Congratulations to Rory McIlroy for winning the 89th Masters and completing the career Grand Slam, a truly historic accomplishment. McIlroy is now just one of six players to collect all four men’s majors in their career, and the second to do it in the last 60 years! But what happens when you win a green jacket? Putting the other majors aside just for a second, does winning golf’s most prized coat come with some extra encumbrance?
We ask this when you consider the following statistic: Since 2011, only three golfers have gone on to win another major after their Masters victory. Not just that year, but ever. Two of those, Scottie Scheffler and Bubba Watson only won another green jacket. Jordan Spieth is the lone player in the last 15 years to win a different major following his Masters title. We all know Rory is heading to his most successful, lucrative, favourite, fill-in-your-favourite-adjective-here golf course in Quail Hollow for this week’s PGA Championship, but will the Augusta win weigh him down?
Here’s another fact for you: No player has ever won the Masters and the PGA Championship back-to-back. Granted, these two majors have only been played in succession for five times but… Historically, three players have won the Masters and the PGA in the same year: Sam Snead (1949), Jack Burke Jnr (1956) and Jack Nicklaus, who, of course, did it twice (1963, 1975). Can McIlroy be the fourth? I know we all would love to see it and have him make a serious run at a different kind of Grand Slam, a more daunting one at that.
So, will Rory McIlroy win the 107th PGA Championship? With all due respect to the No.1 player in the world, McIlroy is the favourite. All signs seem to point us in that direction. The form, the course and the career seem strangely aligned. McIlroy makes the move to the top of my power rankings. In advance of his trip to Quail Hollow, I do have one piece of advice for the Northern Irishman: leave the jacket at home.
MORE FROM THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: LIV golfer has only played Quail Hollow on PlayStation, calls it a ‘monster’
Please take a moment to familiarise yourself with the key information included in each player’s ranking.
Key
• Age: Most majors are won by players in their 20s and 30s. Always good to keep track of any birthday milestones.
• Odds to win: These are the futures odds listed for each player prior to Monday of tournament week on DraftKings.
• Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) value: The posted price for each competitor on DraftKings.
• OWGR/Data Golf: Let’s face the facts, the OWGR is incomplete. Jon Rahm is ranked 77th in the world. To give us a better top line view of player performance, included the Data Golf rankings. (All rankings are as of the week of May 5)
• PGA Championship 2024: How did each player fare last year at Valhalla?
• PGA Championship appearances/cuts made: The number of times a player has competed in the tournament, along with the number of successful cuts made.
• Best PGA finish: Again, another quick reference tool. In 106 editions, no player has won the Masters and PGA back-to-back. Of course, the PGA just moved to May in 2019. Three players, however, have won it in the same year.
• Notes: A quick summary for each player to pique or deter your interest in their chances to win or play well in the 107th PGA Championship.
Nos. 126 and beyond
Twenty PGA Professionals achieved either a lifelong or yearly goal by qualifying for the PGA Championship. Most of those names are highlighted below, and the number following their name is the number of starts they have made in the PGA including Quail Hollow. The remainder of this group is mainly a quick trip down memory lane reading the variety of names who have won this championship as well as a few other long shots.
Brian Berstol (1), Brandon Bingaman (2), Richard Bland, Rafael Campos, Brian Campbell, John Caitlin, Luke Donald, Jesse Droemer (2), Jason Dufner, Nick Dunlap, Patrick Fishburn, Bobby Gates (1), Larkin Gross (3), Padraig Harrinton, Justin Hicks (1), Garrick Higgo, Nic Ishee (2), Tom Johnson (1), Michael Kartrude (1), Ryan Lenahan (1), Shaun Micheel, Dylan Newman (2), Elvis Smylie, John Somers (3), Bob Sowards (12), Eric Steger (1), Rupe Taylor (1), Michael Thorbjornsen, Karl Villips, Jimmy Walker, Timothy Wiseman (1)
Jared C. Tilton
Nos. 101-125
This range primarily represents a cohort of recent PGA Tour winners who arrived in Charlotte via Philadelphia and Myrtle Beach. Who would have thought after three PGA Tour wins in his first two years on tour, Tom Kim would be playing in secondary events? Kim finished 54th in the ONEFlight Myrtle Beach Classic.
101. Will Zalatoris, 102. Nick Taylor, 103. Victor Perez, 104. Kevin Yu, 105. Max McGreevy, 106. Takumi Kanaya, 107. Ryo Hisatune, 108. Rico Hoey, 109. Bud Cauley, 110. Cameron Young, 111. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, 112. Chris Kirk, 113. Phil Mickelson, 114. Beau Hossler, 115. Adam Hadwin, 116. Greg Koch (3), 117. Laurie Canter, 118. Tom Kim, 119. Austin Eckroat, 120. Harry Hall, 121. Martin Kaymer, 122. Andre Chi (1), 123. Daniel von Tonder, 124. John Parry, 125. Lee Hodges
Andy Lyons
Nos. 71-100
Time for my gratuitous Michael Block mention. All kidding aside, Block (below) has to be one of the most successful playing PGA Professionals of all time. “Blockie” has competed in 32 PGA Tour events and eight major championships. A couple of these guys were also the first off my list to make the cut. Players like Rasmus Højgaard and Seamus Power have incredibly high ceilings as fantasy options and local pool selections.
71. Thomas Detry, 72. Rasmus Højgaard, 73. Ryan Fox, 74. Ryan Gerard, 75. Seamus Power, 76. Matt Fitzpatrick, 77. Sam Stevens, 78. J.T. Poston, 79. Dustin Johnson, 80. Nico Echavarria, 81. Matt McCarty, 82. Davis Riley, 83. Ben Griffin, 84. Joe Highsmith, 85. Michael Block (7), 86. Alex Noren, 87. Niklas Nørgaard, 88. Thriston Lawrence, 89. Cam Davis, 90. Marco Penge, 91. Jacob Bridgeman, 92. Eric Cole, 93. Patton Kizzire, 94. Matthieu Pavon, 95. Keita Nakajima, 96. Eugenio Chacarra, 97. Justin Lower, 98. Jake Knapp, 99. Erik van Rooyen, 100. Matt Wallace
Keyur Khamar
Ranking the top 70 (top 70 and ties make the cut)
70: Sami Valimaki
Age: 26 Odds to win: +50000 DFS Value: $5,500 OWGR: 106 Data Golf: 121 PGA Championship 2024: MCPGA appearances/cuts made: 2/0 Best finish: N/A
69: Patrick Rodgers
Age: 32 Odds to win: +30000 DFS Value: $5,600 OWGR: 72 Data Golf: 70 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 3/1 Best finish: T-29 (2023)
68: Taylor Moore
Age: 31 Odds to win: +20000 DFS Value: $5,700 OWGR: 89 Data Golf: 77 PGA Championship 2024: T-12 PGA appearances/cuts made: 2/2 Best finish: T-12 (2024)
67: Max Homa 
Maddie Meyer
Age: 34 Odds to win: +15000 DFS Value: $7,600 OWGR: 74 Data Golf: 179 PGA Championship 2024: T-35 PGA appearances/cuts made: 6/4 Best finish: T-13 (2022)
66: Tyler Collet (4)
Age: 30 Odds to win: +250000 DFS Value: $5,200 OWGR: — Data Golf: — PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 3/0 Best finish: MC
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65: Stephan Jaeger
Age: 35 Odds to win: +20000 DFS Value: $6,500 OWGR: 48 Data Golf: 71 PGA Championship 2024: 76 PGA appearances/cuts made: 2/2 Best finish: T-50 (2023)
64: Jhonattan Vegas
Age: 40 Odds to win: +50000 DFS Value: $5,500 OWGR: 69 Data Golf: 147 PGA Championship 2024: DNP PGA appearances/cuts made: 6/3 Best finish: T-22 (2016)
63: Rickie Fowler 
Emilee Chinn
Age: 36 Odds to win: +20000 DFS Value: $7,100 OWGR: 125 Data Golf: 125 PGA Championship 2024: T-63 PGA appearances/cuts made: 15/12 Best finish: T-3 (2014)
62: Johnny Keefer
Age: 24 Odds to win: +60000 DFS Value: $5,300 OWGR: 93 Data Golf: 80 PGA Championship 2024: DNP PGA appearances/cuts made: Rookie Best finish: N/A
61: David Puig
Age: 23 Odds to win: +10000 DFS Value: $6,500 OWGR: 107 Data Golf: 43 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 1/0 Best finish: MC
60: Thorbjorn Olesen
Age: 35 Odds to win: +25000 DFS Value: $5,800 OWGR: 81 Data Golf: 67 PGA Championship 2024: T-53 PGA appearances/cuts made: 9/7 Best finish: T-27 (2012)
59: Sahith Theegala
Age: 27 Odds to win: +17000 DFS Value: $7,900 OWGR: 31 Data Golf: 74 PGA Championship 2024: T-12 PGA appearances/cuts made: 2/2 Best finish: T-12 (2024)
58: Andrew Novak
Age: 30 Odds to win: +18000 DFS Value: $6,600 OWGR: 34 Data Golf: 31 PGA Championship 2024: DNP PGA appearances/cuts made: Rookie Best finish: N/A
57: Tom Hoge
Age: 35 Odds to win: +25000 DFS Value: $5,900 OWGR: 42 Data Golf: 56 PGA Championship 2024: T-23 PGA appearances/cuts made: 5/5 Best finish: T-9 (2022)
56: Max Greyserman
Age: 29 Odds to win: +20000 DFS Value: $5,600 OWGR: 45 Data Golf: 58 PGA Championship 2024: DNP PGA appearances/cuts made: Rookie Best finish: N/A
55: Aaron Rai
Age: 30 Odds to win: +15000 DFS Value: $6,800 OWGR: 29 Data Golf: 28 PGA Championship 2024: T-39 PGA appearances/cuts made: 2/1 Best finish: T-39 (2024)
54: Nicolai Høgaard
Age: 24 Odds to win: +20000 DFS Value: $6,500 OWGR: 92 Data Golf: 127 PGA Championship 2024: T-68 PGA appearances/cuts made: 3/2 Best finish: T-50 (2022)
53: Mackenzie Hughes
Age: 34 Odds to win: +20000 DFS Value: $5,600 OWGR: 56 Data Golf: 51 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 6/1 Best finish: T-58 (2020)
52: J.J. Spaun
Age: 34 Odds to win: +15000 DFS Value: $6,400 OWGR: 28 Data Golf: 30 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 4/2 Best finish: T-35 (2018)
51: Lucas Glover 
David Cannon
Age: 45 Odds to win: +20000 DFS Value: $5,900 OWGR: 37 Data Golf: 42 PGA Championship 2024: T-43 PGA appearances/cuts made: 13/7 Best finish: 5 (2009)
50: Tom McKibbin
Age: 22 Odds to win: +25000 DFS Value: $5,600 OWGR: 115 Data Golf: 102 PGA Championship 2024: DNP PGA appearances/cuts made: Rookie Best finish: N/A
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49: Michael Kim
Age: 29 Odds to win: +15000 DFS Value: $5,900 OWGR: 53 Data Golf: 29 PGA Championship 2024: DNP PGA appearances/cuts made: 2/0 Best finish: MC
48: Brian Harman
Age: 38 Odds to win: +15000 DFS Value: $7,400 OWGR: 23 Data Golf: 34 PGA Championship 2024: T26 PGA appearances/cuts made: 10/6 Best finish: T-13 (2017)
47: Harris English
Age: 35 Odds to win: +18000 DFS Value: $6,800 OWGR: 35 Data Golf: 54 PGA Championship 2024: T-18 PGA appearances/cuts made: 8/6 Best finish: T-18 (2024)
46: Cam Smith 
Richard Heathcote
Age: 31 Odds to win: +11000 DFS Value: $8,400 OWGR: 142 Data Golf: 41 PGA Championship 2024: T-63 PGA appearances/cuts made: 9/8 Best finish: T-9 (2023)
45: Si Woo Kim
Age: 29 Odds to win: +11000 DFS Value: $7,700 OWGR: 68 Data Golf: 32 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 9/2 Best finish: T-13 (2020)
44: Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
Age: 25 Odds to win: +25000 DFS Value: $6,100 OWGR: 75 Data Golf: 40 PGA Championship 2024: DNP PGA appearances/cuts made: Rookie Best finish: N/A
43: Adam Scott
Age: 44 Odds to win: +18000 DFS Value: $6,900 OWGR: 40 Data Golf: 65 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 24/17 Best finish: T-3 (2006, 2018)
42: Byeong Hun An
Age: 33 Odds to win: +12000 DFS Value: $7,200 OWGR: 39 Data Golf: 55 PGA Championship 2024: T-43 PGA appearances/cuts made: 8/5 Best finish: T-22 (2020)
41: Gary Woodland
Age: 40 Odds to win: +20000 DFS Value: $5,800 OWGR: 94 Data Golf: 106 PGA Championship 2024: T-60 PGA appearances/cuts made: 13/10 Best finish: T-6 (2018)
40: Sergio Garcia 
Thananuwat Srirasant
Age: 45 Odds to win: +8000 DFS Value: $7,000 OWGR: 419 Data Golf: 53 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 24/10 Best finish: 2 (1999, 2008)
39: Taylor Pendrith
Age: 33 Odds to win: +14000 DFS Value: $6,700 OWGR: 47 Data Golf: 45 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 2/1 Best finish: T-29 (2023)
38: Kurt Kitayama
Age: 32 Odds to win: +20000 DFS Value: $6,200 OWGR: 95 Data Golf: 87 PGA Championship 2024: T-26 PGA appearances/cuts made: 5/4 Best finish: T-4 (2023)
37: Dean Burmester
Age: 35 Odds to win: +12000 DFS Value: $6,900 OWGR: 169 Data Golf: 61 PGA Championship 2024: T-12 PGA appearances/cuts made: 4/3 Best finish: T-12 (2024)
36: Min Woo Lee
Age: 26 Odds to win: +9000 DFS Value: $8,600 OWGR: 25 Data Golf: 36 PGA Championship 2024: T-26 PGA appearances/cuts made: 3/2 Best finish: T-18
35: Maverick McNealy
Age: 29 Odds to win: +11000 DFS Value: $7,800 OWGR: 10 Data Golf: 23 PGA Championship 2024: T-23 PGA appearances/cuts made: 4/2 Best finish: T-23 (2024)
34: Davis Thompson
Age: 25 Odds to win: +17000 DFS Value: $7,300 OWGR: 52 Data Golf: 39 PGA Championship 2024: DNP PGA appearances/cuts made: 1/0 Best finish: MC
33: Robert MacIntyre
Age: 28 Odds to win: +10000 DFS Value: $7,500 OWGR: 21 Data Golf: 33 PGA Championship 2024: T-8 PGA appearances/cuts made: 5/4 Best finish: T-8 (2024)
32: Akshay Bhatia
Age: 23 Odds to win: +14000 DFS Value: $7,300 OWGR: 26 Data Golf: 35 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 1/0 Best finish: MC
31: Sepp Straka
Age: 32 Odds to win: +9000 DFS Value: $8,000 OWGR: 17 Data Golf: 17 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 4/3 Best finish: T-7 (2023)
30: Keith Mitchell 
Maddie Meyer
Age: 33 Odds to win: +15000 DFS Value: $6,200 OWGR: 90 Data Golf: 46 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 5/3 Best finish: T-34
Mitchell has been a hall of fame first-round player in recent weeks. The problem is Mitchell has not been nearly as strong on the weekends. A respectable run last week at the Truist shows a better trend, but for the PGA, I’d stick to what works and hammer the FRL on Cashmere Keith.
29: Wyndham Clark
Age: 31 Odds to win: +7500 DFS Value: $8,500 OWGR: 15 Data Golf: 50 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 4/1 Best finish: T-75 (2021)
Plenty of pundits are going to point to Clark’s win at Quail Hollow in 2023 when considering him for the PGA. I’m going to point to his record since and the two rankings up above. There is huge upside here but just be careful because in many of these majors the floor is still being built.
PGA Championship 2025: Why is Rory McIlroy so good at Quail Hollow? Here’s what the data says
28: Denny McCarthy
Age: 32 Odds to win: +15000 DFS Value: $6,700 OWGR: 43 Data Golf: 20 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 5/4 Best finish: T-29 (2023)
McCarthy has a very strong record at Quail Hollow. How does a medium-length hitter continue to contend at the Truist Championship? With his putter! In McCarthy’s last two trips to Charlotte, Denny has finished eighth and sixth.
27: Daniel Berger
Age: 32 Odds to win: +10000 DFS Value: $7,900 OWGR: 27 Data Golf: 18 PGA Championship 2024: DNP PGA appearances/cuts made: 8/5 Best finish: T-12 (2018)
Since finishing runner-up at WM Phoenix Open, Berger has been incredibly consistent. Seven starts, seven top-30 results, and gaining significant strokes on the field in all of them. I like this version of Berger since returning from injury. Daniel’s age, form and skill set are in a great place to do something special.
26: Jason Day 
Andrew Redington
Age: 37 Odds to win: +7000 DFS Value: $8,800 OWGR: 32 Data Golf: 24 PGA Championship 2024: T-43 PGA appearances/cuts made: 15/12 Best finish: Won (2015)
Day’s record at Quail Hollow is impressive. In eight starts, the Aussie has a win and three more top-10s. Competitive results like an eighth at the Masters and API have us all hopeful Jason is about to have another nice couple of days at a place that certainly suits him.
25: Tony Finau
Age: 35 Odds to win: +11000 DFS Value: $7,400 OWGR: 38 Data Golf: 48 PGA Championship 2024: T-18 PGA appearances/cuts made: 10/9 Best finish: T-4 (2020)
In the immortal words of Chris Vernon, “Tony Finau, where he be now?!?!” Since an impressive top five at the Genesis Invitational, Finau has not finished inside the top 32 in six starts, with two MCs. One of those came at the Masters, a place where he has been very reliable. Finau has the length, but the putter has been tough, and that doesn’t help here.
24: Joaquin Niemann
Age: 26 Odds to win: +3000 DFS Value: $9,600 OWGR: 85 Data Golf: 9 PGA Championship 2024: T39 PGA appearances/cuts made: 7/4 Best finish: T-23 (2022)
You know I’m going there. Niemann has 23 major championship starts and no top-15 results. He has won three of the seven LIV events this year, and is an incredible talent, thus the ranking. But if you look at those odds and his DFS price you are not going to find any value.
23: Sungjae Im
Age: 27 Odds to win: +8000 DFS Value: $8,200 OWGR: 19 Data Golf: 25 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 6/2 Best finish: T-17 (2021)
At first glance, Im’s record at the PGA raises concern. Im is still 27 and finding his major championship stride. Fifth at the Masters last month, I’m taking the trend and placing him in the top 25. By the way, his last two trips to Quail Hollow resulted in an eighth and a fourth. During the 2022 Presidents Cup, he went 2-2-1 and tied for the most points on the International side.
22: Corey Conners
Age: 33 Odds to win: +6000 DFS Value: $8,300 OWGR: 22 Data Golf: 14 PGA Championship 2024: T-26 PGA appearances/cuts made: 6/4 Best finish: T-12 (2023)
Can Conners win a major championship? The Canadian was there at Oak Hill (2023) and has several top-10s at Augusta. His Quail Hollow career résumé is not bad either with a 13th and eighth in his last two visits. This has been the most consistent year of Corey’s career: 11 starts, five top-10s including the Masters and no missed cuts. If you’re looking for a solid play with huge upside Conners is a good choice.
21: Sam Burns 
J.D. Cuban
Age: 28 Odds to win: +12000 DFS Value: $7,700 OWGR: 33 Data Golf: 27 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 4/2 Best finish: T-20 (2022)
Speaking of upside, Burns can bomb it off the tee and putt. In his last visit to Quail Hollow (2024), he finished 13th. Two of his last three starts on tour have been inside the top 15. This is a driver + putter place, and Burns can certainly use both of those. Definitely better than the others near him on the odds and DFS boards. I like this buy high moment at a venue that suits Burns’ skills.
20: Russell Henley
Age: 36 Odds to win: +6500 DFS Value: $8,900 OWGR: 8 Data Golf: 7 PGA Championship 2024: T-23 PGA appearances/cuts made: 11/8 Best finish: T-12 (2013)
I’ve wondered if Henley’s 2024 major campaign—two top-10s at difficult venues in one season when he had only one top-10 in his previous 11 years at golf’s toughest tests—was a one-off run or a serious trend starting. At 36, Henley continues to get better. In nine starts this year, he has a win, and four more top-10s. Henley’s FIFTH in Ryder Cup points. I believe the Masters MC was a simple miss and golf’s data darling will come back at Quail Hollow with another
19: Keegan Bradley
Age: 38 Odds to win: +11000 DFS Value: $7,200 OWGR: 18 Data Golf: 21 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 14/12 Best finish: Won (2011)
Let’s be honest, Bradley is going to have a bunch of distractions on his plate this week at the PGA. Not only a past champion (dinner), but now the Ryder Cup captain. The PGA of America only gets him for one week in a tournament they own prior to Bethpage Black. His schedule and the putter concern me. Bradley should have been better on the bentgrass up north in Philadelphia, and we didn’t see it. He’s a solid placement choice and DFS value play, but I think we all agree, we would rather see him win in September
18: Justin Rose
Age: 44 Odds to win: +9000 DFS Value: $8,000 OWGR: 14 Data Golf: 57 PGA Championship 2024: T-6 PGA appearances/cuts made: 22/16 Best finish: T-3 (2012)
Rose is going to be a very popular bet at Quail Hollow. Forget the WD last week, that was a decision made to preserve energy for a tough major championship. Rose has three top-fives at Quail Hollow and four top-10s in his last five PGA starts (and the fifth was a 13th). I’m not here to talk you off the ledge or push. Rose’s record just speaks for itself in recent major championships.
17: Tommy Fleetwood
Age: 34 Odds to win: +4500 DFS Value: $9,100 OWGR: 11 Data Golf: 10 PGA Championship 2024: T-26 PGA appearances/cuts made: 10/7 Best finish: T-5 (2022)
Fleetwood is having a ridiculously consistent year. In 10 starts, he has nine top-22 finishes. Fleetwood’s been flushing it all year and he has a great CV at Quail Hollow. His last three trips to Charlotte: 14th, fifth, 13th. Now that you’re excited, let me remind you this is Tommy Fleetwood. Pick him to win your groups, pools and placements. He will finish strong, but that first win is still probably another week away.
16: Jordan Spieth 
Ben Jared
Age: 31 Odds to win: +5000 DFS Value: $9,300 OWGR: 46 Data Golf: 26 PGA Championship 2024: T-43 PGA appearances/cuts made: 12/10 Best finish: 2 (2015)
Out on the PGA Tour, I have seen some very positive stuff this season when it comes to Spieth. He’s finally healthy, and that has made a big difference in his ball-striking and confidence. Quail Hollow is a great fit for his game since Spieth is longer off the tee than most give him credit for. We also know he can putt when the pressure gets turned up. In his last five starts, Spieth has secured four top-20s heading to Charlotte is exactly what I want to see as he goes for the career Grand Slam.
15: Shane Lowry
Age: 38 Odds to win: +6000 DFS Value: $9,200 OWGR: 12 Data Golf: 15 PGA Championship 2024: T-6 PGA appearances/cuts made: 13/10 Best finish: T-4 (2021)
Our Power Ranking is inside the top 15, with these picks now being very viable options to win. When the venue gets harder, Lowry seems to climb the leaderboard. Ten straight successful cuts at the PGA and six top-25s in that span, plus three top-10s in the last six years. Something about the setup of this major championship suits Lowry and I’m running with it. His spot on the odds board has value, but I’m not sure I feel same way about his DFS price.
14: Patrick Reed
Age: 34 Odds to win: +8000 DFS Value: $8,100 OWGR: 51 Data Golf: 22 PGA Championship 2024: T-53 PGA appearances/cuts made: 11/9Best finish: T-2 (2017)
23 … that’s the only number Patrick Reed cares about this week. Reed sits 23rd on the U.S. Ryder Cup points list. You better believe he’s going to make a serious run at this championship to try and get inside that top six. Reed finished runner-up here in 2017 and has gained some distance in recent years. That putter is the true weapon and he will wield it effectively all week to keep himself in contention.
13: Brooks Koepka
Age: 35 Odds to win: +3000 DFS Value: $9,700 OWGR: 337 Data Golf: 60 PGA Championship 2024: T-26 PGA appearances/cuts made: 12/12 Best finish: Won (2018, 2019, 2023)
Since winning the PGA at Oak Hill in 2023, Koepka has not finished inside the top 25 of a major. Currently ranked 12th on LIV’s points list, Koepka is quickly losing our attention. The once trained assassin at majors couldn’t even get to the weekend at Augusta last month. Brooks’ record in the PGA is Hall of Fame worthy, so he can only hope that putter continues to show some life like it did in Korea. Convert on the greens at Quail, and Koepka will be a killer once again.
12: Patrick Cantlay
Age: 33 Odds to win: +4500 DFS Value: $9,500 OWGR: 16 Data Golf: 12 PGA Championship 2024: T-53 PGA appearances/cuts made: 8/7 Best finish: T-3 (2019)
When will Cantlay’s breakthrough in a major come? He can drive it well enough to differentiate himself in this field and his iron game is also incredibly accurate. I walked with Cantlay in the rain at Truist on Friday during the second round, and he hit 16 of 18 GIRs with ease. Here’s where Patrick ultimately falls short in this championship: Quail Hollow requires great putting. The reason he doesn’t crack the top 10 in these rankings (and has fallen to 16 in the world) is that flatstick. It can’t be inconsistent if you plan to take down the top of this list.
PGA Championship 2025: Where have all the Cinderella major winners gone?
11: Viktor Hovland
Age: 27 Odds to win: +2000 DFS Value: $9,800OWGR: 9 Data Golf: 19 PGA Championship 2024: 3 PGA appearances/cuts made: 5/5 Best finish: T-2 (2023)
The books sure aren’t sleeping on Hovland and you shouldn’t either. Since his win at the Valspar, he has been impressive; he’s even gaining on the field around the greens! The putter certainly is much better as of late and the ball-striking continues to be top notch. Hovland’s aggressive style off the tee, long-iron game and rebooted putting all point to his third top-three finish in this major championship. Did I mention the agronomy he won on in Tampa two months ago is the same as he will see in Charlotte?
10: Tyrell Hatton
Age: 33 Odds to win: +3500 DFS Value: $9,000OWGR: 20 Data Golf: 11 PGA Championship 2024: T63 PGA appearances/cuts made: 10/8 Best finish: T10 (2016, 2018)
Hatton started the year with a DP World Tour win. Following in Q1, the results were a little average. A top-15 at the Masters and Hatton’s season was reignited. Even more interesting is his last appearance at Quail Hollow in 2023, where. Hatton finished third. That makes sense considering his long-iron game and touch on the greens. Throw in six top-20s in his last 12 major starts and Hatton spirited approach is one worth spending on.
9: Hideki Matsuyama 
Ben Jared
Age: 33 Odds to win: +4000 DFS Value: $9,400 OWGR: 7 Data Golf: 13 PGA Championship 2024: T-35 PGA appearances/cuts made: 12/12 Best finish: T-4 (2016)
Look at those numbers above again: 12 trips to the PGA Championship, and 12 successful cuts, plus fifth in the 2017 PGA at Quail Hollow. Matsuyama has had similar success at Quail Hollow in the annual PGA Tour stop, where he has not missed a cut in five starts. Truth be told, Hideki has not missed a cut in a major since 2019! Always consistent, if the putter pops for the 2021 Masters winner he too can break the Augusta slump.
8: Jon Rahm 
Richard Heathcote
Age: 30 Odds to win: +1600 DFS Value: $10,200 OWGR: 77 Data Golf: 4 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 8/6 Best finish: T-4 (2018)
Rahm’s only result in 2025 outside the top-10 was a T-14 at the Masters. Here’s the rub—two years in and we still don’t know if he results on LIV mean anything. Rahm has never finished outside the top 10 in 19 LIV starts. Since joining the Saudi-based tour, he has just one top-10 in a major championship. The betting number will climb all week, and unfortunately for Rahm with good reason.
7: Collin Morikawa 
Jared C. Tilton
Age: 28 Odds to win: +2200 DFS Value: $10,400 OWGR: 4 Data Golf: 5 PGA Championship 2024: T-4PGA appearances/cuts made: 5/5 Best finish: Won (2020)
In five PGA starts, Morikawa has a win and two more top-eight results. Last year, he finished fourth at Valhalla, but his Sunday 71 was the highest of anyone in serious contention. The caddie change is tricky to figure out; I’m still not sure that will be the answer at Quail Hollow, as ball speed and putting are the blueprint. Morikawa is ranked 158 in driving distance and has lost strokes to the field in his last four starts. I believe Collin can contend with his talent, but winning against the big three might be out of his reach.
6: Ludvig Åberg 
Harry How
Age: 25 Odds to win: +2000 DFS Value: $10,800 OWGR: 6 Data Golf: 16 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 1/0 Best finish: MC
Åberg has not played Quail Hollow in a professional tournament. Do I think he can still contend? Yes. The driver is weapon No. 1 at Quail, and Ludvig possesses one of the best strokes gained/OTT games in golf. I wouldn’t worry about last year’s PGA performance either; that was during the height of Åberg’s knee issue. What does concern me is the inconsistent irons and short game. He will be on this leaderboard. The problem is so will Scottie, Rory, Bryson, and I are not sure he has the complete firepower to take all three down. That being said, get excited, because it’s coming.
5: Justin Thomas 
Mike Ehrmann
Age: 32 Odds to win: +2200 DFS Value: $9,900 OWGR: 5 Data Golf: 6 PGA Championship 2024: MC PGA appearances/cuts made: 9/8 Best finish: Won (2017, 2022)
Watching Thomas last week at the Truist in Philadelphia, I saw something very interesting. JT is not chasing speed or struggling with the putter. He is really comfortable with his game and is someone who can compete with the big three. Thomas’ approach game is good enough to make up for a little less distance. His green acumen is world class and he’s done it before, TWICE! Yes, Thomas is the only player at the top of the odds board with two PGA titles, and we all know that counts for something.
4: Xander Schauffele 
Michael Reaves
Age: 31 Odds to win: +1800 DFS Value: $10,700 OWGR: 3 Data Golf: 8PGA Championship 2024: Won PGA appearances/cuts made: 8/6 Best finish: Won (2024)
Unlike JT, the defending champion seems like he is searching for something since returning from injury. At first it was the putter that plagued him, and then the driver. Schauffele is one of the most well-rounded players on the planet; a PGA birdie-fest win combined with an Open title in the wind proved it. Xander needs to gain back that complete game to keep the Wannamaker trophy. The good news is, Xander’s heading to a place that has given him career confidence. In his last two starts at Quail Hollow, Schauffele has finished second. That may happen again, but this will be the first week he puts it all together since the rib injury and I cannot wait to watch.
3: Scottie Scheffler 
Sam Hodde
Age: 28 Odds to win: +400 DFS Value: $13,400 OWGR: 1 Data Golf: 1 PGA Championship 2024: T-8 PGA appearances/cuts made: 5/4 Best finish: T-2 (2023)
Yes, I saw Scheffler shoot 31 under par in Dallas. Guess what, he’ll need to play better than that to keep up with his two toughest competitors in Charlotte. This truly is a three-horse race, and Scheffler has two issues I cannot overcome. The first is a lack of Quail Hollow experience. Scottie’s only competition at this venue is the 2022 Presidents Cup. His record that week: 0-3-1. Scheffler was tied for the lowest point total on the U.S. side. The second is that he’s not as long off the tee as the other two. Giving up 15 to 20 (or more) yards on every driving hole over four days is just enough to place him outside the winner’s circle.
2: Bryson DeChambeau 
Erick W. Rasco
Age: 31 Odds to win: +1400 DFS Value: $11,500 OWGR: 13 Data Golf: 3 PGA Championship 2024: 2 PGA appearances/cuts made: 7/5 Best finish: 2 (2024)
DeChambeau has modern major championship golf figured out. Power and putting are the two primary separating skills, and there’s no doubt he can certainly do both. DeChambeau’s last two starts at Quail Hollow before leaving for LIV Golf were a ninth and a fourth place. The PGA builds BIG tests, and that gives Bryson an advantage. In his last four PGA starts, DeChambeau has three top-four finishes. Need another reason for Bryson to be above the world’s No. 1? Quail Hollow rewards a right-to-left ball flight. Rory owns this place with his right-handed draw. Bryson’s ball flight is the same as the four-time Truist winner. We are going to watch another Sunday like Augusta, and this time DeChambeau’s iron game will be ready.
1: Rory McIlroy 
Age: 36 Odds to win: +475 DFS Value: $12,200 OWGR: 2 Data Golf: 2 PGA Championship 2024: T-12 PGA appearances/cuts made: 16/15 Best finish: Won (2012, 2014)
McIlroy is 102 under par in 13 PGA Tour starts at Quail Hollow. That’s 55 strokes better than the next nearest career total. He has 10 rounds of 66 or lower, including a 61 and a 62. He has four wins at this venue and calls it his favorite course on tour. If you’re going to win the 107th PGA Championship, plan on traveling through Northern Ireland …
