CHARLOTTE, NC. The 107th PGA Championship is now in the record books. Plenty of interesting developments took place. The pecking order of golf was reinforced with the convincing triumph of now three-time major champion Scottie Scheffler.
But the storylines emanating from Quail Hollow ranged from those meriting an “A” to those clearly needing to regroup upon leaving Charlotte.
A
Scottie Scheffler
Came into the week not as the clear favorite give the track record and hype connected to Rory McIlroy. Played his way into contention over the first two rounds and then scored a third round 65 that propelled him into a three-shot lead.
Sunday’s final round started with poor play for nine holes and when starting the back nine, was tied with Jon Rahm. Scheffler showed why he is the game’s premier player with three birdies between the 10th and 17th holes. By the time he reached the final hole – the bogey scored there meant nothing.
The victory re-establishes the 28-year-old at the top of golf’s pecking order. One should not be surprised if Scheffler wins another major this year. When on form the separation between himself and the rest is clearly apparent.
Scheffler showed at Quail Hollow why he’s golf’s Superman.
B+
Bryson DeChambeau
The defending U.S. Open champion finished in a tie for the runner-up position for a second time in his career. He did likewise in the 2024 event at Valhalla.
DeChambeau never really threatened. To his credit he improved his position after each of the first three rounds but he started Sunday’s final round six shots behind and the only way he could have caught Scheffler was shooting a number of 66 or lower.
Oakmont will stage this year’s U.S. Open and Bryson’s game is fully capable in defending his title.
Quail Hollow showed DeChambeau to be a steady performer in the majors and it’s very possible he will add to the two major wins he has now.
B
Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann, Harris English, Keegan Bradley
Jon Rahm was the only player to mount an effort against Scheffler. The Spaniard did get into a brief tie but missed birdies at 11 thru 14 stalled his effort. Yes, he did finish poorly but essentially his run for the PGA title was aborted after failing to make the key birdies at the holes mentioned. Rahm was sidetracked for a time when leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf but his ability to be a factor in major events was front and center at Quail Hollow. Expect more from him in the key events coming up this year.
Joaquin Niemann has been highly touted as a young player of note but minus his wins on LIV Golf the 26-year had never placed in a top ten in a major championship. His T8 position clearly shows promise for better days ahead.
Harris English had his best finish in a major with tie for the runner-up slot. The 2021 Ryder Cup player has been a consistent presence and his play at Quail Hollow was aided by the low round on Sunday with 65.
Keegan Bradley‘s plate was already full in being named captain of team USA for this year’s Ryder Cup matches at Bethpage. Bradley’s golf game showed plenty with a T8 finish. Bradley has already stated he will not pick himself with a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup. However, it’s still remotely possible he could finish in the top six and qualify for a guaranteed spot.
C+
Jhonattan Vegas, Si Woo Kim
Jhonattan Vegas started well and remained in and around the top of the leaderboard for the duration of the event. Vegas scored 134 for the first two rounds – but his weekend play was not up to the task with a two-round total of 145. Nonetheless, he ultimately finished T5 – his best ever finish in a major championship.
Si Woo Kim also got off to a quick start with rounds of 72-64. Just like Vegas he too faded with weekend rounds of 71-73 and finished T8. That was also his best finish ever in a major championship.
C
Matthew Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Alex Noren, Xander Schauffele
It was heartening to see Matthew Fitzpatrick back in contention for the bulk of the event. The only aspect that was disappointing was his weekend play with a 144 total after starting the event in fine fashion with a 136 total. The 2022 U.S. Open champion certainly resurrected himself at Quail Hollow.
Viktor Hovland is a quality talent but the results have been inconsistent. His start to the 2025 season was abysmal but he righted the ship in winning the Valspar event. The Masters and PGA had him finishing down the leaderboard. A quality talent could well be a sleeper pick for the U.S. Open.
Credit Alex Noren in getting himself into the final pairing with Scheffler on Sunday. But the conclusion was not what the Swede wanted in scoring 76. The issue for Noren is can he demonstrate sustained consistency not only for the rest of the season but to keep his name in contention for a captain’s pick for the European team at Bethpage.
Xander Schauffele‘s 2025 season was derailed for a period of time early in the year with a rib injury. His form had been on the uptick coming into Quail Hollow. The 31-year-old was paired with Scheffler and McIlroy and was unable to generate any real momentum. There’s still time in 2025 to do so but the clock is ticking.
D
Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka, Justin Thomas, Max Homa, Ludvig Åberg, Collin Morikawa.
Rory McIlroy was the favorite coming into the PGA Championship but his form was completely off and never a factor. Is he still enveloped in a Masters haze? Oakmont will say plenty about his motivation for the balance of 2025.
Justin Rose played well at the Masters with a runner-up finish but the Englishman missed the cut badly at Quail Hollow. One has to wonder if inconsistency will now be a steady situation for him going forward.
Shane Lowry nearly won The Truist event a week prior to Quail Hollow and appeared to be in fine form. The Irishman missed the cut and regressed.
Justin Thomas had won the PGA at Quail Hollow back in 2017 and his form this year showed much in ending a winless streak on the PGA Tour with a win at the RBC Heritage. The key disturbing aspect is that JT has only had one top ten major finish since claiming his second PGA Championship title in 2022. The expectation for his talent level is not being achieved.
Sepp Straka has won twice on the PGA Tour and was the winner of The Truist going into Quail Hollow. The win in Philadelphia was a quality moment but Sepp sleep walked with rounds of 73-71. Winning tour events says plenty but being in the hunt for majors says even more.
There was much hope for Jordan Spieth when arriving in Charlotte. A win at Quail Hollow would have meant becoming the 7th player to have won the career Grand Slam. Spieth has won just twice since claiming The Open Championship in 2017. Since 2020 he’s played in 21 majors and had four top ten placements. But the 31-year-old has also had five missed cuts including at last week’s PGA. The bigger question for Jordan is whether he’s more past story than future one.
Max Homa looked to break out of a prolonged slump and his brilliant 64 showed much during second round play at Quail Hollow. Then he slumped with a 153 total over the weekend. The slump for Max continues but can he gain any traction for the balance of the year.
Ludvig Åberg missed the cut for a second consecutive PGA Championship. Yes, the Swede did win his second PGA Tour title earlier this year at the Genesis but the expectation for him is to be in the hunt for major titles.
Collin Morikawa was a steady performer in the 2024 majors. The 2025 season has been a disappointment thus far. While he did make the cut at Quail Hollow, the 28-year-old ultimately finished T50. Morikawa is ranked fourth in the world but he is a more distant fourth to the three ahead of him. He’s won six times on the PGA Tour but the last triumph came late in 2023. A quality talent that needs to see more of the winner’s circle.
F
Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler
There’s little to say positive about the foursome mentioned. Dustin Johnson looks to be going through the motions. How does someone still in prime playing years after winning the Masters in record fashion in 2020 look so completely lost? In his last seven majors he’s missed the cut five times. Can DJ still play the top tier golf music? Does he even care to change the song being played now? More questions – than answers.
Phil Mickelson‘s time at Quail Hollow was short. Now 54, the six-time major winner, opened with an abysmal 79 and while his play improved with a 72 during second round play the finish marked another failed effort. Since winning the PGA at 50 in 2021, Lefty’s played in 14 majors and missed the cut in nine of them. Only the belated runner-up finish in the 2023 Masters is a bright spot. Memo to Phil – the days of elite golf are over.
Brooks Koepka remains an enigma. After a stellar run of superior play when he won four majors in a period of less than two years, he has gone silent on the big stage. The 35-year-old claimed the 2023 PGA title and there was promise that another possible run in the most significant of events was just ahead. However, since that win at Oak Hill, he’s not had a Top-15 major finish. Is the motivation to resurface at Oakmont a likely possibility? Koepka needs something to happen to keep his name in the relevant column.
Rickie Fowler remains a fan favorite but his golf game is now a liability for big-time finishes in major events. Going back to 2020, the 36-year-old has had only two top ten finishes in Grand Slam events. He did resurface for a good bit of the 2023 U.S. Open but minus one PGA Tour win in 2023 – the last triumph before that goes back to 2016. Hardly encouraging.
