While The Masters is still very much fresh in most people’s minds, it’s only a month until the major season gets going again with the PGA Championship.
Quail Hollow will host the event and with it being one of Rory McIlroy’s happiest hunting grounds over the years, there’s every chance he adds a second major to his season.
Of course, there are so many talented golfers on the PGA Tour right now that any number of big names could win.
McIlroy, then, will need to be at his best once again and according to Paul McGinley, there’s two players who could well beat McIlroy this time.
The two PGA Tour players tipped to beat Rory McIlroy to the PGA Championship
As we know, McGinley has made headlines for his comments on McIlroy this week and that’s something he’s moved to apologise for and clear up since.
However, when it comes to predicting the PGA Championship and noting if McIlroy could win again, McGinley believes the answer is yes, but there are two key men who could beat him.
“Rory will be the big storyline and there will be another lot of pressure on him again because he has won around there and dominated,” McGinley said on the Beyond The Clubhouse podcast.
“I think Xander played really well last year and Rory went head to head against him and beat him. Xander is coming back in to form. We saw it again last week, he is slowly coming back to form from his injury. He is going to be a factor in these majors as we go on. I think another month down the road his game will be in a better place than it has been early season as he has come back from that injury.”
However, McGinley also believes that world number one, Scottie Scheffler, is in with a chance as well.
“I think Scottie too. He wasn’t a factor at all last week. We never really saw him, he never really looked like he was going to raise a gallop and we look at the finishing line and he’s fourth or fifth and only three shots outside the playoffs. That is the sort of quality player that Scottie is,” McGinley continued.
“He has unfinished business too in terms of he hasn’t won yet this year. There is no doubt he is going to have some success and probably win a major this year. Scheffler on top on Xander I think, and Rory, at this stage. The top three players you’d have to think in the game.”
Comparing Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy’s records at the PGA Championship
As we know, both Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy have won the PGA before, while Scottie Scheffler’s biggest headline at the event so far was his bizarre arrest in 2024.
The form, though, is with Scottie and Rory. Indeed, despite Scheffler not winning it yet, he’s finished top ten in four of his five attempts, while McIlroy has seven from 16, with two wins.
| Rory McIlroy | Scottie Scheffler | Xander Schauffele | |
| PGA Championships played | 16 | 5 | 8 |
| Wins | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Top tens | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| Missed cuts | 1 | 1 | 2 |
The event at Quail Hollow is shaping up to be a big event and if all three fire, then it could be another tournament to remember.
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