Tour News
Renovations Promise Memorable PGA Championship At Quail Hollow
We’ve waited for the proper test of brains and brawn all season long, and finally, Quail Hollow has arrived. What used to be a known commodity has been architecturally refined and will demand nothing less than greatness from the golfers who wish to add a major championship to their resume.
The PGA Championship returns to the Tar Heel state for the first time since 1974. Tanglewood Park, near Winston-Salem, hosted the event in which Lee Trevino denied Jack Nicklaus another major title. Quail Hollow is well known to the traveling professionals (it hosted the Wells Fargo Championship from 2004-2016), and it should yield a familiar winner. New holes, a new feel, and the air of a grand slam event will make Quail Hollow shine like never before. Time to get pumped for glory’s last shot, the 2017 PGA Championship in Charlotte.
Turning a PGA Tour Layout into a Major Venue
There are new, front-nine holes at Quail Hollow, meaning television viewers may not recognize them. No. 1 is a combination of the old 1st and 2nd holes. It’s a par-4 that will play more like a par-5, erasing the notion of a gentle handshake for an opening hole. The 4th is an entirely new par-3, shaped on land once occupied by the old 5th hole. The 5th is a massive par-4, playing over a valley to a hillside green. On the inward half, the 11th was lengthened by 40 yards. A corner oak was replaced by sand, and the hole will test the validity of Dustin-proofing a golf course.
Remember that Quail Hollow is home to the toughest three-hole stretch on the PGA Tour. The closing triumvirate of 4-3-4 demands nothing less than power and precision to avoid watery graves and close the door on the competition. The putting surface at No. 16 was moved nearly 100 yards to bring it up against … you guessed it … a lake.
Let’s talk grass for a second. Quail Hollow was regrassed with a strain of bermuda. Normally bermuda doesn’t engender fast and firm, unless it replaces rye, which encourages balls to drop and nestle. It hugs them with a mother’s embrace, which is not what professional golfers want during a round.
Four Groups you Probably Overlooked
- 8:40 a.m. Thursday-Pieters, Schauffele, Pampling
- 1:15 p.m. Thursday-Horschel, Fitzpatrick, Kim
- 1:45 p.m. Thursday-Kuchar, Rose, Snedeker
- 2:15 p.m. Thursday-Vegas, DeChambeau, Smith
Pieters and Schauffele are young guys with recent close calls in major championships. Kuchar and Rose are middle-aged guys who had major titles STOLEN from them this year. Vegas, DeChambeau, and Smith are recent winners on the PGA and European tours, who still have the good vibes of victory pulsing in their memory. And Horschel, Fitzpatrick and Kim are good, young players who could manage the traditional, tree-lined tour layout of Quail Hollow well.
Top-10 Contenders
- 1A: Rory McIlroy, Won 2X at QH-Wells Fargo Championship
- 1B: Rickie Fowler, won 1X at QH-Wells Fargo Championship
- 3: Matt Kuchar, DONE with having no major wins & on form
- 4: Justin Rose, DONE with having one major win & on form
- 5: Hideki Matsuyama, No one has more talent & temperament
- 6: Jordan Spieth, Putting well, so you can’t discount him
- 7: Jason Day, Finally on the mend, finally comfortable again
- 8: Jimmy Walker, Cool enough to defend-none since Tiger in ’07
- 9: Thomas Pieters, Time for more than Ryder Cup, lad
- 10A: Grayson Murray, Young and confident #TotalDarkHorse
- 10B: Zach Johnson, The little guy who can. See #Firestone
Dustin Johnson? Not on form. Justin Thomas? He will have to wait for 2018 for a major title. Henrik Stenson? See Dustin Johnson. Patrick Reed? Rubik’s cube of the PGA Tour. Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, et al.? Who knows? So many great golfers!
Related: Full betting odds for the 2017 PGA Championship
The Weather
It’s August in North Carolina, but it feels like September in Wales. Forecasts suggest precipitation for the next 10 days. The golf course should be soft, the rough might be difficult to tame, and if the rains do come to North Carolina’s Queen City during the tournament’s four days, Quail will eliminate a number of competitors. In fact, it might be reduced to a bomber competition. Forget the little guys; it will be the 290-yard carries that win the week.
My Predictions
Rory and Rickie will be paired together all four days. They will fend off all comers, and will reduce the field to a mano a mano duel. In the end, one will stuff an iron on the waterlogged 17th hole… while the other one goes for a swim. It will be an easier walk down the 72nd fairway for Rickie Fowler, as he captures his first major professional title.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship
GolfWRX is on site this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, for the PGA Championship.
While we see fewer equipment changes and new gear seeding at major championships, we get a look at custom gear and looks into the bags of players we rarely see, which is just as exciting. In the case of the PGA Championship, this means a look at the gear some of the PGA Professionals who qualified for the tournament will be gaming, and LIV players, such as Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed.
Check out links to all our albums from Valhalla below and check back throughout the week as we continue to update.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Michael Block – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Patrick Reed – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cam Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Josh Speight – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Takumi Kanaya – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kyle Mendoza – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Adrian Meronk – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jordan Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jeremy Wells – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jared Jones – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Somers – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Larkin Gross – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tracy Phillips – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jon Rahm – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Keita Nakajima – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kazuma Kobori – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- David Puig – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Ryan Van Velzen – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brad Marek – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rich Beem WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Phil Mickelson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Matt Dobyns – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Lucas Herbert – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jason Dufner – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Daly – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Taylor Gooch – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dean Burmester – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dustin Johnson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
Pullout Albums
- Ping putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Bettinardi covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cameron putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Max Homa – Titleist 2 wood – 2024 PGA Championship
- Scotty Cameron experimental putter shaft by UST – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – new Ping putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka’s new Cameron putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rickie Fowler’s Cobra bag and Aerojet driver – 2024 PGA Championship
- Super Stroke grip – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tiger Woods – 2024 PGA Championship
- Michael Block’s new TaylorMade “Proto” 7-iron, from address – 2024 PGA Championship
- Odyssey putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
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News
Photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
GolfWRX is live this week at the Wells Fargo Championship as a field of the world’s best golfers descend upon Charlotte, North Carolina, hoping to tame the beast that is Quail Hollow Club in this Signature Event — only Scottie Scheffler, who is home awaiting the birth of his first child, is absent.
From the grounds at Quail Hollow, we have our usual assortment of general galleries and WITBs — including a look at left-hander Akshay Bhatia’s setup. Among the pullout albums, we have a look inside Cobra’s impressive new tour truck for you to check out. Also featured is a special look at Quail Hollow king, Rory McIlroy.
Be sure to check back throughout the week as we add more galleries.
General Albums
- 2024 Wells Fargo Championship – Monday #1
- 2024 Wells Fargo Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Wells Fargo Championship – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Akshay Bhatia – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Matthieu Pavon – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Keegan Bradley – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Webb Simpson – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Emiliano Grillo – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Taylor Pendrith – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Kevin Tway – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
Pullout Albums
- New Cobra equipment truck – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Rory McIlroy – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- New Cobra equipment truck – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Eric Cole’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Custom Cameron putter – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Matt Kuchar’s custom Bettinardi – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Justin Thomas – driver change – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Rickie Fowler – putter change – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Rickie Fowler’s new custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Tommy Fleetwood testing a TaylorMade Spider Tour X (with custom neck) – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Cobra Darkspeed Volition driver – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying about our Wells Fargo Championship photos in the forums.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
GolfWRX is on site this week in McKinney, Texas, at the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson (FKA the AT&T Byron Nelson).
Last year at TPC Craig Ranch, Jason Day ended a five-year winless streak. J-Day is in the field again, as are Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, and Will Zalatoris.
We have our usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums for your perusal. As always, we’ll continue to add links to additional albums as they make their way to us from the Lone Star State.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Pierceson Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kris Kim – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- David Nyfjall – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Jarred Jetter – North Texas PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Richy Werenski – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Wesley Bryan – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Parker Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Peter Kuest – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Blaine Hale, Jr. – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kelly Kraft – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Rico Hoey – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Pullout Albums
- Adam Scott’s 2 new custom L.A.B. Golf putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Scotty Cameron putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Ben Griffin playing Maxfli golf ball
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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