LOUISVILLE, Ky. — 2024 will be a major sports year for Louisville as the city celebrates the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby and just days later, hosting the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.

With the above average temperatures, golfers are hitting the links for the first time this year.

“First time here, but we’re glad to be here though,” Will Rushing said at hole 17 at Iroquois Golf Course.

Rushing believes the game of golf is more popular than ever.

“You know COVID kind of revamped the game of golf a little bit because that was one of the few things you could do,” Rushing added.

Rushing and his morning party were playing Iroquois for the first time, and the greens were faster than he expected. There has been little rain and the few inches of snow this side of the city collected melted off weeks ago.

Butch Thomas, another golfer on the course, says he didn’t start golfing until he hit retirement.

“I wasn’t doing anything and my wife said you need to go out and start playing golf by yourself. You’ll meet up with people and — you do,” Thomas said with a grin.

Thomas was playing his first round of the year during the first week of February.

“When they’re thick, the ball don’t roll too fast,” Thomas said of the greens. But so far, no thick greens.

It’s going to be a big year for golf in Kentucky. Valhalla Golf Club is hosting the PGA Championship on May 13-19. It is the fourth time the PGA Championship has been played at the course. The world’s best golfers will travel to Louisville’s east end to compete for millions and it’s all happening nine days after Derby 150.

“PGA Championship coming here is going to be huge for Kentucky, for sure. It’s going to be great,” Rushing said.