The main contenders for the US PGA Championship at Valhalla

Brooks Koepka will defend his title when the 106th US PGA Championship takes place at Valhalla Golf Club from May 16-19.

Koepka will be seeking a sixth major title and back-to-back victories in the event for the second time, having also lifted the Wanamaker trophy in 2018 and 2019.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the main contenders for the year’s second major championship.

Scottie Scheffler

Justified being a hot favourite for the Masters by claiming his second green jacket in three years at Augusta National. Seven days later won the RBC Heritage to make it four wins and a runner-up finish in five events, a spell which includes becoming the first player to successfully defend the Players Championship. Only the imminent birth of his first child threatens to derail the world number one’s brilliant season.

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy’s 10th attempt to win the Masters and complete a career grand slam was blown away with a windswept 77 in the second round and he finished a distant 33rd in the RBC Heritage, but the world number two enjoyed – in every sense of the word – a winning debut in the Zurich Classic alongside Shane Lowry and returns to the scene of his last major title in the 2014 US PGA.

Brooks Koepka

The defending champion was downbeat about the state of his game just days before winning the LIV Golf event in Singapore, a record fourth victory on the Saudi-funded breakaway. Finished 15th at Valhalla in 2014 and has consistently raised his game in the majors. Bidding to lift the Wanamaker Trophy for a fourth time after wins in 2018, 2019 and 2023.

Xander Schauffele

Insisted the best was yet to come after narrowly missing out on the Players Championship, the Olympic champion taking a one-shot lead into the final round only to get overhauled by a charging Scheffler. Seen in some circles as an underachiever, Schauffele has seven PGA Tour titles to go with his gold medal from Tokyo, along with 12 top-10 major finishes, including four in his last six starts in the Masters.

Tommy Fleetwood

Will be without long-time caddie Ian Finnis as he recovers from open-heart surgery, but coped well with a temporary stand-in for the Masters, where a tie for third was comfortably his best finish at Augusta. Missed the cut on his US PGA debut at Valhalla in 2014 but was fifth at Southern Hills in 2022 – just two shots outside the play-off – and looks one good putting week away from claiming a maiden major title.