Quail Hollow Club may not have the panache of Augusta National or the reputation of Torrey Pines or Pebble Beach, but this is a course that gets a lot of respect from PGA Tour players and has hosted majors in the past. The 2022 Presidents Cup is coming to Charlotte and the 2025 PGA Championship is also on the horizon.
But, for now, Quail Hollow will host its regular PGA Tour event, the Wells Fargo Championship. Since 2003, the only missed years for this event at this course have been 2017, because the PGA Championship was held at Quail Hollow, and 2020 because of COVID-19. The tournament is back and the field is strong, so we have a lot to discuss.
First, let’s discuss the Welcome Bonus you can get worth up to $600 at BetMGM Sportsbook. The King of Sportsbooks offers fair odds and a great customer experience, so check them out and take advantage of that promotion while you can.
Now let’s discuss the golf tournament, shall we?
Wells Fargo Championship Betting Odds
Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas are priced as +1000 co-favorites for this year’s Wells Fargo Championship. Thomas won the 2017 PGA Championship here and has had a fine season already, though we haven’t seen a lot of him lately. Similarly, Rahm just became a father, so he’s also been taking some time away.
Bryson DeChambeau, whose length and ball striking are two major weapons at this course, is +1400 coming off of a very disappointing Masters performance. Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele join DeChambeau as the only other players lined below +2000.
Viktor Hovland, who was a strong third-place finisher last week at the Valspar Championship, is +2000, followed by Carolina kid Webb Simpson at +2200, Patrick Cantlay at +2500, and Tony Finau at +2800. The +3000s crowd is very intriguing with 2017 PGA Championship runner-up Patrick Reed, Masters runner-up Will Zalatoris, Corey Conners and his seven top-10 finishes this season, and Joaquin Niemann.
Quail Hollow Club Profile
Quail Hollow Club is good enough to host the PGA Championship, so you know this is a well-groomed track that presents a lot of challenges to the players. The Green Mile finishing stretch may be the most notable element of this course with bermudagrass greens and fairways with some extra bounce.
This is a par 71 that checks in over 7,500 yards. There are several 500-yard par 4s and the course is short a par 5. The average winning score here is only going to be around 11 or 12-under par with the par 71 and very limited chances at driving the par 4s. Even some of the par 5s are tricky to get to in two shots.
Who Has Had Success Here?
A smattering of past winners at Quail Hollow will be on the course this week. Rory McIlroy is the most notable and the only active player with two wins here. His 2015 triumph set the course record at 21-under and the margin of victory at seven shots. The other winners in the field are Max Homa, Jason Day, Brian Harman, James Hahn, J.B. Holmes, Rickie Fowler, Lucas Glover, and Sean O’Hair.
Fowler is +6600, but that may be an optimistic price for him. He’s got five top-six finishes in this event, but his game has been on the fritz for quite some time. The decline hasn’t been as stunning for Phil Mickelson, as Father Time always gets his, but Lefty has six top-five finishes here since 2009. We’ll see if he can work some magic at +12500.
Who Has Had Recent Success?
Corey Conners has had a lot of success this year with seven top-10 finishes. He still only has one career PGA Tour win back in 2019, but he’s been close enough several times this season that one should be coming. Will Zalatoris belongs here after his runner-up at the Masters. He played his college golf at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem.
Justin Thomas won the PLAYERS Championship a couple months ago. Max Homa has a win this year and played really well last week with a tie for sixth. Abraham Ancer hasn’t won, but he’s ripped off back-to-back top-20 finishes and four in a row in the top 30. Stewart Cink has won with his victory at the RBC Heritage and a couple top-20 finishes prior to that, including a 12th at Augusta National.
Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, and Patrick Reed have only played the Masters lately, but all three guys had top-10 finishes. Rahm may have won if the tournament was 90 holes instead of 72.
Cameron Tringale has finished in the top 15 in each of his last three events.
Wells Fargo Championship Picks
Be on the lookout for more matchups as the week goes along, but here are a couple of picks to win. The first is Xander Schauffele at +1800. Schauffele checks every box statistically and plays some of his best golf in the best fields. He resides in the top 25 in driving distance, but really shines across the board. He ranks third in SG: Total and in the top 10 in putting. Driving distance and putting are very important attributes this week.
Joaquin Niemann at +3300 is a consider with how well he’s played statistically this season, but Will Zalatoris at +3000 is a better bet in a similar price range. Zalatoris has it all and he’s got good length off the tee as well. These are fast greens, so putting will be the focus for Zalatoris, but the ball-striking will be there.
As matchups start to pop, look for guys that drive it far and putt it well. Patrick Reed will probably be a good matchup play with his putting prowess and second shot ability.
The Wells Fargo Championship will be Thursday through Sunday with coverage on Golf Channel and CBS.
For another perspective on the Wells Fargo Championship, we invite you to check out Brian Blessing’s picks and analysis: