After the 2017 PGA Championship, few would have ever imagined that Jordan Spieth would still be stuck on three major titles by the time the event returned to Quail Hollow again.
Jordan Spieth flew out of the blocks in the biggest events, winning both The Masters and the US Open in 2015. The Open Championship title would come two years later. But the PGA Championship continues to elude him.
Of course, the last few years have not been too kind to Spieth. Injury and a loss of form have contributed to the 31-year-old not winning on the PGA Tour since 2022.
But that does not stop golf fans hoping that the best version of Spieth will turn up every time the major championships come around.
Brandel Chamblee assesses Jordan Spieth’s chances ahead of the PGA Championship
The problem heading into the PGA Championship is that so many players are in excellent form heading into the second major of the year. Rory McIlroy completed the career grand slam at The Masters, while Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau will both head to Quail Hollow off the back of victories.
But speaking on The Favorite Chamblee, Brandel Chamblee explained why there is reason for optimism for Spieth heading into the PGA Championship.
“I will dangle the carrot because he did not go there and play poorly, he played well. Quail Hollow has been won by players who have hit it everywhere. I think Rory won there one year hitting only 19 of 56 fairways. Tiger Woods won there hitting it everywhere, it was not like he was hitting a lot of fairways.
There have been numerous examples of players winning at Quail Hollow with great scrambling. And when you look at who has won there over the years, and I’m not just talking about the PGA Championship. They have played one PGA there in 2017 and it was won by Justin Thomas, who just scrambled his way to victory. It was tee to green, they have only been keeping strokes gained data in the PGA Championship for 11 years, but when you look at what Justin Thomas did in 2017 from a strokes gained ball striking perspective, it was one of the worst performances of the 11 years that they have kept strokes gained data and one of the best in scrambling,” he said.
“Now Justin Thomas is one heck of a scrambler, but so is Jordan Spieth. So in terms of scrambling and potentially play and win a major championship, there are hardly any better venues than Quail Hollow setting up for someone to scramble to victory.”
How Jordan Spieth has performed at Quail Hollow across his career
Spieth has a very mixed record from events at Quail Hollow over the years. He has only played in the tournament now known as the Truist Championship on a handful of occasions.
He missed the cut in 2023, while his best result at the tournament came last year as he finished tied for 29th. He ended up one position higher seven years earlier when Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Championship.
But the high point definitely came in 2022 when Spieth won five points from five as USA won the Presidents Cup.
Perhaps some of those happier memories will prove to be helpful next week.
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