Will anybody cease McIlroy? PGA Championship predictions

Will Rory McIlroy make extra historical past on the PGA Championship by successful his second main of 2025? Forward of the motion at Quail Hole – a course McIlroy has gained at 4 instances – our Sky Sports activities pundits say who they’re backing, plus we hear from the Northern Irishman’s primary opponents for the title…

Nick Dougherty

“It is really easy to choose Rory McIlroy for each motive, however I’ll offer you somebody totally different and go for Justin Thomas.

“One, as a result of he gained the PGA Championship right here, but additionally as a result of his type has been unbelievable coming in. He already has a win and 6 prime 10s this yr, together with a runner-up end final week.

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“My exterior tip is Shane Lowry. I feel the frustration of final week may be put behind him and his type is great. He has performed some fairly good golf and regarded fairly sturdy at instances this yr.

“He has had a few close to misses in PGA Tour occasions and I really feel like he could possibly be an excellent man as an outsider.”

Dame Laura Davies

“Rory McIlroy did not play significantly nicely final week and nonetheless completed seventh. He has much less strain now and is an apparent choose.

“A very good participant at a type worth can be Andrew Novak.”

Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley

“Rory McIlroy has gained round right here 4 instances and the golf course is not arrange that in another way to the way it normally has been on the Wells Fargo Championship, now the Truist Championship.

“How will you guess in opposition to him? At 5/1, he is the standout favorite and needs to be a lot shorter than that. He needs to be again to Tiger Woods’ odds of again within the day.

“My exterior tip? Bob MacIntyre.”

What did the gamers say? | ‘McIlroy with weight off shoulders’

Whereas the 156 gamers within the PGA Championship discipline at Quail Hole can be going all out to elevate the Wanamaker Trophy come Sunday night, there was one title on everyone’s lips coming into the second males’s main of the yr.

McIlroy’s beautiful Masters triumph final month clinched a profession Grand Slam and ended an 11-year main trophy drought and he now arrives at a golf course he has loved 4 profession PGA Tour wins at.

Such is McIlroy’s dominance round Quail Hole that Jordan Spieth has even jokingly labelled the venue ‘Rory McIlroy Nation Membership’. What else have the Northern Irishman’s largest opponents needed to say about his recreation main into this week?

Two-time US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau: “I consider you must have quite a lot of distance out right here. Rory is a superb driver of the golf ball, and his iron play is nice too.

“I feel it is a golf course that units up for his shot form fairly nicely, and I feel it units up nicely for mine too.

“We’ll see. Possibly I am going to do nicely, perhaps I will not, however I am actually going to provide it my all, and I do know Rory is, and hopefully we will have one other go at it once more, like at The Masters.”

Two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas: “Firstly, he [McIlroy] is actually, actually good at golf, in order that undoubtedly helps.

“I might argue he is the very best driver of the ball I’ve ever seen, and that’s extraordinarily necessary right here.

“When he is on, he has such management of that driver, it looks as if he can hit it in a window and an space that some guys try to hit quick irons. That is an incredible benefit or risk at any golf course.”

Workforce Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald: “It is a massive golf course. It isn’t overly tight off the tee, nevertheless it calls for size. And I feel his [McIlroy’s] excessive shot that he can hit proper to left, there’s fairly a number of holes that demand that form of shot form.

“Coupled with this being a spot that he is had success… each time he has success right here, you simply really feel increasingly snug – you perceive the greens, how they roll, the breaks.

“The greens have some slope, and having shorter irons into a few of these greens, you may management it a little bit bit. It is a little bit bit like Augusta in that regard. It is a golf course that actually matches his recreation.”

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler: “Rory has been off to an excellent begin this yr, and he is undoubtedly improved and made some adjustments in his recreation from final yr.

“There’s at all times little issues I am attempting to do to get higher, and I feel that is why we preserve coming again. Golf is form of an countless pursuit of getting the very best out of your self, and I am wanting ahead to persevering with to do this because the yr goes on.

“However Rory has been taking part in some nice golf this yr.”

Two-time main champion Jon Rahm: “I might not be one bit shocked if this lifted a weight off his shoulders that might get him occurring one other run, a bit like Xander [Schauffele] did final yr.

“Wins one, will get one other one, will get in rivalry many instances, like Scottie and lots of different gamers have finished. A participant of his calibre, you by no means know.”

Three-time main winner Jordan Spieth, chasing the profession Grand Slam: “Watching Rory win [at The Masters] – after giving it a strive for quite a lot of years – was inspiring.

“You may inform it was a tougher win than – more often than not he makes it look quite a bit simpler. That [Grand Slam] clearly was on the forefront of his thoughts. One thing like that has not been finished by many individuals, and there is a motive why.”

Who will win the PGA Championship? Watch all through the week stay on Sky Sports activities. Reside protection of the opening spherical begins on Thursday from 1pm on Sky Sports activities Golf. Get Sky Sports activities or stream with NOW.