Patrick McDonald tabbed Bryson DeChambeau as a live‑golf outright to circle for Quail Hollow, arguing the modern PGA Championship has morphed into a pure driving examination—an arena where DeChambeau owns a distinct edge. McDonald recalled DeChambeau’s quirky 2021 Wells Fargo showing when he flew home thinking he’d missed the cut, only to return and finish T‑4, proof the layout fits his eye despite limited prep. Across his last three Quail Hollow starts he has finishes of T‑4, T‑38, and T‑4 with a runner‑up in his most recent PGA appearance, gaining a combined 17 strokes off‑the‑tee in those events. With Quail Hollow set to play north of 7,600 yards and ranking top‑5 in fairway difficulty, McDonald expects DeChambeau’s 185‑mph ball speed to translate into frequent mid‑irons where the field will be hitting hybrids. He advised pouncing on early 25‑1 or longer outright tickets and building showdown DFS lineups around DeChambeau on days when the wind lays down.

Shane Bacon said he will slot Justin Thomas firmly inside his top‑five contenders for next month’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow and encouraged bettors to grab early outright numbers before they shorten. Bacon pointed to Thomas’ course résumé—his first PGA title came at Quail Hollow—and argued the setup’s demand for high‑end shot‑shaping and aggressive long‑iron play perfectly matches Thomas’ strengths. He added that Thomas’ win at RBC Heritage proves the swing changes made with his father are holding up under pressure, evidenced by a +1.9 strokes‑gained approach average over his last six measured rounds. With Quail Hollow historically rewarding elite approach play and creativity around firm, run‑off greens (it ranked third‑hardest on tour in proximity from 175‑200 yards in 2023), Bacon expects Thomas to contend all four days and views him as a core DFS piece in any ‘studs and scrubs’ build.

Patrick McDonald said Jordan Spieth is a sneaky early outright bet to complete the career Grand Slam when the PGA Championship returns to Quail Hollow. McDonald pointed out that Quail Hollow rewards creativity and elite scrambling—two areas that have historically amplified Spieth’s ceiling. Spieth has logged three consecutive top‑20 finishes and, according to McDonald, is trending with his irons while remaining top‑10 in strokes‑gained around the green this season. Because books still have him priced in the mid‑30s/1 range for that major, McDonald advised grabbing those numbers now before they shorten and building DFS cores around Spieth when salaries post, expecting him to be undervalued relative to Scheffler and McIlroy.

Mike McClure’s SportsLine simulation model faded Collin Morikawa despite his short 14‑1 price, projecting the two‑time major champ to barely squeak into the top 10. The model cited an 18‑month win drought, plus Morikawa’s disappointing finishes in the last three majors (T14 at the 2025 Masters, no top‑10s in that stretch), matching the longest cold spell of his career. Quail Hollow’s 7,500‑plus yards amplify Morikawa’s driving‑distance deficiency—he ranks 163rd of 183 qualified players—while his short‑game woes continue with a 128th ranking in total putting. Those statistical red flags led the model to recommend fading Morikawa in outright tickets and limiting DFS exposure at his elevated salary.