With only one week before the year’s second major, the PGA Tour heads to North Carolina for the Wells Fargo Championship and yet another small-field, no-cut “Signature” event. Located just southeast of downtown Charlotte, Quail Hollow Club has hosted a PGA Tour event almost every year since 2003. Along with the 2017 and 2025 PGA Championship, the world-class course also hosted the prestigious 2022 Presidents Cup.
Quail Hollow is typically one of the most challenging courses on Tour playing to an average of +0.75 strokes per round. At the two recent majors held here, the course played +1.99 per round. It’s a demanding par-71 that stretches to 7,583 yards from the back tees.
The tree-lined parkland layout is a favorite among players, combining pristine conditions with scenic, rolling terrain to create one of the most enjoyable walks on tour. Its routing flows seamlessly, with each green leading effortlessly into the next tee just steps away.
As with any course that has hosted major events, every facet of a golfer’s game will be tested this week. As recent past winners here demonstrate, including Wyndham Clark, Rory McIlroy (four times), Max Homa, and Jason Day, distance off the tee and positive long iron play are especially advantageous this week. Another important skill is scrambling for pars on some of the toughest green complexes that players will face all year.
Said Quail Hollow’s Director of Green and Grounds, Keith Wood, “We want a fair course, and a challenge,” he said. “We want it to play long but not soft. Honestly, from my point of view, we just want to see a great competition. On Sunday, as the leaders are making the turn to the back nine, you know, we want to have six or seven guys in contention. That’s exciting, a lot of competition, good drama.”
The Field
Another Signature Event brings the PGA TOUR’s elite to Charlotte this week, with a tightly packed 72-player field at Quail Hollow. Every eligible top-35 player in the world is set to tee it up, with the lone absences being world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 8 Russell Henley, and No. 35 Shane Lowry.
Rory McIlroy returns as the most recent winner here, having cruised to a five-shot victory in 2024. The Grand Slam champion now sits at 30 PGA TOUR wins, four of which have come at Quail Hollow Club, further cementing his dominance at this venue. Past champions at Quail Hollow include Max Homa, Jason Day, and Rickie Fowler. Justin Thomas also brings strong course history, having captured the 2017 PGA Championship on these grounds.
Several players enter the field via exemptions, including Tony Finau, Max Homa, Mackenzie Hughes, and Webb Simpson on sponsor invites. Kristoffer Reitan earned his spot through the Aon Swing 5, while David Lipsky, Ricky Castillo, Matt Wallace, and Chandler Blanchet round out the field through the same pathway.
Past Winners & Odds
Most Important Stats For Success at Quail Hollow
*In order of importance
- SG: APP
- Driving Distance
- Proximity 175+
- SG: Par 4 (Difficult par 4s)
- SG: Long/Difficult Courses
- SG: Putting
- Scrambling/ARG Proximity
- Bogey Avoidance (Difficult Scoring)
- Good Drive % (Difficult Approach)
- 3-Putt Avoidance
Key Rabbit Hole Filters
- Course Region: Southeast
- Scoring Conditions: Difficult
- Course Length: Very Long
- Field Strength: Strong
- Event Type: Signature/No-Cut
- Green Surface: Poa Trivialis/Bermuda
- Green Speed: Fast
- OTT Club: Driver Heavy
- Gain APP: Difficult
- Gain Putting: Very Difficult
- 3-Putt AVD: Difficult
- Par 4s: Difficult
Truist Championship – Final Model
In each preview article and on Discord, I present my final model, which gives a detailed player ranking of the most important stats and splits for the week. My modeling is based on the PGA’s Strokes Gained data, which is categorized into SG: Off the Tee (OTT), SG: Approach (APP), SG: Around the Green (ARG), and SG: Putting (P). Learn more about Strokes Gained and why it can be so useful in analyzing the past and predicting future performance. Many of these specific metrics and conditions can be found in “The Rabbit Hole“, with my final model exclusively published here and in the Discord for subscribers.
Outright Betting Selections
For the most up-to-date picks, check out my Twitter and subscribe to our Discord at BetspertsGolf.com.
- Aberg +1800 (1.33u) – FD
- Scott +3500 (0.67u) – Rivers
- MW Lee +4500 (0.53u) – MGM
- Gotterup +5000 (0.48u) – Rivers
- Hojgaard +5500 (0.43u) – MGM
- Woodland +8000 (0.30u) – FD
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Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
