2024 Golf Season Review: Scheffler and Korda’s Dominance, McIlroy’s Setback, and a Woods Hole-in-One

The 2024 golfing year presented a complex landscape, marked by persistent political turbulence and frequent changes in executive leadership. American players secured all men’s major titles, resulting in further disappointment for Rory McIlroy. Concurrently, Nelly Korda demonstrated exceptional dominance on the women’s tour, despite the departure of several prominent names. Great Britain and Ireland achieved a notable victory in the Curtis Cup, while the United States ultimately acceded to player demands for compensation for Ryder Cup team members. These contrasting events encapsulated the year’s narrative: moments of inspiring achievement coexisted with instances where the sport’s elite seemed driven by financial motives. The year featured both remarkable performances and concerning, even tragic, developments. This review will highlight 18 significant moments from 2024, presented in no specific order. World number one Scottie Scheffler initiated the year’s trajectory by successfully defending the Players Championship. Despite the tournament’s rich history of champions at Sawgrass, no player had previously secured consecutive victories until Wyndham Clark’s final-hole miss in March, which resulted in Scheffler’s win. The tall Texan also claimed victory at Bay Hill the week prior to the Players, followed by a second-place finish in Houston, and then secured his second Green Jacket by winning the Masters. Scheffler triumphed by four strokes over Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg, who finished second in his major debut, with Eng;and’s Tommy Fleetwood tied third. Scheffler continued his exceptional form by winning the Heritage a week later, showcasing a period of remarkable dominance. Throughout the year, his status as the leading player remained unchallenged, reminiscent of Tiger Woods’s prime. Paralleling Scheffler’s performance in men’s golf, Nelly Korda established a high benchmark on the women’s tour. Korda beat Lydia Ko at the Drive On Championship in late January to signal a run of five consecutive wins, culminating in the 26-year-old’s second major win at the Chevron Championship. Korda was the first to win five in a row since Annika Sorenstam in 2004/5. She would go on to be the first player since Yani Tseng in 2011 to win seven tournaments in an LPGA Tour season. Nevertheless, despite being the strong favorite for the US Women’s Open, Korda’s prospects diminished rapidly within the first three holes at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania. Playing the back nine first, she dumped three balls into the water at the par-three 12th to rack up a ruinous 10 as she missed the cut. Demonstrating that even top-ranked players are susceptible to unexpected incidents, Scheffler was arrested on his way to the second round of the US PGA Championship. He drove past a policeman to escape a traffic jam at the entrance to Valhalla. The officer alleged assault and Scheffler was taken to jail in handcuffs. The world number one warmed up in a cell, was sprung on bail and fired a 66. All charges were later dropped. A discomfited Scheffler could not sustain his challenge and Xander Schauffele capitalised to land his first major. The American birdied the last to beat LIV’s Bryson DeChambeau on a course that proved far too easy for a major. Schauffele also won The Open with a sublime 65 at a far more testing, soggy, blowy Royal Troon on the Ayrshire coast. It meant US players won all four men’s majors for the first time since 1982. DeChambeau atoned for missing out at Valhalla with the year’s most dramatic major victory, beating Rory McIlroy for the US Open at Pinehurst. McIlroy led by two with five to play and his decade-long barren run in the big four seemed over. But he bogeyed 15, missed a tiddler on 16 and devilish short one on 18 to open the door for a ragged DeChambeau. The unconventional American fired the shot of the year from a fairway bunker to get up and down for a winning par at the last. It was LIV’s and his second major win. McIlroy’s haunted and shellshocked face in the recorders’ area was image of the year. McIlroy went on to win a sixth Race to Dubai but he would have swapped that for a fifth major. The AIG Women’s Open in August at St Andrews provided a welcome sight, with the Old Course presenting its intended challenge. Lydia Ko’s long range and championship winning approach to the famous 17th was among the shots of the year, as she ended an eight-year drought in the majors. This after Korda, defending champion Lilia Vu, Jiyai Shin and Ruoning Yin all stumbled to share second place. Ko achieved a complete collection of Olympic medals by securing gold in France, adding to her previously won silver and bronze medals. The Kiwi’s triumph followed yet another Scheffler victory, as he raced through the pack with a closing 62 in Paris. He eclipsed Fleetwood’s plucky challenge after Jon Rahm and McIlroy had threatened golden glory in what proved 2024’s best day for golf, with so many big guns involved in such a dramatic shoot out. Off the course, significant leadership changes occurred. Guy Kinnings took over from Keith Pelley with the DP World Tour frustratedly awaiting an outcome in ongoing talks between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia. The possibility of the DPWT teaming up with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) was viewed by many as an appealing alternative if the current stalemate continues. Northampton rugby’s Mark Darbon arrived to replace Martin Slumbers at the R&A and Derek Sprague is the new man in charge of the PGA of America. Beleaguered boss Jay Monahan still runs the PGA Tour but the commissioner wants a new chief executive. Speculation arose whether incoming US president and golf nut Donald Trump, who insists he can heal golf’s civil war “in 15 minutes,” would aid him. A recruitment process was also underway at the LPGA, following Mollie Marcoux Samaan’s surprising departure after three years. The United States’ victorious Solheim Cup campaign was marred only by spectator bus disruptions. Skipper Stacy Lewis inspired her side to hold off a spirited final day European fight back. Late home points in Virginia meant the continent’s hopes went up in a puff of smoke, just like one of Charley Hull’s cigs. More impressive was GB&I’s Curtis Cup win. Catriona Matthew was captain fantastic, bringing calm, insightful management that was the hallmark of her two Solheim successes. On paper it was America’s amateur women who would win. On the Old Course at Sunningdale, the home side thrillingly had other ideas. A great weekend. Events such as the Curtis Cup are perceived as more wholesome, especially now US Ryder Cup players will receive $500,000 including a $200,000 stipend to play for their country. Money is golf’s biggest turn off, but greedy players and their administrators seem oblivious. The total number of major championships won by Tiger Woods remained unchanged in 2024, leading to speculation that he may not secure another major victory. Woods battled to make the cut at Augusta but never came close to playing the weekends of the remaining three majors before undergoing yet more back surgery. He turned down the US Ryder Cup captaincy which surprisingly went to Keegan Bradley, to concentrate on PGA Tour talks with Saudi Arabia. The best shot struck by a Woods this year was son Charlie’s hole-in-one at December’s family-friendly PNC Championship. The PGA Tour proved a happy hunting ground for graduates from the DPWT such as Bob MacIntyre and Frenchman Mathieu Pavon. The Scot won the Canadian Open with his dad on the bag and then the Scottish Open for a pulsating victory that counted on both tours. A year to treasure for the Oban lefty. He and Pavon made it to the 30-man Tour Championship, as did Wolverhampton’s Aaron Rai. Several prominent players exited the LPGA Tour, including 29-year-old Lexi Thompson, who is stepping back from full-time play as fellow Solheim stars Ally Ewing, Marina Alex and Brittany Lincicome announced retirements. Major champions So Yeon Ryu and IK Kim also bade farewell and Catriona Matthew played her last Women’s Open. Regrettably, the golf community mourned the loss of numerous respected figures in 2024. Among them were two Ryder Cup stalwarts, Englishman Peter Oosterhuis (aged 75) and the ‘Welsh Bulldog’ Brian Huggett (87). Both were great men of golf, architects of the modern game, who will be greatly missed. The sport was shocked by the tragic loss of PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray at the age of 30 and the popular former pro turned broadcaster Mark Carnevale (64). Legend Chi Chi Rodriguez died aged 88, hall of famer Susie Maxwell Berning (83), former R&A head pro Jim Farmer (76) and the respected and much loved American writer Jeff Babineau (62) were also mourned in 2024.