By Chris Havlicek
Updated 5/7/24 3:38pm ET
The PGA Tour’s top players, minus world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, are in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the sixth signature event of the year. The Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow will serve as the final tune-up for the PGA Championship in this “No-Cut” event.
Rory McIlroy is the favorite (+650) and the highest-ranked player in the field, coming off a team win with Shane Lowry at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. McIlroy has made Quail Hollow his playground, winning in 2010, 2015 and 2021.
The field also consists of defending champion Wyndham Clark (+1600), Xander Schauffele (+900), Patrick Cantlay (+2000), Max Homa (+2200) and Justin Thomas (+2500), among others.
Dates/Location:
What: Wells Fargo Championship
Where: Quail Hollow – Charlotte, NC
When: Thursday-Sunday, May 9- May 12
Purse: $20 million
Defending Champion: Wyndham Clark
The Course:
Quail Hollow is a par-71 measuring 7,521 yards that features Bermudagrass greens. The tree-lined, parkland-style course can play quite difficult and features one of the most difficult three-hole stretches in golf – known as “The Green Mile”, which makes up holes 16-18: two mammoth par 4s and a 221-yard par 3. All three holes have an average score over par, and water is in play in each of the last five holes.
Odds/Top 10:
Rory McIlroy +650
Xander Schauffele +900
Wyndham Clark +1600
Patrick Cantlay +2000
Max Homa +2200
Colin Morikawa +2500
Juston Thomas +2500
Cameron Young +2500
Sahith Theegala + 2800
Tommy Fleetwood +2800
Keys to Victory:
Quail Hollow is a long course on which it is important to play from the fairway. Both distance and accuracy are critical, as shorter tee shots will demand approach shots from 200 or more yards. With most of the holes heavily tree-lined, errant drives will create real trouble for the players, as the 175-200 yd. range is key at Quail Hollow. Players who can hit their long irons well will rise to the top of the leaderboard.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock
