Preview

Starts: 15th May 2025
Course: Quail Hollow Club
Par: 71 
Length: 7,626 yards
2024 Champion: Xander Schauffele

2025 PGA Championship Tips

Course Info

Designer: George Cobb (Fazio upgrade 2017)
Used Since: 2003
Fairways: Average width, Tree Lined
Rough: Bermuda (2.5 inches)
Greens: Bermuda (13 stimpmeter)
Water Hazards: On 5 holes
Par 5's: 7th, 10th and 15th
Premium on: Driving Distance and Putting

 

Significant Info

The US PGA was previously the final Major of the year but since 2019 it has occupied a May slot in the calendar.

The Wells Fargo Championship is normally played at Quail Hollow but was played at TPC Potomac in 2022 as Quail Hollow was being used for the Presidents Cup later in the year. Ignore the 2022 results if looking at Wells Fargo course form.   

Quail Hollow hosted hosted the 2017 US PGA Championship.  It also hosted the 2022 Presidents Cup.

The course was changed to a par 71 from par 72 in 2017.

Weather

Thursday: Partly Sunny.  Wind 5-10mph.
Friday: Partly Sunny with thunderstorms possible later in the day. Wind 6-12mph.
Saturday: Partly Sunny with thunderstorms possible later in the day. Wind 6-12mph.
Sunday: Partly Sunny.  Wind 5-10mph.

2025 PGA Championship Trends

Winning Score
Since 2012, winning scores at the PGA Championship have ranged from -5 to -20. When the PGA Championship was last played at Quail Hollow, Justin Thomas triumphed with a score of -8.

Recent Form
Hot form coming in usually counts for a lot at the US PGA Championship.  Fourteen of the past 16 champions had recorded a top 20 finish in at least one of their last two events prior to winning. 

Nationality
The last nine winners have been from the USA but prior to that we have seen a mix of nationalities win.

Age
Ten of the last 16 winners were in their 20s.  Five of the other winners were in their 30s and Phil Mickelson was approaching 50 when he triumphed in 2021!

Major Virgins
Nine of the past 16 winners were claiming their first Major.  However, it's not an event to record your first ever win in America - only one winner from the past 16 did not have a previous PGA Tour/Major win.

US PGA Championship Exposure
Twelve of the past 16 US PGA champions had recorded a top 8 finish in the event prior to winning.  Thirteen of the past 15 had recorded a top 20 finish.

Debutants
Two of the past 16 US PGA champions were playing in the tournament for the first time.

Quail Hollow Trends

Given that this course is regularly used on the PGA Tour, we can also consider trends that have emerged for the Wells Fargo Championship.

Winning Score
Since the switch to a par 71, the event has been won with scores of -17, -19, -10, -12 and -15.  We should expect a winning score around -12 given the course will be set up to be more difficult than a regular PGA Tour event.

Course Form
Wyndham Clark had only finished 43-MC before his win last year. Rory McIlroy is a multiple course winner with a terrific record at Quail Hollow. Homa won in 2019 with minimal course form (a MC and a 76th place finish).  James Hahn triumphed in 2016 having never bettered 50th in three attempts.  Derek Ernst won in 2013 and Rory McIlroy won in 2010 making their debuts at the event.  However, the other five course champions between 2010 - 2019 all recorded a top 10 at Quail Hollow prior to winning.

Recent Form
Three of the past eight course champions had recorded a top 20 in their last start prior to winning.  Of the other five, McIlroy (2024) had a 3rd and 22nd in his three prior starts, Clark had three top 10's in his previous five starts, McIlroy (2021) had missed the cut on his previous start at the Masters, Max Homa had placed 42nd at the Texas Open the week prior in 2019 and James Hahn won after missing his previous eight cuts in 2016!

2025 PGA Championship Stats Analysis

Previous US PGA Championships tell us we are looking for a player strong off the tee and on approach.  Power is favoured over accuracy off the tee.

Driving Distance
Power players are favoured. Rankings in last seven years (most recent first) have been 5-4-26-21-53-11-2-1.

Driving Accuracy
Little emphasis on Driving Accuracy.  Rankings have been 16-6-45-101-5-62-26-113.

SG: Off The Tee
Rankings have been 3-7-16-29-6-3-3-32. Preferable to be a strong driver.

SG: Approach
Approach play needs to be in decent order.  Rankings in last seven years have been 2-7-38-5-22-1-11-23. 

SG: Around The Green
Xander Schauffele was 43rd in this category when winning last year.  Koepka was 4th around the greens when winning in 2023. Justin Thomas was 13th for SG: Around The Green in 2022 and Phil Mickelson was 18th in 2021.  However, no winner in the four years prior to Mickelson had ranked inside the top 30. 

SG: Putting
Rankings the past eight years have been 13-13-2-37-1-59-23-4. Collin Morikawa and Thomas putted beautifully for their wins in 2020 and 2022 but on the whole it's not the be all and end all. 

Quail Hollow Stats Analysis

Given that this course is regularly used on the PGA Tour, we can also assess five years of Strokes Gained data. 

SG: Off The Tee
The last five course winners have ranked 1-11-18-25-32.

Driving Accuracy
The last seven course winners have ranked 59-63-76-76-97-38-34.  In general, you don't need to be accurate off the tee.

Driving Distance
The last seven winners have ranked 1-19-2-36-18-25-2.  Distance is preferred to accuracy off the tee.

SG: Approach
The last five winners have ranked 4-1-10-14-71.

SG: Around The Green
The last five winners have ranked 9-39-41-76-4.  

SG: Putting
The last eight winners have ranked 8-3-3-1-2-9-28. A hot putter is definitely preferred.

2025 PGA Championship In Play Advice

Tough Holes
16-18 is known as 'The Green Mile' where pars are a great score. Those holes played as the three of the five hardest holes on the course in 2024.

Birdie Holes
The par 5's (7th, 10th and 15th) play as three of the four easiest holes.  The driveable par 4 14th hole generally plays as one of the easiest holes too.

Fast or Slow Start
We look at the previos events at Quail Holow as a basis for this section rather than previous PGA Championships at different courses. Rory McIlroy and Wyndham Clark are the only players out of the last eight winners to have been inside the top 16 after round one. Rory McIlroy was EIGHT shots behind after round one in 2021!

Seven of the past eight champions have been inside the top 5 after round two.

Five of the last eight Wells Fargo champions to have won at Quail Hollow have led going into the final round.  McIlroy won last year from one stroke back, whilst his victory in 2021 came from two shots back. James Hahn won in 2016 when coming from 3rd after 54 holes. 

 

 

2025 PGA Championship Tips