The PGA Championship is underway, promising excitement for golf enthusiasts. Rory McIlroy’s recent Masters win ended his 11-year major drought, making him the sixth golfer to achieve a career Grand Slam.
This victory might allow him to approach future majors with more ease. The tournament is at Quail Hollow, a venue McIlroy favours, and he aims to become the third golfer this century to start a year with consecutive major wins.
McIlroy is in excellent form, having already secured three PGA Tour victories in 2025. His wins include the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the Players Championship, and the Masters. Quail Hollow has been a successful venue for him, where he has won four times on the PGA Tour. He first triumphed there in 2010 at the Quail Hollow Championship.
Scottie Scheffler leads the American charge at this year’s PGA Championship. He has an impressive record with 13 top-10 finishes in his last 19 major appearances since 2020. Scheffler’s recent performance includes matching the Tour’s 72-hole scoring record at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, finishing at 253 and winning by eight shots.
Xander Schauffele defends his title after edging out Bryson DeChambeau last year. Schauffele has consistently performed well at majors, never finishing outside the top 20 since the 2022 PGA Championship. He also finished second at his last two Wells Fargo Championships held at Quail Hollow.
Bryson DeChambeau aims to make an impact after winning a recent LIV Golf event in South Korea. Despite falling short at Augusta, he has had strong performances on US soil recently, including three top-five finishes in his last four PGA Championship appearances.
Other Notable Contenders
Jon Rahm from the LIV circuit seeks success this week despite limited recent major achievements. Justin Rose hopes to recover from illness after narrowly missing out on victory at Augusta against McIlroy. Rose has been runner-up twice in his last two major appearances and boasts four top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship since 2020.
Collin Morikawa could be a strong contender as he maintains a streak of top-20 finishes in five consecutive majors. Viktor Hovland also shows promise with top-three finishes in the last two PGA Championships and consistently making cuts in this major.
Challenges for Other Players
Justin Thomas returns to Quail Hollow, where he won his first of two PGA Championships in 2017. However, since his 2022 win, Thomas has struggled to finish higher than eighth place at any major. Brooks Koepka faces challenges too, having not achieved a top-10 finish since winning the 2023 PGA Championship.
Jordan Spieth aims for a career Grand Slam but hasn’t finished inside the top 25 at this event since 2019 when he tied for third place. The competition remains fierce as players vie for glory at one of golf’s most prestigious tournaments.