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Wells Fargo Championship Preview

Published

13 years ago

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Affinity for a course suggests that Rory McIlroy should be cast in the role of favorite this week at Charlotte. Unfortunately for the 2013 PGA champion, 2010 Wells Fargo Championship winner and 2012 runner-up, his current form repudiates any such assertion. McIlroy’s last contest was The Masters, where a wretched, third-round 79 condemned him to a 25th-place tie. The defending champion (Rickie Fowler) has yet to play out of a similar malaise (t-38 finish in Augusta,) placing 32nd last week in New Orleans.

Looking beyond the two media darlings offers an unlikely yet unavoidable third consideration. D.A. Points, the other non-winner (at McIlroy’s side) in last year’s playoff, is a winner this year (Shell Houston Open) on the PGA Tour and is listed in the top 30 for both FedEx Cup points and official money. Points is quite unpredictable, having missed the cut in seven of 13 Tour appearances in 2013, with one other finish (beyond the victory) in the top 35: his runner-up last week in New Orleans. In other words, he is an all-or-nothing pick. In four previous appearances at Quail Hollow, Points missed each 36-hole cut three times. That he led the field in successful scrambling (getting up and down for par 85 percent of the time) might have been the key to his near-miss.

Another cast for a victor might reel in former WFC winner Lucas Glover. Although his form has been inconsistent in 2013, he might have found the needed balance last week in New Orleans, where he placed fourth. Phil Mickelson would normally make the “A List” of contestants, as his record at Quail Hollow, resplendent with top-10 finishes, lacks only a title. The state of his game, though, advocates for caution. Other than a win in Phoenix and a tie for third at Doral, Lefty has no other top-10 finishes this season.

Less-likely trophy-grabbers but certainly under consideration for a variety of reasons are Bill Haas and Webb Simpson (regional comfort and familiarity), Ricky Barnes and Kyle Stanley (talented golfers awaking from a slumber) and the winner last week in the Crescent City, Billy Horschel. While it’s quite rare for players to win back-to-back events, Horschel has shown that he can play well on any course. His first appearance in Charlotte could produce fireworks.

Missing this year is Tiger Woods, the 2007 champion. Woods would certainly have featured among the pre-tournament favorites. He is the only current professional for whom a top-five finish at a major is considered a disappointment. Despite the hullabaloo that surrounded his penalty at Augusta, Woods endures as favorite in any event for which he registers.

The Course

Six par 4s listed beyond 450 yards in length, including four beyond 475. Par 3s that extend to 250 yards and par 5 holes that fall in the 550-600 yard category. Quail Hollow might be dismissed as long-hitter’s paradise, save for the fact that players like David Toms, Joey Sindelar and Jim Furyk have hoisted the winner’s chalice on Sunday. The Charlotte club will host its first major championship, the 2017 PGA, affirming that the course is laden with strategic decisions and reputable architecture. A win at the Wells Fargo Championship elevates the player’s stature nearly to that of a major champion. It is one of an elite handful of Tour events that transcends its “regular-class” definition.

Despite the closing stretch of water-logged holes (paid due respect later), the dominant natural feature of Quail Hollow is its mature trees. Far from the open, links or heath style of course that is currently the darling of world golf, Quail Hollow remains true to its parkland heritage. Pines, oaks, maple, holly, dogwood and spruce frame fairways and enclose corridors from elevated tees to sunken greens (and vice-versa.)

There are few courses without a signature stretch these days. If it didn’t begin with the “Amen Corner” at Augusta, that triad certainly churned the waters with its notoriety. The Quail Hollow club is no exception to this trend and its “Green Mile” begins on the 16th tee. After the statistically-simple, par 5 No. 15 (rated easiest hole in the 2012 playing,) the 4-3-4 closing triumvirate demands middle-iron selections, if not more, on all approach shots. No. 16 doglegs to the right, around an immense bunker tucked on the inside corner of the fairway. From there, the hole flows in serpentine fashion to a large, rugged putting surface. Safe arrival in regulation is no guarantee of par, as the undulations, knobs and rumples of the green make it quite challenging to negotiate.

The penultimate hole is a one-shot affair, nearly 220 yards across an inlet of the lake first seen on No. 14. The green exposes more than half of its circumference to the water, while leaving no margin to the timid who play dryly to the right. If the winds awaken on Sunday, as they have for past celebrations, the hole transforms into a survival mission. Successful reconciliation of Nos. 16 and 17 might leave the player a bit unaware of the hazards that await on the final stretch of the “Mile.” A narrow stream runs the length of the hole on the left, precisely the direction in which players err to avoid the fairway bunker up the right perimeter. Like most George Cobb greens, No. 18 offers a healthy host of hole locations, given its gargantuan size. The need to pound a driver up a narrow, well-guarded fairway with the tournament on the line is a sought-after skill. To follow it up with an accurate approach of no small distance and a solid putt or two is the mark of a select player.

Viewing

Tickets for the 2013 playing of the Wells Fargo Championship are sold out. The event will be broadcast on the Golf Channel on Thursday and Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., and again on Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 2:30 p.m.. CBS will take over coverage on both weekend days, from 3 to 6 p.m.

Verdict

After 10 playings of the tournament and four playoffs, extra holes are somewhat likely. The ability to protect a lead down the closing sequence of holes, even in the best players, is suspect and unlikely. Seven third-round leaders gave up their advantage on Sunday, losing the tournament to final-day climbers. None was more dramatic that Rory McIlroy in 2010. The Ulsterman signed for a tournament-record 62 (10 under par) to scorch past a host of golfers and earn a four-stroke victory. Odds don’t favor the third-round leader, but it’s the predicting which follower will play his best on Sunday that proves difficult.

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Ronald Montesano

    May 4, 2013 at 12:20 pm

    Writer’s Confession: Billy Horschel took the week off and did not tee it up at the Wells Fargo Championship.

    Reply Report comment

  2. Ronald Montesano

    May 3, 2013 at 6:10 am

    Hey, Golflaw…interesting comment. Can you be more specific about the problems? Are they patchy? Thatchy? I know that the winter in the Carolinas has been topsy-turvey and sometimes green conditions suffer. Word is that they want to go back to Bermuda from Bent. Have you heard that? What about the resodding of #8 and 3#10 greens, just prior to the tournament?

    Reply Report comment

  3. Golflaw

    May 2, 2013 at 9:21 pm

    The greens at that golf course are abominable.if that happened et my club the members would be looking to fire the greens keeper. It wouldn’t happen absent a misapplication of some chemical or some fungus.

    Reply Report comment

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News

2026 PGA Championship betting odds

Published

1 day ago

on

May 12, 2026

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Scottie Scheffler leads the betting ahead of the second major championship of the year, with the World Number One a +345 favorite to get his hands on a second PGA Championship.

Rory McIlroy who won the Masters back in April is a +800 shot to complete half of the calendar slam at Aronimink Golf Club this week, while Jordan Spieth can be backed at +5900 to become a career grand slam winner.

Here is the full betting board for the 2026 PGA Championship courtesy of DraftKings.

Scottie Scheffler +345 – (Check 0ut his WITB here)

Rory McIlroy +800 – (Check out his WITB here)

  • Jon Rahm +1300 
  • Cameron Young +1500
  • Bryson DeChambeau +1700
  • Xander Schauffele +1850
  • Matt Fitzpatrick +1950
  • Ludvig Aberg +2000
  • Tommy Fleetwood +2600
  • Collin Morikawa +3500
  • Brooks Koepka +3900
  • Justin Rose +4300
  • Russell Henley +4600
  • Si Woo Kim +4700
  • Justin Thomas +4800
  • Robert MacIntyre +5300
  • Patrick Cantlay +5300
  • Viktor Hovland +5400
  • Tyrrell Hatton +5500
  • Jordan Spieth +5900
  • Sam Burns +6000
  • Hideki Matsuyama +6200
  • Adam Scott +6400
  • Rickie Fowler +7000
  • Chris Gotterup +7400
  • Patrick Reed +7400
  • Min Woo Lee +7800
  • Ben Griffin +8000
  • Sepp Straka +8400
  • Shane Lowry +9000
  • Akshay Bhatia +9200
  • Maverick McNealy +9200
  • Joaquin Niemann +9200
  • Jake Knapp +9200
  • Jason Day +9600
  • Kurt Kitayama +10000
  • J.J. Spaun +10000
  • Harris English +10500
  • Nicolai Hojgaard +11000
  • Gary Woodland +11000
  • David Puig +11000
  • Michael Thorbjornsen +12000
  • Jacob Bridgeman +12000
  • Keegan Bradley +12500
  • Corey Conners +14000
  • Alex Fitzpatrick +15000
  • Sungjae Im +15500
  • Sahith Theegala +15500
  • Harry Hall +15500
  • Alex Noren +16000
  • Thomas Detry +16500
  • Marco Penge +16500
  • Kristoffer Reitan +17000
  • Alex Smalley +17000
  • Wyndham Clark +17500
  • Sam Stevens +17500
  • Keith Mitchell +17500
  • Daniel Berger +18500
  • Ryan Gerard +20000
  • Nick Taylor +20000
  • Rasmus Hojgaard +21000
  • Dustin Johnson +21000
  • Pierceson Coody +23000
  • Aaron Rai +24000
  • Jordan Smith +24000
  • Angel Ayora +24000
  • Bud Cauley +25000
  • Matt McCarty +26000
  • Jayden Schaper +26000
  • Brian Harman +27000
  • Taylor Pendrith +27000
  • Ryan Fox +27000
  • J.T. Poston +27000
  • Cameron Smith +29000
  • Ryo Hisatsune +29000
  • Michael Kim +29000
  • Max Homa +29000
  • Denny McCarthy +29000
  • Tom McKibbin +30000
  • Rico Hoey +32000
  • Matt Wallace +32500
  • Ricky Castillo +33000
  • Haotong Li +33000
  • Michael Brennan +34000
  • Max Greyserman +36000
  • Stephan Jaeger +37500
  • Christiaan Bezuidenhout +37500
  • Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +39000
  • Aldrich Potgieter +40000
  • Andrew Novak +42000
  • Patrick Rodgers +42500
  • Daniel Hillier +42500
  • Max McGreevy +46000
  • Billy Horschel +48000
  • Chris Kirk +48000
  • Ian Holt +49000
  • Casey Jarvis +49000
  • William Mouw +50000
  • Steven Fisk +50000
  • John Parry +50000
  • Nico Echavarria +52500
  • Garrick Higgo +52500
  • John Keefer+55000
  • Matthias Schmid +57500
  • Austin Smotherman +57500
  • Sami Valimaki +60000
  • Andrew Putnam +60000
  • Lucas Glover +62500
  • Daniel Brown +62500
  • Jhonattan Vegas +75000
  • Emiliano Grillo +80000
  • Mikael Lindberg +85000
  • Adrien Saddier +100000
  • Bernd Wiesberger +100000
  • Elvis Smylie +110000
  • Stewart Cink +130000
  • Kota Kaneko +130000
  • David Lipsky +150000
  • Chandler Blanchet +150000
  • Andy Sullivan +150000
  • Joe Highsmith +180000
  • Adam Schenk +200000
  • Travis Smyth +200000
  • Davis Riley +225000
  • Martin Kaymer +400000
  • Brian Campbell +400000
  • Padraig Harrington +450000
  • Kazuki Higa +450000
  • Jordan Gumberg +450000
  • Ryan Vermeer +500000
  • Austin Hurt +500000
  • Tyler Collet +500000
  • Timothy Wiseman +500000
  • Shaun Micheel +500000
  • Y.E. Yang +500000
  • Michael Block+500000
  • Mark Geddes+500000
  • Luke Donald+500000
  • Bryce Fisher+500000
  • Jimmy Walker +500000
  • Jason Dufner +500000
  • Jesse Droemer +500000
  • Jared Jones +500000
  • Garrett Sapp +500000
  • Francisco Bide +500000
  • Zach Haynes +500000
  • Paul McClure+500000
  • Derek Berg +500000
  • Chris Gabriele +500000
  • Braden Shattuck +500000
  • Ben Polland +500000
  • Ben Kern +50000

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 PGA Championship

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

By

GolfWRX is on site for the second major of 2026: The PGA Championship from Aronimink in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

The tournament’s location, just outside Philadelphia, and its status as a major championship mean GolfWRXers are in for a treat: WITBs from a strong field, custom gear celebrating the PGA Championship, and the rich culture of the City of Brotherly Love — we have noted a relative absence of cheesesteak-themed items thus far this week, but most of the rest of the usual suspects are well represented.

Check out links to all our photos below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

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News

How much each player won at the 2026 Truist Championship

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

By

Kristoffer Reitan held his nerve at Quail Hollow on Sunday to claim his first PGA Tour victory and the $3.6 million winner’s check that came with it. The Norwegian fended off a packed leaderboard on a dramatic final day, with Rickie Fowler and Nicolai Højgaard both taking home $1.76 million for their runner-up finishes.

With a total prize purse of $20 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 Truist Championship.

1: Kristoffer Reitan, $3,600,000

T2: Rickie Fowler, $1,760,000

T2: Nicolai Hojgaard, -$1,760,000

4: Alex Fitzpatrick, $960,000

T5: Tommy Fleetwood, $730,000

T5: Sungjae Im, $730,000

T5: J.J. Spaun, $730,000

T8: Ludvig Aberg, $600,000

T8: Harry Hall, $600,000

T10: Patrick Cantlay, $500,000

T10: Matt McCarty, $500,000

T10: Cameron Young, $500,000

13: Justin Thomas, $420,000

T14: Min Woo Lee, $360,000

T14: Chris Gotterup, $360,000

T14: Nick Taylor, $360,000

T17: Alex Smalley, $310,000

T17: Gary Woodland, $310,000

T19: Austin Smotherman, $242,100

T19: Rory McIlroy, $242,100

T19: Keegan Bradley, $242,100

T19: Sudarshan Yellamaraju, $242,100

T19: Kurt Kitayama, $242,100

T24: Patrick Rodgers, $156,643

T24: Pierceson Coody, $156,643

T24: Adam Scott, $156,643

T24: Andrew Novak, $156,643

T24: Harris English, $156,643

T24: J.T. Poston, $156,643

T24: David Lipsky, $156,643

T31: Brian Harman, $114,416.67

T31: Viktor Hovland, $114,416.67

T31: Alex Noren, $114,416.67

T31: Tony Finau, $114,416.67

T31: Nico Echavarria, $114,416.67

T31: Corey Conners, $114,416.67

T37: Sam Burns, $82,187.50

T37: Maverick McNealy, $82,187.50

T37: Akshay Bhatia, $82,187.50

T37: Taylor Pendrith, $82,187.50

T37: Matt Wallace, $82,187.50

T37: Andrew Putnam, $82,187.50

T37: Bud Cauley, $82,187.50

T37: Lucas Glover, $82,187.50

T45: Justin Rose, $60,000

T45: Daniel Berger, $60,000

T45: Ryo Hisatsune, $60,000

T48: Denny McCarthy, $50,000

T48: Aldrich Potgieter, $50,000

T48: Webb Simpson, $50,000

T48: Michael Kim, $50,000

T52: Mackenzie Hughes, $45,187.50

T52: Max Homa, $45,187.50

T52: Brian Campbell, $45,187.50

T52: Jhonattan Vegas, $45,187.50

T52: Matt Fitzpatrick, $45,187.50

T52: Chandler Blanchet, $45,187.50

T52: Jordan Spieth, $45,187.50

T52: Jacob Bridgeman, $45,187.50

T60: Xander Schauffele, $42,500

T60: Robert MacIntyre, $42,500

T60: Ricky Castillo, $42,500

T63: Ben Griffin, $41,250

T63: Sepp Straka, $41,250

T65: Ryan Gerard, $40,250

T65: Si Woo Kim, $40,250

67: Ryan Fox, $39,500

68: Jason Day, $39,000

69: Sahith Theegala, $38,000

70: Sam Stevens, $37,500

71: Hideki Matsuyama, $37,000

72: Tom Hoge, $36,000

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