Rory McIlroy returns to Quail Hollow chasing a second major and a historic Grand Slam run at the 2025 PGA Championship.
Sometimes, destiny dresses in green—and whispers of history follow soon after. Rory McIlroy, just weeks removed from slipping into the Green Jacket at Augusta, now stands at the edge of possibility. With the first piece of a calendar Grand Slam in hand, the conversation has shifted from “if” to “could.”
Could this be the year? The venues align, the form is undeniable, and the PGA Championship—hosted at his cherished Quail Hollow—feels less like another stop and more like a homecoming. A place where echoes of triumph fuel the hope for something even greater.
“This could be really close!”
Rory McIlroy, 2014 PGA Championship. 😮💨pic.twitter.com/V2kOErhedf
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 13, 2025
Where the Journey Began
Charlotte doesn’t just host McIlroy this week—it welcomes him back. Quail Hollow, the site of four career wins including his first on the PGA Tour in 2010, offers a familiarity few players enjoy at a major venue. This isn’t just a course for McIlroy. It’s his canvas.
Dubbed “Rory McIlroy Country Club” by none other than Jordan Spieth, Quail Hollow rewards length and accuracy—traits that define McIlroy at his best. Its final three holes, known as the “Green Mile,” test a player’s courage as much as their swing. But for McIlroy, this is no ordinary trial. It’s a place where his game breathes.
It’s just you & the green. 223 yards. What’s your club? ⛳️#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/buCXfLCwPw
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 12, 2025
He arrives with momentum, confidence, and the dreams of romantics who now whisper about history. A second straight major would keep the Slam alive—a feat not seen since Tiger. But that’s not the point, not yet. For Rory, the mission is singular: win here. Win again. Let the next chapter write itself.
Three Titans, One Fairway
Thursday morning will bring more than tee shots and scorecards—it will bring theatre. In perhaps the most anticipated pairing of the year, the world’s top three players walk side by side. Scottie Scheffler. Rory McIlroy. Xander Schauffele.
The hole that made Xander Schauffele a major champion.
Very likely the best birdie the kid from San Diego will ever make.pic.twitter.com/YAVEXrkfAq
— Xander Schauffele Legion (@XanderLegion) May 13, 2025
Scheffler, dominant at the Byron Nelson, is chasing his first major beyond Augusta’s gates. Schauffele, the defending champion, seeks to validate last year’s breakthrough with another clutch performance. And then there’s McIlroy, now carrying the weight—and wonder—of a possible Grand Slam run.
The grouping offers more than talent. It offers tension. A clash of intent, of legacy, of form. The stakes are enormous, but the paths are personal. Each man eyes the Wanamaker Trophy with different hunger.
Yet, for McIlroy, Quail Hollow isn’t just about trophies. It’s about time, redemption, and the rarest kind of opportunity. The kind that only opens when you’ve already conquered Augusta—and look ahead to something even more eternal.
2025 PGA Championship Round-1 Notable Tee Times:
(Note: All times are ET; *Back-nine start)
7:38 a.m.*: Brooks Koepka; Rickie Fowler; Shane Lowry
7:49 a.m.*: Phil Mickelson; Tommy Fleetwood; Jason Day
8 a.m.*: Jon Rahm; Patrick Cantlay; Matthew Fitzpatrick
8:22 a.m.*: Rory McIlroy; Xander Schauffele; Scottie Scheffler
1:14 p.m.: Justin Thomas; Dustin Johnson; Collin Morikawa
1:25 p.m.: Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed; Ludvig Åberg
1:47 p.m.: Bryson DeChambeau; Viktor Hovland; Gary Woodland
The PGA Championship has paired the top 3 players in the world together for rounds 1 and 2 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qIhOa2IJNz
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) May 13, 2025
Full Tee Times (Thursday Rd-1 /Friday RD-2)
(Note: All times are ET; *Back-nine start)
7 a.m./12:25 p.m*: Luke Donald; Padraig Harrington; Martin Kaymer
7:05 a.m.*/12:30 p.m.: John Parry; Justin Hicks; Ryan Fox
7:11 a.m./12:36 p.m.*: John Somers; Taylor Moore; David Puig
7:16 a.m.*/12:41 p.m.: Andrew Chi; Patrick Fishburn; Seamus Power
7:22 a.m./12:47 p.m.*: Kurt Kitayama; Nic Ishee; Alex Noren
7:27 a.m.*/12:52 p.m.: Max McGreevy; Sahith Theegala; Sepp Straka
7:33 a.m./12:58 p.m.*: J.T. Poston; Ryo Hisatsune; Tom Johnson
7:38 a.m.*/1:03: Brooks Koepka; Rickie Fowler; Shane Lowry
7:44 a.m./1:09 p.m.*: Davis Thompson; Bud Cauley; Nico Echavarria
7:49 a.m.*/1:14 p.m.: Phil Mickelson; Tommy Fleetwood; Jason Day
7:55 a.m./1:20 p.m.*: Harris English; Michael Kim; Thomas Detry
8 a.m.*/1:25 p.m.: Jon Rahm; Patrick Cantlay; Matthew Fitzpatrick
8:06 a.m./1:31 p.m.*: Stephen Jaeger; Chris Kirk; Robert MacIntyre
8:11 a.m.*/1:36 p.m.: Corey Conners; Min Woo Lee; Rasmus Højgaard
8:17 a.m./1:42 p.m.*: Thorbjorn Olesen; Karl Vilips; Laurie Canter
8:22 a.m.*/1:47 p.m.: Rory McIlroy; Xander Schauffele; Scottie Scheffler
8:28 a.m./1:53 p.m.*: Si Woo Kim; Sam Stevens; Rico Hoey
8:33 a.m.*/1:58 p.m.: Tony Finau; Nicolai Højgaard; Max Greyserman
8:39 a.m./2:04 p.m.*: Bobby Gates; Lee Hodges; Ben Griffin
8:44 a.m.*/2:09 p.m.: Andrew Novak; Keegan Bradley; Maverick McNealy
8:50 a.m./2:15 p.m.*: Thriston Lawrence; Nick Dunlap; Harry Hall
8:55 a.m.*/2:20 p.m.: Akshay Bhatia; Denny McCarthy; Sam Burns
9:01 a.m./2:26 p.m.*: Greg Koch; Marco Penge; Ryan Gerard
9:06 a.m.*/2:31 p.m.: John Catlin; Garrick Higgo; Jesse Droemer
9:12 a.m./2:37 p.m.*: Dylan Newman; Daniel Van Tonder; Victor Perez
9:17 a.m.*/2:42: Eugenio Chacarra; Rupe Taylor; Juston Lower
12:25 p.m.*/7 a.m.: Keith Mitchell; Bob Sowards; Adam Hadwin
12:30 p.m./7:05 a.m.: Michal Kartrude; Sami Valimaki; Jake Knapp
12:36 p.m.*/7:11 a.m.: Eric Cole; Eric Steger; Cam Davis
12:41 p.m./7:16 a.m.*: Erik Van Rooyen; Michael Block; Mackenzie Hughes
12:47 p.m.*/7:22 a.m.: Austin Eckroat; Brian Bergstol; Jacob Bridgeman
12:52 p.m./7:27 a.m.*: Lucas Glover; Max Homa; Joaquin Niemann
12:58 p.m.*/7:33 a.m.: Niklas Norgaard; Byeong Hun An; J.J. Spaun
1:03 p.m./7:38 a.m.*: Tyrrell Hatton; Will Zalatoris; Adam Scott
1:09 p.m.*/7:44:a.m. Patrick Rodgers; Nick Taylor; Dean Burmester
1:14 p.m./7:49 a.m.*: Justin Thomas; Dustin Johnson; Collin Morikawa
1:20 p.m.*/7:55 a.m.: Joe Highsmith; Cameron Young; Aaron Rai
1:25 p.m./8 a.m.*: Jordan Spieth; Patrick Reed; Ludvig Åberg
1:31 p.m.*/8:06 a.m.: Tom Hoge; Matthieu Pavon; Taylor Pendrith
1:36 p.m./8:11 a.m.*: Hideki Matsuyama; Wyndham Clark; Tom Kim
1:42 p.m.*/8:17 a.m.: Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson; Patton Kizzire; Matt McCarty
1:47 p.m./8:22 a.m.*: Bryson DeChambeau; Viktor Hovland; Gary Woodland
1:53 p.m.*/8:28 a.m.: Tyler Collet; Jimmy Walker; Richard Bland
1:58 p.m./8:33 a.m.*: Sergio Garcia; Daniel Berger; Russell Henley
2:04 p.m.*/8:39 a.m.: Jason Dufner; Michael Thorbjornsen; Shaun Micheel
2:09 p.m./8:44 a.m.*: Justin Rose; Cameron Smith; Brian Harman
2:15 p.m.*/8:50 a.m.: Rafael Campos; Ryan Lenahan; Matt Wallace
2:20 p.m./8:55 a.m.*: Brandon Bingaman; Davis Riley; Sunjae Im
2:26 p.m.*/9:01 a.m.: Jhonattan Vegas; Elvis Smylie; Brian Campbell
2:31 p.m./9:06 a.m.*: Takumi Kanaya; Christian Bezuidenhout; Tom McKibbin
2:37 p.m.*/9:12 a.m./Kevin Yu; Larkin Gross; Johnny Keefer
2:42 p.m./9:17 a.m.*: Keita Nakajima; Timothy Wiseman; Beau Hossler
