Ranking the Field: 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Quail Hollow Club, one of the lengthiest courses on the PGA Tour, is set to host the 2025 PGA Championship, the second major of the season, featuring professional golf`s strongest field.

Rory McIlroy, having recently achieved a career Grand Slam at the Masters and becoming the sixth player ever to do so, is potentially the top contender at Quail Hollow, a course where he has previously won four times. He aims to be the first player since Jack Nicklaus in 1975 to win both the Masters and the PGA Championship in the same year.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler enters the tournament following his first win of the season. LIV Golf League standout Bryson DeChambeau also recently secured a victory and will be looking to redeem his performance at the Masters Sunday by claiming his third major title.

Defending PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele, who won two majors in 2024, has been affected by a rib injury. According to research, he is the only player to finish in the top 10 in the last five majors and could become the only player in six decades to win his first three majors within a five-start period.

Here is a breakdown of the 156-player field, categorized by their expected performance levels, from favorites to club professionals:

Tier I: Leading Favorites

The world`s top golfers no longer seem to be trailing Scottie Scheffler, despite him being a slight betting favorite over Rory McIlroy this week. McIlroy, however, might be the primary focus after securing the coveted green jacket at the Masters and returning to Quail Hollow Club, one of his preferred venues. In the last 70 years, only five players have won the first two majors of the season: Ben Hogan (1953), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Tiger Woods (2002), and Jordan Spieth (2015).

Rory McIlroy

The newest member of golf`s elite club returns to a course where he has historically excelled. He holds the record for most wins (four) at the Wells Fargo Championship (now Truist Championship) held at Quail Hollow. His victories include margins of five strokes (2024), one (2021), seven (2015), and four (2010). He set the course record with a 10-under 61 in 2015. Quail Hollow is known to favor long hitters, and McIlroy averaged 317.5 yards off the tee entering last week, ranking him third in the field.

Scottie Scheffler

It was unlikely the world No. 1 would go an entire season without a win. After nine global victories in 2024, Scheffler claimed his first 2025 title at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on May 4, winning by a dominant eight shots and matching the PGA Tour`s 72-hole scoring record at 31-under 253. Scheffler`s only previous competitive appearance at Quail Hollow was the 2022 Presidents Cup, where he had a 0-3-1 record in the U.S. team`s victory.

Tier II: Potential Winners

These players are considered strong contenders for the Wanamaker Trophy. They possess the necessary skills, mental toughness, and experience to perform well over four demanding rounds.

Xander Schauffele holds the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the PGA Championship.

Xander Schauffele

The defending PGA Championship winner has been a runner-up in his last two starts at Quail Hollow, finishing four strokes behind Wyndham Clark in 2023 and five strokes behind McIlroy last season. Schauffele is regaining form after a rib injury. His recent results are promising: T12 at the Valspar Championship, 8th at the Masters, 18th at the RBC Heritage, and 11th at the Truist Championship. The two-time major champion drives the ball sufficiently far and excels with long irons.

Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau has performed well previously at the Wells Fargo Championship, finishing fourth in 2018 and T9 in 2021. He narrowly missed winning last year`s PGA Championship at Valhalla, finishing one stroke behind Schauffele. With his driving distance (leading the LIV Golf League at 333.3 yards average) and current form (T5 at the Masters, won the recent LIV Golf event in Korea), DeChambeau is expected to be a factor in this major.

Justin Thomas

The two-time PGA Championship winner ended a nearly three-year winless streak with a playoff victory at the RBC Heritage on April 20. He won his first Wanamaker Trophy at Quail Hollow in 2017 by two strokes. Thomas`s slightly inaccurate driving (57.8%) is less penalized here, and his putting has been strong throughout the season.

Collin Morikawa

A two-time runner-up this season, Morikawa is due for a win (his last tour victory was the Zozo Championship in October 2023). The 2020 PGA Championship winner finished T4 in this event last year.

Ludvig Åberg

The rising star won a signature event at the Genesis Invitational and finished 7th at the Masters, but has also missed two cuts and finished T54 at the RBC Heritage and T60 at the Truist Championship. His iron play and putting stats are lower (131st in strokes gained: approach (-.214), 149th in putting (-.358)).

Brooks Koepka

The five-time major champion hasn`t displayed his usual “Big-Game Brooks” form in majors since winning his third Wanamaker Trophy at the 2023 PGA Championship. He hasn`t finished in the top 15 in his last seven major starts, including a missed cut at the Masters in April.

Justin Rose

Rose recently had close runner-up finishes at last year`s Open Championship and the Masters, where he lost to McIlroy in a playoff. The 44-year-old may not drive as far, but his play remains consistent with five consecutive top-15 finishes in the PGA Championship. Rose withdrew from the Truist Championship due to illness before the third round.

Jon Rahm

Rahm has finished in the top 10 in all seven of his LIV Golf League starts this season and was T14 at the Masters. In last year`s PGA Championship, he was 4 over after six holes but nearly made the cut, which would have been his first missed cut at a major since the 2019 PGA Championship.

Hideki Matsuyama

The 2021 Masters champion was in contention at the 2017 PGA Championship before dropping shots on the back nine. He won his 11th PGA Tour event at the Sentry in Hawai`i earlier this season.

Viktor Hovland

Hovland, the 2023 FedEx Cup champion, appears to have resolved his swing issues, evidenced by his Valspar Championship win, T21 at the Masters, and 13th at the RBC Heritage. He finished T3 at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship, two strokes behind McIlroy.

Joaquín Niemann

Highly talented, Niemann is still seeking his first top-10 finish in a major in his 24th attempt. He has won three times on the LIV Golf League this season.

Tyrrell Hatton

Hatton has a solid record in the PGA Championship with five top-25 finishes, including two top-10s, in 10 starts. He won two events on the DP World Tour since October (Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and Hero Dubai Desert Classic).

Patrick Reed

Reed made a strong Sunday push to finish third at the Masters and is capable of competing at Quail Hollow. In the 2017 PGA Championship, he birdied three holes on the back nine to get within one shot of the lead before a bogey on the final hole left him T2, two strokes behind Thomas. Reed has two top-10s at the Wells Fargo Championship (2018, 2021).

Tommy Fleetwood

An 11-time winner globally, Fleetwood is still seeking his first PGA Tour victory. He has finished in the top 25 in nine of his last 13 major starts.

Jordan Spieth

Spieth could join McIlroy in completing the career Grand Slam by winning the Open Championship (Claret Jug). He won the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015 and The Open in 2017. When Spieth congratulated McIlroy last week, McIlroy reportedly told him he was next, to which Spieth responded, “Yeah, at Rory McIlroy Country Club.” Spieth had a perfect 5-0-0 record at Quail Hollow in the 2022 Presidents Cup.

Patrick Cantlay

Cantlay hasn`t won on tour in over two years and is still pursuing his first major championship. His driving and iron play (9th in strokes gained: tee to green at 1.111) have been strong enough to win this season.

Shane Lowry

Lowry`s biggest major focus this year will be The Open`s return to Royal Portrush, where he won in 2019. He has played consistently well this season, including a T2 finish at the Truist Championship.

Russell Henley

Henley may not be the longest hitter, but his driving accuracy, excellent iron play, and reliable putting helped him finish T10 at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.

Wyndham Clark

Clark`s major results have been inconsistent since his unexpected win at the 2023 U.S. Open. His form this season has also been mixed. However, he is a long hitter and won the Wells Fargo Championship two years ago.

Jason Day

Day won the 2015 PGA Championship and the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. He finished T4 at Quail Hollow last year. Day withdrew from last week`s Truist Championship for undisclosed reasons.

Tier III: Potential Sleepers

These players are dark horse candidates who could potentially win if everything aligns perfectly. This tier includes former major champions, recent tour winners, and players who have shown recent improvements.

Max Homa finished T30 at the Truist Championship.

Sungjae Im

Im has missed the cut in four of his last five PGA Championship appearances but finished in the top 10 in the last two majors (T7 at the 2024 Open Championship, 5th at the Masters). He also has top 10s in his last two starts at Quail Hollow.

Keegan Bradley

The U.S. Ryder Cup captain and 2011 PGA Champion had a strong start on the West Coast and finished T5 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational before missing the cut at Augusta. He has made the cut in nine of his last 10 PGA Championship starts.

Harris English

The five-time PGA Tour winner has had more success in the U.S. Open, but Quail Hollow suits his game. He finished T3 at 12 under at the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship.

Sepp Straka

Straka`s major breakthrough was a T7 finish at the 2023 PGA Championship. He finished T8 at Quail Hollow last year and is coming off his fourth career PGA Tour win at the Truist Championship. He aims to win back-to-back weeks.

Maverick McNealy

The new co-chairman of the PGA Tour Player Advisory Council, who holds a degree in management science and engineering, also possesses an excellent swing.

Thomas Detry

Detry finished T4 at last year`s PGA Championship, his best major finish. This will be his first professional event at Quail Hollow.

Rasmus Højgaard

A PGA Tour rookie, Højgaard has won five times on the DP World Tour, including the Irish Open in September. He and his twin brother Nicolai finished second at the Zurich Classic team event. Rasmus is second in the European Ryder Cup standings, behind McIlroy.

Brian Harman

After a slow start, Harman won his fourth PGA Tour event at the Valero Texas Open on April 20. He finished T13 at the 2017 PGA Championship.

Robert MacIntyre

MacIntyre`s T8 finish at last year`s PGA Championship helped him overcome homesickness and likely contributed to his two wins at the RBC Canadian Open and Genesis Scottish Open.

Corey Conners

The Canadian golfer has two top-10 finishes in his last three majors (T9 at the 2024 U.S. Open, 8th at the Masters). He has also finished in the top 15 in his last two Wells Fargo Championship starts.

Andrew Novak

The 30-year-old is playing the best golf of his career and earned his first PGA Tour win with Ben Griffin at the Zurich Classic. This is only his second major start.

Sam Burns

Burns seems to have overcome his major struggles, finishing T9 at the 2024 U.S. Open. He also finished T13 at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.

Cameron Smith

Another former major champion with limited history at Quail Hollow, Smith has shown improved form in the LIV Golf League with three consecutive top-10 finishes.

Min Woo Lee

It`s time for Lee to perform well in a major again after missing the cut at The Open in 2024 and finishing 49th at the Masters.

Daniel Berger

Berger, who dealt with a back injury for two seasons, is set to return to the PGA Championship for the first time since missing the cut in 2022.

Michael Kim

Kim`s remarkable comeback continues; he finished T27 at Augusta National, his first made cut in a major since T35 at The Open in 2018. Kim withdrew from the Truist during the third round due to a back injury.

Max Homa

While Homa has struggled with form and confidence over the past year, he is a two-time winner of the Wells Fargo Championship (2019, 2022) and showed promising signs with a T12 finish at the Masters.

Matt Fitzpatrick

The former U.S. Open champion recently described his season`s performance as `rubbish` and his worst ever. His past results at Quail Hollow have not been strong either.

Nicolai Højgaard

Højgaard`s recent stroke-play form has been poor, including four consecutive missed cuts and a T56 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He is 33rd in the European Ryder Cup standings and needs better results to secure a spot.

Byeong Hun An

The South Korean golfer could be a surprise contender for a top-10 finish. He won the Genesis Championship on the DP World Tour in October and finished solo third at the Wells Fargo Championship last year.

Dustin Johnson

Johnson`s five-year exemption from winning the 2020 Masters expired, requiring a special invitation for this PGA Championship. He is currently 28th in the LIV Golf season points standings.

Sahith Theegala

High expectations were placed on Theegala this season, but he hasn`t achieved a top-15 finish in his first 13 tour starts. He faces challenges with both approach play (148th in strokes gained: approach (-.358)) and off the tee performance (132nd at -.135). He withdrew from the Truist Championship final round due to a neck injury.

Gary Woodland

Woodland`s impressive return from brain surgery is a highlight of the sport. He has two top-10 finishes at Quail Hollow and maintains high driving speed (313.3 yards).

Akshay Bhatia

Bhatia is expected to perform well in a major soon. He finished T3 at the Players Championship, another significant event.

Tom Kim

The South Korean golfer returns to Quail Hollow, where his enthusiastic play gained him popularity at the 2022 Presidents Cup.

Will Zalatoris

Zalatoris is still working to regain form after back surgery, which has resulted in a drop to 74th in the world rankings.

Nick Taylor

Taylor ended a streak of nine missed cuts in majors with a T40 finish at the Masters. The Canadian has won three tour events in the last three years.

Si Woo Kim

Kim has improved his form after missing three cuts in four events, with finishes including T8 at the RBC Heritage and 15th at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

Keith Mitchell

Mitchell struggled late last year but has recorded five consecutive top 25s, including a T2 at the Corales Puntacana Championship. He held the outright lead at last week`s Truist Championship and has two top-10s at Quail Hollow.

Sergio Garcia

Garcia last made the cut at the PGA Championship in 2015 (T54). He has three top-10 finishes in the LIV Golf League this season and three top-25 finishes in his last three starts at Quail Hollow.

Aaron Rai

Rai is known for hitting the ball very straight, though he is not long off the tee (174th in driving distance at 286.6 yards). He missed the cut in his last two starts at Quail Hollow.

Adam Scott

The 2013 Masters champion has 20 top-10 finishes in 95 major starts, but only one in his last 21. He has missed the cut in three of his last four PGA Championship starts.

Tony Finau

Finau was once a consistent top-10 finisher in majors but has only one (T3 at the 2024 U.S. Open) in his last 15 attempts.

Mackenzie Hughes

Familiarity with the course could benefit Hughes, who lives near Quail Hollow Club. He finished T9 at the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship and 6th last year.

Lucas Glover

After solid performances in Florida (T3 at the Players, 8th at the Valspar Championship), Glover has struggled recently. He won the Wells Fargo Championship in 2011 (playoff) and was runner-up two years prior.

Tier IV: Miracles Possible

This group consists of long shots. For one of these players to win the Wanamaker Trophy, everything would need to align perfectly over the four days at Quail Hollow. The history of the PGA Championship includes underdog winners like Y.E. Yang, Shaun Micheel, and Rich Beem, showing that unexpected victories can happen.

• J.T. Poston
• Bud Cauley
• J.J. Spaun
• Phil Mickelson
• Rickie Fowler
• Sam Stevens
• David Puig
• Jake Knapp
• Patrick Rodgers
• Taylor Pendrith
• Denny McCarthy
• Tom Hoge
• Eric Cole
• Austin Eckroat
• Garrick Higgo
• Ryo Hisatsune
• Nico Echavarria
• Matt McCarty
• Ryan Fox
• Davis Thompson
• Davis Riley
• Cam Davis
• Ben Griffin
• Joe Highsmith
• Jacob Bridgeman
• Nick Dunlap
• Kurt Kitayama
• Adam Hadwin
• Lee Hodges
• Taylor Moore
• Christiaan Bezuidenhout
• Cameron Young
• Matt Wallace
• Chris Kirk
• Dean Burmester
• Brian Campbell
• Max Greyserman
• Laurie Canter
• Stephan Jager
• Eugenio Chacarra
• Thorbjørn Olesen
• Karl Vilips
• Matthieu Pavon
• Thriston Lawrence
• Erik van Rooyen

Rickie Fowler finished T15 at the Truist Championship.

Fowler, who had dropped to 125th in the world rankings, received a special invitation from the PGA of America. This seemed to motivate him at last week`s Truist Championship, where he was only two strokes off the lead after 18 holes. One of his six PGA Tour wins came at the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship, defeating D.A. Points and McIlroy in a playoff.

Phil Mickelson will turn 55 next month, suggesting his peak golf years are likely behind him. He made history as golf`s oldest major champion by winning the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. He has 10 top-10 finishes in 17 starts at Quail Hollow, including a T5 in 2018. Among players with at least 20 rounds there, Mickelson ranks third in true strokes gained (2.10), trailing only McIlroy (2.87) and Day (2.12), according to datagolf.com.

Campbell, Highsmith, Vilips, Higgo, and Griffin have already won PGA Tour events this season.

Tier V: Hoping to Make the Cut

This category includes older players aiming to maintain their tour status and newer players seeking more opportunities. They are not expected to contend for the title unless a truly exceptional performance occurs, similar to Shaun Micheel`s win decades ago.

• Alex Noren
• Tom McKibbin
• Richard Bland
• Patton Kizzire
• Harry Hall
• John Catlin
• Johnny Keefer
• Séamus Power
• Luke Donald
• Ryan Gerard
• Beau Hossler
• Justin Lower
• Kevin Yu
• Jhonattan Vegas
• Max McGreevy
• Rafael Campos
• Sami Välimäki
• Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
• Keita Nakajima
• Niklas Norgaard
• Patrick Fishburn
• Daniel van Tonder
• John Parry
• Rico Hoey
• Takumi Kanaya
• Elvis Smylie
• Victor Perez
• Marco Penge

Noren, who finished T12 at last year`s PGA Championship, made his first start of 2025 at last week`s Truist Championship after dealing with neck, hamstring, and glute injuries.

At 52, Bland is the second-oldest player in the LIV Golf League. He is still playing effectively, ranking 17th in points with top-12 finishes in his last two events.

McKibbin, 22, played at the same Northern Ireland club as McIlroy. He reportedly disregarded McIlroy`s advice by joining Rahm`s Legion XIII LIV team. McKibbin is one of the longest hitters in LIV Golf (322.2 yards average) but has struggled significantly with his putting.

Tier VI: Former Champions

This group features past PGA Championship winners not listed in the tiers above. Former champions receive a lifetime exemption. This list previously included John Daly (1991 winner) and Rich Beem (2002 winner), as well as Tiger Woods, who is recovering from injury.

• Martin Kaymer
• Jimmy Walker
• Jason Dufner
• Padraig Harrington
• Vijay Singh
• Shaun Micheel

Daly will skip the PGA Championship to play in the Regions Tradition, a senior major. He withdrew from last year`s PGA Championship after an opening 82.

Beem stated he lacked preparation time due to his analyst work for Sky Sports at major tournaments. He missed the cut last year after shooting 20 over par through 36 holes, acknowledging he was outplayed.

Tier VII: PGA of America Professionals

These are the top-20 finishers from the PGA Professional Championship held in Port St. Lucie, Florida, from April 27-30.

Michael Block celebrates after his hole-in-one on the 15th hole during the final round of the 2023 PGA Championship.

• Tyler Collet
• Jesse Droemer
• Brian Bergstol
• Michael Block
• Dylan Newman
• Brandon Bingaman
• Ryan Lenahan
• Andre Chi
• John Somers
• Justin Hicks
• Rupe Taylor
• Tom Johnson
• Nic Ishee
• Eric Steger
• Bob Sowards
• Bobby Gates
• Greg Koch
• Timothy Wiseman
• Larkin Gross
• Michael Kartrude

This list includes Michael Block, who captivated audiences at the 2023 PGA Championship with a hole-in-one in the final round and a T15 finish at 1-over 281. This was the best result for a club professional since Lonnie Nielsen tied for 11th in 1986.

Tyler Collet, from Vero Beach, Florida, dominated the PGA Professional Championship with a 10-stroke victory, the largest margin in the event`s history. This will be his fourth PGA Championship appearance. Collet played college golf at Eastern Kentucky.