PGA Championship: Specialists’ picks and betting suggestions

The second main of the yr begins with the 2025 PGA Championship from Thursday by Sunday at Quail Hole Membership.

Which gamers do our golf consultants assume will win? The place do our betting consultants imagine there’s worth? We break down the favorites and far more forward of the 2025 PGA Championship.

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Specialists’ picks to win | Betting roundtable

Specialists’ picks

Matt Barrie
Rory McIlroy: I imagine in gamers who’ve their “run.” And Rory is in his proper now. After getting the profession Grand Slam of his chest, he involves a spot he has gained 4 occasions. It is his playground. And he’ll win once more.

Tory Barron
Justin Thomas: Name it recency bias, however JT is poised to win the PGA Championship for a 3rd time. After placing an finish to his almost three-year winless drought with a playoff victory on the RBC Heritage in April and recent off a runner-up end on the Truist Championship, he has acquired the arrogance (and the putter) to make some noise at Quail Hole — the place he hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy in 2017. Disclaimer: If Brooks Koepka figures it out the one time I do not choose him to win all of it, I am defecting to LIV.

Michael Collins
Scottie Scheffler: What number of occasions are we gonna disrespect WORLD #1 ?!? Individuals mistake his demeanor as not being a killer. The competitor in him is gonna be seething. However as soon as once more, they will study.

Jeff Darlington
Justin Thomas: One thing clicked for Thomas in October 2024. He completed tied for 2nd on the Zozo Championship — and has ascended again to elite type since. He returns to the positioning of his first PGA Championship win… and now, he’ll win once more.

Michael Eaves
Rory McIlroy: Lastly successful the Masters lifted an enormous burden off his shoulders. He may very well be on the verge of enjoying probably the most relaxed golf he has performed in almost a decade, and a free-swing Rory is a scary Rory to the remainder of the sector. Plus, with 4 earlier wins at Quail Hole, he OWNS that course. Who’s prepared for some Grand Slam speak?

Peter Lawrence-Riddell
Rory McIlroy: Typically if a choose appears too simple, one of the best factor to do is simply make it. He acquired the Masters/Grand Slam off his again and has been one of the best golfer on the earth in 2025. Add in a course he has gained at 4 occasions that is going to reward distance, and he is the choose.

Andy North
Shane Lowry: He has been enjoying very properly, he is an excellent driver of the ball and hits nice iron pictures.

Mark Schlabach
Bryson DeChambeau: If the winner goes to want size off the tee, stable long-iron play and constant placing, give me Bryson. He will wish to show that his less-than-stellar displaying on Sunday on the Masters was a fluke, and he is coming off a victory in Korea within the LIV Golf League. He completed within the high six in 4 of the previous 5 majors, together with runner-up on the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Membership. He’ll get so as to add a Wanamaker Trophy to his two U.S. Open trophies.

Marty Smith
Rory McIlroy: He enters the PGA Championship having already gained the 2 most prestigious tournaments performed this yr — the Gamers Championship and the Masters Event. Fourteen years of fixed questions and fixed stress are gone. Confidence in each aspect of his sport and with each membership within the bag. Psychological, emotional, religious, bodily freedom.

And now he returns to Quail Hole, a web site at which he carries the bottom scoring common in PGA Tour historical past amongst 246 gamers who’ve recorded a minimum of 20 rounds. Oh, and he has gained at Quail 4 occasions.

Curtis Unusual
Rory McIlroy over Scottie by 1. All the time root for Masters Champ at PGA so we will speak of Grand Slam this yr

Paolo Uggetti
Rory McIlroy: It feels too apparent given Rory’s play and up to date type at Quail Hole to choose him as this week’s winner, however I can not persuade myself to go elsewhere with this alternative. Perhaps we’re getting caught up within the second — he simply confirmed us how laborious it’s to win one main, not to mention two in a row — however there’s nothing about this week that does not arrange properly for the man who has clearly been enjoying one of the best golf on the earth this yr.

Scott Van Pelt
Bryson DeChambeau: Quail Hole is an enormous ballpark, because the saying goes. This weeks it is also an awfully moist golf course. The benefit of Dechambeau’s size might be magnified this week and I feel he wins.

Betting roundtable

Odds by ESPN BET

Who’s your choose to win?

Tyler Fulghum, ESPN BET Reside host
Xander Schauffele (+2000). It is actually laborious to keep away from choosing McIlroy or Scheffler, however the +500 value (or worse) on each golfers could be very costly. If I am trying exterior these high two, I might take into account Schauffele. Schauffele has the kind of disciplined and well-rounded sport to excel at a match resembling this, the place the distances are lengthy and the competitors is deep.

David Gordon, ESPN Analysis
Shane Lowry (+4500). There is a case to be made that Lowry must be close to the highest of the second tier of gamers, but his odds do not fairly mirror it. If it isn’t Rory or Xander, I am going to take the participant at present third in strokes gained: tee to inexperienced with top-six finishes in two of the previous 4 PGA Championships.

Pamela Maldonado, betting analyst
Rory McIlroy (+475). I do know he simply gained the Masters, however Quail Hole is a unique story; it is his kingdom. The course performs to his strengths — booming drives and towering lengthy irons — which is why McIlroy has gained right here 4 occasions. He is aware of each contour of the course, and his enjoying type is tailored for this structure. It is a quick value, however when McIlroy is at Quail, he is defending his throne.

Who’s your favourite wager to make the highest 10?

Fulghum: Patrick Reed (+550).

Aside from Bryson DeChambeau, LIV golfers are principally out of sight and out of thoughts. That gives worth on these names within the majors, and the opposite LIV golfer who has carried out comparatively properly in majors exterior of DeChambeau since shifting to LIV is Reed. He posted a third-place end at Augusta in April and completed T2 in 2017 when the PGA was final performed at Quail Hole.

Gordon: Bryson DeChambeau (+140)

DeChambeau has extra top-five finishes (three) than some other participant in PGA Championships since 2020. His six top-five finishes in majors since 2020 have all come at completely different venues, which proves his skill to contend no matter course type. Size off the tee with shorter tough has labored for latest winners at Quail Hole (resembling McIlroy and Wyndham Clark) and whereas I feel Bryson is a good outright top-five choose, I am taking the insurance coverage with a top-10.

Maldonado: Jon Rahm (+190)

Rahm is lengthy off the tee, exact along with his lengthy irons and does not again down from a troublesome observe. Quail is constructed for guys who can muscle by the lengthy par 4s and deal with the stress of the Inexperienced Mile, two issues Rahm has in abundance. Even on an off day, Rahm’s ground could be larger than most guys’ ceilings. Even when his putter runs chilly, he is nonetheless a risk as a result of his method play units up so many beauty.

What’s your favourite Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy wager?

Fulghum: McIlroy top-10 end, Spherical 1 (+200)

It is laborious to discover a plus-money wager connected to McIlroy’s identify that’s engaging, however I am going to soar at this one. McIlroy isn’t normally a quick starter in majors, however this can be a course that he dominates. Contemporary off the win at Augusta, he may begin quick, free and simple right here.

Gordon: McIlroy over Scheffler: match matchup (-110)

Pam and Tyler have already stated it finest with regards to McIlroy. Whereas it feels formidable to fade a participant who simply tied the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring file in his final begin, McIlroy has the sting in course information, size and placing.

Maldonado: McIlroy top-10 end, Spherical 1 (+200)

The laborious half is completed. He accomplished the profession slam. McIlroy is coming to Quail Hole grounded, composed and in management. Golf is as a lot psychological as it’s abilities, and he is acquired readability and confidence. If he simply performs to his pure sport with out urgent, given his course consolation, McIlroy’s mindset might be targeted and his sport might be methodical.

Who’re your favourite lengthy pictures/worth bets (for instance 100-1 or longer)?

Fulghum: Tony Finau (+12500)

There’s actually nothing about Finau’s sport proper now that means he’ll contend at this occasion apart from his distance off the tee. The worth, nonetheless, could be very engaging for somebody of Finau’s expertise stage, and the PGA Championship, in contrast to the opposite three majors, is the one most certainly to provide a first-time winner out of nowhere.

Gordon: Denny McCarthy (+17500)

Tied for sixth at Quail Hole final yr and T-8 the yr prior, McCarthy is one in all three gamers with eight rounds of par or higher over the previous two years at this course (the others are Schauffele and Tommy Fleetwood). McCarthy’s lack of distance off the tee is regarding, however clearly he makes up for it elsewhere when he involves Quail. His finest end of the season is T-5 at Torrey Pines, one of many longest programs on tour all season, and I am going to take a flier on that putter staying purple scorching.

Maldonado: Keith Mitchell (+11000)

His latest type is intriguing. Over his previous 4 begins, Mitchell has posted 5 straight top-20s, together with T-7 at Truist final week, displaying a powerful upward pattern of consistency. His ball putting has been stable, whereas he is been making noise with tee-to-green positive factors. He does have two top-10 finishes at Quail Hole, so +320 for a top-20 makes extra sense, with a couple of bucks on +11000 for some enjoyable.

Are there some other bets that stand out to you?

Gordon: Corey Conners to complete as low Canadian (+165)

Conners has cashed on this market in 4 of the previous 5 majors — the lone exception coming eventually yr’s Open Championship — and in six of the previous eight majors, each occasions the low Canadian on the PGA Championship over that span. His 5 top-10 finishes on tour this season trails solely Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy. He additionally completed T-13 and T-8 prior to now two years at Quail Hole.

Maldonado: Justin Thomas (-120) vs. Xander Schauffele

Thomas is aware of easy methods to win right here, and Schauffele, whereas having the instruments to contend, simply does not stack up along with his method sport. Thomas’ iron play is stronger, giving him an edge on a course that rewards iron play. In a matchup of ball putting, JT’s consistency along with his tee-to-green sport makes the distinction.