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Mark Schlabach
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Mark Schlabach
Espn Senior Writer
- Senior college football writer
- Author of Seven books on college football
- Graduate of the University of Georgia
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The second Major of the 2025 Season, The Pga Championship, Gets Underway Thursday at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. Can Rory mcilroy Make it Two Majors in a row? Will Scottie Scheffler Add Another Major to His Résumé? What can we experience from Bryson dechambeau And other liv golfers?
From the favorites to under-the-radar players to watch and more, here are the six storylines to follow this week at the pga championship.
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Who’s the Favorite: World No. 1 Golfer Scottie Scheffler or Masters Champion Rory Mcilroy?
Mark Schlabach: When Scottie Scheffler Is the slight betting favorite and is coming off his first victory of the 2025 season, I think you could Argue that Rory mcilroy Is the best golfer on the planet right now. He has introduced won three times on the tour this year, and each of them was ago a loaded field at the at & t pebble any, players championship and the masters, where he became the Sixth Golfer to comply the Career Grand Slam.
MCilroy’s Recent Form and History at Quail Hollow Club, where he has won four times and finished runner-up once, make the golfer to be this week. Scheffler has played in a single stroke-play event there, and his lone appearance at the 2022 presidents Cups was hardly memorable. He Went 0-3-1 and gained just a half-point in the us Team’s 17½-12½ victory over the international squad.
Paolo objects: I agree with Mark – Rory Should Be Favored This Week and No One Coming In this Tournament in Better Form Than Him. It is remarkable, however, how quickly the top of the game can shift. Scheffler has been remarkably consistent so far this season, but because he has won only once and not kept up his torrid pace from last year, he has, in Essence, Opened the Door For MCLroy to Once Again step in the shoes of being though of the best player in the world. It would not surprise me if, come sun, you are figuring to add to their most likely total and find in each other’s way.
Other than scottie and rory, who would you pick this week?
Schlabach: Justin thomas Is playing some of the best golf of his career and captured the last pga championship played at Quail Hollow in 2017. a playoffs over Andrew Novak On April 20. He was runner-up at the valspar championship (and probably should have won that one, but close with Bogeys on Two of the last three holes and the last to Viktor Hovland By one stroke) and tied for second at last week’s Truist Championship, Two Strokes Behind Winner Sep straka.
Thomas has a solid history at Quail Hollow, Finishing in the Top 26 in Five of His Six Starts. He’s Fifth in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (1.227) and Apprach (.896) and 20th in Putting (.432).
Uggetti: You are this one is one of the one of the longest courses the professional game has always faced, there is a healthy rough and plenty of pre-timing to make driving, and you ” Bryson dechambeau? Quail hollow will be a bombers’ paradise this year, and no one is bombing it better than Dechambeau. According to Data Golf, Dechambeau is gaining over two strokes with his driver, a number that is an entir stroke ahead of the second-placed player in that category. It’s not just the driver, thought. Dechambeau has sharpened the rest of his game over the last few year-he has found top-10 finishes in the last nine major-and if he can replicate his perfect Doubt be in the mix.
What do you expect from Xander Schaffele (defending champ) this week?
Schlabach: After missing more than Two months with a painul rib injury, Xander Schauffele‘s game is trending in the right direction again. He has made straight finishes, including a tie for eight at the masters and for 11th at the truist championship.
While he ranks seventh in strokes gained: Apprach (.821), He’s 157th Off the Tee (-.320), 135th Around the Green (-.155) and 140th in Putting (-244). I attribute that to a lack of reps more than any other. The Bottom Line: Schaffele has won two of the past four major Majors and finished in the top 10 in seven of the past nine. Oh, and he was also run-up the past two times he is it up at quail hollow.
Uggetti: Schauffele is the sport’s mystery man right now. His floor, as always, is so high that even though he’s clearly not in midseason form. He is still stumbling into top-20 finishes. Over His Last Four Tournaments, Schaffele’s World Finish is a Tie for 18th at the RBC Heritage, and Last Week at Philly Cricket, he finished in a tie for 11th. To be honest, I have no idea what to experience from Schauffele at Quail hollow this week, but the defending champion (and two-time Major Winner) is slightly flying under the Radar Right Is telling.
Which liv golfers are you going to be watching the close this week?
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Who’s the Favorite at this year’s pga championship?
Take a look at where is favored to take home the PGA championship crown at quail hollow in charlotte.
Schlabach: Distance Off the Tee is going to be paramount at quail hollow club, so how can you not experience Bryson dechambeau To be in the mix? He was runner-up at last year’s PGA championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, LOSING TO SCHAUFFELE BY ONE SHOT. He had the lead early in the final round of the masters beefore carding a 3 -over 75 and fading to a tie for fifth. No one hits it is as far as Dechambeau Off the tee, and if he was Iron Play is better than it was at Augusta National Golf Club, I would be surprised to see he lifting the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday.
Patrick Reed Finished Solo Third at the masters, and he has a nice track record at quail hollow, too.
Uggetti: Until he finishes inside the top 10 at a Major, this Answer will Remain Joaquín Niemann. It is starting to become a tel-tale sign that the player who continues to rack up wines on the liv tour can see the arrives at a Major Venue Against the best Players in the World. Niemann has the game to win multiple Majors, and Data Golf Considers Him a Top-10 Player in the World Right Now. So where it is transferred to the five biggest weeks of the year? It is the question that continues to the loom over a niemann’s career, and this week will be another chance for him to create that trend.
An under-the-radar player or two to watch this week?
Schlabach: With Sep straka Winning for a second time this sea at the Truist Championship, Former University of Georgia Golfers Have Ever Won Five Times in 22 Pga Tour Events.
Another Former Bulldog, Keith mitchellHas be trending in the Right Direction after Struggling Mightily at the end of 2024. Championship. Mitchell Ranks 11th on Tour in Driving Distance (313.3 Yards) and 21st in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (.868). He has two career top-10s at quail hollow.
Canada’s Taylor pendrith Hasn is played Great the past few weeks, but he had thrhe top-10s earlier this season. He’s another golfer who hits it far off of the tee (307.9 yards) and hits a lot of greens in regulation (70.6%). He has been great or on the greens, but if his putter get hots this week, he could be in the mix.
Uggetti: A Two-For-One Special: Watch out for the højgaard twins (Nicolai And Rasmus). Both has the length to keep up with this course and could sneakily make some noise this week. As far as other young players to keep an eyye on, I’d also Throw Michael thorbjornsen Into the mix; He has Two Top-5 finishes this season and has been playing some real solid golf of late.
Finally, after Watching Akshay Bhatia At the players, it has the game to win a Major, and maybe, at this stage of his career where his game is good but not perfect, a venue like quite quile Breakthrough.
How is quail hollow going to play this week?
Schlabach: Quail hollow is one of the longest courses on the tour at 7,626 yards, which is Fourth Longest in Pga Championship History and the longest for a Par-71 course. It figures to play even even after the course was soaked by Rain Monday. More precipitation is forecast through wednesday. If that is the case, there do the figure to be much reason, putting an even after the bigger premium on the tee and long Iron Play.
Contenders are going to have to play Around the Greens as well because they are probably going to miss quite a few. According to Espn Research, Eight Greens Were Hit Less than 50% of the Time During the 2017 Pga Championship; The opening hole was hit only 33% of the time.
Golfers are going to have to survive the par 3 (Three of the Four are Long Than 200 Yards), score on the par 5s and survive and survive and stretch stretch known as the “gren mile”. There are more doubles or worse (99) Than Birdies or Better (88) in 2017, According to Espn Research.
