Patrick McDonald recommended Robert MacIntyre at 80-to-1, citing the left-hander’s "good performance at the Chuck Schwab" and his tendency to heat up this time of year. McDonald believes MacIntyre has emerged from a brief lull and is now poised to "keep piling up results," making him a worthwhile long-shot outright or each-way wager at the Memorial.

Patrick McDonald tabbed Keegan Bradley as his favorite deep challenger to Scheffler, noting that Bradley ranks 2nd only to Scheffler in strokes-gained tee-to-green over the past three months and is the only player in the Memorial field sitting inside the top-20 in both driving accuracy and driving distance. Bradley’s putting has been shaky in 2025, but Muirfield Village’s relatively straightforward bentgrass greens have treated him well – he has gained strokes putting here in four straight starts. McDonald pointed to Bradley’s field-average putting week at the PGA Championship that still produced a top-10 finish as proof that merely neutral putting unlocks winning upside. He believes a positive week with the flat stick would put Bradley firmly in contention and makes him an appealing outright ticket or mid-range DFS play.

Patrick McDonald said Scottie Scheffler is the clear cut play at Muirfield Village because the course demands exactly what Scheffler is doing better than anyone right now. Over the last three months Scheffler ranks 1st in this field in total strokes gained, tee-to-green, off-the-tee, and on approach, and he is even a top-10 putter – a club that had been his lone weakness earlier in the season. McDonald added that Jack Nicklaus designs typically favor a left-to-right ball flight, which is Scheffler’s natural shot shape. Scheffler’s recent form at the Memorial is 3rd, 3rd, 1st, so McDonald expects “another run at the title” and views him as worth paying up for in DFS builds or as the justified betting favorite in outrights and top-5 markets.

Patrick McDonald placed Keegan Bradley on his "can win" list, calling him a "tee-to-green menace" who has been playing "awesome golf" of late. McDonald believes Bradley’s elite ball-striking numbers give him the ideal profile for demanding Muirfield Village tests. If the putter behaves even marginally, McDonald thinks Bradley can convert that form into an outright victory ticket this week.

Patrick McDonald said Scottie Scheffler would "run away from the field" and capture the Memorial by roughly five strokes. McDonald joked that Scheffler "hasn't won in a week" and is therefore "thirsty" for another trophy, pointing to the world No. 1's unrelenting tee-to-green dominance and recent history of lapping leaderboards when the putter cooperates. Bettors looking at outright or winning-margin markets were urged to treat Scheffler as the clear class of the field.

At 300-1, Brian Campbell earned McDonald’s 'Sleeper' tag. Despite ranking among the shortest hitters on Tour, Campbell made the cut at both 2025 majors (Masters and PGA) thanks to a scorching run with his irons. The Mexico Open winner has gained strokes on approach in five straight starts and his putter is heating up as well. McDonald pointed out that Colonial rewards precision over power; therefore Campbell’s lack of distance is less penal, making him a viable longshot to threaten the leaderboard or hit top-20 props.

McDonald listed Daniel Berger as a live outright at 25-1, labeling him a clear 'Contender.' Berger won this event in 2020 and returns with elite recent ball-striking metrics—he has been, in McDonald’s words, 'striking the cover off the golf ball for months.' The only blemish has been inconsistent putting, but Colonial’s relatively tame greens give him a realistic path to spike with the flat stick. The analyst noted that multiple predictive data points (strokes-gained approach trend, top-20 rate) signal an impending victory and believes a comfort level on the layout where he already owns a trophy could be the tipping point.

Patrick McDonald said Scottie Scheffler is worth backing at 5/2 to win Colonial. Scheffler has ripped off back-to-back five-shot victories (CJ Cup Byron Nelson, PGA Championship), joining Tiger Woods as the only player since 1985 to post consecutive wins by 5+ strokes. He has finished T2, T3 and 2nd in his last three starts at Colonial, so course fit is proven. McDonald emphasized the world No. 1’s ability to mentally reset the week after a major—he also won the 2024 RBC Heritage seven days after the Masters—which makes a post-PGA let-down unlikely. Sweeping both Dallas-Fort Worth events is a publicly stated goal, and Colonial’s precision layout accentuates the tee-to-green dominance that currently leads the PGA Tour. All arrows point to another win on home turf.

Patrick McDonald went ‘very, very deep’ and tabbed Brian Campbell as his sleeper. Campbell has made both major-cut lines this season without the luxury of bomber-friendly courses. McDonald says Colonial, which demands fairways first and rewards hot irons, lines up perfectly with Campbell’s strength – he called Campbell’s approach play ‘in fuego.’ The suggestion is to sprinkle on a top-20/40 market or use Campbell as a min-priced DFS pivot.

For his official winner pick, Patrick McDonald again backed Scheffler. He noted the precedent: after Scheffler won the 2024 Masters he immediately captured the RBC Heritage the next week, so repeating a ‘major-then-regular-event’ double is well within his comfort zone. McDonald added that Scheffler has ‘been close’ at Colonial before and would relish adding a Texas-based title with his name on the trophy. The combination of elite approach play, prior course success, and personal motivation keeps McDonald on a Scheffler outright despite the short number.

Patrick McDonald listed Harris English in his ‘can-win’ bucket, pointing to the veteran’s recent surge that has him ‘playing himself into the Ryder Cup conversation.’ English closed with a 65 last Sunday and has gained strokes with the flat stick in five straight starts. At a ball-striking-centric Colonial where mid-irons and scrambling matter, McDonald believes English’s combination of recent confidence and course fit justifies an outright ticket in the 30-to-40-1 range or aggressive DFS exposure.

Patrick McDonald placed Scottie Scheffler on his short ‘can-win’ list despite the skinny odds. McDonald stressed that Scheffler is "one hot putter away" from another trophy and reminded listeners that Scheffler already owns a victory at Colonial. Course familiarity, elite tee-to-green form, and recent dominance – wins at the Byron Nelson and the PGA Championship – make Patrick comfortable betting Scheffler even at ultra-short prices, especially in single-entry DFS or one-and-done pools.

In a Thomas-Rahm-Spieth head-to-head, McDonald advised backing Rahm. The Spaniard has “the driver on a string” and has quietly logged back-to-back top-15s in majors. Given Thomas’s driving woes and Spieth’s volatility, Rahm is projected to finish highest of the trio and is a playable matchup or group bet.

McDonald labeled Thomas the big name most likely to disappoint. He noted JT is enduring the worst driving season of his career, a recipe for disaster at trouble-laden Quail Hollow. Over his last 11 majors Thomas owns five missed cuts and five finishes outside the top-30, reinforcing the fade despite his 2017 win here.

McDonald called McIlroy the "free square" for placement markets. Rory has won four times at Quail Hollow, arrives with elite form and no longer carries the mental burden after completing the career grand slam at Augusta. His huge carry distance is even more valuable after early-week rains lengthened the course, making a top-10 finish the analyst’s safest wager.

McDonald highlighted Reed at 90-1 as his favorite sleeper. Reed finished runner-up when the PGA was last held at Quail Hollow (2017), has four top-10s in his past five worldwide starts, and pairs his trademark short-game with vastly improved ball-striking in 2025. The Masters champion returns "as complete a player as ever," giving him real win equity at long odds.

Patrick McDonald said Schauffele is mispriced at 22-1 because Bryson DeChambeau’s surge has pushed his number longer. Schauffele "found something with his driver" last weekend in Philadelphia, owns back-to-back runner-up finishes at Quail Hollow, and is in elite major form with 12 straight top-20s, five straight top-10s, and two victories including last year’s PGA. McDonald believes those course and recent-form indicators make Xander the best outright bet on the board.

Patrick McDonald endorsed Xander Schauffele as his outright winner at +2200 for this week's PGA Championship. McDonald said the market has discounted Schauffele because recent steam on Bryson DeChambeau pushed other names down the board. He noted Schauffele 'found something with his driver' last weekend in Philadelphia, which fixed the club that had been holding him back. The driver tune-up matters even more at Quail Hollow, where Schauffele has finished runner-up in each of the last two PGA Tour stops. McDonald believes that combination of rediscovered tee-ball confidence and elite course history makes Schauffele mispriced, calling him a must-bet at 22-1.

Patrick McDonald tabbed Ludvig Aberg as his favorite dark-horse outright because Quail Hollow is, in his words, “a pure driving test.” Aberg sits second on Tour in strokes-gained off the tee and is one of the few players who can match Bryson, Brooks and Rory on a rain-softened 7,600-yard setup. McDonald reminded listeners that when Aberg has been healthy in U.S. majors he has flashed serious upside—T2 at the Masters and a 36-hole lead at Pinehurst. While the Swede’s iron play and short game remain inconsistent, recent PGA champions (Koepka, DeChambeau, Schauffele) prove you can ride elite driving to the Wanamaker. McDonald is sprinkling Aberg in outright cards at 60-1, playing him in top-20 markets, and using him as a boom-bust tournament pivot on DFS sites.

Patrick McDonald said Xander Schauffele finally solved the lone leak in his game—the driver—just in time to defend his PGA crown. After looking lost off the tee for most of 2025 following a rib injury and an ill-timed equipment change, Schauffele led last week’s Truist Championship in strokes-gained off the tee with a brand-new head in the bag. McDonald noted that Schauffele already owns elite major splits (top-10 scoring average since 2022) and has multiple top-5s at Quail Hollow. With the course stretching past 7,600 yards and favoring bombers, McDonald expects the defending champ to pick up two-plus strokes off the tee over four rounds. He is locking Schauffele into outright tickets at 14-1 or longer, backing him in top-10 markets, and anchoring DFS builds around him now that the driver concerns have evaporated.

McDonald highlighted Bryson DeChambeau as a sneaky ceiling play because Quail Hollow’s rain-softened, 7,600-plus-yard layout puts a premium on raw power. On the redesigned 16th, players now face a bunker that requires roughly 330 yards of carry; DeChambeau is one of the few who can clear it and leave a short iron while most of the field lays back and hits seven-woods. Patrick expects the soft fairways to accentuate that gap, projecting Bryson to pick up multiple strokes off the tee over four rounds. He recommends targeting DeChambeau in DFS showdown slates and adding him to top-10 and top-20 betting markets.

Patrick McDonald pushed back on the course-history worries and argued Scheffler is still a top-tier play because the putter—formerly his only weakness—has become a weapon in 2025. With caddie Teddy Scott on the bag, Scheffler has spent extra practice-round hours at Quail Hollow to close the familiarity gap. McDonald noted Scheffler already ranks first in strokes-gained tee-to-green and is now gaining with the flat stick, a combo that makes him a realistic threat for his first non-Augusta major. He advises keeping Scheffler in outright betting cards and anchoring high-salary DFS builds despite the unfamiliar venue.

Patrick McDonald pushed Justin Rose as the sneaky value play for Quail Hollow. McDonald noted that Rose is the ONLY player to finish inside the top-15 at each of the last five PGA Championships, a run of consistency no one else in the field can match. Over that span he ranks second in birdie average at the PGA (trailing only Bryson DeChambeau), eighth in strokes-gained approach and fourth in strokes-gained putting. McDonald hammered the putting angle even harder, citing data that shows Rose gaining more strokes on the greens at PGA-setups than any other player since 2022. The Englishman also owns the best overall putting numbers across all majors in that window. The only red flag is last week’s illness-related WD, but McDonald framed it as a possible “rest vs. rust” gift that will have Rose fresher than most of the field. He suggested sprinkling outright tickets at long numbers and targeting top-10/20 props plus low-owned DFS exposure because the market is still sleeping on how reliable Rose has been in modern PGAs.

Patrick McDonald identified Patrick Reed as his favorite off-the-radar play, arguing Quail Hollow’s underrated around-the-green difficulty plays directly into Reed’s elite scrambling. When the course hosted the 2017 PGA, the field converted only 48 percent of up-and-downs—the toughest short-game test on tour that year—yet Reed rode his short game to a runner-up finish. With majors historically lowering GIR rates and the weather forecast to soften surfaces, McDonald expects another chipping contest that neutralizes Reed’s distance deficit. He recommended top-20 wagers at +300 or better, sprinkling each-way outright tickets at 80-to-1 or longer, and slotting Reed into salary-saving DFS builds for differentiation.

Patrick McDonald doubled down on his Bryson DeChambeau exposure after hearing Justin Ray’s numbers. DeChambeau has finished T10 or better in both of his previous Quail Hollow starts (2018, 2021) while averaging a ridiculous +1.75 strokes-gained putting per round. During those eight rounds he holed 64 percent of his putts from 10–15 feet—more than double the field’s 28 percent conversion rate. McDonald argued that combining that proven Quail eye with Bryson’s current 195-mph ball speed and top-3 ranking in major-championship strokes gained makes him a slam-dunk outright and top-10 bet. He advised locking in tickets at 14-to-1 or better and using Bryson as a DFS captain in bomber-plus-hot-putter builds.

Patrick McDonald dismissed Justin Thomas’ chances at the 2025 PGA, pointing to the two-time major winner’s lackluster history at Quail Hollow. McDonald noted that Thomas "has never played well here before" and said the overall vibe around JT this week feels off, making him an easy fade in both outright markets and DFS builds. With softer, longer conditions projected to magnify every mis-hit, McDonald prefers to allocate salary and betting units to players with proven Quail success rather than gamble on Thomas correcting his course-specific struggles on the fly.

Patrick McDonald flagged one red flag for world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler: zero competitive rounds at Quail Hollow. McDonald said Scheffler’s unfamiliarity with the nuanced green complexes—especially the subtle fall-offs around 6, 9, and the ‘Green Mile’ finish—could easily add a stroke over four rounds, the exact margin that separated him from Wyndham Clark at last year’s U.S. Open. While Scheffler still leads the PGA TOUR in SG/tee-to-green (+2.45) and has six wins since February, McDonald warned that major setups tighten leaderboards, making every half-stroke critical. He recommended hedging outright exposure with top-5 bets and using Scheffler sparingly as a DFS captain, prioritizing him only on teams that can absorb a potential putting hiccup or first-time sightline mistake.

Patrick McDonald argued that the 2–3 inches of rain forecast through Wednesday make Quail Hollow an ideal venue for Bryson DeChambeau. With the course playing every bit of its listed 7,558 yards, DeChambeau’s ability to launch 195-mph ball-speed drives that carry 325 yards negates the added back tees at 9 and 17. McDonald noted Bryson leads LIV in strokes-gained/off-the-tee this season, is top-3 in driving distance on both major tours, and ranks top-5 in major championship SG since 2023. The thick, receptive greens also reward his towering approach trajectories, allowing him to fire at tucked pins while shorter hitters will be coming in with long-irons. McDonald recommended placing outright bets at anything 14-1 or longer and using Bryson as a core DFS play in bomber-friendly lineups, labeling him the co-favorite with Rory if the rain continues.

Patrick McDonald said the torrents of rain turning Quail Hollow into a soft, 7,600-yard slog narrow the realistic winner pool to a handful of bomb-and-gouge specialists, headlined by Rory McIlroy. Because the fairways will offer virtually zero rollout, McDonald emphasized that only players who can *carry* the ball 320-plus will still reach key landing zones and fly the new back-tee bunkers on holes such as 17. Rory already demonstrated that ability when he casually flew the freshly-added 17th-hole bunker during last year’s Wells Fargo, turning a penal tee box into a wedge number. Combine that with his current heater—four straight worldwide top-10s and a +2.1 strokes-gained/tee-to-green trend over his last 12 rounds—and McDonald believes McIlroy is now “1A” in the outright market. He framed the bet as Rory vs. the field’s bombers, recommending outright tickets and DFS captain exposure because the wet setup eliminates most of the shorter, accuracy-first crowd.

Patrick McDonald listed Justin Thomas on his "can’t-win" board for Quail Hollow. McDonald said the overall "aura" around JT feels off right now and, more concretely, Thomas "has never played well here"—a direct reference to JT’s middling track record at Quail despite a PGA title elsewhere. With no signs of a form upswing heading into the week, McDonald is fading Thomas in all outright and placement markets, advising bettors to keep their money away until JT shows life at a friendlier venue.

Patrick McDonald placed Patrick Reed fifth on his card, arguing the betting market is ignoring Reed’s current form. Reed finished T-3 at Augusta, has climbed back inside the OWGR Top-100, and continues to gain strokes around the green—an asset on Valhalla’s shaved run-offs. McDonald believes Reed’s grinding style and improved approach numbers (+3.2 SG:APP at the Masters) make him live for a back-door top-5, and he is comfortable taking Reed in each-way markets at 90-1 or better.

Patrick McDonald said Bryson DeChambeau should be treated as a top-three outright at Valhalla because the course is expected to play long and wet — conditions that let Bryson lean on his 190-plus mph ball speed and continue hitting driver on lines nobody else can take. McDonald conceded DeChambeau’s iron play has been mediocre for most of 2025, but pointed out that Bryson gained over six strokes on approach during last month’s South Korea event. If that spike in proximity turns out to be a trend and not a blip, McDonald believes Bryson could run away from the field the same way he separated at Winged Foot in 2020, making plus-1800 outright numbers and any matchup versus shorter hitters attractive bets.

McDonald placed Xander Schauffele fourth, noting the iron play and steadily improving short game are already major-ready. The missing ingredient is a more reliable driver: McDonald wants to see a positive strokes-gained-off-the-tee week in Philadelphia to lock in confidence. If that box is checked, he sees Schauffele as a legitimate contender and valuable DFS core piece at what will likely be a suppressed salary due to recent so-so finishes.

Patrick McDonald vaulted Patrick Reed into his top-5 power rankings and called him a legitimate long-shot outright at Quail Hollow. Reed owns four top-10 finishes in his last five worldwide starts, including a recent T-5 at LIV Golf Korea, and he was runner-up the last time the PGA visited Quail (2017). McDonald added that Reed ranks inside the top five in cumulative Strokes Gained at Quail Hollow among players in this field, praising his shot-shaping and short-game creativity—skills he believes translate perfectly to the demanding finishing stretch known as the Green Mile.

Patrick McDonald urged bettors to grab Andrew Novak at 66-1 after what he called a quietly impressive two-tournament run: a T13 finish at the RBC Heritage followed by a T5 at the CJ Cup. McDonald said that stretch shows Novak’s game is trending in the right direction just as the betting markets are still pricing him like a peripheral contender. With books hanging a mid-60s outright number despite back-to-back top-15s, McDonald views Novak as one of the best value tickets on the board this week.

Patrick McDonald made Keegan Bradley his official Truist Championship winner, noting that the Vermont native grew up just a "stone’s throw" from Philadelphia and will treat Philly Cricket Club like a home game. McDonald said Bradley is “quietly striking the absolute cover off the golf ball” right now and sees the week as a perfect storm: a ball-strikers’ layout, soft hometown crowds, and added motivation with a Ryder Cup meeting scheduled the same week. Because the market is not giving Bradley true home-course credit, McDonald recommended an outright wager and Ryder-Cup-related prop exposure before his number gets chopped.

Patrick McDonald included Daniel Berger on his short list of players who can actually win at Philly Cricket Club, highlighting Berger’s meteoric world-ranking climb from 627th after last year’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson to 27th today. McDonald framed that 600-spot jump as proof that Berger’s ball-striking and health have returned to pre-injury levels. With confidence clearly restored and the betting market still pricing him like a fringe contender, McDonald views Berger as a value outright and top-10 bet in a field where most players have zero course history.

Patrick McDonald said Patrick Cantlay is one of the few players he feels confident can lift the trophy at the Truist Championship. McDonald labeled Cantlay a “northeast darling,” pointing out that the Californian’s best wins and playoff runs have come on mid-Atlantic tracks in Wilmington and Baltimore and that Philadelphia slides perfectly into that same corridor. Because so few players in the field have any reps at Philly Cricket Club, McDonald believes Cantlay’s ability to figure out new venues quickly—something he has done every time the Tour heads north of D.C.—gives him an immediate edge. McDonald advised grabbing Cantlay outright tickets before the market shortens once bettors remember how often he has thrived on this style of bent-grass, tree-lined layout.

Patrick McDonald elevated Rory McIlroy to the very top of his PGA Championship card, citing four previous wins at Quail Hollow and the belief that the Masters-induced "weight off his shoulders" will free the Northern Irishman up to attack a layout he already owns. McDonald argued that when a peer has dominated a venue this thoroughly, course-specific edges matter more than any all-around profile Scheffler or DeChambeau can bring. He framed McIlroy as the only player in the field with legitimate home-course-advantage vibes and recommended grabbing Rory tickets before the market shortens once casual bettors see the Quail history graphics plastered everywhere during tournament week.

Patrick McDonald vaulted Patrick Reed into his top-five power-ranking slot and called him a live outright at Quail Hollow. McDonald cited Reed’s four top-10s in his last five worldwide starts—including a T5 at LIV Korea—plus elite course history: runner-up here in 2017 and top-five strokes-gained numbers at Quail among players in this field. With Reed’s scrambled-first skill-set matching the PGA’s typical thick-rough setup and his iron play perking up (gaining over 1.2 SG: Approach per round during that recent run), McDonald recommended betting Reed in the 30-to-1 range, sprinkling each-way, and locking in DFS exposure before the market catches up.

Patrick McDonald cautioned listeners against blindly backing Brooks Koepka at Quail Hollow, citing a year-long short-game downturn that has masked otherwise solid ball-striking. McDonald pointed out that Koepka has lost strokes both around the green and with the putter in five of his last seven measured events, including a T20 finish in Korea where he fell double-digits behind DeChambeau despite positive tee-to-green numbers. Koepka experimented with multiple flat sticks in 2023 and finally went back to his old gamer this season, yet the touch has not returned—an alarming sign at a major where scrambling and 4-to-8-foot conversions historically separate contenders. While acknowledging Koepka’s absurd record of three wins in his last seven PGAs, McDonald stressed that bettors should demand a longer outright price or look to fade him in matchup markets until the short-game metrics rebound.

Patrick McDonald said Xander Schauffele is his pick to spoil every headline and win the PGA Championship for a second straight year. McDonald highlighted Schauffele’s elite major consistency—12 consecutive top-20 finishes and five straight top-10s—plus back-to-back runner-up results at Quail Hollow in 2023 and 2024. He reminded listeners that Schauffele enters as world No. 3 and a two-time major winner, yet almost no one is talking about him because the media is hyper-focused on Rory, Scottie and Bryson. McDonald believes Quail Hollow is a perfect setup for Schauffele’s balanced tee-to-green profile and thinks the defending champ’s proven track record of closing on demanding layouts makes him a sneaky outright bet before the number shortens during tournament week.

Patrick McDonald warned bettors to steer clear of Brooks Koepka outright tickets until the touch returns. McDonald highlighted that Koepka has lost strokes around the green in six of his last seven starts and tinkered with multiple putters over the past 12 months. The trend reared its head again in Korea, where Koepka’s T20 finish featured double-digit strokes gained tee-to-green but a disastrous short game that left him miles behind DeChambeau. Despite three Wanamakers in his trophy case, Koepka owns just one top-15 in the last five majors. McDonald says unless the wedges and putter show immediate improvement in Wednesday practice rounds, there’s no value backing him at single-digit outright odds or in DFS cash builds.

Patrick McDonald said Xander Schauffele is going to spoil every other headline by repeating at the PGA Championship. McDonald pointed to Schauffele’s elite and remarkably consistent major résumé: 12 consecutive top-20 finishes and five straight top-10s in majors. He reminded listeners that Schauffele finished runner-up at Quail Hollow in both 2023 and 2024 and arrives as the world No. 3 with two major trophies already on the mantle. In his eyes, the combination of Schauffele’s current form, proven success on this course, and the fact that the media is busy chasing other storylines makes him an overlooked but highly bet-worthy outright winner.