For our second major championship of the season, we head to Quail Hollow Club (par 71, 7,625 yards, POA trivialis greens) in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the PGA Championship. This famous venue hosted the 2017 PGA Championship and was the home of the Wells Fargo Championship from 2003-2024, except in 2017, 2020 and 2022. Xander Schauffele (-21) is the defending champion of the PGA Championship, while Rory McIlory (-15) is the last player to win at Quail Hollow, as he won last year’s Wells Fargo Championship by two shots, which is notably the Irishman’s fourth time winning at Quail Hollow. There will be 156 golfers competing at the PGA Championship this week and this event features a slightly expanded cut, with the top-70 and ties advancing after the first two rounds.
Quail Hollow is classified as a Tom Fazio design after the famous architect made major renovations to the course in 1997, 2013 and 2016. Quail Hollow is a long track that features large but firm greens, thick rough, 61 bunkers and water in play on four holes. Strong drivers have an advantage at this daunting course, which was on full display during McIlroy’s win at Quail Hollow last season when he led the field in SG OTT and driving distance. Now this doesn’t mean to only roster bombers, but targeting players who are efficient with their driver is wise this week. Also, having a terrific performance with both your irons and putter is a must at Quail Hollow, with each of the last four winners at this venue finishing the event top-12 in both SG APP and SGP. As for which holes are most crucial at Quail Hollow, six of the 11 par fours range from 450-500 yards, making this the most important length of hole for research. McIlroy finished second in efficiency on the 450-500-yard par fours during his victory at Quail Hollow last season, making him the fourth winner in a row at this course to rank top-five in the metric.
Below, I have featured four of my favorite DraftKings bargain plays for the PGA Championship, all priced under $7.5K.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA $2.75M Fantasy Golf Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
Keegan Bradley ($7,200) – Bradley is in the midst of an excellent season and is an elite value play at only $7,200. The former FedEx Cup champion has only missed one cut in 11 starts and he has finished inside the top-30 seven times. Bradley ranks ninth in SGT2G and his driver has been awesome, with the veteran ranking 23rd in total driving.
On top of the great form, Bradley knows Quail Hollow well and he has a long history of thriving at PGA Championships. The 38-year-old has advanced to the weekend in five of his last six visits to Quail Hollow, including two top-25 finishes. At the PGA Championship, Bradley has made 12-of-14 cuts with five top-20 finishes, including a win in 2011.
Rickie Fowler ($7,100) – Fowler knows Quail Hollow like the back of his hand. The 36-year-old has only missed one cut in 12 appearances at the renowned track and eight of those finishes have been top-25 results. Notably, five of these finishes have come inside the top-six, including a win at the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship and a T-5 at the 2019 PGA Championship. Fowler ranks sixth in strokes gained per round when we compare this field’s resumes at Quail Hollow and the veteran returns to the par 71 fresh off his best finish of the season.
Fowler finished T-15 at the Truist Championship last week, which is a Signature Event that features the PGA TOUR’s best players competing for a $20 million purse, and he shot under par in three of his four rounds at the Wissahickon Course, including an opening round 7-under 63. Looking to carry this momentum over to Quail Hollow, Fowler has top-25 upside. This season, he has yet to miss a cut in nine starts and he ranks 34th in total driving. Additionally, Fowler has made 12-of-15 cuts at the PGA Championship, including six top-25 finishes.
Harris English ($6,800) – English is quietly having a terrific season. The Georgia product won the Farmers Insurance Open in January and he has made 9-of-11 cuts with five top-25 finishes. English just finished T-11 at the Truist Championship last week, which is the third top-18 finish in his last four starts. English has shot under par in 15 of his last 20 rounds and he ranks 24th in total driving this season.
English has never missed a cut at Quail Hollow in six starts – including a T-3 in 2023 – and he is a sensational bargain at this sub $7K salary.
Keith Mitchell ($6,200) – At the Truist Championship last week, Mitchell finished T-7 among the world-class field, which is his fourth straight finish of T-18 or better.
Mitchell has gained strokes across the board in each of his last three solo starts and his driver has been his best club this season, with Mitchell ranking fifth in SG OTT and 21st in total driving. To put the icing on the cake, Mitchell has never missed a cut in four tries at Quail Hollow, including a T-8 in 2019 and a T-3 in 2021. At this very low price tag, Mitchell is a must-play.
