PGA Championship tier rankings: From Scottie and Rory to just happy to make the cut
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The strongest field in men's professional golf is headed to Quail Hollow Club, one of the longest golf courses on the PGA Tour, for this week's PGA Championship, the second major of the season.
Rory McIlroy, who finally achieved golfing immortality at the Masters last month by becoming the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam, might be the one to beat at Quail Hollow, where he has won four times. He will try to become the first player to win the Masters and PGA Championship in the same year since Jack Nicklaus in 1975.
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler is coming off his first victory of the season, as is LIV Golf League star Bryson DeChambeau, who would probably like to erase his Sunday fade at the Masters by capturing his third major championship.
Defending PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele was slowed by a rib injury after claiming two majors in 2024. According to ESPN Research, he is the only golfer who finished in the top 10 in each of the past five majors and will look to become the only player in the past 60 years to win his first three majors in a five-start stretch.
Here's a look at the 156-player field, from the favorites and guys who can win to the former champions and 20 PGA of America club professionals:
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Jump to a section: The clear favorites | Guys who can win | If everything goes right Miracles happen | Happy to make the cut | Past champions | PGA professionals
Tier I: The clear favoritesThe best golfers in the world don't seem to be chasing Scottie Scheffler anymore -- even though he's a slight betting favorite over Rory McIlroy heading into the week. The biggest target might be on McIlroy's back after he won an elusive green jacket at the Masters and heads to Quail Hollow Club, one of his favorite golf courses in the world. In the past 70 years, only five golfers have won the first two majors of the season: Ben Hogan (1953), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Tiger Woods (2002) and Jordan Spieth (2015).
Rory McIlroy
The newest member of professional golf's most exclusive club is returning to what has been his happy place. He is the only four-time winner of the Wells Fargo Championship (now the Truist Championship) at Quail Hollow Club. He won by five strokes in 2024, one in 2021, seven in 2015 and four in 2010. He set the course record with a 10-under 61 in 2015. Did I mention the course favors big hitters off the tee? McIlroy was averaging 317.5 yards heading into last week, third in the field.
Scottie Scheffler
You didn't think the world No. 1 golfer would go an entire season without a victory, did you? After winning nine times around the world in 2024, Scheffler picked up his first victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on May 4, winning by a whopping eight shots and tying the PGA Tour 72-hole scoring record at 31-under 253. Scheffler's only previous competition at Quail Hollow was the 2022 Presidents Cup; he went 0-3-1 in the U.S. team's 17½-12½ victory.
Tier II: The guys who can winHere are the other legitimate contenders to win the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday. They have the games, guts and nerves to handle four pressure-packed rounds.
Xander Schauffele
The defending PGA Championship winner was runner-up in his past two starts at Quail Hollow, losing to Wyndham Clark by four strokes in 2023 and to McIlroy by five last season. Schauffele is slowly working his way back into form since being sidelined with a rib injury. His recent results have been encouraging -- he tied for 12th at the Valspar Championship, eighth at the Masters, 18th at the RBC Heritage and 11th at the Truist Championship. The two-time major championship winner hits it far enough off the tee and is one of the better players on tour with a long iron in his hands.
Bryson DeChambeau
DeChambeau had a pretty good track record in the Wells Fargo Championship, finishing solo fourth in 2018 and tying for ninth in 2021. He nearly chased down Schauffele in last year's PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, losing by one stroke. Given DeChambeau's length off the tee (he leads the LIV Golf League with a 333.3-yard average) and recent form (he tied for fifth at the Masters and won the most recent LIV Golf event, in Korea), DeChambeau should be back in the mix at a major.
The two-time PGA Championship winner ended his nearly three-year winless drought with a playoff win at the RBC Heritage on April 20. He captured his first Wanamaker Trophy with a two-stroke victory at Quail Hollow in 2017. Thomas won't be penalized as much for his inaccuracy off the tee (57.8%), and his putter has been hot for much of the season.
A two-time runner-up this season, Morikawa is on the clock to end his winless streak (his last victory on tour came at the Zozo Championship in October 2023). The 2020 PGA Championship winner tied for fourth in the event last year.
The budding superstar won a signature event at the Genesis Invitational and was seventh at the Masters, but he also had a pair of missed cuts and tied for 54th at the RBC Heritage and for 60th at the Truist Championship. His iron play and work on greens have been suspect; he's 131st in strokes gained: approach (-.214) and 149th in putting (-.358).
The five-time major champion has hardly played like "Big-Game Brooks" in majors since collecting his third Wanamaker Trophy in the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York. He hasn't finished in the top 15 in his past seven starts in majors, including a missed cut at the Masters this April.
Rose is coming off heartbreaking runner-up finishes at last year's Open Championship and the Masters, where he lost to McIlroy in a playoff. The 44-year-old doesn't hit as far off the tee as he once did, but that hasn't affected his play too much -- he has five straight top-15 finishes in the PGA Championship. Rose withdrew from the Truist Championship with an illness before the third round.
Rahm hasn't finished outside the top 10 in seven starts in the LIV Golf League this season, and he tied for 14th at the Masters. In last year's PGA Championship, he was 4 over after six holes and nearly battled back to make the cut. It was his first missed cut at a major since the 2019 PGA Championship.
The 2021 Masters champion was in contention at the 2017 PGA Championship before he carded four bogeys in six holes on the back nine. He collected his 11th PGA Tour victory at the Sentry in Hawai'i in the season opener.
Hovland, the 2023 FedEx Cup champion, seems to have figured out his swing after winning the Valspar Championship, tying for 21st at the Masters and 13th at the RBC Heritage. He tied for third at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship, two strokes behind McIlroy.
Ultra-talented Niemann is still searching for his first top-10 finish in a major in what will be his 24th start in the big four. He has already won three times in the LIV Golf League this season.
Hatton has performed well in the PGA Championship with five top-25s, including two top-10s, in 10 starts. He has finished first in two events on the DP World Tour since October, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Reed made a Sunday charge to finish third at the Masters, and he's more than capable of getting in the mix at Quail Hollow. In the 2017 PGA Championship, he made three birdies on the back nine to get within one shot of the lead, but a bogey on the last hole left him in a tie for second, two strokes behind Thomas. Reed had top-10s in two of his starts at the Wells Fargo Championship, in 2018 and 2021.
An 11-time winner around the world, Fleetwood is still seeking his first PGA Tour victory. He finished in the top 25 in nine of his past 13 starts in majors.
Jordan Spieth
Spieth can join McIlroy in completing the career Grand Slam by winning a Claret Jug. Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015 and The Open two years later. When Spieth congratulated McIlroy at last week's Truist Championship, McIlroy told him he was next. Spieth's response, according to Golf.com's Jack Hirsh, "Yeah, at Rory McIlroy Country Club." Spieth went 5-0-0 at Quail Hollow in the 2022 Presidents Cup.
Cantlay hasn't won on tour in more than two years and is still searching for his first major championship victory. His driving and iron play -- he's ninth in strokes gained: tee to green (1.111) -- have been good enough to win this season.
The Irishman's biggest major championship will come in July when The Open returns to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, where he hoisted a Claret Jug in 2019. He has played consistently well all season, including a tie for second at the Truist Championship.
Henley might not hit the ball far enough off the tee, but his driving accuracy, spectacular iron play and solid putting helped him tie for 10th in the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Wyndham Clark
Clark's results in majors haven't been great since he unexpectedly won the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, and his form has been up and down all season. Still, he bombs the ball off the tee and won the Wells Fargo Championship two years ago.
Day won the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin and the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. He tied for fourth at Quail Hollow last year. Day withdrew from last week's Truist Championship for unspecified reasons.
Tier III: If everything goes rightHere are the sleeper candidates to win the PGA Championship. This tier includes a few previous major champions, winners on tour this season and a handful of players who have made comebacks this season.
Im missed the cut in four of his past five starts in the PGA Championship, but finished in the top 10 in the past two majors, tying for seventh at the 2024 Open Championship and fifth at the Masters. He had top 10s in his past two starts at Quail Hollow.
The U.S. Ryder Cup team captain, who won the 2011 PGA Championship, had a nice start on the West Coast and tied for fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational before missing the cut at Augusta National. He made the cut in nine of his past 10 starts in the PGA Championship.
The five-time PGA Tour winner has enjoyed more success in the U.S. Open, but Quail Hollow has suited his eye. He tied for third at 12 under in the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship.
Straka's breakthrough in a major came with a tie for seventh at the 2023 PGA Championship. He tied for eighth at Quail Hollow last year. He's coming off his fourth career PGA Tour victory at the Truist Championship. Can he win two weeks in a row?
The new co-chairman of the PGA Tour Player Advisory Council has a degree in management science and engineering. He has a pretty sweet swing, too.
Detry tied for fourth at last year's PGA Championship, his best finish in a major. It will be his first professional event at Quail Hollow.
A PGA Tour rookie this season, Højgaard won five times on the DP World Tour, including the Irish Open in September. He and his identical twin brother, Nicolai, finished second in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event. Rasmus is second in the European Ryder Cup team standings, behind only McIlroy.
After a slow start to the season, Harman picked up his fourth PGA Tour victory at the Valero Texas Open on April 20. He tied for 13th in the 2017 PGA Championship.
MacIntyre's tie for eighth at last year's PGA Championship got him out of the dumps from being homesick. It probably propelled him to two victories at the RBC Canadian Open and the Genesis Scottish Open, too.
The Canadian golfer finished in the top 10 in two of the past three majors -- he tied for ninth at the 2024 U.S. Open and eighth at the Masters. He finished in the top 15 in his past two starts in the Wells Fargo Championship.
The 30-year-old is playing the best golf of his professional career and picked up his first PGA Tour victory with Ben Griffin in the Zurich Classic. It's only his second start in a major.
Burns seemed to break the glass on his struggles in majors by tying for ninth in the 2024 U.S. Open. He tied for 13th in the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Another former major champion without much of a history at Quail Hollow, Smith has played better in the LIV Golf League recently with three straight top-10 finishes.
It's time for Lee to heat up at a major again. He missed the cut at The Open in 2024 and was 49th at the Masters.
Berger, who battled a back injury for much of the previous two seasons, is set to return to the PGA Championship for the first time since missing the cut in 2022.
Kim's remarkable comeback from golf's abyss continues; he tied for 27th at Augusta National, his first made cut in a major since tying for 35th at The Open in 2018. Kim withdrew from the Truist during the third round because of a back injury
Few golfers have struggled with their form or confidence as much as Homa over the past year. Still, he's a two-time winner of the Wells Fargo Championship in 2019 and 2022, and he seemed to figure out some things when he tied for 12th at the Masters.
The former US. Open champion recently called his performance this season "rubbish" and the "worst I've ever played, in fact." His past results at Quail Hollow haven't been great, either.
Højgaard's recent form in stroke-play events hasn't been great -- he missed four straight cuts and tied for 56th at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He's 33rd in the European Ryder Cup team standings and needs to turn things around to get back on the squad.
The South Korean golfer might be a sneaky pick for a top-10 finish this season. He won the Genesis Championship on the DP World Tour in October and was solo third in the Wells Fargo Championship last year.
Johnson's five-year exemption into the PGA Championship for winning the 2020 Masters expired, so he needed a special invitation into the field. He's 28th in the LIV Golf season-long points standings.
Big things were expected from Theegala this season, but he didn't have a top-15 finish in his first 13 starts on tour. He's dealing with a double whammy of misses; he is 148th in strokes gained: approach (-.358) and 132nd off the tee (-.135). He withdrew from the Truist Championship in the final round because of a neck injury.
Woodland's remarkable comeback from brain surgery remains one of the best stories in the sport. He had a pair of top 10s at Quail Hollow and is still swinging hard off the tee (313.3 yards).
The switch is going to click in a major for Bhatia soon. He tied for third at the Players Championship, another big event.
The South Korean golfer returns to Quail Hollow, where he won over the galleries with his enthusiasm and daring play at the 2022 Presidents Cup.
Zalatoris is still searching for answers after recovering from back surgery. He has fallen to 74th in the world rankings.
Taylor ended a string of nine straight missed cuts in majors by tying for 40th at the Masters. The Canadian golfer has won three times on tour in as many years.
Kim has turned things around after missing three cuts in four events. He tied for eighth at the RBC Heritage and 15th at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
Mitchell struggled last fall, ending the year with four straight missed cuts. He has collected five straight top 25s, including a tie for second in the Corales Puntacana Championship, and had the outright lead at last week's Truist Championship in Philadelphia. He has a pair of top 10s at Quail Hollow on his résumé, too.
Garcia last made the cut in the PGA Championship when he tied for 54th in 2015. He has three top 10s in the LIV Golf League this season and had top-25 finishes in his past three starts at Quail Hollow.
Rai hits the ball exceptionally straight with a driver or irons. He doesn't hit it that far off the tee -- he's 174th in driving distance (286.6 yards) -- and missed the cut in his past two starts at Quail Hollow.
The 2013 Masters champion has 20 top 10s in 95 career starts in majors -- but just one in the past 21. He missed the cut in three of his past four starts in the PGA Championship.
Finau was once a consistent top-10 player in the majors, but he has just one (tie for third at the 2024 U.S. Open) in his past 15 starts.
If familiarity matters, Hughes might be a sleeper pick. Hughes lives down the road from Quail Hollow Club, where he tied for ninth in the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship and sixth last year.
After a couple of nice performances in Florida (tie for third at the Players and eighth at the Valspar Championship), Glover has struggled the past few weeks. He won the 2011 Wells Fargo Championship in a playoff and was runner-up two years earlier.
Tier IV: Hey, miracles happenThey are the long shots. Everything would have to fall perfectly in place over 72 holes in four days at Quail Hollow Club for someone from this tier to win. There have been more than a few underdogs who have hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy. Remember Y.E. Yang, Shaun Micheel and Rich Beem? It can be done.
J.T. Poston Bud Cauley J.J. Spaun Phil Mickelson Rickie Fowler Sam Stevens David Puig Jake Knapp Patrick Rodgers Taylor Pendrith Denny McCarthy Tom Hoge Eric Cole Austin Eckroat Garrick Higgo Ryo Hisatsune Nico Echavarria Matt McCarty Ryan Fox Davis Thompson Davis Riley Cam Davis Ben Griffin Joe Highsmith Jacob Bridgeman Nick Dunlap Kurt Kitayama Adam Hadwin Lee Hodges Taylor Moore Christiaan Bezuidenhout Cameron Young Matt Wallace Chris Kirk Dean Burmester Brian Campbell Max Greyserman Laurie Canter Stephan Jager Eugenio Chacarra Thorbjørn Olesen Karl Vilips Matthieu Pavon Thriston Lawrence Erik van Rooyen
Fowler had slipped to 125th in the world rankings and needed a special invitation from the PGA of America to get in the field. That seemed to inspire him in last week's Truist Championship -- he was only two strokes off the lead after 18 holes. One of his six PGA Tour victories came at the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship when he defeated D.A. Points and McIlroy in a playoff.
Mickelson turns 55 next month, and his best golf is probably in the rear-view mirror. He became golf's oldest major champion when he stunned the sport by capturing the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, South Carolina. He had 10 top 10s in 17 starts at Quail Hollow, including a tie for fifth in 2018. Among golfers with at least 20 rounds there, "Lefty" ranks third in true strokes gained (2.10), behind only McIlroy (2.87) and Day (2.12), according to datagolf.com.
Campbell, Highsmith, Vilips, Higgo and Griffin have already won PGA Tour events this season.
Tier V: Happy to make the cutThis group includes a few aging golfers who are trying to hang on to their cards, and several newcomers who are attempting to get more access to the tour. They aren't expected to be among the contenders unless something truly magical happens, like it did for Micheel more than two decades ago.
Alex Noren Tom McKibbin Richard Bland Patton Kizzire Harry Hall John Catlin Johnny Keefer Séamus Power Luke Donald Ryan Gerard Beau Hossler Justin Lower Kevin Yu Jhonattan Vegas Max McGreevy Rafael Campos Sami Välimäki Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen Keita Nakajima Niklas Norgaard
Daniel van Tonder John Parry Rico Hoey Takumi Kanaya Elvis Smylie Victor Perez Marco Penge
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