PGA Championship Preview: Who Will Capture Quail Hollow?
We are now one week away from the second major of the 2025 season, and it would be hard to find another major with more implications than this one over the past couple of years. With Rory McIlroy looking for back-to-back majors and an unforgettable start to his 2025 campaign, and Jordan Spieth, who will become just the seventh golfer to complete the grand slam, the weekend of May 17th is sure to be one that will be remembered. The tournament this year moves to Quail Hollow, a North Carolina course made for the long drivers on tour, with all par fives ranging around 650 yards. The field for the tournament is also looking as strong as ever, with Xander Schaufflee coming in as the defending champ, while Scottie Scheffler and Bryson Dechambeau have just come off dominant wins on the PGA and LIV tour, respectively.
The weather is also going to be a huge factor in North Carolina, as thunderstorms are supposed to dominate the days of practice leading up to the first round. While the familiarity shouldn’t be a huge issue with the course being a staple on tour every year, the rain should make the course super soft, hence favoring the long-ball hitters like Bryson and Rory. The tournament always played at Quail is the Wells Fargo, which Rory also is the defending champ at two of the last three years, again making a case for him to capture his second major of the year. The major weather factor that will make the tournament the most interesting is the temperatures, as it is projected to be around 60 for the first couple of practice rounds before reaching 90 around the latter part of the weekend. Normally, as we go into a major, it’s somewhat obvious whose win would create the biggest storyline, but this week, there just isn’t. A Rory win could start conversations about him being the number one in the world, a Scottie win would prove to everyone that the injury setback wasn’t real, and again, a Spieth win would capture him as one of the best golfers ever, securing the coveted grand slam at just 31.
Don’t count out players like Justin Thomas or Ludvig Auberg, though, who are sure to compete at a high level in North Carolina, riding their momentum from good starts to their campaigns. The last time Quail hosted a PGA championship, Thomas won, shooting a 68 and coming back to beat Patrick Reed and Louis Oosthuizen for his first-ever major. With last year’s PGA Championship ending with Xander edging out Bryson at 21 under par and the number one player in the world two days removed from jail, this tournament always gives us storylines to remember. The last time a major was hosted at Quail, the winning score was just eight under par, with only 11 finishing under the even benchmark. With the rain and the soft greens, scores should be low, but there’s always a loophole at the majors, especially the PGA. The second major, a potential grand slam, a proven number one, all will be proven in the Queen City.
