It’s a week of firsts for the PGA Tour. The first event at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, the first Truist Championship (formerly the Wells Fargo Championship) and the first individual event for Rory McIlroy since his Masters triumph. There’s also $20 million up for grabs at this signature event, along with a chance for McIlroy to defend a victory and continue his stellar play heading into the PGA Championship. What we’re trying to say is that this will be must-watch television.
A four-time winner of this event already, McIlroy will have to adjust to the Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course, as the usual Quail Hollow is prepping to host next week’s major. The A.W. Tillinghast gem is one of the top courses in Pennsylvania and a mainstay on the Second 100 Greatest list. Our review reads, “The Cricket is now faithful to Tilly once again, with trees removed and original greens and bunkers reclaimed, including the famed ‘Great Hazard’ that must be carried on the par-5 seventh.”
Courtesy of Evan Schiller Private Philadelphia Cricket Club: Wissahickon Flourtown, PA 4.7 14 Panelists
- Second 100 Greatest
- Best In State
Philadelphia Cricket was A.W. Tillinghast’s home club in his early years as a golfer, so when he laid out a new course for the club in the early 1920s, he devoted special attention to it. Over the century, it aged. Greens shrank, bunkers eroded, trees grew (including one right through the roof of a clubhouse veranda). In 2008, Keith Foster was retained to restore the course to its Tillinghast glory, but a poor economy postponed the work until the summer of 2013. As per his request, Tillinghast’s ashes were scattered in the Wissahickon Creek that crosses the 18th green.
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Nine of the 10 top golfers in the World Ranking are in the field—we’re just missing World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler—and 2024 PGA champ Xander Schauffele will try to whip his game back into shape before Quail Hollow after an early season injury. Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Gary Woodland will join the ranked Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Ludvig Åberg.
McIlroy won last year’s event in North Carolina behind a six-under 65 on Sunday, even with a double bogey on the final hole. He bested the runner-up Schauffele by five shots and had two eagles in a six-hole stretch on the back nine. He could win this event for a fifth time this weekend. No one else has ever won more than twice.
This week’s winner will receive 700 FedEx Cup points and a $3.6 million cut of the $20 million purse.
MORE: Why Rory McIlroy is not a great fit for Philly Cricket
TV Schedule
Golf Channel will carry live coverage on Thursday and Friday from 2-6 p.m. ET. On Saturday, Golf Channel will air coverage from 1-3 p.m., with CBS taking over from 3-6 p.m. And on Sunday, Golf Channel will air coverage from 1-3 p.m., with CBS taking over from 3-6:30 p.m.
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Streaming Schedule
PGA Tour Live streaming coverage will occur on ESPN+ from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. from Thursday through Sunday.
Leaderboard
Find all live PGA Tour scoring data here.
First tee
11:09 AM — Ben Griffin, Lucas Gloverm Sam Stevens
11:20 AM — Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Tom Hoge
11:31 AM — Sahith Theegala, Cameron Young, Max Greyserman
11:42 AM — Sam Burns, Byeong Hun An, Eric Cole
11:53 AM — J.T. Poston, Cam Davis, Stephan Jaeger
12:04 PM — Andrew Novak, Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland
12:15 PM — Min Woo Lee, Maverick McNealy, Jordan Spieth
12:26 PM — Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood
12:37 PM — Viktor Hovland, Wyndham Clark, Collin Morikawa
12:48 PM — Taylor Pendrith, Tony Finau, Max Homa
12:59 PM — Nick Dunlap, Matthieu Pavon, Si Woo Kim
1:10 PM — Brian Campbell, Patrick Rodgers, Ryan Gerard
10th tee
11:09 AM — Joe Highsmith, Harris English, Rasmus Højgaard
11:20 AM — Robert MacIntyre, Davis Thompson, Denny McCarthy
11:31 AM — Chris Kirk, Corey Conners, Adam Hadwin
11:42 AM — Sungjae Im, Adam Scott, Alex Noren
11:53 AM — Austin Eckroat, Aaron Rai, Will Zalatoris
12:04 PM — Nick Taylor, Erik van Rooyen, J.J. Spaun
12:15 PM — Keith Mitchell, Michael Kim, Michael Thorbjornsen
12:26 PM — Keegan Bradley, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose
12:37 PM — Russell Henley, Ludvig Åberg, Sepp Straka
12:48 PM — Hideki Matsuyama, Xander Schauffele, Akshay Bhatia
12:59 PM — Thomas Detry, Matt Fitzpatrick, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
1:10 PM — Garrick Higgo, Daniel Berger, Jacob Bridgeman
SECOND ROUND/FRIDAY
First tee
11:09 AM — Keith Mitchell, Michael Kim, Michael Thorbjornsen
11:20 AM — Keegan Bradley, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose
11:31 AM — Russell Henley, Ludvig Åberg, Sepp Straka
11:42 PM — Hideki Matsuyama, Xander Schauffele, Akshay Bhatia
11:53 PM — Thomas Detry, Matt Fitzpatrick, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
12:04 PM — Garrick Higgo, Daniel Berger, Jacob Bridgeman
12:15 PM — Joe Highsmith, Harris English, Rasmus Højgaard
12:26 PM — Robert MacIntyre, Davis Thompson, Denny McCarthy
12:37 PM — Chris Kirk, Corey Conners, Adam Hadwin
12:48 PM — Sungjae Im, Adam Scott, Alex Noren
12:59 PM — Austin Eckroat, Aaron Rai, Will Zalatoris
1:10 PM — Nick Taylor, Erik van Rooyen, J.J. Spaun
10th tee
11:09 AM — Min Woo Lee, Maverick McNealy, Jordan Spieth
11:20 AM — Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood
11:31 AM — Viktor Hovland, Wyndham Clark, Collin Morikawa
11:42 AM — Taylor Pendrith, Tony Finau, Max Homa
11:53 AM — Nick Dunlap, Matthieu Pavon, Si Woo Kim
12:04 PM — Brian Campbell, Patrick Rodgers, Ryan Gerard
12:15 PM — Ben Griffin, Lucas Gloverm Sam Stevens
12:26 PM — Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Tom Hoge
12:37 PM — Sahith Theegala, Cameron Young, Max Greyserman
12:48 PM — Sam Burns, Byeong Hun An, Eric Cole
12:59 PM — J.T. Poston, Cam Davis, Stephan Jaeger
1:10 PM — Andrew Novak, Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com