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PGA Championship power rankings: Who falls behind Masters champ Rory McIlroy?
The best players in the world will play in the 107th PGA Championship from Thursday-Sunday at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Looking ahead to the second major of the season, here's a power ranking of the top 10 contenders with the best chance to win.
10. Patrick Reed
This one might surprise you, but Reed is heading to Charlotte with a ton of confidence. The controversial American has finished T7 or better in four of his past five starts, including a T3 at The Masters. He was also runner-up the last time Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Championship in 2017.
9. Ludvig Aberg
Aberg is a great fit for Quail Hollow because he drives it long and straight and can get scorching hot with the putter. The Swede would be higher up on this list, but he has finished outside the top 50 in four of his past five starts.
8. Joaquin Niemann
Joaquin Niemann claims his fifth LIV Golf title. pic.twitter.com/2uWbU8oAwm
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) April 27, 2025
We don't trust Niemann to show up in a major championship considering he's never finished better than T16 in 23 starts. That being said, the Chilean is impossible to ignore this week after three wins in his past six LIV Golf starts.
7. Collin Morikawa
Morikawa is in a weird spot after firing his longtime caddie and hiring Max Homa's ex-bagman. After a strong start to the season that included two runner-up finishes, Morikawa has failed to record a top-10 since March.
6. Jon Rahm
Another player who could be ranked higher with better recent form, Rahm is flying under the radar this week because he hasn't truly contended in a major since his Masters win in 2023. The former world No. 1 missed the cut at the PGA Championship last year and hasn't won a LIV event in 2025.
5. Xander Schauffele
Schauffele, the reigning PGA champion, is still working his way back from a rib injury he suffered in December. He has struggled with his driver and putter since returning to the course, but his game is starting to trend up after four straight top-20 finishes.
4. Justin Thomas
What a stretch of golf Thomas has put together recently (win and two runner-up finishes in his past four starts). The iron game continues to be strong, but the biggest difference for Thomas has been his improved putting. He has gained strokes on the green in five straight starts, his longest streak since 2022. Oh, and Thomas won the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
3. Bryson DeChambeau
DeChambeau is a popular pick this week, and for good reason. Quail Hollow is the perfect golf course for DeChambeau to separate from the field with his elite carry distance. The big-hitting American has a win and three other top-six finishes in his past five major championship starts, and he's coming off his first win of the season at LIV Golf Korea.
2. Scottie Scheffler
The last time we saw Scheffler in competition, he was tying a PGA Tour scoring record (-31) with his dominant win at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The world No. 1 is hitting his irons beautifully, and he has gained strokes from putting in four straight. There's a reason he's a +450 co-favorite to win this week (FanDuel).
1. Rory McIlroy
Best cumulative score to par in PGA Tour events at Quail Hollow since 2010 (Rory's debut)
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) May 12, 2025
Rory McIlroy, -102 (50 rounds)
Rickie Fowler, -47 (45 rounds)
Phil Mickelson, -44 (40 rounds)
Speaking of co-favorites, McIlroy is right next to Scheffler on the odds board. You could argue he should be the solo favorite after three wins and no finishes worse than T17 in eight starts this season. In 13 career starts at Quail Hollow, McIlroy has four wins and 10 top-20 finishes.
More must-reads:
- Three storylines for the PGA Championship: Prepare for a star-studded leaderboard
- Justin Thomas has experience on his side at PGA Championship
- The 'PGA Championship winners' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Six NBA players most likely to be traded
NBA teams won't assemble for training camp until September, but some players may not be on those teams for long. Here are six NBA players likely to get traded in the upcoming season. 1. Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz Some NBA teams go all-in. The Utah Jazz have gone all-out, ditching veterans Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson and John Collins this summer. Their lone remaining high-priced player is Lauri Markkanen, a 2023 All-Star who has four years and $196M left on his contract. He had a down year in 2024-25, playing just 47 games and dropping to 19 points per game, but the Jazz were also holding Markkanen out so much that they got fined. Markkanen's shooting would fit on nearly any NBA team, and he's still only 28 years old. The Jazz have amassed a lot of future draft picks, but many of them aren't great — pick swaps with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves, and a 2027 Los Angeles Lakers first-rounder. Trading their Finnish superstar could get them a huge return, especially if NBA teams are seeing him dominate in EuroBasket exhibition games. 2. Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors It seems like a foregone conclusion that Jonathan Kuminga will resign with the Golden State Warriors and equally inevitable that the Warriors will then try to trade their 22-year-old forward. The only holdup is that the restricted free agent and his team can't agree on a new contract. The Warriors need to get something back for their former lottery pick, but they also need to preserve his salary slot. Kuminga and his agent couldn't work out a sign-and-trade this summer, but once free agents who signed this summer can be traded Dec. 15, far more trade options will open up. Kuminga doesn't want to be on the Warriors. The Warriors don't want to guarantee him playing time. The breakup looks like it's coming. 3. Anfernee Simons, Boston Celtics In a year where the Boston Celtics have dramatically slashed their payroll in Jayson Tatum's absence, they have a huge incentive to deal Anfernee Simons, the guard acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers in the Jrue Holiday trade. Getting rid of Simons gets them under the luxury tax, which is worth tens of millions of dollars, while also keeping the Celtics out of penalties for repeatedly being a tax team. It all depends on whether the Celtics will settle for the financial savings or hold out to get assets back for the impending free agent. But Simons is almost certainly headed somewhere. 4. P.J. Washington, Dallas Mavericks P.J. Washington was a huge part of the Dallas Mavericks' run to the NBA Finals in 2024. Unfortunately, he plays the same position as the guy the Mavericks just took with the No. 1 pick in the draft, Cooper Flagg. The Mavericks also have Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and the newly-extended Daniel Gafford. Washington and his expiring contract are now expendable. 5. CJ McCollum/Khris Middleton, Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards took on McCollum and Middleton in trades in the past year, moves that were primarily made to shed the long-term salaries of Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma. But even though those players were both born in 1991, they should still be able to contribute to winning teams in 2025-26. The Wizards may value their veteran leadership, but they also have a roster full of recent draft picks who need playing time — and you can never have too many future draft picks.
Cowboys fans won't like Jerry Jones' update on Micah Parsons standoff
With the regular season approaching, the Dallas Cowboys should be aiming to extend EDGE Micah Parsons promptly. But they're still in no rush to do that. Parsons is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract in 2025 and has requested a trade. Dallas insists it has no plans to move the 26-year-old pass-rusher but hasn't clarified when it will extend him. Giving him a new deal before the regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 4 at 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock) seems wise. Dallas owner Jerry Jones, however, said that's not the team's deadline, nor does it need one. "No, not at all," Jones said Wednesday, via Jonah Javad of WFAA-TV in Dallas. "You don't have deadlines when you're playing under contract." Parsons is under contract, but that doesn't mean he must suit up. The EDGE could hold out of regular-season games, like former Cowboys star running back Emmitt Smith did in 1993. The Pro Football Hall of Famer missed the first two games of the season before becoming the league's highest-paid RB at that time. Parsons hasn't said whether he would hold out of regular-season games, but it's apparent he's unhappy with where things stand. "My mouth is closed," Parsons said Wednesday while leaving the practice field in Oxnard, California, via Field Level Media. Jones didn't say if talks with Parsons would resume when the Cowboys return to Texas for their second preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. The matchup is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The owner still seems confident Parsons will play on the fifth-year option if Dallas doesn't sign him before the start of the regular season. "Again, all you've got to go on are contracts," Jones said. "We are negotiating for a contract. When you do a contract, you would hope that after a negotiation, that's what both the team and player look to see what our obligations are. I have a lot of respect for the contract." Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb played the last years of their rookie contracts. Perhaps Jones wants Parsons to do the same. Still, that would be silly. Paying the four-time Pro Bowler should be a no-brainer for the Cowboys, so they should stop wasting time and show him the money.
Patriots have big Drake Maye concern surface at Vikings' joint practice
Defense ruled the day during the joint practice between the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings. Per Chad Graff of The Athletic, the Patriots defense did a masterful job of disrupting Vikings second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy at Wednesday's practice. However, New England's offensive line was unable to allow Drake Maye to have enough time to finish plays. "Even with four new expected starters up front following last year’s debacle, Wednesday suggested that there will likely be some bumps ahead for this offensive line," Graff wrote. "Sure, going up against the Vikings was always going to be a difficult task. Greenard has been wrecking his own team’s practices in training camp, and everyone in New England knows how good Flores’ scheme can be. But the domination was so thorough by the Vikings’ front seven that three straight plays at one point would’ve resulted in a sack." Maye showed flashes of promise when he had time to throw downfield or was able to use his legs to buy time or scramble when pressure came. The concern is that the offensive line won't allow Maye enough time to even scramble so he can make throws. Graff has noticed the same issues that happened on Wednesday have been a constant at training camp against the Patriots defense. With a new-look offensive line that includes first-round pick Will Campbell at left tackle, the Patriots are expected to have some bumps at training camp and in September. New England's offense probably won't look great out of the gate while the offensive line develops in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' scheme. If and when the offensive line improves, Maye will have a chance to show off the arm that made him the No. 3 pick in 2024. For now, the offensive line is a concern much like it was last season.
Notre Dame believed to be trending toward surprise choice at quarterback
The quarterback battle for Notre Dame is set to come to an end shortly, and it might be a surprise considering how the national media predicted the race to finish. Per Eric Hansen of On3, head coach Marcus Freeman is set to name the starting quarterback by Sunday when he meets the media. The Irish are still letting the quarterback battle play out until then, but it appears sophomore quarterback Kenny Minchey is the favorite to start at Hard Rock Stadium against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Minchey has shown improvement in numerous areas throughout camp, and he has the edge on freshman quarterback CJ Carr in what is believed to be the final week of the competition. "As of Wednesday, the line between 1 and 2 remained blurred," Hansen wrote. "The tiebreaker may eventually go to Minchey, per the source, because of his ability to be a true running threat and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s preference to have that element to put pressure on opposing defenses. "But he also has a preference for QBs who can transcend adversity, and the training camp phase was choreographed to test precisely that. While both contenders responded persistently in a manner that defies their inexperience, Minchey has been exceptional in that regard." Throughout the summer, ESPN writers such as Bill Connelly and Mark Schlabach have written as though it were a forgone conclusion that Carr would win the battle in training camp. However, Minchey appears to be a natural fit for how offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock likes to scheme against a defense. He helped dual-threat Jayden Daniels earn a Heisman Trophy in 2023 and took Notre Dame to a national championship appearance with Riley Leonard. The battle isn't over, but the edge appears to be running Minchey's way.
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