Our golf coverage continues this week with our man, Mr. Rig, checking in on the vibes at the second major of 2025. Check out his deeper dive into the PGA field, and more, at his Substack, Pinseeker.
It’s a major week on Tour, and we can’t wait. We’re in Charlotte, but thankfully not for Hornets basketball. Instead, we’ll be looking at the PGA Championship, back at Quail Hollow Club for the second time in the past 10 years. With no further ado, let’s dive into what should be a highlight factory on one of the biggest stages in golf.
Quail Hollow has been a Tour stop every year since 2003, though it hasn’t always been the same event. It hosted the PGA Championship in 2017, the Presidents Cup in 2022, and, of course, the PGA again this week. It’s a very demanding golf course, requiring players to shape the ball both ways on tight fairways and access tiny landing spots on these firm and fast greens.
The course bears a passing resemblance to Augusta, which, oddly enough, isn’t that surprising. George Cobb, the original architect of Quail Hollow, did some renovations on Augusta, and both courses later underwent major renovations by Tom Fazio, giving them some overlap.
Quail Hollow is notorious for its “Green Mile”: a devastating closing stretch that brings every outcome into play.
16 features water down the entire left side of the hole and a peninsula green with a bunker to its right for good measure. It’s a test of accuracy and shotmaking, nearly forcing players to hit cuts for a good shot into the par-4.
17 doesn’t get any easier, as even the bailout area on this par-3 over water leaves you with a very tricky chip to a green split by a ridge.
Then there’s 18. The monstrous par 4 (494 yards!) provides a worthy final boss to the round, testing accuracy off the tee one more time with a drive that has to avoid a creek running along the entire left side of the hole and a large fairway bunker in the landing area right of the fairway. The green is guarded by that same creek and two more bunkers, and features another ridge. It’s a true challenge to finish the round and could just be what decides who lifts the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday evening.
The year’s second major brings a loaded field, with the best players in the world playing alongside 20 PGA teaching professionals in a unique dynamic that makes the PGA Championship so special. These club pros qualified through the PGA Professional Championship, an event specifically for them to compete for a shot at playing in a major.
It feels unfair to call him a Quail Hollow merchant when he just won the Masters, but when he’s won four times there, what else can you say? Leading the Tour in SG isn’t a bad argument for him either.
Coming off a W and a T2 in his last two starts, JT looks primed to contend at the course where he won his first major in 2017. His ability to compete will depend on his driver, which hasn’t been at its best this year but seems to be on the upswing.
Golf’s favorite rollercoaster makes the list again. After a bit of a disappointing week in Philly, Spieth gets a crack at being the second player this season to complete a career Grand Slam, with major victories at the 2015 Masters and US Open and the 2017 Open Championship.
Defending champ, back from injury, gaining momentum. That should say it all for Schauffele, who also won The Open last year along with his breakthrough major at Valhalla.
He picked up his first win of the year in his last start, and he’ll be looking for his first non-Masters major at Quail Hollow. Let’s just hope he doesn’t get arrested this year.
DeChambro leads LIV Golf in strokes gained, boosted almost entirely by his play off the tee. We’ll see how well that translates in Charlotte.
He’s baaaacccckk. After his star turn during the 2023 PGA Championship, with an unforgettable Sunday hole-in-one at Oak Hill, the club pro and cult hero affectionately referred to as Blockie returns to the PGA in search of more magic.
Model Pick to Watch: Bud Cauley
Cauley has put up strong strokes gained numbers with his irons and putter all year, making him a great fit for our model’s Ideal Player Profile. I would not be surprised to see him near the top of the leaderboard this week.
I love major weeks, and this is no different. The PGA Championship is always good for surprises, and we’ve got a great backdrop for the chaos this week. With a setup that should challenge anyone and everyone, storylines like it’s Lord of the Rings, and the best players in the world, it’s basically the 2024 Paris Olympic Basketball tournament on a golf course. I can’t wait to see how it unfolds, and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I will.
Enjoyed this? Be sure to check out my work at pinseekergolf.substack.com for more previews, analysis, and content about the game of golf.
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