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PGA Championship Preview: Ranking the LIV Golf Field Ahead of The PGA Championship

Robert Theodorson

It feels like just yesterday Rory McIlroy shocked the world at The 89th Masters, finally winning his long-awaited green jacket and, in the process achieving The Career Grand Slam.

This weekend the world’s best have been invited to Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, May 15 – 18, for the 107th edition of the PGA Championship, the second major championship of 2025.

Storylines are plentiful in Charlotte this week!

Jordan Spieth resumes his quest for his first Wanamaker Trophy to complete The Career Grand Slam.

Brooks Koepka, the 2023, 2019, and 2018 PGA Championship winner has a chance to win the fourth of his career.

The last golfer to win The PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, Justin Thomas, secured his first PGA Tour victory in several years and may be up to the challenge of repeating in North Carolina. 

How will The Masters champion Rory McIlroy stand up to a resurgent Scottie Scheffler as the title of world number one is at stake?

Will we get a surprise winner like the red-hot Sepp Straka or a complete shocker like Tommy Fleetwood finally sealing the deal?

For LIV, will it be Bryson DeChambeau against the field, or is there a surprise champion amongst the 16 LIV golfers participating?

Table of Contents

The Field

Richard Bland

  • Last Professional Win: U.S. Senior Open (2024)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: No
  • Major Championships Won: 0
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: Not Invited
  • Vegas Odds: Over 10K
  • What’s at Stake: Last year’s winner of both The PGA Senior Championship and the U.S. Senior Open, the 52-year-old Bland had the most successful year of his long career in 2024. While 2025 has been somewhat less successful, Bland does have three Top 15 finishes to his name, including the most recent, a T7 finish in Korea. Bland winning the PGA Championship a year after winning The PGA Senior Championship would be the stuff of legends, a championship never forgotten.

Dean Burmester

  • Last Professional Win: LIV Miami (2024)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: No
  • Major Championships Won: 0
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: T12; 12-under par
  • Vegas Odds: Over 10K
  • What’s at Stake: Burmester has quietly become one of the more consistent golfers on LIV and is usually in the mix week in and week out. Entering Quail Hollow, Burmester sits at 8th overall in the individual standings, though winless. Going into The PGA Championship, Burmester has the 2nd highest average driving distance of the LIV field coming in at 328.4 yards, second only to Bryson DeChambeau. Burmester could become the first South African PGA Championship winner in several decades.

John Catlin

  • Last Professional Win: Asian Tour Saudi Open (2024)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: No
  • Major Championships Won: 0
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: Not Invited
  • Vegas Odds: Over 10K
  • What’s at Stake: Catlin, who was denied a permanent spot on LIV despite a terrific 2024 season that included several successful fill-in roles for various teams, would have his profile raised from journeyman to champion. Catlin likely has the longest shot at winning of the entire LIV field and would easily be one of the biggest upsets in major championship history. If Catlin can somehow pull this one off, he might be able to name his price as a permanent member of the league.  

Bryson DeChambeau

  • Last Professional Win: LIV Korea (2025)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: No
  • Major Championships Won: 2
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: 2nd Place; 20-under par
  • Vegas Odds: +1000
  • What’s at Stake: Bryson came up just short last year at Valhalla, shooting up the leaderboard all the way until the very end. Unfortunately, on that Sunday Xander Schauffele just could not miss and proceeded to win his first career major by one shot over Bryson. Sundays have recently become Bryson’s kryptonite in 2025 with several LIV tournaments and The Masters where DeChambeau lost solid leads on Championship Sunday. We hope his recent wire-to-wire victory in Korea has rid himself of the Sunday blues. If DeChambeau wins at Quail Hollow, he is a legitimate contender to win The Career Grand Slam in the next couple of years.

Sergio Garcia

  • Last Professional Win: LIV Hong Kong (2025)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: No
  • Major Championships Won: 1
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: Not Invited
  • Vegas Odds: Over 10K
  • What’s at Stake: Sergio’s 2025 season started off with a bang. Garcia led his Fireballs to three straight wins and earned an early victory. Since failing to make the cut at The Masters, his season has gone completely awry including 50th and T42 finishes in the last two LIV tournaments. A win at Quail Hollow would elevate Sergio back to superstardom and may secure him a spot on the European Ryder Cup team, something he has said is of the utmost importance to him. 

Tyrrell Hatton 

  • Last Professional Win: DP World Tour Dubai Desert Classic (2025)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: No
  • Major Championships Won: 0
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: T63, 3-under par
  • Vegas Odds: +2800
  • What’s at Stake: The Sunday collapse at Augusta would be long forgotten and Hatton would finally capture that elusive first major championship. Not quite the elite golfer he was in LIV 2024 season, Hatton is still holding his own against the field, inching closer and closer to his second victory in LIV. Winning The PGA Championship would signal Hatton can score at a steady pace four days in a row against top tier competition. 

Dustin Johnson

  • Last Professional Win: LIV Las Vegas (2024)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: No
  • Major Championships Won: 2
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: T43, 6-under par
  • Vegas Odds: +6000
  • What’s at Stake: Johnson was a last-minute addition to the field courtesy of the selection committee. Although the addition was likely based on name, likely to boost viewership, DJ has shown flashes of his old prime form this season at Singapore and Mexico City. A win at Quail Hollow would be amazing for LIV as one of the charter members who is still a big name would return to glory after a lengthy hiatus.

Martin Kaymer

  • Last Professional Win: U.S. Open (2014)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: Yes
  • Major Championships Won: 2
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: T73; 5-over par
  • Vegas Odds: Over 10K
  • What’s at Stake: It has been a very long time since Kaymer has won anything of significance. LIV would like to see its captains represent the league more at major championships and Kaymer, a former champion, could put himself back on the map at age 40.  

Brooks Koepka

  • Last Professional Win: LIV Greenbrier (2024)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: Yes
  • Major Championships Won: 5
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: T26, 9-under par
  • Vegas Odds: +2000
  • What’s at Stake: Since winning the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club, Koepka’s major championship outings have left a lot to be desired. Despite this, a fourth PGA Championship would tie Koepka with Tiger Woods and would be the sixth major championship overall of his career. The oddsmakers are still in love with Koepka despite a lack of recent success. Always one of the more intriguing golfers to watch at major championships, a win for Koepka would significantly increase the price of whatever contract LIV is offering him for the 2026 season and beyond.

Tom McKibbin

  • Last Professional Win: Porsche European Open (2023)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: No
  • Major Championships Won: 0
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: Not Invited
  • Vegas Odds: Over 10K
  • What’s at Stake: Another special invitee, the start of McKibbin’s LIV Golf career has been astonishing. Currently 22nd overall in the individual standings, McKibbin is one of golf’s most promising youngsters, oozing with potential. One gets the sense that McKibbin is headed for a victory sooner than later. Should McKibbin win, it would be a huge credit to Jon Rahm and LIV for choosing McKibbin, seemingly out of nowhere, to be a full-time member of LIV and Rahm’s Legion XIII.  

Phil Mickelson

  • Last Professional Win: PGA Championship (2021)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: Yes
  • Major Championships Won: 6
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: CUT
  • Vegas Odds: Over 10K
  • What’s at Stake: It’s hard to believe that Phil’s last win was the 2021 PGA Championship on Kiawah Island. Mickelson is a mixed bag when it comes to Quail Hollow during his lengthy tenure on The PGA Tour. Even just being featured on the leaderboard for a day or two would be a huge sentimental victory.

Joaquin Niemann

  • Last Professional Win: LIV Mexico City (2025)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: No
  • Major Championships Won: 0
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: T39, 7-under par
  • Vegas Odds: +3500
  • What’s at Stake: Niemann is starting to earn a reputation as one of the best players in the world who can’t win a major. Sound familiar? That was Xander Schauffele last year before winning it all at Valhalla. While Niemann isn’t choking away wins or performing horribly, his lack of sustained attention and not being able to secure relatively easy points while his competitors of lesser talent leapfrog him is very noticeable. Fairly or not, Niemann will continue to receive such criticism until he finally brings a major home. A win at Quail Hollow, or the other two majors remaining this year, would absolutely cement Niemann’s status as a Top 5 golfer in the world. 

David Puig

  • Last Professional Win: Asian Tour Prima Malaysia Open (2024)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: No
  • Major Championships Won: 0
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: CUT
  • Vegas Odds: Over 10K
  • What’s at Stake: Rounding out the special invitees is another one of LIV’s youngsters, 23-year-old David Puig. Like Tom McKibbin, Puig has a lack of success on the biggest stages, but is very young and has plenty of time to prove himself. Making the cut would be the first step towards elevating his profile and proving the selection committee that they made the correct move in adding a relatively unknown LIV golfer.  

Jon Rahm

  • Last Professional Win: LIV Chicago (2024)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: No
  • Major Championships Won: 2
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: CUT
  • Vegas Odds: +1800
  • What’s at Stake: Rahm is in much better form now than he was in May 2024. His last two major championship showings at the 2024 Open and 2025 Masters were semi-successful, showing the two-time major winner is back on track to be the world’s best. A win at Quail Hollow would have the world talking about a possible career Grand Slam being accomplished at The 2025 Open. 

Patrick Reed

  • Last Professional Win: The International Series Hong Kong (2024)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: No
  • Major Championships Won: 1
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: T53, 5-under par
  • Vegas Odds: +7500
  • What’s at Stake: Reed’s play outside LIV briefly put himself back into the Top 50 in OWGR, a feat only he, Tyrrell Hatton, and Bryson DeChambeau can claim. Always a sneaky pick to win, a second major championship would be Reed’s first big win in quite some time. 

Cam Smith

  • Last Professional Win: LIV Bedminster (2023)
  • Previous PGA Championship Winner: No
  • Major Championships Won: 1
  • Last Finish at The PGA Championship at Valhalla: T63, 3-under par
  • Vegas Odds: +4000
  • What’s at Stake: Smith has quietly recorded three straight Top 10 finishes and secured Ripper’s first team win of the season at Miami. This might be the version of Cam Smith that can finally capture that elusive second major championship that everyone knows he is capable of winning. With his current form, he very well could be one of the biggest ‘upsets’ we could see amongst the contenders outside the Top 10 in odds.

LIV Winners in 2025, The Masters to The PGA Championship

  1. Joaquin Niemann – Mexico City
  2. Bryson DeChambeau – South Korea

LIV Field Ranked Tiers

Tier 4 – Extremely Unlikely

Martin Kaymer – Kaymer’s major championship record in the past decade is not pretty, the apex being a T26 finish at the 2021 U.S. Open. The Cleeks captain has failed to show any signs of brilliance since joining LIV and seems uninterested in playing outside the league as well.  

Dustin Johnson – One of LIV’s special invitees who did not qualify based on merit or past accomplishments, DJ’s past couple of majors do not inspire confidence. Though he did make the cut at Valhalla, he could not keep up with the intense scoring and had a poor finish. I hope I am wrong about this one, but I haven’t seen anything to suggest sustained success for four rounds.

Sergio Garcia – Things were looking quite well for Sergio at the beginning of 2025. Garcia captained his Fireballs to three straight victories, a feat only accomplished one other time in LIV history. His early-season victory in Hong Kong was followed up by a 3rd place podium finish at Trump Doral’s Blue Monster. Things were looking good until Augusta, when Sergio failed to make another cut. Problems quickly compounded with a 50th place finish in Mexico City and a 42nd place finish in Korea, the last LIV tournament before The PGA Championship. What could have been one of the best seasons in his illustrious career is now unravelling.

John Catlin – After the shocking news at the beginning of the season that Catlin would not be a full-time LIV player, Catlin had to wait until the 4th LIV tournament in Singapore to make his mark. Unfortunately, Catlin has not performed anywhere close to his 2024 season and has more or less wasted his opportunities as a substitute for the three tournaments he’s played in including a dead last finish in Mexico City. 

David Puig – Puig is a fine player and consistently reliable for his age. His worst finish on LIV this year was a recent T20 in Korea. With three Top 10 finishes to his credit this season Puig currently sits at 7th overall in the individual standings. I want to see how Puig can handle a course that demands a lot of scoring over four days before I anoint him ready to make a push towards victory. 

Tier 3 – Makes The Cut, But Trails Off

Richard Bland – His 2024 success continued into 2025 where Bland sits at 17th place in the individual standings. Currently 7th in Scrambling Percentage, Bland is up there with the best LIV golfers who are squarely in The Lock Zone. I’m not scared by his T46 position at Driving Average because that is still good for 296.2 yards. Powerful drives and good approach shots will make or break many amongst the field at Quail Hollow. 

Phil Mickelson – Phil’s form has taken a hit since a 6th place finish at LIV Miami earlier this year. Failing to make the cut at The Masters was downright shocking as he knows Augusta like the back of his hand. His last two finishes on LIV (T22 at Mexico City and 50th at Korea) do not inspire confidence for a major championship that requires the winner to run up the score. Phil’s major championship track record in majors since joining LIV is dicey outside of the near-upset at the 2023 Masters. I always give Lefty the benefit of the doubt, but I just don’t see it happening for him this weekend. 

Brooks Koepka – Koepka’s bright spot on the 2025 season is a 2nd place podium finish in Singapore, a course he usually dominates. In his past three majors he has posted over-par scores. You have to go back to the 2024 PGA Championship to find some modicum of success against the best in the world. His campaign at Valhalla ended with him 9-under par, but on a relatively easy course, this was only good for a T26 finish. Koepka remains a sportsbook darling despite lack of recent success because of his unpredictability. Unfortunately, we have no idea what version of Koepka we’re going to get. If the elite version shows up, then for how many days?

Tom McKibbin – McKibbin started the 2025 LIV season off with a bang, finishing in the Top 15 in three out of his first four tournaments. Since Augusta, McKibbin’s game has fallen a bit off, but it’s no reason for concern and certainly nothing that can’t be fixed. Like David Puig, he has a lack of recent success but does have experience in two major championships: The 2024 U.S. Open and The Open where he made the cut both tournaments. Something tells me McKibbin does not waste his special invite, makes the cut, and surprises a lot of folks.

Tier 2 – Has a Decent Chance

Cam Smith – Smith had his best chance to win this past April in Mexico City before a Sunday collapse forced him to settle for 5th place. After finishing in the Top 10 in Augusta in 2024, Smith failed to make the cut this year and shall seek redemption at Quail Hollow. As previously mentioned, he is in excellent form his past three LIV tournaments. I’m not convinced Cam is in great enough form to win outright, but certainly has the potential to threaten a win should his driver stay straight and true and he zones in on his elite putting skills early and often. 

Tyrrell Hatton – Despite a lackluster Sunday, Hatton’s results at Augusta should be considered a mild success. Since then, Hatton has seemed to regain the form he lost after winning the Dubai Desert Classic, securing two Top 10 finishes on LIV.  Can Hatton make a sustained run for at least three of the four days? One “bad” day of just scoring even par may be enough to remove a number of the field from the conversation of winning it all.    

Tier 1 – Legitimate Contender

Bryson DeChambeau – Winner of LIV’s last event in Korea before The PGA Championship, Bryson has become LIV’s most recognisable golfer and the de facto face of the league. Recently losing the 2025 Masters, a tournament he led for a short while on Sunday, led to further Sunday yips before finally winning in Korea in early May. I expect DeChambeau to be in the Top 5 for all four days in a row. Bryson is the longest consistent pro with a driver in the world. Nobody questions his distance off the tee or his putting, but he will need his 100+ yard approach shots to be just as good as or better than Scottie Scheffler if he has any chance of winning.   

Joaquin Niemann – Niemann’s three victories in 2025 make him the second most successful golfer in the world this season behind Rory McIlroy. It’s put up or shut up time for Joaco, and The PGA Championship is likely his best opportunity to make an even bigger name for himself on the world stage. Niemann’s struggles at the majors are well documented, but the great ones eventually find a way to pull through (see: Schauffele at Valhalla last year and McIlroy at Augusta last month).

Patrick Reed – Reed’s surprise 3rd place finish at Augusta was followed up by T17 and T4 finishes in Mexico City and Korea, respectively. Like Cam Smith, he’s in great form, but also has recent success at a major championship to give himself extra momentum. Reed will need to up his game at Quail Hollow as his 3.62 Birdies per Round average is pedestrian, even by LIV’s standards. It’s important to note that in the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow that went to JT, Reed came in 2nd place by only two strokes. After Augusta, I will not be surprised at all if Reed finishes in the Top 10.  

Jon Rahm – Vegas gives Rahm the best odds of winning amongst the LIV field behind only Bryson DeChambeau. Rahm has kept his Top 10 finish streak alive for the entire 2025 LIV season, and as such can never be counted out of contention, even when things appear to not go his way for an early round. Like Bryson, Rahm is an elite driver and his putting is on point, he just needs to rack up GIRs and will likely be neck and neck with the leaders on Sunday. 

The Competition 

Top 10 in OWGR Top 10 in TUGR

  1. Scottie Scheffler 1.  Scottie Scheffler
  2. Rory McIlroy 2.  Rory McIlroy
  3. Xander Schauffele 3.  Jon Rahm
  4. Colin Morikawa 4.  Bryson DeChambeau
  5. Justin Thomas  5.  Colin Morikawa
  6. Ludvig Aberg 6.  Xander Schauffele
  7. Hideki Matsuyama 7.  Joaquin Niemann
  8. Russell Henley 8.  Justin Thomas
  9. Sepp Straka 9.  Russell Henley
  10. Shane Lowry           10. Patrick Cantlay 

2025 PGA Tour Synopsis Since The Masters

Rory McIlroy has left no doubt that he is the best golfer in the world for the 2025 season. Rory is to 2025 what Scottie was 2024, if he’s not winning the tournament outright, he’s right there in the mix of things.

Does Quail Hollow make McIlroy the favourite? Well, he did win The Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow just last year, and has won an additional three tournaments here, so it’s a resounding – YES

Justin Thomas finally pulled through after years of torment and won in walk-off fashion in Hilton Head, giving him a huge jump in the OWGR Top 10.

After setting Harbour Town’s single-day course record, Thomas floundered for two days watching the competition catch up and even surpass him despite the 61 on Thursday.

Thomas’ masterful Sunday included two incredible clutch putts including the walk off win on the first playoff hole. Guess who won the last PGA Championship at Quail Hollow? Thomas. An in-form JT is a force to be reckoned with. 

World Number One, Scottie Scheffler, finally pulled off his first PGA Tour win in 2025 in front of a hometown crowd at the CJ Cup Bryon Nelson in McKinney, Texas.

Scheffler remains one of the only golfers in the world who can seemingly win at-will every single weekend. As such, seeing him take first place early and hold on to it should come as a surprise to no one. 

Since setting the four-day record for a PGA Tour tournament at The Sentry, Hideki Matsuyama has cooled off significantly.

Matsuyama missed the cut at The Players and came in T21 at The Masters. His results outside of Hawaii and Torrey Pines haven’t been up to the standard of a Top 10 golfer. 

Let’s not count out Sepp Straka who is the only PGA Tour golfer other than McIlroy to record two wins on the year thus far.

Of the Top 10 in OWGR, Vegas gives the worst odds to win at +5000 to Russell Henley. Having never finished in the Top 3 of a major championship, Henley might have the most difficult path to a championship out of the world’s elite. 

PGA Tour Winners in 2025: The Masters to The PGA Championship

  1. Rory McIlroy (3) – The 89th Masters
  2. Justin Thomas – RBC Heritage
  3. Andrew Novak & Ben Griffin – Zurich Classic
  4. Scottie Scheffler – The CJ Cup Byron Nelson
  5. Sepp Straka (2) – Truist Championship

From Augusta to Quail Hollow

Outside of Rory McIlroy, the PGA Tour field are full of a bunch of wildcards, making that tour’s field much more difficult to predict than LIV.

For the PGA Tour, this seems like a tournament that will be Rory/Scottie against the field. 

Is it possible recent winners like Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland recapture their championship form and make an unexpected run? What about winless stars who always find that extra gear during the majors like Colin Morikawa? 

Is there an upset in the mix, and is that name someone other than DeChambeau/Rahm/Niemann? Perhaps, but for the year’s second major championship, it looks like betting on one of the favourites is the smart play rather than reaching for an ‘upset’. 

All Things Considered and Final Predictions

  • Quail Hollow favours the long drivers. The best two in the game are undoubtedly Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau. Can Bryson keep up with Rory as he did last season with Xander Schauffele in Louisville? 
  • Jon Rahm’s last two major championships have shown flashes of his 2023 form where he won The Masters, his second career major. While he hasn’t won yet this season, he remains one of the most consistent golfers on LIV and is a threat to win every weekend.
  • Last season’s champion Xander Schauffele looks completely healthy and appeared in good form at both The Masters and RBC Heritage. While the defence of his title looks unlikely at the moment, Xander cannot be counted out to finish near the leaders. 
  • A “funk” for Scottie Scheffler is consistent Top 10 finishes on the most difficult courses. Scottie remains one of the premier golfers in the world, and could very well reclaim his mantle as ‘world’s best’ with a win at Quail Hollow. Putting himself back on track with a much-anticipated win at the CJ Cup Bryon Nelson makes him my second favorite to win this tournament.  
  • Joaquin Niemann drives for distance and accuracy. Like DeChambeau, he can put up big scoring numbers when he’s on his game. If there was any major championship that fits Niemann’s game this year it’s The PGA Championship. Just finishing in the Top 10 would relieve Niemann of his choker label in the majors. It’s low expectations for one of golf’s elite, but until we have the results inked in on Sunday night, that’s where we are at. 
  • Justin Thomas is the reigning PGA Championship winner at Quail Hollow and should be beaming with confidence after his win at The RBC Heritage. JT is an incredible golfer who seems like he’s ready to get back into the game and win a third Wanamaker Trophy.

Anticipated Top 10 Finishers

Position Player
10Joaquin Niemann
9Jason Day
8Patrick Reed
7Tommy Fleetwood
6Justin Thomas
5Xander Schauffele
4Jon Rahm
3Bryson DeChambeau
2Scottie Scheffler
1Rory McIlroy

The 2025 PGA Championship starts this Thursday morning on multiple nationally televised channels, streaming services including Paramount+. 

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About the Author: Robert Theodorson

Robert has covered a number of sports including hockey, football, soccer, and baseball for Bleacher Report, Hockey’s Future, and AS Roma 360 since 2011.

Robert attended his first golf event, LIV Golf DC at Trump National in his native Northern Virginia and has been hooked as a player and fan since. 2024 has kicked off in full swing with golf trips to Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Hilton Head including taking in the sights and sounds of
the 2024 RBC Heritage.

View all posts by Robert Theodorson

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