X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Course Preview for the 2025 PGA Championship: Scouting the Routing

Bryson DeChambeau - PGA DFS Lineup Picks, LIV Golf Betting Picks

Ian McNeill's free comprehensive course preview of Quail Hollow Club for the 2025 PGA Championship. Ian examines the course, giving key metrics and trends to help make informed decisions on the PGA betting board.

At a venue that has become known for crowning breakout stars, there is perhaps no better marriage of course and tournament than Quail Hollow Club and the PGA Championship. From Rory McIlroy's scintillating six-under back-nine to capture his first PGA Title, to Rickie Fowler's clutch approach left of the pin on 18, and Justin Thomas's flushed 7-iron on the 223-yard 17th hole, there are no shortage of magical moments around these links, and this week, 156 of the world's best will each be looking to add their entries into Quail Hollow's storybook.

For golf fans, the year's second Major couldn't have come at a better time, as each of the world's top three players will feel they have a legitimate case as the tournament favorite. Scottie Scheffler comes into the week off a record-setting week back home in Dallas, Rory McIlroy travels back to the most successful venue of his PGA career while still basking in the afterglow of his historic Masters' triumph, and Bryson DeChambeau continues to prove week-in, week-out that he's truly a force to be reckoned with no matter which golfing arena he's thrust into. Three all-time greats currently at the peak of their powers, and they provide just a fraction of the potential storylines in play this week in the Queen City.

This piece will serve to break down every key trend and statistic I'm weighing to project a player's viability at Quail Hollow and set our readers up to make the crucial decisions necessary on pre-week betting boards. Without further ado, here is my comprehensive scouting report on Quail Hollow Golf Club and the 2025 PGA Championship!

Featured Promo: Get any Props Premium Pass for 50% off using code SUMMER. Win more with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!

 

The Golf Course

Quail Hollow Club - Par 71; 7,626 yards

Past Champions

  • 2024 - Xander Schauffele (-21) over Bryson DeChambeau
  • 2023 - Brooks Koepka (-9) over Viktor Hovland & Scottie Scheffler
  • 2022 - Justin Thomas (-5) over Will Zalatoris (playoff)
  • 2021 -  Phil Mickelson (-6) over Brooks Koepka & Louis Oosthuizen
  • 2020 - Collin Morikawa (-13) over Paul Casey & Dustin Johnson
  • 2019 - Brooks Koepka (-8) over Dustin Johnson

Bonus: PGA Championships held at Quail Hollow

  • 2017 - Justin Thomas (-8) over L. Oosthuizen, F. Molinari, and P. Reed

 

Quail Hollow by the Numbers (Off-The-Tee):

  • Average Fairway Width: 28 yards
  • Average Driving Distance -- 297.0 yards; eighth highest on Tour
  • Driving Accuracy -- 53.8%; fifth lowest on Tour

Much has changed in the landscape of professional golf since Quail Hollow last hosted a Major Championship eight years ago. The PGA Championship has moved from it’s historic spot at the end of August into a comfortable place between the Masters and U.S. Open, and a brand new crop of young talent (many of whom were teenagers when Justin Thomas lifted the 2017 trophy on Quail Hollow’s 18th green), are legitimate contenders to obtain their breakout victories at a venue that has already crowned a bevy of iconic maiden triumphs.

It is the first change: from August to May, however, that may mean the most to this week’s handicap. As 2017’s rendition of Quail Hollow Club played much different than the version we tend to see year-in and year-out on the PGA Tour. The August time-slot eight years ago brought with it a setup featuring wall-to-wall Bermudagrass, and consequently, one of the higher rough penalties in recent Major Championship history.

Missing the fairway in 2017 carried a penalty of 0.44 shots: a figure on par with the likes of Muirfield Village, East Lake, TPC Sawgrass, and TPC Southwind -- a collection of courses that consistently rank as the most penal on the PGA Tour and two of which that uncoincidentally are played with Bermudagrass rough in late summer.

With such a harsh penalty awaiting off-line tee shots, it should come as no surprise that much of the 2017 leaderboard was made up of players who excel more in driving accuracy than driving distance. Kevin Kisner held the 54-hole lead while ranking second in the field in Fairways Hit, and was joined by many more of his shorter-hitting contemporaries on the first page than you'd expect on a golf course measuring over 7,600 yards (Patrick Reed and Francesco Molinari: 2nd, Matt Kuchar: 9th, Ryan Moore and Henrik Stenson: 13th, etc.).

Now in May, I project 2025's version of the PGA Championship in Charlotte will be more reflective of past Wells Fargo Championships we've seen in early spring than the 2017 slog we saw won at 8-under par. The club has confirmed that the entire course from tee through green will be over-seeded with a perennial ryegrass more akin to what we see at TPC Scottsdale in February than the rough us native North Carolinians are used to in the dead of summer.

In those aforementioned Wells Fargo Championships, Quail Hollow has ranked below Tour average in Rough Penalty every season since 2015, and a much different winning profile has emerged to the one laid out at the 2017 PGA. From Rory McIlroy to Wyndham Clark, Jason Day, and Xander Schauffele, essentially the entire list of recent Strokes Gained darlings at Quail Hollow have come from the bomber's faction of professional golf.

I don't intend this rendition playing to anyone else's favor either, as recent rains have softened the course substantially, leading carry distance to be among my main qualifiers this week. Five of the ten par fours on property will be tipping out over 480 yards (and all but one will measure over 450), so anyone without a 300-yard carry in the bag will have it all to do on their second shots. Driving distance and historic performance on other narrow, driver-heavy golf courses will make up the crux of my off-the-tee modeling.

 

Quail Hollow by the Numbers (Approach):

  • Green in Regulation Rate -- 59.2%; Seventh lowest on the PGA Tour
  • Strokes Gained: Approach Difficulty: (-0.015); 11th toughest on Tour
  • Key Proximity Ranges:
    • 200+ yards (accounts for 32.1% of historical approach shots)
    • 175-200 yards (22.6%)
    • 150-175 yards (19.5%)

One thing I don't anticipate changing from 2017 is the abundance of long-irons required around Quail Hollow's 7,600-yard layout. Eight years ago we saw a much firmer golf course require a shot of >200 yards on a whopping 40% of approaches. And with ample rain in lead-up to this event and an additional 60+ yards added to the scorecard, that number doesn't project to be going down this week.

For my contrarians out there looking for players residing outside of the typical blueprint, this proclivity of long-iron approach shots has opened up one other profile that has found repeated, albeit more muted, success here at Quail Hollow. Over the last four Wells Fargo iterations, names like Sepp Straka, Abraham Ancer, Joel Dahmen, Jason Dufner, and Corey Conners have thrust themselves onto the leaderboards on the back of a more accuracy-intensive style off of the tee -- and, more importantly, elite long-iron play.

Only 24.5% of approach shots last year came from inside of 150 yards -- nearly 15 percentage points lower than the Tour Average, and by contrast, over 55% of approach shots last year came from 175 yards and beyond. If you don't possess the requisite length we discussed in the section above, you'd better have a stellar long-iron game to keep pace from tee to green.

 

Quail Hollow by the Numbers (Putting):

  • Average Green Size: 6,578 sq. feet
  • Agronomy -- Poa Trivialis overseed
  • Stimpmeter: 12
  • 3-Putt Percentage: 3.8% (0.8% above Tour Average)
  • Strokes Gained: Putting Difficulty: (-0.010); sixth toughest on Tour

While Quail Hollow's layout is far too demanding to be called a pure "putting contest," recent history here does suggest that you must putt well to win. Each of the last six Wells Fargo Champions, dating back to 2017, has gained at least four strokes on these greens, and only four of 71 players in that time (5.6%) have managed to finish inside the top 10 whilst losing strokes to the field with their flat sticks.

While the agronomy at Quail Hollow has shifted from a pure Bermuda to an overseeded poa in recent years, the common thread of these greens has always been speed. Time will tell just how much of a factor recent rains will have on these surfaces, but if recent history is anything to go on, Quail Hollow features some of the fastest putting surfaces on the PGA Tour, and only Augusta National has made it harder to putt from outside of 15 feet.

Of course, ball-striking remains at the top of my priority list when weighing potential bets/DFS plays this week. However, I think you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to look into some long-term putting splits -- particularly on faster, over-seeded complexes like TPC Sawgrass or Innisbrook. I'll be looking especially hard at Approach Putt Performance, 3-Putt Avoidance, and overall putting acumen on greens with comparably fast surfaces.

 

Key Stats Roundup (in order of importance):

  • Driving Distance/Historic off-the-tee acumen on longer golf courses
  • Elite Mid/Long Iron play -- specifically looking at SG/Shot + Proximity splits from >175 yards
  • Historic Putting splits on fast greens -- Specifically those with Bermuda base turf and a poa overseed (Sawgrass, Innisbrook, Scottsdale, etc.)
  • Recent history at Major Championships (particular emphasis on comparable PGA/US Open venues like Valhalla, Oak Hill, Torrey Pines, etc.
  • Bogey Avoidance
  • Par 5 Scoring

 

Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS PGA subscription? Like what you read today? You can show your support for Ian by using the discount code BALLER when purchasing a PGA Premium Pass. You get 10% off and full access to all of our Premium PGA articles, DFS tools, and Lineup Optimizer! You also get access to weekly betting picks from Spencer Aguiar, one of the top betting minds in the industry.

 

The Sunday Shortlist

Before the odds come out on Monday morning, here are two to three names I’ve identified as significant targets upon my initial research.

Bryson DeChambeau

Last time Bryson stepped foot in the state of North Carolina, he produced one of the greatest performances of his career en route to a second U.S. Open title. Now, not even a year later, one could argue DeChambeau arrives back to the Tar Heel State in even better form, and as unequivocally the best driver of the ball currently walking the planet. Bryson's off-the-tee stats on LIV are truly ridiculous: as in seven starts, he's averaging 333 yards per drive while hitting 66% of his fairways -- figures that would rank him 1st on the PGA Tour in distance and top 20 in accuracy.

Not only is the long game working for DeChambeau, but the short game gains we saw in 2024 seem to have carried over into the new year. Bryson's gained strokes putting in each of his last four worldwide starts, and finished second in the field when combining shots saved chipping and putting at Augusta National last month.

With one of his primary achilles heels seemingly a thing of the past, DeChambeau has found himself as one of the most consistent entities in world golf. You'd have to go back to LIV Singapore in March to find a tournament where he wasn't a legitimate factor on the weekend, and further back still to find a U.S. Major where he failed to be relevant.

With a win, two four sixes, and no finish worse than 20th since the 2023 PGA, Bryson's proven he's as tailor-made as they come for these modern American Major setups. He's putted exceptionally well at Quail Hollow through the years (+6.9 strokes gained at the 2018 Wells Fargo; +7.0 in 2021), and has fourth and ninth place finishes to show for it back in his days as a PGA Tour regular.

As things stand, Scottie and Rory deserve to be considered the two best players in world golf, but there's a reason Bryson's outright number has drifted almost alongside them as Round 1 draws closer. With his one-of-a-kind power, he's the only player in this field that can truly knock the teeth out of a setup like Quail Hollow and is far-and-away the biggest threat to the top two's current reign.

 

Joaquin Niemann

I know the lack of success in Majors will always be a crutch for his detractors, but at an outright number of 35-1, I think much of the risk is already priced into one of the most talented players in the sport. 
With four worldwide wins and two additional top fives already to his name in 2025, there isn't a player outside of Rory McIlroy who could claim a better first four months of the year, and seeing as his competition in the 30-40/1 price range includes Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Cantlay, and Shane Lowry (zero wins between them on any Tour in 12+ months), Niemann is the clear choice for me if you're interested in pivoting down away from the three elite names at the top of the odds board.
Joaco clearly has the power game for a venue like Quail Hollow (averaging 327 yards per drive on LIV), and has already notched a win as a 23-year-old at one of Quail's primary corollary courses: Riviera Country Club. Since 2014, Max Homa, James Hahn, and J.B. Holmes have all recorded wins at both venues, while Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas, and Bubba Watson have notched multiple top-two finishes.
With Niemann's current run of form, I don't see any way you can have him ranked any worse than the 8th-9th best player on the planet as things stand, and last time he teed it up in the Queen City, he ranked fourth in the field in Total Ball Striking (+8.5 Strokes Gained). At a venue that has crowned so many future stars in this game, Quail Hollow would be the perfect spot for Niemann's long-awaited Major ascendency.
  Win More With RotoBaller

Win more with expert tools and advice from proven winners! RotoBaller's PGA Premium Packages feature several savvy analysts and proven winners for DFS and betting.

Our very own Joe Nicely took down a big DraftKings DFS tournament for the Travelers Championship. And as an encore, RotoBaller subscriber @tenndolly2 won $100K on FanDuel with the help of Joe and the rest of our Premium PGA team: Between all the incredible Premium PGA DFS and Betting content and tools we put out each week, and our Premium Slack Community where we chat with our subscribers before lineups lock, RotoBaller PGA subscribers are armed with the tools, analysis, and advice to win more.

Golf DFS News and Player Outlooks

More PGA Analysis and DFS Lineup Picks

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Miami Dolphins

Ben Stille Reuniting with Miami
Chimere Dike

Signed by Tennessee
Dillon Gabriel

Inks Rookie Deal
James Cook

to Miss Mandatory Minicamp?
Tyler Reddick

Has Tire Issue in Practice at Michigan
Ryan Preece

Should Have Good Speed at Michigan
Brad Keselowski

a Core DFS Play at Michigan
Chase Briscoe

Continues to Find Speed in Qualifying, Wins Pole for Michigan
Chris Buescher

Looking for Another Win at Michigan
Christopher Bell

Has Puzzling History at Michigan
Ty Gibbs

a Risky but Cheap DFS Option at Michigan
Erik Jones

Has Sneaky Upside at Michigan
AJ Allmendinger

has Horrible Track Record at Michigan
Ty Dillon

has Top-20 Upside at Michigan
Luther Burden III

Still Missing From Practice
Jaquan Brisker

Feeling Better
Devaughn Vele

Turning Heads During Offseason Workouts
Carlos Correa

Back in Action on Saturday
Cody Ware

Could Cody Ware Be a Super Punt DFS Option at Michigan?
Bryce Harper

Lands on Injured List
Sam Hauser

Possibly on the Move?
De'Aaron Fox

: "I'll be Ready for Next Year"
Evan Bouchard

Enjoys Three-Point Period In Game 2 Against Panthers
Connor McDavid

Joins Rare Company with Three-Assist Effort
Sam Bennett

Makes NHL History with Another Goal Friday
Seth Jones

Fills Stat Sheet in Game 2 Against Oilers
Anton Lundell

Notches Two Assists in Friday's Win
Brad Marchand

Leads Panthers to Victory in Game 2 Against Oilers
Tee Higgins

Trying to Prevent Injuries
Lamar Jackson

Extension for Lamar Jackson on Ravens Docket
Anthony Volpe

Leaves Early Friday With Elbow Contusion
Gabriel Moreno

Exits Early on Friday With Hand Injury
Tyreek Hill

Won't Catch Passes Until August
Shane Bieber

Shut Down From Throwing Until Next Week
Ryan Mountcastle

Out 8-12 Months With Grade 2 Hamstring Strain
Rome Odunze

Anticipates Big Year 2
Shea Langeliers

A's Place Shea Langeliers on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Strain
Keilan Robinson

Joins Eagles
Ladd McConkey

Focused on Staying Healthy
Logan O'Connor

to Miss 5-6 Months Following Hip Procedure
Ezequiel Tovar

Rockies Place Ezequiel Tovar on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Strain
Francisco Lindor

Out Again on Friday With Toe Injury
Tyler Seguin

Nursing a Shoulder Injury
DAL

Pete DeBoer Fired by Stars
Stuart Skinner

Seeks Sixth Consecutive Win Friday
Sergei Bobrovsky

Looks to Return to Winning Ways Friday
A.J. Greer

Remains Out Friday
Corbin Burnes

to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Bryce Harper

Day-to-Day With Sore Wrist, Not Playing on Friday
Luis Robert Jr.

Returning on Friday
Ryan Ritter

Promoted to Major Leagues
Gardner Minshew II

Throwing at OTAs
Rondale Moore

Active at OTAs
Colston Loveland

Could Return Soon
Kyle Monangai

has "Really Stepped Up"
Anthony Richardson

No Structural Damage to Anthony Richardson's Shoulder
Sean O'Malley

Set For A Rematch
Merab Dvalishvili

Set For His Second Title Defense
Kayla Harrison

Could Become The New UFC Champion
Julianna Peña

Julianna Pena Set For Co-Main Event
Joe Pyfer

A Favorite At UFC 316
Kelvin Gastelum

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Mario Bautista

Looks For His Eighth Consecutive Win
Isaac Guerendo

Taking Part in OTAs
Patchy Mix

Makes His UFC Debut
Evan Engram

Off to a Good Start at OTAs
Alvin Kamara

Not Present for OTAs
Vicente Luque

An Underdog At UFC 316
Kevin Holland

Set To Open Up UFC 316 Main Card
Framber Valdez

Dominates the Pirates on Thursday
Marcus Semien

Goes Deep Twice on Thursday
Alex Caruso

Shines Off the Bench in Game 1
Luguentz Dort

Knocks Down Five Triples in Game 1
Cason Wallace

Moves into the Starting Lineup in Game 1 Loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Scores 38 Points in Game 1 Defeat
Obi Toppin

Drops 17 Points in Game 1
Aaron Nesmith

Posts a Double-Double in Pacers Game 1 Victory
Pascal Siakam

Leads the Pacers with 19 Points in Game 1 Win
Tyrese Haliburton

Hits Game-Winning Shot as Pacers Steal Game 1
Karl-Anthony Towns

Undergoes Treatment for Knee, Finger Issues
Kevin Durant

Knicks Reportedly Make an Offer for Kevin Durant
Tyler Soderstrom

Slugs Two Homers in Blowout Win Over Twins
Kyle Teel

Being Called Up by White Sox
Shea Langeliers

Exits Early on Thursday
Shane Bieber

Scratched With Elbow Soreness
Zack Wheeler

Phillies Expect Zack Wheeler to Return Early Next Week
Josh Naylor

Day-to-Day With Multiple Injuries
Nicolas Batum

Clippers Expect Nicolas Batum to Return for Next Season
Tyus Jones

Reportedly on Kings Radar
Jeff Green

Wants to Play for Two More Years
Steven Adams

Rockets Desperate to Get Steven Adams Under a New Contract
Fred VanVleet

Likely to Remain in Houston
Nate Schmidt

Logs Pair of Helpers Wednesday
Carter Verhaeghe

Registers Two Assists In Game 1 Loss Against Oilers
Sam Bennett

Establishes New Franchise Record with 12 Postseason Goals
Kasperi Kapanen

Stays Productive in Finals Opener
Connor McDavid

Records Two Assists in Wednesday's Win
Leon Draisaitl

Scores Twice in Game 1 Win Against Panthers
Kristaps Porzingis

to be Moved This Offseason?
Phoenix Suns

Jordan Ott Named Suns Head Coach
Zion Williamson

to Remain Pelicans "Focal Point"
Nikita Kucherov

Takes Home Second Ted Lindsay Award
Derek Forbort

Sticking with Canucks for One More Year
Noah Cates

Lands Four-Year, $16 Million Extension
Rico Hoey

a Decent Dark-Horse Option at TPC Toronto
Harry Hall

a Decent Option at TPC Toronto
Beau Hossler

Not Appealing Ahead of RBC Canadian Open
Taylor Pendrith

Could See Success at RBC Canadian Open
Ryan Fox

a Solid Option at TPC Toronto
Mackenzie Hughes

is a Risky Option at TPC Toronto
Eric Cole

Not A Great Option For RBC Canadian Open
Rasmus Hojgaard

a Volatile Option at TPC Toronto
Quade Cummins

Hard to Trust at RBC Canadian Open
PGA

Matti Schmid a High-Risk, High-Reward Play at TPC Toronto
Jake Knapp

a Boom-or-Bust Option at RBC Canadian Open
Doug Ghim

a Sneaky Value Play at RBC Canadian Open
Gary Woodland

a Solid Value Play at RBC Canadian Open
Rory McIlroy

Eyes Third RBC Canadian Open Title
Wyndham Clark

Hoping to Reverse Slide at RBC Canadian Open
Erik Van Rooyen

Erik van Rooyen Continues Rocky 2025 Campaign
Sahith Theegala

Trying to Find Positives in 2025
Justin Rose

Enjoying Career Renaissance at 44
John Pak

Striving to Improve on PGA Tour
Kurt Kitayama

Roller-Coaster Season to Continue in Canada
Max Homa

Motivated for RBC Canadian Open
New York Knicks

Knicks Fire Head Coach Tom Thibodeau
Ludovit Klein

Outclassed At UFC Vegas 107
Mateusz Gamrot

Bounces Back In The Win Column
Ramiz Brahimaj

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Billy Ray Goff

Gets Submitted
Bruno Lopes

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Dustin Jacoby

Scores First-Round Knockout
Ketlen Vieira

Dominates at UFC Vegas 107
Macy Chiasson

Dominated At UFC Vegas 107
Duško Todorović

Dusko Todorovic Drops Three Fights in a Row
Zachary Reese

Gets Back In The Win Column
Joey Logano

Puts Together a Clean Race and Finishes In the Top Five At Nashville
William Byron

Steady Performance Earns Him a Top-Five Finish At Nashville
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Finally Returns to the Top 10 At Nashville
Kyle Larson

Rollercoaster Day At Nashville Ends In the Top 10
Tyler Reddick

Makes A Top-10 Recovery At Nashville
Ryan Blaney

Denny Hamlin Factors for Nashville Win Until Ryan Blaney's Three-Wide Pass
Ryan Blaney

Joey Logano Runs Better Than Expected, Still No Match for Teammate Ryan Blaney
Erik Jones

Delivers Best Run Since 2022 at Nashville
Christopher Bell

Recovers From Stage 2 Crash to Finish 10th
Ross Chastain

Mildly Disappointing at Nashville but Still Runs Decently
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF