While Rory McIlroy is clearly the man to beat at the 2025 PGA Championship, he faces a solid group of contenders.

SportsLine's proven model simulated the 2025 PGA Championship 10,000 times and revealed its surprising PGA Tour golf picks and PGA Championship favorite to win

Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and defending champion Xander Schauffele -- the world's highest-ranked golfers -- tee off together Thursday morning in a showcase group certain to seize the spotlight at the PGA Championship.

Everyone is excited to see if Rory McIlroy can follow up his memorable and historic Masters victory, which gave him the career Grand Slam. Now, the Northern Irishman looks to capture the PGA Championship title for the first time since 2014.

The putter is vibing, he won the PGA here in 2017, and he has finished second, first and T-2 in his past three non-Augusta starts, and he never plays well at the Masters. Keith Stewart, PGA, Read The Line: Bryson DeChambeau (+950,

The PGA Championship has long been the major that has struggled to find an identity outside of getting the top 100 players in the world

Charlotte, N.C., has endured several inches of rain recently but PGA officials made a point of saying preferred lies would not be in effect at Quail Hollow.

This decision stands in stark contrast to the PGA Tour's regular season protocol, where "lift, clean and place" rules are routinely implemented after heavy rainfall. Under these conditions, players can pick up their ball in the fairway to remove mud and find a cleaner lie—a practice that significantly eases the challenge for competitors.