are needed in all areas if he is to fare better on his first U.S. Open appearance since 2020.

"I need to clean up my rounds," Woods said after the PGA Championship. "Physically, yes, I am better than I was a month ago.

"I still have more ways to go, lots of improvement to do physically, and hopefully my team and I can get that done pre-Pinehurst."

Only four players – Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, Hogan and Nicklaus (four apiece) – have bettered Woods' three U.S. Open triumphs, and his most recent victory at the event was the last to be decided by a playoff, seeing off Rocco Mediate in 2008.

While Woods has enjoyed plenty of success at the U.S. Open, the same cannot be said for Phil Mickelson.

It is the only major he has not won in his 32 attempts, 30 as a professional and two as an amateur, and his six second-place finishes at the U.S. Open are more than any other player.

The first of those came 25 years ago, at Pinehurst No. 2.

The history 

For all the big names on show, the U.S. Open does have a tendency to throw up surprise victors.

Indeed, since Woods triumphed at Torrey Pines in 2018, 12 of the next 15 U.S. Opens have produced a first-time major champion. That includes the last five editions, with Gary Woodland, DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Matt Fitzpatrick triumphing before Clark.

Clark could become just the fourth player since World War II to retain the U.S. Open title, after Hogan (1950 and 1951), Curtis Strange (1988 and 1989) and Koepka (2017 and 2018). 

Last year's victory at Los Angeles Country Club remains his only top-30 finish at a major – he missed the cut at this year's Masters and PGA Championship.

The U.S. Open was formerly known as a real test of endurance, but things have changed somewhat in recent years.

From 2005 to 2013, six of nine editions produced an even/over-par winning score, but nine of the last 10 have been won with an under-par score, the exception being Koepka's 2018 victory at Shinnecock Hills (+1).

What kind of score will be required this time out? If Scheffler maintains his outstanding form, he will take some beating. 

Scottie Scheffler has insisted that he does not feel there is a target on his back as he aims to capture his third major championship victory in this week's US Open at Pinehurst. 

Scheffler's victory at the Memorial Tournament last week saw him become only the fourth PGA Tour player in the past 60 seasons to win five times before the end of June.

It was the American's fifth win in eight PGA Tour starts, having also won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players, The Masters and RBC Heritage, last missing a cut in August 2022. 

"I try not to think about the past too much, and I try not to think about the future too much," Scheffler told the media.

"I just try and live in the present. Sometimes it's easier and sometimes it's a bit harder.

"I feel like coming off of last week, I was really excited and celebrated for a few minutes there, but my mind kind of just goes on to the next thing. I was getting ready, trying to get out of there and trying to prep for next week.

"I'm not thinking about my wins anymore. All I'm focused on is this week and getting ready to play. Just because I won last week doesn't give me any shots against the field this week.

"We all start even par, and the field is level again starting on Thursday. Last week doesn't really matter. I still don't feel like there's much of a target on my back. It's not like anybody is out there playing defence."

Scheffler will tee off with PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele and four-time major champion Rory McIlroy in Thursday's first round, the players closest to him in the world rankings. 

"When I play with Xander and Rory here Thursday and Friday, they're not going to be saying weird stuff to me out on the golf course or trying to block my putt from going in the hole," Scheffler added.

"As far as a target on my back, even if there was, there's really not much we can do in the game of golf. Most of it is against the golf course and playing against yourself."

Scheffler would be the first golfer to win on tour and capture a major the following week since McIlroy at the 2014 PGA Championship.

World number one Scottie Scheffler is still struggling to move past his arrest last month at the PGA Championship, despite charges being dropped.

The American is preparing for the upcoming Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio, though the events at the last major remains on his mind.

Scheffler was arrested after play was delayed at Valhalla Golf Club due to a traffic incident outside the course, with one person left dead from the incident, which did not involve the golfer.

It later emerged the American had been charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer.

An American court dismissed Scheffler's charges just 12 days later but the incident continues to trouble him.

"I would say that I still wouldn't have 100 per cent moved past it," Scheffler said. 

"Because now it's almost more appropriate for people to ask me about the situation and, to be honest with you, it's not something that I love reliving, just because it was fairly traumatic for me being arrested going into the golf course.

"It's not something that I love talking about and it's something that I'm hoping to move past, but when the charges are dropped, that's kind of only the beginning of getting past it, if that makes sense.

"It was definitely a bit of a relief, but not total relief because that's something that will always, I think, kind of stick with me. That mugshot I'm sure is not going anywhere any time soon."

Scheffler's attorney Steve Romines confirmed his client would not file a civil lawsuit after charges were dropped.

"I did not want to have to pursue legal action against Louisville because, at the end of the day, the people of Louisville are then going to have to pay for the mistakes of their police department and that just doesn't seem right," Scheffler said.

"So at no point did I ever want to sue them, but if it came there, I think my lawyer was more than prepared to use that as more of like a bargaining chip-type thing more than anything.

"I think sometimes in society people are expecting perfection out of everybody and just because somebody will make one mistake, people will crucify them for that and I've never really believed in that.

"I believe in forgiveness, I believe in grace and I try to give that out as much as possible because of how much grace I've been given."

Scottie Scheffler has had all charges dropped after his arrest before the second round of the PGA Championship earlier this month.

The world number one was arrested after play was delayed at Valhalla Golf Club due to a traffic incident outside the course, with one person left dead from the incident, which did not involve Scheffler.

It later emerged the American had been charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer.

Louisville Metro Police Department said a bus had struck and killed a pedestrian in the incident, which Scheffler was reportedly attempting to navigate to enter the course.

Scheffler asserted the situation was a "big misunderstanding" following his arrest on May 17, which Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell agreed with after reviewing the evidence.

O'Connell said Scheffler's actions did not "satisfy the elements of any criminal offence", while the golfer's attorney Steve Romines confirmed his client would not file a civil lawsuit.

"We are pleased the case was dismissed today," Romines told reporters as the attorney said Scheffler wanted to focus on his golf, rather than the incident after the court case was closed.

Scheffler posted a five-under-par 66 on the Friday of his arrest but finished tied for eighth as Xander Schaffuele triumphed for his first major glory.

Scottie Scheffler is unsure whether his arrest on Friday was a factor after a disappointing Saturday led to him finishing tied for eighth at a "hectic" PGA Championship.

On Friday, world number one Scheffler was arrested outside Valhalla Golf Club ahead of his second round.

It subsequently emerged that he faces charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

Scheffler shot a five-under 66 in the delayed second round, one stroke better than his first round, but a two-over 73 on Saturday all but ended his hopes of back-to-back major wins.

Xander Schauffele ultimately claimed his first major title at 21 under, eight shots ahead of Scheffler.

Speaking after Sunday's final round, in which a run of seven birdies in 10 holes helped him card a 65, Scheffler said he was proud of the way he finished the event. 

"I think 'hectic' would probably be a good description," Scheffler said. "I'm fairly tired, definitely a lot more tired than I have been finishing some other tournaments.

"I'm proud of today how we went out there and fought. I got off to a slow start and I was able to get some momentum and post a good round.

"Yesterday obviously was quite frustrating and a bit of a different day, but overall proud of how I fought this week. Was fortunate to be out here competing, doing what I love."

Asked whether his arrest had an impact on his performance, Scheffler said: "It's hard to tell. I think I would attribute it mostly to a bad day. 

"I think when you come out here to compete, you're doing what you can throughout the course of the round to post a score and I wasn't able to get that done yesterday.

"Did I feel like myself? Absolutely not. Was my warm-up the way it usually is and the distractions the way they normally are? Absolutely not. 

"I got arrested Friday morning and I showed up here and played a good round of golf. So I've been good throughout my career at leaving the off-course distractions at home and keeping a pretty quiet personal life.

"I'm not going to sit here and say that I played poorly yesterday because of what happened on Friday. I just had a bad day out on the course and was proud of how I came out here and bounced back today."

Scottie Scheffler was left "shocked and shaking" after his arrest in Kentucky, though the world number one delivered a superb second round at the PGA Championship.

Scheffler was arrested ahead of play starting at Valhalla Golf Club on Friday.

According to reports from ESPN, Scheffler faces charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

The start of Friday's second round in Kentucky was delayed due to a traffic incident outside the course, with it subsequently confirmed that one person had died in the incident, which did not involve Scheffler.

Speaking to reporters after his second round, Scheffler said: "My main focus after getting arrested was wondering if I could be able to come back out here and play, and fortunately I was able to do that," he said.

"I was never angry, just in shock and I was shaking the whole time. It was definitely a new feeling for me.

"The officer that took me to the jail was very kind. He was great. We had a nice chat in the car, that kind of helped calm me down.

"It was a chaotic situation and a big misunderstanding," he said. "It’ll get resolved fairly quickly I think. I was driving in this morning, trying to get to my warm-up time and I don’t really have an understanding what transpired.

"I did numerous apologies but it was dark, it was raining and they had just had an accident. I didn’t know what had happened at the time but my heart goes out to the family.

"At no point did I try to name-drop myself to defuse the situation. I just tried to remain as calm as possible and just follow instructions."

Scheffler posted a five-under-par 66, moving to nine under for the tournament, and closing within three strokes of leader Xander Schauffele.

Having carded a historic 62 on Thursday, Schauffele could only manage a 68 in his second round, allowing his rivals to close the gap.

Collin Morikawa, who followed up his first-round 66 with an excellent 65, is one stroke back on 11 under. Sahith Theegala is third, on 10 under.

Scheffler is then part of a group that also includes Bryson DeChambeau, Thomas Detry and Mark Hubbard.

Reigning champion Brooks Koepka is two back from Scheffler on seven under.

Rory McIlroy, however, endured a disappointing second round, with the Northern Irishman carding 71 to slide seven shots off the lead.

Tiger Woods, meanwhile, missed the cut after a dismal round of 77.

World number one Scottie Scheffler was arrested ahead of the second round at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.

According to reports from ESPN, Scheffler faces charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

The start of Friday's second round in Kentucky was delayed due to a traffic incident outside the course.

Louisville Metro Police Department said a bus had struck and killed a pedestrian in the incident, which Scheffler was reportedly attempting to navigate to enter the course.

Pre-tournament favourite Scheffler carded a four-under-par 67 in the first round on Thursday, putting him five strokes behind early pacesetter Xander Schauffele. 

The second major of the year gets under way on Thursday, with the PGA Championship returning to Valhalla Golf Club for the fourth time, and the first since 2014.

That previous staging of the event in Louisville brought Rory McIlroy his fourth and most recent major title. The Northern Irishman enters this year's tournament in excellent form and among the favourites, but he will face plenty of competition.

Brooks Koepka lifted the hulking trophy for a third time last year and is again tipped to be in contention, headlining a list of 16 LIV Golf entrants as the fracture that has split the sport shows little sign of healing.     

However, the question on most people's lips ahead of tee-off is; who – if anyone – can stop Scottie Scheffler? The Masters champion and world number one has been out of action for three weeks following the birth of his first child, but few expect any rustiness from a man who has enjoyed a magical start to 2024.

Ahead of the 106th edition of the PGA Championship, we run through the key storylines and delve into the best Opta facts around the key contenders.

The course

The PGA Championship's lack of a permanent home may deny it the lustre of the Masters, but a return to Valhalla – a course which holds fond memories for some of golf's biggest names – should add something special.

Valhalla's fourth PGA Championship will make it the most common home of the tournament since the start of the 1990s, with only Southern Hills hosting more often since the competition was founded in 1916 (five times).

The previous three editions at Valhalla have provided plenty of drama, with the first two – in 1996 and 2000 – being decided by a playoff. Mark Brooks overcame Kenny Perry in 1996, then Tiger Woods saw off Bob May four years later for the third leg of the memorable 'Tiger Slam'.

In 2014, meanwhile, McIlroy beat Phil Mickelson by one stroke in a dramatic finish on a chaotic, stormy Sunday. In near darkness, officials moved Mickelson and playing partner Rickie Fowler off to the side to allow McIlroy to tee off on the 18th and avoid having to sleep on his slender lead.

McIlroy has failed to win on any of his subsequent 35 major appearances, but as he returns to the scene of his most dramatic success, it's no wonder the world number two feels "the stars are aligning" for him.

The contenders 

Indeed, McIlroy approaches the tournament in fine form, winning on his last two starts on the PGA Tour after enduring a mixed beginning to 2024.

Having triumphed at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Shane Lowry, McIlroy hauled in Xander Schauffele to win the Wells Fargo Championship for a record-extending fourth time last week, issuing a timely reminder of his brilliance by carding a six-under 65 in the final round.

Back in 2014, McIlroy entered the PGA Championship as the favourite after winning The Open, but he believes he is in better shape now than he was a decade ago.

"I've been banging this drum for the last few years, but I'm a way better player now than I was back then," he told Sky Sports after his Wells Fargo win.

"I haven't had the major record to back that up, but I've had the wins, I've done everything else there is to do in the game since 2014. The only thing I need to do is get another major."

While hopes are high regarding McIlroy's chances of a title tilt, he is not the clear favourite. That honour goes to Scheffler.

After his four-stroke victory at the Masters, Scheffler could become just the third golfer this century to win the first two majors in a calendar year, after Woods (in 2002) and Jordan Spieth (2015). 

He has been in sublime form this year, shooting a staggering 161 under par across 39 rounds in 10 PGA Tour events, not finishing a single round over par.

Scheffler has won on four of his last five starts, triumphing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players' Championship and RBC Heritage as well as the Masters, and finished second at the other, one shot behind Stephen Jager at the Houston Open.

The 27-year-old has taken three weeks off since Augusta, with wife Meredith giving birth to son Bennett last week. Scheffler does not believe becoming a father has had a negative impact on his preparations, though.

"I talk a lot about how it's all about my prep work. I want to be as prepared as possible going into an event and, standing here today, I feel like I am extremely prepared and I feel like my game is in a good spot," he told the Golf Channel.

Should a lack of sleep get to the new dad, Scheffler can expect competition from the man who beat him and Viktor Hovland by two shots at last year's PGA Championship – Koepka.

Only Walter Hagen, Jack Nicklaus (five each) and Woods (four) have bettered his three wins at the event. 

Having gone back-to-back at the PGA Championship in 2018 and 2019, Koepka could become just the second player to win successive editions of the tournament twice in the stroke-play era, after Woods did so in 1999 and 2000, and again in 2006 and 2007.

What of 15-time major champion Woods? He has a lifetime exemption for the PGA Championship but has not played competitively since the Masters. At Augusta, he made a record 24th consecutive cut but finished last of all players to go the distance, a 10-over 82 in the third round being his worst-ever score at the event.

A Woods triumph would make even his incredible 2019 Masters comeback look like a minor upset, but he did not play his chances down at Tuesday’s press conference.

"I still feel that I can win golf tournaments," Woods said. "I just need to do it for all four days, not like I did at Augusta for only two." 

There are others going under the radar who are more likely to be in contention, though.

Jon Rahm entered last year's PGA Championship as world number one and hot favourite, only to finish with a share of 50th place at seven over for the tournament. 

Having joined LIV Golf in December before enduring a poor Masters defence, Rahm is not being spoken about in quite the same terms this time around. 

The Spaniard has, however, made the cut at each of his last 18 majors, the longest ongoing run among male golfers. The last time he failed to see the weekend was at the 2019 PGA Championship.

Schauffele and Max Homa have both been tipped for serious tilts at what would be a maiden major title for either player. 

Schauffele's 12 top-10 major finishes since 2017 are more than any other player without a title to their name, while Homa has been steadily improving, finishing T10 at The Open last year, then T3 at the Masters, having never previously managed a top-10 finish in 16 major appearances. 

The history 

The PGA Championship has not been all that welcoming to those travelling from overseas in recent years. In fact, the last eight editions have all been won by an American, the longest run of champions of a single nationality at any major since US-born players won 12 straight US Opens between 1982 and 1993.

The last non-US player to win the PGA was Jason Day in 2015, while the last European to lift the Wannamaker trophy was McIlroy one year earlier.

The likes of Justin Thomas (twice), Mickelson, Collin Morikawa and Jimmy Walker have helped Koepka establish home dominance in the last eight years. Prior to Walker's 2016 triumph, non-Americans had won six of the previous eight editions. 

Another American, Spieth, is eyeing a piece of history as he looks to complete the career Grand Slam, a feat only previously achieved by Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Nicklaus and Woods. 

He has not made the top 25 at any major since 2019, though that T3 finish did come at the PGA.

Largely good conditions are expected in Louisville, making it highly unlikely this year's tournament becomes the first in 48 years to produce an over-par winning score. The last time the PGA was won with either an even or over-par score was in 1976, with Dave Stockton coming out on top at +1.

With 16 former PGA Championship victors taking their places among the strongest field in professional golf, expect a far higher bar to be set this time around.

Scottie Scheffler admits he does not allow himself to look too far ahead as he prepares to launch his bid for a first PGA Championship title.

The world number one, who finished tied-second behind champion Brooks Koepka at Oak Hill last year, is the player in form and favourite to go one better 12 months on and claim his third major.

The reigning Masters champion is aiming to become only the third golfer since the turn of the century to win the opening two majors in a calendar year, after Tiger Woods (2002) and Jordan Spieth (2015).

Scheffler arrives at Valhalla having won four of his last five tournaments, and is 161 under par across his 10 PGA Tour events in 2024 - shooting 60s in 30 of the 39 rounds he has played.

One of only two players to finish inside the top 10 in each of the last three majors - along with Cameron Smith - big things are expected of the 28-year-old, but he highlighted the importance of staying grounded.

"I don't really try to look that far ahead," he said. "If I listen to the narratives around myself, if it was two months ago, it would probably look significantly different than it does now.

"I'm sure that wasn't a conversation you were all having two months ago and, all of a sudden, now it's like: 'Oh, he's going to win this many tournaments, or do that and do this'.

"I don't really pay attention to it, I don't really care about it. I'm trying to do the best I can out there each and every week, and as far as anything else, I'm not really too concerned with it.

"I may win a lot of major championships, I may be stuck at two the rest of my career. It doesn't really concern me at the moment. I'm just trying to prepare as best as possible for this week."

Scottie Scheffler intends to keep the secrets of Masters success to himself as he bids to justify his position as pre-tournament favourite with a second green jacket.

The 2022 champion has been in brilliant form this season, winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational by five shots and seven days later becoming the first player to win back-to-back Players Championship titles at Sawgrass.

Only a short missed birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the Houston Open cost Scheffler the chance of a third straight win and the world number one has rightly been made favourite for the 88th Masters at the kind of odds last seen for Tiger Woods at his prime.

Scheffler’s victory two years ago was aided by a yardage book given to him by Ben Crenshaw’s former caddie Carl Jackson, who worked at Augusta National for 54 years.

Crenshaw arranged a meeting between the pair as bad weather delayed the pre-tournament par-three contest and, four days later, Scheffler secured his first major title by three shots, despite four-putting the 72nd hole.

“I’m not going to expand too much on Carl’s secrets in front of people but it was my third Masters and I sat in the back of the caddie house with Carl,” Scheffler said.

“Ben had suggested that I just sit down with him for a few minutes and he gave me a yardage book that had some of where I think he called it grain is, where some of the slopes are.

“And it’s just a yardage book that has some arrows in it. (But) I’m not going to tell you where the arrows are pointing.

“It’s something that I’ll kind of review at night and I always look at it in the lead-up to the tournament just because there is kind of some weird stuff that goes on around the golf course.”

Scottie Scheffler overturned a five-shot deficit to become the first player to successfully defend the Players Championship in the tournament’s 50-year history.

Scheffler carded an eagle and six birdies in a flawless closing 64 at Sawgrass to finish 20 under par, a shot ahead of US Open champion Wyndham Clark, Open champion Brian Harman and Xander Schauffele.

Clark birdied the 16th and 17th to keep his hopes alive but agonisingly lipped out for another birdie on the last to force a play-off.

Overnight leader Schauffele paid the price for dropped shots on the 14th and 15th and also missed from seven feet for birdie on the treacherous 17th.

“It’s pretty special,” Scheffler told CBS. “It’s something you don’t really get the opportunity to do very often.

“It’s tough enough to win one Players so to have it back-to-back is extremely special and I’m really thankful.

“I put up a good fight for four days, Teddy (Scott, his caddie) kept me in a good head space. We had a great finish yesterday, got off to a slow start today and then the hole-out on four kind of propelled us a little bit.

“I hit a lot of good shots today, did a lot of good things this week and it’s nice to come out on top.”

Asked how he had coped with the neck injury he suffered during Friday’s second round, Scheffler added: “I’m a pretty competitive guy and didn’t want to give up in the tournament.

“I did what I could to hang around until my neck got better and then today it felt really good.”

Scheffler, who also won the Arnold Palmer Invitational by five shots last week, kickstarted his challenge by holing out from 92 yards for an eagle on the fourth and also birdied the fifth, eighth and ninth to race to the turn in 31.

That gave the world number one his first share of the lead and although Schauffele moved back in front with birdies on the seventh and ninth, Scheffler birdied the 11th and then drove the green on the short par-four 12th to set up another.

Schauffele picked up a shot on the same hole to take the outright lead again, but Scheffler birdied the 16th to draw level before Schauffele crucially dropped shots on the 14th and 15th.