Golf
PGA Championship 2025 Preview: Odds, Tips, and Predictions
Date: May 15-18, 2025 Tee-off Time: Available soon Venue: Quail Hollow, North Carolina The dust may have settled on an absorbing Masters, but the second Major of the season, the PGA Championship, gets underway on Thursday, May 15. Quail Hollow in North Carolina will be thrust into the spotlight, and as you might expect, the top golf betting sites will be lining up pre-tournament betting odds displaying the favourites and likely contenders.
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Xander Schauffele kisses the Wanamaker Trophy//Getty Images
After an absorbing climax at the Augusta where Rory McIlroy completed his long-awaited quest to achieve a career Grand Slam, Quail Hollow will represent another stiff test for the 156-man field.
Quail Hollow, let’s not forget, hosted the PGA Championship in 2017, which was won by Justin Thomas. To give you an idea of American dominance at this event, the last non-American to enter the winner’s circle was Jason Day in 2015.
Anyway, Quail Hollow, measures as the sixth-longest course on the PGA Tour this term, measuring at over 7,500 yards and there are some tight pin positions.
But who will emerge top of the pile? We’ve scurried over to the betting markets to check in on the odds and supplied some in-depth golf tournament predictions for this prestigious tournament.
Pre-Tournament Betting Odds and Win Probability
It’s time to see how the pre-tournament prices are shaping up. We’ve headed over to one of the best online betting sites for more insight.
All golf betting sportsbooks will plug outrights as a bare minimum for any given event.
- Rory McIlroy – 9/2 (5.50) – 18.2%
- Scottie Scheffler – 19/4 (5.75) – 17.4%
- Odds courtesy of Stake, subject to change
Key Player Updates
To get a more concrete picture ahead of any Major, it’s always worth checking out golf stats for betting.
We’ve picked out three formidable players, and we have revealed data on key performance metrics which could be useful for executing your golf betting strategies, so check these out.
| Attribute | Rory McIlroy | Scottie Scheffler | Xander Schauffele |
| Age | 35 | 28 | 31 |
| World Ranking | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Recent Wins | Masters | Hero World Challenge | The Open |
| Driving Accuracy | 53.61% | 64.86% | 54.17% |
| Greens in Regulation | 67.13% | 70.14% | 68.06% |
| Putting Average | 1.690 | 1.738 | 1.722 |
Contender News
To add some creditability to our golf tournament preview, we have shared some thoughts on three players that could be in the mix come the final round on Sunday.
Some golf bookmakers will have a mini stats section, including recent tournament wins, but we have delved a bit deeper and assessed the performances of three top players to give you an idea of how they might fare this week.
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy has moved into a new chapter of his golfing career following his stunning win at the Masters. Years of hope and disappointment were extinguished last month, and a huge weight has been lifted off the Ulsterman’s shoulders.
Half a dozen majors is very a respectable tally, and despite amassing 29 PGA Tour titles, McIlroy is always hungry for success. Currently, he’s ranking first this season for SG: Total and SG: Off The Tee, and 10th for SG: Putting, but his driving can sometimes be a bit wayward.
McIlroy can fade, draw and hook superbly, and perhaps another Major could beckon this year. Don’t forget that when McIlroy won the PGA Championship in 2012, he surged to an eight-stroke victory at Kiawah Island, the largest winning margin, eclipsing the previous record set by Jack Nicklaus. He could end up in the winner’s circle again this week.
Scottie Scheffler
Okay, Scottie Scheffler hasn’t exactly been the unstoppable force of 2024 where he clinched seven PGA Tour titles, but he has been there or thereabouts this season.
Yes, the American has enjoyed five-top 10 finishes, and he was runner-up at the Children’s Houston Open. Let’s also bear in mind that Scheffler’s campaign didn’t begin until February due to a hand injury sustained last Christmas.
Scheffler is a well-oiled machine, and while both his Major wins have come at the Masters, you wouldn’t put it past him to add a PGA Championship title to his collection. His battles with McIroy are always a treat.
Xander Schauffele
As reigning champion, there will be some pressure on Xander Schauffele’s shoulders. The American, who also won the Open last summer, would relish the chance to add some more Majors to his collection.
His game usually comes to the boil for the biggest events, and his consistency is remarkable. He’s had ample top-10 and top-five finishes which makes for impressive reading.
However, going back-to-back at the PGA Championship could be a tough task, so it will be fascinating to see how he gets on.
Suggested Bets
There are always plenty of golf betting odds bandied about in the run-up to and during the biggest tournaments.
Apart from a standard golf welcome offer, such as a matched deposit or free bets, there will also be a few specials advertised that punters can tap into.
We’ve drawn attention to a few suggested bets that have the potential to pay dividends this week.
Rory McIlroy to win the PGA Championship: McIlroy is looking a lot more relaxed and the Masters triumph will be viewed as a defining point in his career. The Ulsterman is a two-time PGA Championship winner, so he has fond memories of this tournament. He could go low this week, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is crowned the champion once again (24/5 with N1Bet).
Scottie Scheffler to lead after Round 1: While Scottie Scheffler is searching for his first win of 2025, he has been solid of late, chalking up three top-10 finishes in his past three outings. The best betting sites for golf usually carry short odds for Scheffler given his pedigree, and judging by recent tournaments, he has come firing out the blocks. A 64 in his opening round at RBC Heritage pays testament to this, and he could well lead after the first round at Quail Hollow (12/1 with Sportsbet.io).
Xander Schauffele to finish in the top 10: Xander Schauffele has been trending in the right direction, and he was T8 at the Masters. He’s always solid with his iron play, and while he might not successfully defend his title, he could well have a productive week. A top-10 finish for Schauffele seems feasible (14/1 with Betway).
Tournament Prediction
Quail Hollow is the sort of course that takes no prisoners, and there are plenty of creditable contenders in the 156-man field. Rory McIlroy, of course, is one to watch as it will be fascinating to see if he can back up his win at the Masters. Well, he should be playing more freely anyway.
Xander Schauffele may be the defending champion, but he could end up falling just short, and in terms of golf betting tips, Scottie Scheffler seems like a solid shout. He has the credentials, and when at his imperious best, he’s an excellent frontrunner. We are therefore going with Scheffler to turn on the style and take the spoils at the PGA Championship.
Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.