Tiger Woods attends the 2024 PGA Championship Champions Dinner with LIV Golf stars, while Rory McIlroy skips it
Tiger Woods attended the 2024 PGA Championship Champions dinner alongside past winners of the tournament. The second Major of the year will start with its inaugural round on Thursday, May 16, and will conclude on Sunday, May 19 at Valhalla Golf Course.
Ahead of the tournament on Tuesday, May 14, PGA Championship officials organized a dinner for all the tournament winners over the years. The dinner was also attended by LIV golfers, including Phil Mickelson and defending champion Brooks Koepka, alongside PGA Tour players Collin Morikawa, John Daly, and Justin Thomas.
However, Rory McIlroy was missing from the picture, The PGA Championship posted of the players attending the dinner.
Rory McIlroy has been going through a hard time in his life. He has filed for divorce from his wife, Erica Stoll, after seven years of marriage. The couple tied the knot in 2017 in a lavish ceremony at Ashford Castle estate.
McIlroy has won the PGA Championship twice in his career. In fact, the last time the Major was held at Valhalla, McIlroy emerged victorious at the tournament. Amidst the challenging situation, the Northern Irish golfer focused on his game. He is one of the favorite bets for the week to win the PGA Championship.
Tiger Woods gives update on his health ahead of the PGA Championship
Tiger Woods has been grappling with health issues for the past few years. He last played at the Masters but finished at the bottom of the leaderboard. Previously, he withdrew from The Genesis Invitational 2024 due to a fever. Fans are concerned about his health as he is scheduled to tee off at this week's Major.
During a press conference, Woods mentioned that his body was okay, and despite the challenges, he remained focused on his game. He is looking forward to a strong finish at the event. Speaking about his health, Woods said (via PGA Championship.com):
"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."
"But at the end of the day, I need to be ready mentally and physically come Thursday, and these days of practicing, eating on the golf course, that's one of the reasons I came up here on Sunday was to knock off some of the work that I have to do in charting greens, get all that stuff done early, so I can focus on literally playing and plotting my way around." Woods added.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy will also tee off this week. The Northern Irish golfer is set to start at 8:15 a.m. ET on Thursday, May 16, on the tenth tee hole. He will be joined by Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose, while Woods will commence his game at 8:04 a.m. ET alongside Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley.