Ah, Quail Hollow! The scenic stage of the second major of the season. The Charlotte-based course has been a surprising factor in the 2025 PGA Championship. The course which was described to be flat and direct has thrown a wrench in the works of several top golfers. “I feel like a place like this, where it doesn’t necessarily require a lot of thought or strategy off the tee, it’s generally pulling out driver and just I need to hit this as far and straight as possible.” This is what Justin Thomas had to say before the tournament began.
Despite the lack of furore or excitement, the leaderboard has proven to be a surprising one. Of the four majors last year, the PGA Championship was the only event that had a first-time major winner in Xander Schauffele. With Jhonattan Vegas sitting on top of the leaderboard with a two-stroke lead, history could seemingly be repeated. However, the aura does not quite match the occasion.
In the Fried Egg Golf Podcast, Andy Johnson and Brendan Porath went into a detailed explanation as to why the Quail Hollow feels less exciting than it should be. The major championship has thrown a few great surprises, despite initial concerns regarding the flatness of the course. However, the competition still feels a bit blunt compared to the Masters that happened earlier this year. In short, the PGA Championship just feels like a regular PGA Tour event.
“I think what people want out of majors is they want to feel like you are getting something special.” Johnson stated. Last year at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, there were a multitude of issues. Firstly, the arrest of the top golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler, had ticked off a lot of fans the wrong way. Secondly, the course offered nothing for the fans from an entertainment perspective. The leaderboard was tight across the four days but the strokes proved to be less than interesting.
The course was unforgiving with bad shots barely getting punished due to flat greens and easy-to-hit fairways. “There wasn’t an all out revolt at Valhalla last year is because ‘golf never goes to Valhalla, This is exciting for Louisville.’ ” Johnson added. Unlike Valhalla, Quail Hollow is a more accessible venue for the PGA Tour players. The Truist Championship, previously known as the Wells Fargo Championship, takes place annually at the Charlotte-based venue, rendering it as just another course on the PGA Tour. The Valhalla Golf Club, on the other hand is barely used for standard events.
Good night from Quail Hollow… an epic weekend in the Queen City is on tap. pic.twitter.com/JK432v8Ikv
— PGA of America (@PGA) May 17, 2025
That is what makes a venue special, at least according to Johnson. “If you have a golf course that wants a major, maybe the worst thing you can do for your brand as a golf course, is to host a PGA Tour event.”, the podcast host professed. That is true though. The Augusta National Golf Club is considered as hallowed grounds is because of it is association with the Masters and only with the Masters. The first major of the season is the only PGA Tour event that is hosted by the Georgia golf course, giving it almost a mythical aura. Despite the flatness and predictability of Quail Hollow, several big names have struggled during the first two days.
Big names struggle at Quail Hollow
The biggest shock of the PGA Championship would be the struggle of Brooks Koepka. The three-time PGA Championship winner was unable to make any significant inroads across the two days of play at Quail Hollow. Koepka struggled mightily in both putting and approach shots, despite decent momentum off the tee failed to deliver. The LIV Golfer carded 4 over par and 5 over par respectively on day 1 and 2, missing the cutline by 8 strokes.
Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson also struggled big time, carding 9 and 12 over par respectively. Jordan Spieth and Shane Lowry missed the cut by one, while major winners Justin Thomas and Hideki Matsuyama carded 3 over par across the two days. None of them are playing this weekend. The remaining field is a bit too scant on major winners as Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy managed to sneak past the cutline and made it to the weekend, both scoring exactly 1 over par.
Are the big names struggling due to a problem with the course or the conditions surrounding the event? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
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