The PGA Championship is the second major of the year and occasionally gets overlooked between the Masters and the U.S. Open. That’s not the case this year when the 107th edition returns to Quail Hollow Club.
Rory McIlroy is the toast of golf after he won the Masters green jacket on his 17th try and became only the sixth player with the career Grand Slam. That last happened 25 years ago, and there’s a chance it could happen again in 35 days if Jordan Spieth were to win.
Remember Scottie Scheffler? The world’s No. 1 player had been slow to hit his stride after a freak hand injury he got while making ravioli. He comes into the PGA Championship off an eight-shot victory in which he tied the PGA Tour’s record score for 72 holes.
Here is a look at 10 players who could contend at Quail Hollow this year:
Scottie Scheffler
Age: 28.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 1.
Worldwide victories: 18.
Majors: Masters (2022, 2024).
PGA Championship appearances: 5.
Best finish: Runner-up to Brooks Koepka by two shots in 2023 at Oak Hill.
Backspin: He goes into Quail Hollow coming off his first victory of the year at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, where he tied the PGA Tour record of 253 and won by eight shots. He has only played Quail Hollow in match play at the 2022 Presidents Cup.
Rory McIlroy
Age: 36.
Country: Northern Ireland.
World ranking: 2.
Worldwide victories: 40.
Majors: Masters (2025), PGA Championship (2012, 2014), U.S. Open (2011), British Open (2014).
PGA Championship appearances: 16.
Best finish: Won at Kiawah Island in 2012 and at Valhalla in 2014.
Backspin: Already with three wins this year, his Masters victory already has sparked conversation of a calendar Grand Slam. McIlroy has four victories at Quail Hollow in May.
Xander Schauffele
Age: 31.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 3.
Worldwide victories: 12.
Majors: PGA Championship (2024), British Open (2024).
PGA Championship appearances: 8.
Best finish: Won at Valhalla in 2024.
Backspin: He missed two months early in the year with a rib injury and much like Scheffler, is just now rounding into form. He will try to join Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back winners in stroke play. He was runner-up at Quail Hollow the last two years.
Bryson DeChambeau
Age: 31.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 13.
Worldwide victories:13.
Majors: U.S. Open (2020, 2024).
PGA Championship appearances: 7.
Best finish: Runner-up by one shot to Xander Schauffele last year at Valhalla.
Backspin: He comes into the second major of the year after winning his third LIV Golf event. DeChambeau played in the final group with Rory McIlroy in the Masters and shot 75. He failed to protect a final-round lead at LIV Golf Mexico City. To win in South Korea should be a shot of confidence.
Justin Thomas
Age: 32.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 5.
Worldwide victories: 17.
Majors: PGA Championship (2017, 2022).
PGA Championship appearances: 9.
Best finish: Won at Southern Hills in 2022 and Quail Hollow in 2017.
Backspin: He got a much-needed win at the RBC Heritage with a strong putting performance. He won his first major at Quail Hollow. Thomas will have a chance to join Tiger Woods as the only players to win the PGA Championship twice on the same course.
Collin Morikawa
Age: 28.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 4.
Worldwide victories: 7.
Majors: PGA Championship (2020), British Open (2021).
PGA Championship appearances: 5.
Best finish: Won at Harding Park in 2020.
Backspin: He has two runner-up finishes this year and one big caddie change. Morikawa’s game is headed in the right direction. He let go of his only caddie as a professional and hired the former caddie of Max Homa.
Hideki Matsuyama
Age: 33.
Country: Japan.
World ranking: 7.
Worldwide victories: 20.
Majors: Masters (2021).
PGA Championship appearances: 12.
Best finish: Tied for fourth, five shots behind Jimmy Walker in 2016 at Baltusrol.
Backspin: Matsuyama’s first good chance at winning a major was at Quail Hollow in 2017 until he faltered over the closing holes. He set a record to par at Kapalua to start the year. He has never missed the cut in the PGA Championship.
Jordan Spieth
Age: 31.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 46.
Worldwide victories: 16.
Majors: Masters (2015), U.S. Open (2015), British Open (2017).
PGA Championship appearances: 12.
Best finish: Runner-up in 2015.
Backspin: This is the ninth try in the PGA Championship with the career Grand Slam at stake and will try to join Rory McIlroy as the latest member of the club. McIlroy was in good form. Spieth hasn’t won in three years. He had surgery on his left wrist in August and appears to be getting close.
Jon Rahm
Age: 30.
Country: Spain.
World ranking: 77.
Worldwide victories: 22.
Majors: Masters (2023), U.S. Open (2021).
PGA Championship appearances: 8.
Best finish: Tied for fourth, five shots behind Brooks Koepka in 2018 at Bellerive.
Backspin: He has never finished a LIV Golf event outside the top 10 since joining the Saudi-funded league. He has only one top 10 in a major since joining LIV. Rahm had to rally to make the cut at the Masters. The majors have become his ultimate measuring stick.
Keegan Bradley
Age: 38.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 18.
Worldwide victories: 7.
Majors: PGA Championship (2011).
PGA Championship appearances: 14.
Best finish: Won at Atlanta Athletic Club in 2011.
Backspin: He is the 10th-ranked American in the world ranking. He has had two top 10s this year. Bradley’s only missed cut was in the Masters. A strong showing at the PGA Championship would keep alive chatter of the Ryder Cup captain playing at Bethpage this fall.