What is The Green Mile at Quail Hollow? Daunting test awaits Rory McIlroy and co at PGA Championship
The PGA Championship will be decided by Quail Hollow’s famed Green Mile, as the brutal finishing stretch tests even the best players. The second major of the year is set in picturesque North Carolina, but what looks so beautiful for fans is the stuff of nightmares for pros. The PGA Championship is heading to Quail Hollow this year The Charlotte-based course is a par 71 and 7,626 yards long, while boasting arguably the most difficult finishing stretch in the sport. What is The Green Mile? ‘The Green Mile’ refers to the stretch across the final three holes — 16, 17 and 18 — at Quail Hollow Club. While the addition of the 577-yard 15th hole completes a full mile, it is the seven-tenths distance from 16 to 18 that truly punishes players. Measuring in at around 1,270 yards for the par-4, par-3, par-4 combination, chaos ensues for pros desperate to cling to their scores. When it last hosted the PGA Championship in 2017, a whopping 91 balls ended up in the water on 16, 17, and 18. 153 players contributed a combined 352 bogeys, with 88 double bogeys and 12 triple bogeys or worse recorded during the Green Mile. In fact, only three players managed to finish under par for the week, as Justin Thomas took home the Wanamaker Trophy. The Green Mile proves a challenge even when the course isn’t set up for a major, as Rory McIlroy proved during his final-round 65 in 2024. The Northern Irishman parred the 16th and 17th before dropping two shots on the last during his win at Quail Hollow last year. talkSPORT has already provided a full hole-by-hole guide to Quail Hollow, including the Green Mile that players will have to ‘suck it up’. The threat of water makes this par 3 so dangerous Recent PGA Championship winners 2024: Xander Schauffele -21 2023: Brooks Koepka -9 2022: Justin Thomas -5 2021: Phil Mickelson -6 2020: Colin Morikawa -13 2019: Brooks Koepka -8 2018: Brooks Koepka -16 2017: Justin Thomas -8 2016: Jimmy Walker -14 2015: Jason Day -20 PGA Championship 2025: Date and how to follow The 2025 PGA Championship will start on Thursday, May 15 and run until Sunday, May 18. It will take place at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. The action is set to get underway at 1pm UK time, but exact timings will follow. talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2 will have live coverage of all the action. To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM. The event will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK too. The infamous Green Mile ends with the 494-yard par-4 hole 18Getty
The PGA Championship will be decided by Quail Hollow’s famed Green Mile, as the brutal finishing stretch tests even the best players.
The second major of the year is set in picturesque North Carolina, but what looks so beautiful for fans is the stuff of nightmares for pros.
The Charlotte-based course is a par 71 and 7,626 yards long, while boasting arguably the most difficult finishing stretch in the sport.
What is The Green Mile?
‘The Green Mile’ refers to the stretch across the final three holes — 16, 17 and 18 — at Quail Hollow Club.
While the addition of the 577-yard 15th hole completes a full mile, it is the seven-tenths distance from 16 to 18 that truly punishes players.
Measuring in at around 1,270 yards for the par-4, par-3, par-4 combination, chaos ensues for pros desperate to cling to their scores.
When it last hosted the PGA Championship in 2017, a whopping 91 balls ended up in the water on 16, 17, and 18.
153 players contributed a combined 352 bogeys, with 88 double bogeys and 12 triple bogeys or worse recorded during the Green Mile.
In fact, only three players managed to finish under par for the week, as Justin Thomas took home the Wanamaker Trophy.
The Green Mile proves a challenge even when the course isn’t set up for a major, as Rory McIlroy proved during his final-round 65 in 2024.
The Northern Irishman parred the 16th and 17th before dropping two shots on the last during his win at Quail Hollow last year.
talkSPORT has already provided a full hole-by-hole guide to Quail Hollow, including the Green Mile that players will have to ‘suck it up’.
Recent PGA Championship winners
2024: Xander Schauffele -21
2023: Brooks Koepka -9
2022: Justin Thomas -5
2021: Phil Mickelson -6
2020: Colin Morikawa -13
2019: Brooks Koepka -8
2018: Brooks Koepka -16
2017: Justin Thomas -8
2016: Jimmy Walker -14
2015: Jason Day -20
PGA Championship 2025: Date and how to follow
The 2025 PGA Championship will start on Thursday, May 15 and run until Sunday, May 18.
It will take place at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The action is set to get underway at 1pm UK time, but exact timings will follow.
talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2 will have live coverage of all the action.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
The event will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK too.
