Who Will Master the Mile?The PGA Championship returns to Quail Hollow where the final three holes separates contenders from champions

Time of India

14-05-2025

The 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow presents a formidable challenge with its demanding course layout. McIlroy and Scheffler are favored, but LIV golfers like DeChambeau add intrigue. The course demands putting excellence, and Ryder Cup implications loom as players vie for team spots, while some seek their first major victory.
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(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com .)
The 107th PGA Championship will elicit equal measures of excitement and trepidation among the field of 156 golfers. Quail Hollow is a tough course. The last time the Championship was held here, in 2017, the daunting Green Mile (holes 16 to 18) extracted 488 strokes from the field. On a course lined with narrow fairways, a plethora of sand traps, plenty of water, and treacherously fast greens, it will take some heavy lifting to hoist the 12kg Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday. Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler start 5-1 favourites, but the field is rich with contenders, setting the stage for a potential tussle. McIlroy showed that achieving the career Grand Slam at the Masters hasn't dimmed his passion or intensity. He had another solid week at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, securing an astounding 130th top-10 finish in 265 starts on the PGA Tour . The Northern Irishman has won four times at Quail Hollow, prompting Jordan Spieth to call the site Rory McIlroy Country Club! At 102-under par on this course, McIlroy's record is 55 strokes better than his best competitor.Quail Hollow has transformed into an overseeded Ryegrass rough, adjusting for the spring start. The Poa Trivialis greens are a grainy test for even the best putters. Unlike the Masters, where the leaders gain 90 to 95% of their strokes tee to green, the course in Charlotte demands a putting masterclass. The winner this week is likely to gain a third of their strokes on the green.Scheffler continues to draw exclamation marks with his remarkable consistency. His symphony reached a crescendo at the Byron Nelson, where he won by a staggering eight strokes. A year since his arrest in Valhalla, Scheffler will be eager to shine the light on his on-course work this week. Fresh off a top 10 at the Masters, the world No. 1 will look to produce a big Sunday in Charlotte.But the main cast won't carry the full narrative of this Championship. The majors need no additional glorification, but the rupture at golf's elite level has added new layers of intrigue. As LIV golf continues to aspire for longevity, even willing to adapt to secure world ranking points, its players bring a distinct motivation to thrive on the biggest stages of the sport.There are fifteen LIV golfers in the field this week, including major champions Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm, and Cameron Smith. Each of them will be hungry to prove they can still beat the best.Even though Rahm and Smith have struggled recently to play at their best, DeChambeau seems to have discovered a new gear, both on and off the course. Over the past two years, the eccentric American has flipped the script, turning from an isolated genius to an affable artist. He is constantly in contention at the majors, and his victory in Korea should give his hopes a boost after the irons wilted in the Sunday heat at the Masters.DeChambeau has been driving great, gaining 2.53 strokes this season, second only to Scheffler who stands tall with a moving average of 3.23 according to data golf metrics. A 64 last year at Valhalla saw him soar into second place in the PGA Championship, weeks ahead of a exhilarating US Open victory over McIlroy.The 2017 Champion Justin Thomas seems to be returning to form at just the right time. Victory at the RBC Heritage ended a lengthy drought, securing him a first title since his second PGA Championship in 2022. Thomas has finished inside the top 10 six times this year, and memories of his maiden major at these grounds should give him all the energy needed to contend again this week.Architect Tom Fazio has done a tremendous job extending the rich legacy of George Cobb and Arnold Palmer who laid the foundation for one of the finest parkland courses in the United States. With an annual PGA Tour event on the course, most of the field besides the 20 Club Professionals have experience playing at Quail Hollow. In a unique test of all round accuracy, even a high level of greens in regulation does not guarantee a favourable scoring outcome. The Stimpmeter reads upwards of 12, and the racy greens will test even the most patient golfer. The 7626-yard par-71 course will offer a spectacular week of fireworks as golfers enjoy a roller coaster ride on a course that falls 80ft from its highest point to the lowest.The Ryder Cup in September adds a layer of context to the second major of the season. While the top of the heap seems relatively stable for Europe and USA, everyone inside the top twenty on the rankings will hope to make their case to captains Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley. Bethpage promises to be a generational Ryder Cup event and there is tremendous anticipation and appetite for joining the team among the best continental stars on both sides of the pond.A small dose of history is always at stake during a major week. Xander Schauffele was the last first-time major winner, when he edged past DeChambeau at Valhalla last year. Ludvig Aberg, Tommy Fleetwood, and Rickie Fowler will be among those hoping to turn first-time winners. But the golf world might be eager to see if McIlroy can produce a fearless masterclass with the Masters monkey off his back.