1. Rory McIlroy (5/1)
Reason to pick: Like we said above, he’s enjoying a truly historic season with wins at the Masters, the Players and Pebble Beach. And he owns Quail Hollow.
Cause for concern: The pressure of completing the career Grand Slam clearly got to him, so you’d have to think it would be the same for the calendar slam.
2. Scottie Scheffler (4/1)
Masters 2025
Reason to pick: And just like that, he’s back in the winner’s circle. And in a BIG way. Scheffler’s eight-shot win at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in which he equaled the PGA Tour 72-hole scoring record certainly quieted all his doubters, including Phil Mickelson. So we’re sliding him up to the two-hole.
Cause for concern: Not getting arrested on his way to the course like last year at the PGA would probably make his job easier. Just saying.
3. Bryson DeChambeau (12/1)
Reason to pick: The reigning U.S. Open champ nearly chased down Schauffele at last year’s PGA Championship and was in the final group of this year’s Masters. He’s also coming off a LIV win (finally) in South Korea.
4. Xander Schauffele (20/1)
Reason to pick: He won two majors last year, including the PGA Championship, and he has finished runner-up at the previous two Wells Fargo Championships (now the Truist Championship).
Cause for concern: Schauffele hasn’t been as sharp this season after taking a couple months off due to a rib injury. It’s showing up most on the greens where he ranks 161st in strokes gained/putting. And this is the guy giving Justin Thomas putting lessons!
5. Justin Thomas (18/1)
Reason to pick: He finally ended that three-year winless drought with a victory at the RBC Heritage. And he’s the only person (for now) who can say he’s won a PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
Cause for concern: That being said, that was eight years ago when he was still making Spring Break buddies trips.
6. Collin Morikawa (22/1)
Reason to pick: We’ve already seen Rory and JT end long winless droughts this year, and Morikawa seems next.
Cause for concern: Unlike at his two other major championship victories, there will be a crowd at this one. Kidding, Collin. Sort of.
7. Ludvig Aberg (22/1)
Reason to pick: Already a winnner of a signature event this year at Torrey Pines, a major seems the next step in this talented Swede’s future—especially after another close call at Augusta National.
Cause for concern: Unlike the rest of this list, Aberg doesn’t have the advantage of having played Quail Hollow before.
8. Brooks Koepka (35/1)
Reason to pick: He’s already got three Wanamakers in his trophy case. And his odds just jumped from 22/1 to 35/1. Value?!
Cause for concern: He hasn’t done much of note in 2025, including missing the cut at the Masters with a bogey-quad final two holes.
9. Justin Rose (100/1)
Reason to pick: OK, hand up here. We should have had Rose in our ranking from the start, but better late than never to slide him in (and bump out, for the time being, Viktor Hovland). All the 44-year-old Englishman has done is finish runner-up at the last two majors (plus a T-6 at last year’s PGA) and you can still bet him at 100-to-1 odds?! That makes no sense. Talk about not getting proper respect.
Cause for concern: Hopefully, he can recover from that illness that had him DFL at the Truist Championship before withdrawing.
10. Hideki Matsuyama (40/1)
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Reason to pick: Already a winner in 2025, the 2021 Masters champ looked like he was on his way to winning his first major at Quail Hollow in 2017 before a Sunday back-nine stumble.
Cause for concern: Normally, ranking 30th in strokes gained/approach would be a good thing, but not when you’re a ball-striking machine like Matsuyama. He’s been off with his irons this year.
11. Patrick Cantlay (28/1)
Reason to pick: Made his major championship debut as a pro at the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow and finished a solid T-33.
Cause for concern: His career has still been marked by solid major finishes but no true breakthrough at one of the four biggest events.
12. Wyndham Clark (80/1)
Reason to pick: The long-hitting 2023 U.S. Open champ also won the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship against a major-caliber field.
Cause for concern: Since winning that U.S. Open, Clark has gone T-33, MC, MC, MC, T-56 and T-46 in the majors. Still . . . 80/1? And speaking of 80-to-1 guys . . .
13. Sepp Straka (80/1)
Jonathan Bachman
Reason to pick: The red-hot Straka jumps into our final ranking, bumping an injured Jason Day. But Straka should have probably been in this already given how well he’s played this year. With wins at the American Express and the Truist Championship, he’s back up to No. 2 in the FedEx Cup standings
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