Rory McIlroy tipped to ‘go up a gear’ and beat Scottie Scheffler for Quail Hollow glory but must deal with big issue
There is only one way for Rory McIlroy to follow up his career-defining Masters win. Dominate Quail Hollow again, win another PGA Championship, and take over the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings. Rory McIlroy has dominated Quail Hollow at past tournamentsGetty McIlroy is set to return to a North Carolina course that he topped in 2010, 2015 and 2021. Now that the Northern Ireland star finally has his career grand slam, the only question remaining is how many more major tournaments the 36-year-old McIlroy will win. “He finally gets to be free of the big 10,000-pound gorilla on his back,” Rich Beem, a Sky Sports golf analyst, exclusively told talkSPORT. “Now it’s just freewheeling it from there. And I think that weight lifted off the shoulders is going to be incredible. I think he’s got a ton more in the tank. “All eyeballs should be on Rory going into Quail Hollow, considering his record there … he just owns the joint. I mean the golf course, there’s just whatever it is about it that strikes his eye and he just absolutely loves it, and is not afraid to pick it apart.” McIlroy has 28 PGA Tour wins, 11 international victories, 83 top-five finishes and has earned more than $104 million in PGA cash. Quail Hollow is returning to the calendar at the perfect time, with McIlroy ranked No. 2 in the OWGR and no longer having to answer annual Augusta questions. He’s officially linked with Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in golf history. McIlroy is also eyeing a Charlotte course where he collected his first PGA Tour victory, and will return this week as a betting favorite. “This guy has got a different gear when it comes to Quail Hollow,” said Beem, who edged Tiger Woods to win the 2002 PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota. GettyMcllroy enjoyed his time at Quail Hollow in 2010[/caption] He held up the PGA Championship trophy in 2012Getty Images - Getty GettyMcIlroy celebrated with his family after winning 2021 Wells Fargo Championship[/caption] McIlroy will never have to answer a ‘Masters curse’ question again, and he’ll forever own a part of the famous Green Jacket. To Beem, the biggest unknown that McIlroy faces after triumphing at Augusta is how he’ll handle the hype that will now follow him round after round in North Carolina. “He doesn’t have as much pressure on him after winning the Masters,” Beem said. “But what about the pressure that people are going to look at because he does have a success there (at Quail Hollow)? “If he buys into the hype and all that, then he probably won’t play well. But if he just says, ‘Listen, I love this place. I’m going to go out there and play just like I do when it was normally the Wells Fargo. “If he goes out there and just does that and not think too much about it being the second leg of the major championships … it’ll go down to probably he and Scottie Scheffler to the very end, because those two guys are world class players. “I think they’re playing better than anybody else on planet. But Rory, I think he’ll have the edge there, no doubt.” Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg follow McIlroy and Scheffler as PGA Championship favorites. Play runs Thursday through Sunday as McIlroy returns to one of his favorite courses on the tour. He finished tied-for-12th at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Course in Louisville, Kentucky. Sky Sports is the home of golf. Watch live coverage of the 2025 PGA Championship exclusively on Sky Sports Golf and NOW from 15-18 May.
There is only one way for Rory McIlroy to follow up his career-defining Masters win.
Dominate Quail Hollow again, win another PGA Championship, and take over the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings.
McIlroy is set to return to a North Carolina course that he topped in 2010, 2015 and 2021.
Now that the Northern Ireland star finally has his career grand slam, the only question remaining is how many more major tournaments the 36-year-old McIlroy will win.
“He finally gets to be free of the big 10,000-pound gorilla on his back,” Rich Beem, a Sky Sports golf analyst, exclusively told talkSPORT.
“Now it’s just freewheeling it from there. And I think that weight lifted off the shoulders is going to be incredible. I think he’s got a ton more in the tank.
“All eyeballs should be on Rory going into Quail Hollow, considering his record there … he just owns the joint. I mean the golf course, there’s just whatever it is about it that strikes his eye and he just absolutely loves it, and is not afraid to pick it apart.”
McIlroy has 28 PGA Tour wins, 11 international victories, 83 top-five finishes and has earned more than $104 million in PGA cash.
Quail Hollow is returning to the calendar at the perfect time, with McIlroy ranked No. 2 in the OWGR and no longer having to answer annual Augusta questions.
He’s officially linked with Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in golf history.
McIlroy is also eyeing a Charlotte course where he collected his first PGA Tour victory, and will return this week as a betting favorite.
“This guy has got a different gear when it comes to Quail Hollow,” said Beem, who edged Tiger Woods to win the 2002 PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota.
McIlroy will never have to answer a ‘Masters curse’ question again, and he’ll forever own a part of the famous Green Jacket.
To Beem, the biggest unknown that McIlroy faces after triumphing at Augusta is how he’ll handle the hype that will now follow him round after round in North Carolina.
“He doesn’t have as much pressure on him after winning the Masters,” Beem said.
“But what about the pressure that people are going to look at because he does have a success there (at Quail Hollow)?
“If he buys into the hype and all that, then he probably won’t play well. But if he just says, ‘Listen, I love this place. I’m going to go out there and play just like I do when it was normally the Wells Fargo.
“If he goes out there and just does that and not think too much about it being the second leg of the major championships … it’ll go down to probably he and Scottie Scheffler to the very end, because those two guys are world class players.
“I think they’re playing better than anybody else on planet. But Rory, I think he’ll have the edge there, no doubt.”
Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg follow McIlroy and Scheffler as PGA Championship favorites.
Play runs Thursday through Sunday as McIlroy returns to one of his favorite courses on the tour.
He finished tied-for-12th at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Course in Louisville, Kentucky.
Sky Sports is the home of golf. Watch live coverage of the 2025 PGA Championship exclusively on Sky Sports Golf and NOW from 15-18 May.
