Paige Spiranac is looking forward to seeing what Rory McIlroy can do at Valhalla Golf Club this week.
Ahead of Thursday’s opening round of the 2024 PGA Championship, the longtime golf influencer, 31, listed off her favorites to win the second major of the season, including the Northern Irishman, who filed for divorce from wife Erica Stoll earlier in the week after nearly seven years of marriage.
“Everyone seems to have their money on Rory McIlroy at +600 and I can see why. He seems to have his swagger back after a dominating performance last week, and when Rory has confidence and a little pep in his step, there is no one who is more fun to watch play golf than him,” Spiranac said Wednesday in a video on X.
“But as we know, he filed for divorce on Monday, half of the people are saying he is free and ready to go win and play at a course he loves like Valhalla, and the other half is saying that could put a lot of stress and pressure on him. I think that Rory plays well when he has a little bit of a chip on his shoulder and he is my favorite for this week.”
McIlroy, who won the PGA Championship in 2012 and ’14, is coming off two consecutive wins at the Zurich Classic, where he was paired with Shane Lowry, and last week’s Wells Fargo Championship.