Truist Championship 2025: Best Outright Bets, Long Shot Picks To Win PGA Championship Prelude

The Truist Championship 2025 begins on Thursday, May 8, at the legendary Philadelphia Cricket Club's Wissahickon Course in Flourtown, Pennsylvania. Formerly the Wells Fargo Championship, the tournament was moved from Charlotte, North Carolina, to 20 miles outside Pittsburgh this year, with Quail Hollow hosting next week's PGA Championship. The oldest country club in the United States, Philadelphia Cricket Club's Wissahickon Course was designed by A.W. Tillinghast in 1922 with a Keith Foster-led restoration in 2013. The course stretches just 7,119 yards and features Bentgrass green complexes, 118 sand bunkers, three-inch Fescue rough, and generous fairways.

The Truist Championship is the sixth of eight Signature Events on the 2025 PGA Tour schedule, meaning a stacked 72-player field is teeing it up this week for the rowdy Pittsburgh fans. Four-time tournament winner Rory McIlroy headlines the field and is joined by Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg, Jordan Spieth, Shane Lowry, Hideki Matsuyama, and Tommy Fleetwood. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the only player from the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking who elected to skip out on the PGA Championship lead-in tournament.

Last time, McIlroy outdueled Schauffele in the final round to earn his fourth career victory at Quail Hollow. Despite making a double-bogey on the 72nd hole, McIlroy bested Schauffele by five shots after shooting an electric 6-under 65 on Sunday. Schauffele held a one-shot lead after making an eagle at the par-5 7th hole, but McIlroy responded with two eagles of his own in a six-hole stretch on the back nine to win in runaway fashion. Schauffele stumbled to get across the finish line and came runner-up for the second consecutive year, while Byeong Hun An finished third.

Let's get into my best bets this week at Philadelphia Cricket Club's Wissahickon Course!

BEST BETS

Xander Schauffele (+1800 BetRivers Enhanced)

Xander Schauffele has slowly been building back up since returning from a rib injury, and the two-time major winner has now rattled off three consecutive top-18 finishes heading into the Philadelphia Cricket Club, including a T8 at the Masters. Schauffele seems close to returning to his usual self, and 18/1 odds against a Scottie Scheffler-less field feel more than generous for his upside.

Among all 72 players in the field, Schauffele ranks 3rd in SG: Approach, 10th in Par-3s: 200+ Yards, 11th in SG: Putting (Bentgrass), 12th in Total Driving, 12th in Sand Saves, 15th in Bonus Putting, and 17th in Driving Distance over the past 24 rounds. While Schauffele has struggled off the tee since coming back from injury, I believe the wider fairways and softer conditions at the Wissahickon Course can give him extra support. It's also worth pointing out that he gained 2.5 strokes with the driver at Augusta National, which also features wider fairways and benefits players with added distance.

Admittedly, the Wissahickon Course has many different qualities from most of architect A.W. Tillinghast's legendary tracks, such as Winged Foot and Bethpage Black. However, Schauffele's past success on those old-time classical designs should at the very least give him confidence when every player is facing a brand-new course this week. Schauffele finished 5th at the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot and T16 at the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black. Keith Foster, the man tasked with Wissahickon's restoration process in 2013, is also responsible for Southern Hills' restoration, and Schauffele finished T13 there at the 2022 PGA Championship.

While there are many questions about the Wissahickon Course as it awaits its PGA Tour debut, I believe there will be a strong mix of sure-fire birdie opportunities and holes where par is a lovely score. What I love about Schauffele's chances this week is his well-rounded nature, as I trust all facets of his game against whatever gets thrown his way. The San Diego, California native can be elite with his driver, wedges, long irons, around-the-green play, and the putter when firing on all cylinders. I believe he's close to piecing everything together, and he'll want to be dialed in going into the PGA Championship next week at Quail Hollow.

Jordan Spieth (+3000 BetRivers Enhanced)

The last several weeks on the PGA Tour have featured incredible comeback stories, with Rory McIlroy finally achieving the career Grand Slam at the Masters, Justin Thomas snapping his three-year win drought at the RBC Heritage, and the duo of Andrew Novak & Ben Griffin earning their first victories together at the Zurich Classic. In the midst of all that, three-time major winner Jordan Spieth has started to find his form again, as he's now finished inside the top 20 in four consecutive starts, highlighted by a solo fourth last week at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. There's no chance I miss out on Spieth continuing the career comeback narrative in Philadelphia, and 30/1 odds feel more than fair given his current run.

Spieth checks in at No. 4 in my model this week among all 72 players in the field over the past 24 rounds. The 13-time PGA Tour winner ranks sixth in Total Driving, 12th in Driving Distance, 12th in Birdie or Better Gained, 15th in SG: Tee To Green, 17th in SG: Around The Green, 17th in SG: Putting (Bentgrass), and 19th in Sand Saves. While Spieth sits 35th in SG: Approach during that stretch, that's mostly a result of him losing 4.7 strokes at the Masters. He's fared much better in his last two outings, gaining 1.8 strokes at the RBC Heritage and 6.6 strokes at the Byron Nelson.

One of the most underappreciated developments in Spieth's game in recent years has been his uptick from off the tee. Even while playing through injury last year before undergoing offseason wrist surgery, the Dallas, Texas native was one of the most well-rounded drivers on Tour, and that hasn't changed in 2025 so far. Spieth has popped for over 2.3 strokes off the tee in five of his last eight appearances, including 2.8 strokes at Augusta National against the best players in the world.

With the Wissahickon Course being an old-time, classical track, I believe strategy, creativity, and shot shaping will be required to maneuver around properly this week. Well, few players check all those boxes quite like Jordan does, and I KNOW he wants to head into the PGA Championship with a full head of steam as he attempts to achieve his own career Grand Slam. It's time for Spieth to put a halt to his three-year win drought, like his good friend JT did at Harbour Town a few weeks ago.

LONG SHOT PICKS

Sepp Straka (+4500 FanDuel)

Sepp Straka has been remarkably consistent this season, finishing outside the top 30 just twice in 13 starts while earning his third PGA Tour title at The American Express in January. The 32-year-old Austrian has been on the cusp of rising to the top caliber of player on Tour, and I think he's primed to take down a Signature Event-like field soon. Why not this week?

Among all players in the field, Straka ranks 1st in SG: Approach (!), 6th in SG: Tee To Green, 7th in Birdie or Better Percentage, 18th in Bogey Avoidance, and 24th in Total Driving over the past 24 rounds. Straka has been on an incredible run with his irons, having gained AT LEAST 3.7 strokes to the field in eight of his last nine measured starts dating back to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

While Straka has shown the ability to contend on longer golf courses like Muirfield Village, Bay Hill, and Quail Hollow in the last two years, his true bread and butter has always been shorter golf courses. PGA West, PGA National, and TPC Deere Run, the sites of Straka's wins, are all below 7,300 yards in distance and feature short par-4s and par-5s. While the Wissahickon Course also has four-to-five par-4s that require mid-to-long irons into the greens, I think Straka's elite iron play is in fine condition to handle those properly. It's also worth pointing out that Straka has only lost strokes off the tee twice this season, occurring at Augusta National and Torrey Pines, two of the longest courses on the PGA Tour. Wissahickon isn't in that same ballpark.

There has been a recent dip in Straka's short game, as he's dropped strokes around the green and with the putter in three consecutive starts entering this week. Not ideal. However, the former Georgia Bulldog has a strong history when dealing with thick rough on Bentgrass courses. T7 at the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, T13 at Castle Pines for the BMW Championship, and T5 at last year's Memorial Tournament. The Wissahickon Course has many of those same features, which should give Straka an excellent chance to

Maverick McNealy (+5000 Fanatics Boost)

After picking up his maiden PGA Tour win last fall at the RSM Classic, Maverick McNealy has kept his foot on the pedal in 2025 and contended at several of the PGA Tour's biggest events. The former Stanford Cardinal standout came T8 at The Sentry to begin the season, T9 at the WM Phoenix Open, runner-up to Ludvig Aberg at The Genesis Invitational, and T3 at the RBC Heritage in his most recent start. I'll take 50/1 odds for, quietly, one of the top players on Tour so far this year.

Outside of a putrid two-week stretch during the Florida swing, McNealy's tee-to-green play has been dynamite, as he's gained at least three strokes in that category in six of his last nine events. He also popped for a season-high 5.8 strokes from tee to green en route to a T32 in his debut at the Masters. I'm encouraged to see McNealy find success at driver-heavy, long golf courses (Memorial Park, Torrey Pines) AND shorter, more strategic tracks (Harbour Town, TPC San Antonio), as he'll need all parts of his game working to perform well at the Wissahickon Course.

Another reason I'm high on McNealy's chances this week is his putting upside, as he ranks 9th in SG: Putting (Bentgrass) among all players in the field over the past 24 rounds. McNealy can get white-hot with the putter like few others can, and it's been a driving force behind him contending so often this season. He's gained AT LEAST 4.2 strokes with the flat stick in each of his top-10 finishes since the beginning of February, including 7.7 strokes at the WM Phoenix Open and 8.4 strokes at The Genesis Invitational.

McNealy's standout play since returning from injury in early 2024 has suddenly landed him in the U.S. Ryder Cup conversation, and that debate is only going to intensify as the season continues. For McNealy to truly get in contention for the team, he likely needs to win something of substance in the next few months, and he's been SO close countless times already this year. I believe this is a fantastic spot for him to keep his heater going, and perhaps even pick up the win that gets him to Bethpage Black in September.

*All statistics from the PGA Tour website or RickRunGood.com*