Cricket
Motorsport
Basketball test
League - Test
Combat Sports
Netball
Football
PGA Championship 2025: Favourites, Aussies & Bolters
Ciarán Mooney • May 15th, 2025 4:03 pm
Golf's second major tournament of 2025 is here, the PGA Championship!
The action kicks off Thursday night and there is plenty of Aussie talent to root for. A total of seven Australians are in the field including former winner, Jason Day and the 2024 Australian PGA Champion, Elvis Smylie.
With poor weather hampering last-minute preparations earlier in the week, the players will need to hit the ground running on Thursday. It will be an action packed weekend with the reigning PGA champion and Open Champion, Xander Schauffele, stating the prospect of playing against a Rory McIlroy free from the Grand Slam pressure as 'scary' last month.
Quail Hollow has been a regular fixture on the PGA Tour since 2003. Majority of the field have multiple starts under their belt with there being one major exception, the favourite Scottie Scheffler
The Favourites
Scottie Scheffler (USA) - $5
Scheffler secured his first win of the 2025 season in impressive style with an eight stroke margin over the field at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at the start of the month. The World No.1 will be looking to pick up the pieces after last year's traumatic events and win his first PGA Championship. Scottie ensured the media his lack of experience hasn't effected his preparations this week. He said: “It doesn’t really matter that much. I mean, I think a lot of times at majors you can almost over-prepare”.
Rory McIlroy (NI) - $5.5
McIlroy's Masters win last month sealed his spot amongst the golfing greats as the latest Grand Slam Winner - the first to complete the feat since Tiger Woods in 2000. All eyes will be on the Masters Champ this week as he enters a new chapter in his career. Free from the pressure, are we on the cusp of McIlroy's greatest chapter? Rory has had plenty of success at Quail Hollow throughout his career winning four times here including his first win on the US Tour in 2010 and last year's Wells Fargo Championship. McIlroy has showed no signs of slowing down shooting under par through four rounds last weekend finishing T7 at the Truist Championship.
Bryson DeChambeau (USA) - $8
DeChambeau comes into the PGA Championship as the inform LIV Golf player. Following a very disappointing final round at Augusta, Bryson bounced back with a T2 at LIV Mexico City and a victory at LIV Korea - will DeChambeau be able to build on his form on LIV to secure his first PGA Championship? US Open Champ has been working on his iron play which let him down Sunday at Augusta and believes he is 'moving in the right direction'. DeChambeau comes into this week with extra motivation as he can secure his spot on the US Ryder Cup Team.
Keep a close eye on Dechambeau and McIlroy this week as their rivalry continues to develop. DeChambeau got the better of McIlroy in the final round of the 2024 US Open and McIlroy shot back with his epic final round at the Masters last month.
The best Aussie hopes
Australia has seven players in the field this week. Fan Favourite - Min Woo Lee, former major winners - Adam Scott, Jason Day and Cameron Smith, debutants - Elvis Smylie and Karl Vilips & Cam Davis will fly the flag.
Min Woo Lee (AUS) - $61
Lee comes into this week as the bookies Aussie favourite to win. The Perth native's form has dropped off since his victory at Houston Open earlier in the year. Can he get his year back on track this weekend? A strong performance this weekend will give Lee some timely confidence with plenty on the line later in the year.
Cameron Smith (AUS) - $67
Last months missed cut at the Masters was a first in Smith's career at Augusta. He bounced back with two Top-10 finishes at LIV events. The former Open Champion's record at Quail Hollow and the PGA Championship doesn't fill one with confidence. Smith has missed the cut twice at Quail Hollow in the past and has only one Top-10 finish in nine PGA Championship starts.
Jason Day (AUS) - $67
The former PGA Champion comes into the tournament as Australia's best chance. The Queenslander showed his class with a T4 finish at the Masters last month and has plenty of experience at Quail Hollow to build on including a win and three Top-10 finishes at the course. I expect Day to quietly go about his business and keeping himself in touching distance of the leaders come Sunday's final round.
The bolters
Jordan Spieth (USA) - $61
Spieth comes into this week with extra attention now that McIlroy has completed the career Grand Slam. A win for Spieth this weekend will complete his own career Grand Slam. Jordan made it clear completing the feat would mean everything to him. "For me, if I could only win one tournament for the rest of my life, I'd pick this one for that reason." he said. Spieth's form has steadily improved in 2025 after a very poor finish to 2024 - Spieth has six Top-20 finishes in 11 tournaments this year including a 4th place finish at the start of May.
Shane Lowry (IRE) - $56
Lowry has shown steady improvement throughout his career and was rewarded earlier this week when he broke into the Top 10 of the World Rankings for the first time. A bitter sweet moment as he handed Sepp Straka the Truist Championship with a disappointing finish to his final round on Sunday, finishing T-2 for the tournament. Lowry has 4 Top-10 finishes in 2025 and is looking to break the duck for the year. A first major win on US soil this weekend will give the Irishman a lot of confidence as he builds towards The Open later this year in Portrush, Ireland where he looks to replicate his feat of winning the major on home soil in 2019.
All odds with Sportsbet are correct at time of publish.
Where to watch the 2025 PGA Championship in Australia
The 2025 Masters Tournament will be live on Fox Sports - available via Kayo Sports or Foxtel.
Fox Sports' Main Broadcast AEST
Friday 16 May: Round 1 - 3am - 9amSaturday 17 May: Round 2 - 3am - 9amSunday 18 May: Round 3 - 3am - 9amMonday 19 May: Final Round - 3am - 9am
Live From the PGA Championship AEST
Friday 16 May: 9am - 11amSaturday 17 May: 9am - 11amSunday 18 May: 9am - 11amMonday 19 May: 9am - 11am
First Round (Thursday/Friday - AEST)
The action tees off at 9:00pm Thursday (AEST) with Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington & Martin Kaymer.
Thursday
Tee No. 110:17 pm -- Thorbjørn Olesen, Karl Vilips, Laurie Canter
Tee No. 109:49 pm -- Phil Mickelson, Tommy Fleetwood, Jason Day10:11 pm -- Corey Conners, Min Woo Lee, Rasmus Højgaard10:22 pm -- Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler
Friday
Tee No. 13:03 am -- Tyrrell Hatton, Will Zalatoris, Adam Scott3:47 am --Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland, Gary Woodland4:09 am -- Justin Rose, Cameron Smith, Brian Harman
Tee No. 10
2:36 am -- Eric Cole, Eric Steger, Cam Davis4:26 am -- Jhonattan Vegas, Elvis Smylie, Brian Campbell
2:36 am -- Eric Cole, Eric Steger, Cam Davis4:26 am -- Jhonattan Vegas, Elvis Smylie, Brian Campbell
Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
