McIlroy loves it, Lowry hates it, but who will win at Quail Hollow?

There has been precious little time for the golfing world to catch its breath since the dramatic conclusion of The Masters, which saw Rory McIlroy land a career Slam by claiming a play-off victory over Justin Rose at Augusta National. The second major of the golf season is now in the spotlight as players will descend on Quail Hollow this week. 

Quail Hollow has been a scene of triumph for McIlroy. It’s where he scored his first PGA Tour title back in 2010. On the back of his recent Masters success, McIlroy will be in the talk for winning what would be his third PGA Championship crown.  

Meanwhile, another player from the Emerald Isle will simply be hoping to produce his best-ever performance there. Shane Lowry has faced struggles and challenges at Quail Hollow and is still seeking his first top-20 finish at the venue. Lowry will carry forward some decent form from a great weekend’s work at the Truist Championship, making this an interesting return for him. 

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PGA Championship dates and times 

The PGA Championship is the only one of the four golf majors that is solely for professional players. It heads back to Quail Hollow for the first time in eight years. The course is located in South Charlotte, North Carolina, in the US. 

The first round is on Thursday 15th May. Play gets underway at noon local time in Ireland, and the big climax will happen on Sunday 18th May. The PGA of America and Sky Sports extended their broadcast partnership of the event in 2023, so the PGA Championship can be followed there. 

About the PGA Championship 

The first time that Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Championship was in 2017, when Justin Thomas stormed through the field to claim victory. The PGA Championship is one of the game’s four majors, sitting alongside the Masters, US Open and Open Championship. 

The inaugural PGA Championship was hosted in 1916, and through 1957, it remained under the match play format, switching over to stroke play in 1958.  

Last 10 winners and venues 

Players compete for the Wanamaker Trophy, named after Rodman Wanamaker, one of the founders of the PGA of America and the PGA Championship.   

Changes at Quail Hollow 

 The Quail Hollow course has seen some changes in the last couple of years. There were substantial alterations in 2023 as the course layout changed, while greens, tees, bunkers and trees were also tinkered with.  

The three closing holes, otherwise known as the ‘Green Mile’, are still in place. The par 4 Hole 16, which plays downhill, has been lengthened to a maximum of 529 yards because of a new tee, and it leads into the par 3 17th (223 yards) and then the par 4 18th (494 yards). 

For the 107th PGA Championship, the course will play at par 71 with a total of 7,626 yards, which is 26 yards more than when it was back in 2017. That year, only 11 players closed the tournament under par. 

Rory McIlroy’s Quail Hollow success  

Rory McIlroy has won four times at Quail Hollow, and that includes on two of his last three visits. In 2021, he finished 10 under par to break an 18-month winless drought. He got home after a wobble on the final hole, where he two-putted for a bogey to win the crown by one stroke from Abraham Ancer. 

Then in 2024, he went even better at Quail Hollow. Trailing Xander Schauffele overnight and still two off the lead after seven holes of the final round, McIlroy went on a tear. He powered off four birdies and two eagles in eight holes to storm into the lead by six shots, eventually winning by five over Schauffele.   

Rory McIlroy’s Quail Hollow record 

Shane Lowry’s struggles at Quail Hollow 

Ireland’s Shane Lowry hasn’t had the levels of success at Quail Hollow that McIlroy has, with a record that includes two missed cuts from his six previous visits. Lowry’s best finish at Quail Hollow was a T34 at the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. Earlier this year, he stated: “I don’t even have a love-hate for Quail Hollow, it’s just pure hatred for it! I’ve never had a good result there.” 

Shane Lowry’s Quail Hollow appearances 

Where McIlroy tames Quail Hollow, Lowry faces demands 

McIlroy and Lowry have had very different experiences at Quail Hollow. But what is it about the North Carolina course that fits so well with McIlroy’s game? Firstly, his form at Quail Hollow is special as there are only a handful of players since 1975 who have recorded multiple wins at a venue. 

Golfers with multiple course victories 

*(since 1975) 

McIlroy’s momentum 

McIlroy carries a fantastic scoring average of 69.48 at Quail Hollow and has posted 10 top 10 finishes there. The course naturally benefits players with long drives, which gives McIlroy an advantage. The fairways are demanding, and it’s a prominent area that McIlroy, one of the biggest hitters off the tee, can exploit. Being one of the longest courses in North America, the importance of accurate driving distance at Quail Hollow is significantly above the PGA Tour average.  

McIlroy is so strong in the Shots Gained: Off the Tee stat – he has been top of that metric for a good decade on the PGA Tour. Also, because of the distances involved, long-iron approaches come into play more, which suits McIlroy’s game. 

Lowry’s challenge 

Shane Lowry doesn’t have the distance off the tee that McIlroy has, but his approach work at Quail Hollow has also often struggled. That’s perhaps because of the focus on driving, and perhaps partly because approaches to greens tend to be from longer than average distances.  

Last year, Lowry’s all-round game at Quail Hollow wasn’t terrible, however, and in fact, he produced great Greens in Regulation statistics for the event. Despite good approach work in finding the putting surface, he was only 66th of 68 for Strokes Gained: Putting.  

Predictions for Quail Hollow 

McIlroy will lead the non-American challenge at Quail Hollow from around 5.15 in the betting odds, but naturally, some home-grown talents could have a big say. Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau scored victories in early May to raise the heat a little bit.  

Scheffler, who was fourth in this year’s Masters, led all the way at the recent CJ Cup Byron Nelson to win by eight strokes, and is a 5.1 front-runner quote in PGA Championship golf betting. DeChambeau held his nerve to triumph in Korea, which was his first win since lifting the US Open last year and is a 10.0 quote. 

Jordan Spieth had surgery on his wrist last year. However, recent results and performances hint that he’s coming back into some form, and he’s potentially a bolter for a Top 10 or Top 20 finish. Spieth only needs the PGA Championship to complete a career slam, but the American hasn’t claimed a major since 2015.  

Xander Schauffele is the reigning champion but has had an injury-hit 2025. The 19.0 shot did battle well for a Top 10 at the Masters, and interestingly, he was runner-up at the last two editions of the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.  

Justin Thomas is the only player to have won a PGA Championship at Quail Hollow and recently snapped a three-year drought by winning the RBC Heritage. Thomas goes with an 18.0 quote for this year’s edition. 

Brooks Koepka has earned three Wanamaker Trophies during his career, so he knows what it takes. Koepka will be an outsider at around 33.0 odds, however, due to a severe lack of form this year. 

Will Swedish superstar Ludvig Åberg be able to tame Quail Hollow at the first attempt? That’s a big ask, but he’ll be in the talk at around 17.0 odds. Can Shane Lowry, who is a long 43.0 contender, finally get to grips with the course?  

With four blistering days of top golf to come, who will prevail? Up-to-the-minute live betting markets will be in action across the four days of play. 

Visit Tonybet for the latest PGA Championship odds across a range of markets.