What Would a Win at the PGA Championship Mean for the Top Players?
The 2025 PGA Championship returns to Quail Hollow Club with no shortage of storylines or star power. This demanding Charlotte venue has a history of favoring long-ball hitters and strong ball strikers, traits found in abundance among this week’s top contenders. With one Major Championship already in the books and the FedEx Cup race heating up, the season’s second major has the potential to reshape the year’s narrative in a single stroke. Some players are seeking to validate recent success, while others are desperate to change course after months of close calls. Then there are also those hoping to build on legacies that already sparkle. Whether they’ve been dominating the PGA Tour, trying to stay relevant from LIV, or reliving past PGA Championship glory, each contender brings something unique to the week. Here's what a win at Quail Hollow would mean for the top six betting favorites.
Scottie Scheffler +500 – A Different Major, A Bigger Message
Scottie Scheffler has been playing like the best golfer in the world, even if his win total doesn’t fully reflect it. He captured the CJ CUP Byron Nelson in dominant fashion, snapping a season of close finishes that included three top fives and five top 10s. He has led the PGA Tour in strokes gained total and tee-to-green for the last couple of years now, but he has yet to win a Major away from Augusta, with both of his career major wins having come at the Masters. Winning the PGA Championship would mark a turning point, a new venue, a different pressure, and a stronger claim to historic greatness. A victory at Quail Hollow would give Scheffler his third career major and his first outside Augusta, essentially kick-starting his career Grand Slam bid. It would also signal that he’s not just dominant on one Major caliber track. He’s the real deal everywhere. At 28, he’s already in rarefied air, but adding the Wanamaker Trophy would elevate him further and solidify the start of what could be a legendary career.
Rory McIlroy +500 – The Grand Slam King Returns Home
After finally completing the career Grand Slam with his emotional win at the 2025 Masters, Rory McIlroy enters the 2025 PGA Championship with renewed confidence, freedom from the pressure he had during his 10+ year Major Championship drought, and a familiar setting. He not only won his first PGA Tour event at Quail Hollow in 2010, but also the 2024 Truist Championship here. In fact, he’s won four times at Quail Hollow throughout his career. It’s a course he knows intimately, and with the monkey of Augusta off his back, he’s now free to chase major number six without the burden of history weighing on every swing. Winning back-to-back majors in 2025 would transform an already memorable season into something historic. It would be his first PGA Championship win since 2014 and a reminder that McIlroy, even at 36, remains a dominant force when he’s firing on all cylinders. He leads the Tour in strokes gained off the tee and sits first in the FedEx Cup standings. A second major in 2025 would not only bolster his Hall of Fame resume, but it could be the start of one of the greatest late-career runs we’ve seen.
Bryson DeChambeau +850 – LIV’s Best Still Has Something to Prove
Bryson DeChambeau continues to be LIV Golf’s most compelling figure, and 2025 has done little to change that. He’s won once this year on LIV, has posted six top-10 finishes in all eight professional events played, and remains their most consistent major performer. Even after a top-five finish at the Masters, where he played in the final group and led the tournament at one point on Sunday, and a win at LIV Korea, he’s still searching for a definitive moment in 2025. The PGA Championship could be it. A win at Quail Hollow would give DeChambeau his third career major, and his second in a calendar year, with the other being the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. More importantly, it would silence skeptics who still question the LIV players’ ability to win in mixed fields. It would also remind the world of just how dangerous he is when the stakes are highest. DeChambeau’s data-driven, power-focused style might seem at odds with a course like Quail Hollow, but he’s shown that when he’s on, he can tame any test. A win here would be a seismic statement for him and LIV.
Justin Thomas +1800 – From Homegrown Hero to Contender Again
Justin Thomas is having a resurgent 2025 season. After winning the RBC Heritage and finishing runner-up at the Truist Championship, he now sits third in the FedEx Cup standings. He’s striking the ball well, showing elite touch around the greens, and, maybe most importantly, playing with confidence again. That bodes well for a return to Quail Hollow, where he won his first Major at the 2017 PGA Championship. A second career win at this venue would be more than nostalgic, it would be powerful proof that Thomas is still a major threat in his prime. He already owns two PGA Championships, but a third would put him in elite company and could cement him on the U.S. Ryder Cup Team as well. For a player who’s weathered several valleys over the past few years, this week could be the summit of a remarkable comeback.
Jon Rahm +2000 – The Shadow Giant Still Lurking
Jon Rahm might be out of the PGA Tour spotlight, but he hasn’t disappeared. In fact, he’s quietly been one of the most consistent players in 2025. He’s finished top 10 in all seven LIV events this year and posted a solid T14 at the 2025 Masters. Still, he hasn’t really contended in a Major Championship since his move to LIV in late 2023, and the murmurs about his diminished intensity are growing louder. Quail Hollow gives him the perfect stage to silence them. A win here would give Rahm his third career major, his first PGA Championship, and renew his chase for the career Grand Slam. Rahm remains one of the best ball-strikers in the world, and if he finds rhythm early, he can absolutely overpower this course. A win this week would recalibrate the entire narrative around Rahm and reinforce his place among the game’s greats.
Xander Schauffele +2000 – The Champion’s Burden
Xander Schauffele’s Major Championship breakthrough came at last year’s PGA Championship at Valhalla, a dramatic and cathartic first major after years of “almosts.” 2025, however, has been a slow and underwhelming season so far for the two-time Major winner. He hasn’t cracked the top five all season and sits well outside the top 10 in the FedEx Cup standings. Still, the return to Major Championship golf could be just the jolt he needs. Defending his PGA title, albeit on a different course, would instantly revive his season and prove that last year’s win wasn’t a one-off. Schauffele’s ball striking remains elite, and his temperament makes him a natural fit for grinding major setups like Quail Hollow. A repeat would place him in elite company and reframe his status from “breakthrough” to “proven.” For Xander, this week is about momentum and defending a trophy he worked so hard to achieve just a year ago.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 PGA Championship isn’t just a Major, it’s a mirror. It reflects momentum, legacy, resilience, and untapped potential. Whether it’s Scheffler’s chance to diversify his Major portfolio, Rory’s opportunity to “freely” contend in Majors after capturing Grand Slam glory, or Thomas and Schauffele’s quest to reignite their seasons, this week is loaded with high-stakes possibilities. Add in Rahm and Bryson, LIV’s best hope for relevance, and the script practically writes itself. One player will leave Quail Hollow changed forever. A legacy will grow, a perception will shift, and a champion will rise. It’s major golf, and this is where it matters most.
