The next major event in the golf world, the 2024 PGA Championship, is only three days away. The number of fans eagerly waiting for its commencement has broken all records! This hints that even the brutal rumors about the tension between two of the most celebrated stars of golf, Tiger Woods and Rory Mcllroy, could not disrupt the crazy week of golf that is about to kickstart at Valhalla.

According to NUCLR GOLF’s X handle, “Ticket records have reportedly been broken for this week’s PGA Championship, with officials expecting 200K fans on site.“ Later, it was also reported by Sports Business Journals that the expectations of 200,000 fans throughout the week were legitimate. 

Although none of the official numbers have been made public yet, they have certainly passed the previous record that was set during the PGA Championship at Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club, which was held in 2017. They also recorded, “For hospitality sales, 70% of passes were sold to companies or people within Kentucky. As of May 1, more than 200 companies had bought a hospitality ticket for the event.”

The PGA of America Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Price insinuated with the affirmation that indeed the records have been broken. He reflected, “Each one has a depth of love and passion for the game that certainly comes out, and then when you can showcase cities of that size on a global stage, the communities really respond. And Louisville certainly has stepped up this year.”

However, this does not rule out the tension that is still intricate within the community. Mcllroy resigned from the PGA Tour Policy Board last November. Webb Simpson mentioned that he would resign from his seat if the Northern Irishman would take his place. However, once the votes were cast, it came to light that McIlroy was not able to gather the required number of votes, and hence he will not be taking Simpson’s place. The 4x major championship mentioned that some players were “uncomfortable” with his return, and the fingers were directly pointed at Patrick Cantlay, given their history.

New rumors then emerged that, along with Cantlay, Woods, and Jordan Spieth, they also did not want McIlroy to be on board. Earlier, as per the reports, Spieth and McIlroy had a small rift about the merger. The former mentioned that the PIF merger is not required anymore since the Tour has gotten a $3 billion investment from SSG, but the latter thought otherwise. The news, however, was soon put to rest.

Although the golf industry was initially torn to hear the news, Woods and McIlroy have been each other’s companions and are always on the same side! McIlroy might have been heartbroken upon hearing this, but he still managed to handle the entire situation gracefully. 

Rory McIlroy calls his rift with Woods a friendly disagreement

Just before Valhalla, where Mcllroy would be meeting Tiger Woods as an opponent, he tried to calm down the rumors. The 26x PGA Tour winner stated, “I would say, I mean, I think friends can have disagreements or not see eye to eye on things.” McIlroy then confirmed a 45-minute conversation with Woods. Both the golfers have always had a pretty good relationship with each other. They are often seen on the greens together, and they have often praised each other.

Rory Mcllroy reaffirmed, “I think we might see the future of golf a little bit differently, but I don’t think that should place any strain on a relationship or on a friendship.” McIlroy wishes for a golf world where there is a global tour and all the best players play together, and on the contrary, Woods has never spoken about the kind of growth he aspires to see.

Both McLroy and Woods have taken the rumors lightly. The fans too fought for their spot to witness the upcoming fight for the winning title on the greens. Will you be watching the showdown at Valhalla?