Preview of the 2025 PGA Championship

The PGA Championship tees off from Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte May 15. The strength of the 156-player field is the best of the year, and also offers more opportunities to cash in beyond the players are the top of the market. The most bet players are profiled below, along with their current odds which have been available at leading online sportsbooks for months.

The course will play to 7,626 yards and par 71 - 105 yards longer than the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow. The finishing stretch of three holes, the "Green Mile", is an unforgiving par-4/par-3/par-4 trilogy that has water hazards nestled against each green. Those holes at 16-17-18 annually played as three of the toughest scoring holes on the course when played during the Wells Fargo Championship, now the Truist Championship which will return to Quail Hollow next year. But the par 5 at No. 15 is the easiest on the course, and No. 13 and 14 make those three holes also one's to watch as players find the risk-rewards and more scoring opportunities. 

I corresponded with PGA of America Chief Championship Officer Kerry Haigh again, and shared some insight on X with the challenging green complexes, overseeding and amazing look and condition of the course. 

Top Golfers And Odds

Golf odds from BetOnline and leading online sportsbooks refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on futures, props and live betting. Top finishing position odds and tournament matchups are other popular bets, and available the week of the tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Included with players odds and notes are top finishes at Quail Hollow since 2019 during the Wells Fargo Championship (not played at course in 2022).

Scottie Scheffler (+450): The No. 1 player in the world enters off an 8-stroke win at the 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson, and was the only top player to skip the Signature Event at the Truist Championship ahead of the PGA Championship. Scheffler's only major wins (2) have come at The Masters, and the field is far too strong to be betting Scottie to win at low odds below 5/1 and as co-favorite with Rory McIlroy. 

Rory McIlroy (+450): A 4-time winner at Quail Hollow, McIlroy enters as the top player on Tour in 2025 with three wins including The Players Championship and The Masters. Quail Hollow results since 2019 include a pair of top-10's plus two wins. 

Bryson DeChambeau (+1000): The LIV top pro just won the recent event in Korea, and played in the final group with McIlroy in The Masters on Sunday before faltering. Joins the top-4 in odds as another big hitter with distance advantage. But bad boy Bryson still has shortcomings in Approach play and Around-the-Green. 

Ludvig Aberg (+2000): The big hitting Swedish star is No. 6 in the world, but has not played Quail Hollow before. His win at Torrey Pines this year in the Genesis Invitational is a great comp course with added distance.

Collin Morikawa (+2000): The 2-time major winner is having a superb year with six top-20s and a pair of runner-up finishes. His elite and dynamic irons have spearheaded his strong stats with No. 2 in Approach and top-7 in Off-the-Tee and Total strokes gained over his last 24 rounds. 

Justin Thomas (+2000): JT won the PGA Championship (-8) at Quail Hollow in 2017. His best finish at the course since is T14 in 2023. His stronger irons and approach play have fueled his better play in 2025 including five top 10's with a win at RBC Heritage and runner-up at Valspar and American Express. 

Xander Schauffele (+2200): Last year's 2-time major winner has also finished 2nd at Quail Hollow in 2023 and 2024. He started slow in his return from injury in March, but his last three events ahead of Truist produced top 20's including T8 at The Masters with stronger stats but still some struggles putting. 

Jon Rahm (+2500): A top LIV golfer and another distance advantage for him at Quail Hollow, although he missed the cut in the 2021 event in his last appearance. 

Joaquin Niemann (+3300): Another top LIV golfer who finished T18 at Quail Hollow in 2021. But Niemann has competed in 22 major championships with a best finish of T16 at the 2023 Masters. 

Viktor Hovland (+4000): Finished 3rd at Quail Hollow in 2019 and T24 last year. Playing his best this year since late March with a win at Valspar and among leaders in Approach stats. 

Other leading contenders with odds from 45/1 to 90/1 include Koepka (+4500), Cantlay, Spieth, Fleetwood (+5500), Matsuyama, Hatton, Henley (+7000), Conners, Lowry (+7500), Rose, Sungjae Im, Clark and Straka (+9000).

Jordan Spieth will once again shoot for the career Grand Slam having last won a major at the 2017 (British) Open Championship. He's finished T29 at Quail Hollow last year and missed cut year before. 

Fleetwood has three top-15's including T5 in 2021. Conners is T21, T8 and T13 last year his last three visits to Quail Hollow. Sungjae Im is T8 and T4 past two years. Henley T10 last year. Wyndham Clark won at Quail Hollow in 2023, and Hatton finished T3 that year before leaving for LIV Golf. Cantlay two top-30's last two years. Longshot Denny McCarthy has two top-10's past two years at Quail Hollow with superior putting. Matsuyama has not played at Quail Hollow since 2019 (T31). Lowry finished T47 last year and cut in 2023. Straka T8 last year and three other missed cuts. Rose 3rd in 2019. Sleepers with longshot odds and driving distance advantage Byeong Hun An (T3) in 2024 and Taylor Pendrith (T10).   

Players Stats ahead of the PGA Championship  (not including Truist Championship)

Top strokes gained stats leaders over their last 24 rounds.

Approach: Straka, Morikawa, McIlroy, Schauffele, Lowry, Hovland, Cantlay, Hoge, Thomas, Zalatoris, Thompson, Conners, Henley, Spaun, Jaeger. 

Off-the-Tee: McIlroy, Aberg, Conners, Mitchell, MacIntyre, Pendrith, Morikawa, Cantlay, Finau, Rai, Thorbjornsen, Spieth, Spaun, Sungjae Im 

Around-the-Green: Matsuyama, Sungjae Im, Si Woo Kim, Novak, Fleetwood, Min Woo Lee, Byeong Hun An, McIlroy, Bezuidenhout, Day, Henley, Lowry, Thomas, Jaeger, Spieth, Conners 

The combination of distance and accuracy with Off-the-Tee play will elevate the top drivers like McIlroy with distance a defininate advantage for the 2025 PGA Championship. Eight par 4's will play to at least 450 yards. A focus on Approach from 175+ yards brings more players into play with those Proximity leaders 175-200 and 200+ yards over the last 24 rounds including Hovland, van Rooyen, Highsmith, Schauffele, Zalatoris, Cole, Matsuyama, Straka, Henley, Pendrith, Lowry and Michael Kim.  

Tournament Matchup Picks

Added Wed - McIlroy (-120) over DeChambeau (+100) - BetOnline.

Additional updates as available for the PGA Championship with information you can bet on, including any weekend round matchup picks. 

You can bet on it. 

FairwayJay is a proven sports handicapper and has a history of winning at golf betting including in the more predictable PGA tournament match-ups. FairwayJay chips in additional sports betting coverage and reporting on industry news and events. Read more great insights from FairwayJay and follow him on X: @FairwayJay