Only one man has won a PGA Championship at Quail Hollow: Justin Thomas. But ahead of the 2025 PGA Championship, Thomas dropped a revealing take about the North Carolina course that echoed a popular criticism of the major host.
Tuesday of PGA Championship week saw a long list of PGA Tour stars sit down for their pre-tournament press conferences. In a way, Thomas — not 2024 PGA champion Xander Schauffele — is the defending champion this week, having won the 2017 event at Quail Hollow.
Thomas also is playing some of the best golf of his career coming into the PGA. At the RBC Heritage a few weeks ago, he broke a lengthy win drought that coincidentally dated back to his second PGA Championship victory, at Southern Hills, in 2022.
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In his next start at last week’s Truist Championship, Thomas notched his third runner-up finish in just 11 starts this season.
All of that is to say Thomas was one of the players reporters were most keen to question on Tuesday. And one question involved another top 2025 performer with a long history of winning at Quail Hollow: newly-minted Masters champion Rory McIlroy.
But in the process of praising McIlroy’s elite skill, Thomas noted a strategic shortcoming of Quail Hollow.
“First and foremost, he’s really, really good at golf, so that definitely helps,” Thomas said of McIlroy. “I would argue he’s the best driver of the ball I’ve ever seen, and that is extremely important here. But I think his shot shape, I think this golf course fits a high draw really, really well.”
In explaining how McIlroy’s game fits the challenge Quail Hollow presents, Thomas added:
“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, and he’s really, really good at that.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the course. Typically, major venues excel at pairing length and difficulty with strategic demands.
Thomas’ comments came on the heels of a story by The Athletic‘s Gabby Herzig, which highlighted similar critiques of Quail Hollow.
Much of the criticism revolves around the idea that the design might not be worthy of a major championship. Instead, it plays more like a standard PGA Tour site, which, of course, Quail Hollow is, in its customary role as the Truist Championship host.
One quote in particular stood out. It came from six-time PGA Tour winner Hunter Mahan, who made an unflattering comparison between Quail Hollow and a “Kardashian.”
“I guess I would say Quail Hollow is like a Kardashian,” Mahan told The Athletic. “It’s very modern, beautiful and well-kept, but it lacks a soul or character.”
As the PGA Tour heats up, Rory McIlroy remains a key player, while Jason Day emerges as an intriguing long shot at 80-1. Justin Thomas, with 11 cuts made and strong recent finishes, is also a contender to watch. Exciting times ahead for golf fans!
In his Tuesday press conference, Thomas’ comments on Quail Hollow weren’t limited to his observations about the course’s simple strategy. He also provided some revealing thoughts about any advantage he might have this week after winning the 2017 PGA here.
Surprisingly, Thomas suggested he does not have the advantage people think, mostly because of the difference in course conditions players will face this week compared to 2017, when the tournament was played in August.
When asked if he thought his win in 2017 would help him this week, he gave a mixed response.
‘Lacks a soul’: Pro compares Quail Hollow to ‘Kardashian’ ahead of PGA Championship
“I mean, I hope so,” Thomas said. “It was eight years ago. It was a completely different golf course. It was Bermuda [grass] in August versus overseed in May. As much as I’d like to say yes, I think that’s a bit of a stretch.
“But the fact that I know the golf course and have had, I feel like, some success on it is definitely helpful.”
He also added more details about how he thinks the course will play compared to the annual Tour event played at Quail Hollow, previously known as the Wells Fargo Championship.
“I haven’t been out yet, so I’m not sure,” Thomas said. “The Wells Fargo in the past has always been the week prior to this, so it will be very, very similar. I’m sure the rough will just be longer, and the greens will be a little firmer and faster.
“That’s the one thing about this place. I feel like you kind of always know relatively what you’re going to get. It’s just figuring out how the golf course is playing and then going from there type thing. By the looks of it, it’s pristine as always, and it will be a great test.”
If that’s the case, then Rory McIlroy might have the biggest edge this week. While Thomas won the 2017 PGA, McIlroy has won the annual Quail Hollow Tour event four times.
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