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.

Shane Bacon highlighted Rickie Fowler at roughly +8,900 as his preferred dart throw. Bacon noted Fowler "gave himself a chance last week," showing flashes of the form that helped him contend in 2023. At a near-90-to-1 outright price, Bacon believes the market is undervaluing Fowler’s upside and views him as an attractive sprinkle for outright or top-10 wagers.

Shane Bacon put Collin Morikawa on his "can’t win" list. Although Bacon admitted Muirfield Village "screams" Morikawa’s name, he pointed out the two-time major champion has "had some chances" here "plenty of times" and failed to close each opportunity. Bacon therefore advises bettors to stay away from Morikawa outright tickets this week.

Shane Bacon named Xander Schauffele as his primary outright selection, predicting the Olympic gold medalist will win at Muirfield Village and kick-start hype for the upcoming U.S. Open. Bacon cited Schauffele’s ultra-consistent recent form and well-rounded skill set as perfect fits for Jack’s course, arguing that a victory here would be the natural next step before Pinehurst.

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.

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 a long-shot dart, Shane Bacon highlighted Max Greyserman. The Korn Ferry grad has strung together five consecutive made cuts and flashed contention at Quail Hollow before a shaky driving day Sunday. Bacon believes that if Greyserman straightens the driver at the narrower Colonial layout, his current form makes him a viable top-20 or FRL (First Round Leader) punt at triple-digit odds.

Shane Bacon made Harris English his pick to lift the trophy. English fired a closing 65 last week, jumped to solo second via ‘leaderboard gravity,’ and banked $2 million – confidence he can carry to Fort Worth. Bacon loves backing players who post low Sundays when technically out of the mix, viewing it as proof the swing is reliable under no-pressure scoring conditions. With Colonial rewarding solid mid-iron play and English now inside the Ryder Cup discussion, Bacon sees outright value around 35-1 and likes him for DFS leverage over chalky elites.

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.

Shane Bacon is fading J.T. Poston after Poston poured ‘a lot of energy’ into last week’s run at Quail Hollow. Bacon worries about the quick turnaround and emotional hangover, especially at a shot-making venue like Colonial where precision off the tee replaces the birdie-fest style that suits Poston best. He suggests betting against Poston in head-to-heads or leaving him off DFS builds.

Shane Bacon placed Scheffler on his ‘can’t win’ list, arguing that expecting three straight victories – Byron Nelson, PGA Championship, and then Colonial – is a big ask even for the world No. 1. Bacon projects a ‘fourth- or fifth-place finish’ as more realistic, citing mental fatigue from the major grind and the upcoming U.S. Open as reasons to temper expectations. Bettors holding short Scheffler tickets can look to matchup fades or bet the ‘without Scheffler’ markets, per Bacon’s advice.

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.

Shane Bacon said Jordan Spieth is firmly on his ‘can-win’ card for Colonial. The argument: Spieth missed the cut last week, giving him a rare two extra days of rest and practice to tweak the loose parts of his game. Bacon likes the home-state narrative – Spieth grew up in Dallas and historically plays his best golf in Texas. Although Spieth has not looked like a major contender this season, Bacon noted that he has ‘flashed’ at non-elevated PGA Tour stops and thinks a middling-strength field plus local comfort could let him convert. Bacon views Spieth as a viable outright ticket or Top-10 bet rather than a DFS fade.

Shane Bacon declared Bryson DeChambeau his outright pick to win, adding a new wrinkle to the earlier bomber-friendly analysis. Bacon argued Quail Hollow’s two decades of ShotLink stats give Bryson and his analytics-heavy team more actionable information than they get at any other major. That trove allows DeChambeau to model optimal sight-lines, dial in lay-up numbers and fine-tune approach trajectories in a way that simply isn’t possible at data-light venues like The Open. Layer that strategy advantage on top of DeChambeau’s current 195-mph ball speed and the "obscene" putting numbers he’s posted here—Bacon referenced the +1.75 SG/putting per round Bryson averaged in his two prior Quail starts—and Bacon believes even 50 percent of that putting form will be enough to separate him this week. The soft, rain-soaked fairways only amplify Bryson’s carry-distance edge, and the receptive greens reward his towering iron ball flight. Bacon recommended betting Bryson outright, anchoring DFS captain slots, and sprinkling round-by-round matchup bets that fade shorter hitters who can’t leverage the same ShotLink-driven game plan.

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.

Shane Bacon said Rory McIlroy’s statistical domination at Quail Hollow is so extreme that fading him borders on malpractice. Since debuting in 2010, McIlroy is 102-under-par at the venue—55 shots clear of the next closest player—and has gained a mind-bending 65 strokes off the tee. He is nine-under on Quail’s par-4s while the next three names on the list are a combined 79-over, underscoring how his high-trajectory long irons separate him from everyone else. Bacon concluded those numbers, layered on top of McIlroy’s current run of four straight worldwide top-10s, justify swallowing the shortest outright price and anchoring DFS lineups even at chalk ownership.

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.

Shane Bacon planted his flag on Patrick Reed as his outright winner for the 2025 PGA Championship, saying once Reed shows up at rain-soaked Quail Hollow, "it’s over." Bacon reminded listeners that Reed finished runner-up when the PGA last visited Quail in 2017 and just flashed more big-moment swagger by dunking an approach at Augusta’s 17th. He downplayed Justin Thomas’s supposed course fit and instead leaned on Reed’s major pedigree and ability to close on demanding par-4 finishers. Bacon echoed Patrick McDonald’s earlier point that Quail’s historically brutal scrambling test (48 % field up-and-downs in 2017) actually accentuates Reed’s greatest edge. With the forecast calling for another saturated, 7,600-yard slog that takes rollout away from longer hitters, Bacon believes Reed’s short-game wizardry and streaky putter can separate. He advised scooping outright tickets at 50-1 or longer and sprinkling Reed into DFS builds as a salary-saving pivot with genuine win equity.

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.

Shane Bacon argued that Brooks Koepka is an under-the-radar threat to win at Quail Hollow because he feeds on being ignored. Bacon reminded listeners that Koepka was similarly overlooked before his victory at Oak Hill, yet he stormed past the sport’s biggest names once the weekend arrived. Koepka now sits tied with Rory McIlroy at five majors, and Bacon thinks the chance to grab number six—and reclaim solo bragging rights—gives Koepka extra motivation. Given that Quail Hollow rewards power and major-championship mettle, Bacon recommended outright tickets and DFS captain exposure on Koepka before the market wakes up to the narrative.

Claire Rogers said Max Homa is back in form and perfectly positioned to contend at the 2025 PGA Championship. Rogers pointed out that Homa already owns a victory at Quail Hollow and has "contended a decent amount" every time the TOUR stops there, underscoring how comfortable he is shaping shots on the tree-lined routing. She framed Quail as one of the few major venues where local knowledge and past success truly matter, noting that Homa openly calls the course one of his favorites. Because of that history and his recent uptick in ball-striking numbers, Rogers believes Homa is a live outright bet and a strong DFS pivot away from the Big-Three chalk cores.

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.

Shane Bacon questioned Collin Morikawa’s ability to contend at a rain-soaked Quail Hollow, saying flatly, “It’s hard for me to say yes to that.” Bacon pointed out that the course will tip well over 7,500 yards and offer almost no rollout, exaggerating Morikawa’s below-average 295-yard carry distance (154th on the PGA TOUR last season). The par-4 ninth and redesigned par-4 17th will require 310-plus carry just to reach ideal landing areas, leaving Morikawa hitting long-irons while the bombers pull wedges. Although Morikawa ranks top-10 in approach play, Bacon warned that being consistently first to play from 25 yards farther back forces him to fire long-irons into elevated, water-guarded greens—a setup that historically suppresses his birdie rate. He advised fading Morikawa in outright tickets and limiting DFS exposure, suggesting top-20 props at +160 or better if bettors insist on backing him.

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.

Shane Bacon argued Brooks Koepka is an under-discussed but very real threat to raise the Wanamaker again. Bacon framed it as a classic Koepka motivation spot: Rory McIlroy just grabbed his fifth major to tie Brooks 5-5, echoing the 2023 season when a similarly overlooked Koepka stormed Oak Hill. Bacon noted that the lack of pre-tournament buzz historically fuels Koepka, and Quail Hollow’s major-style testing suits his all-court power game. The tout’s bottom line: bettors should not be fooled by the quiet lead-up—Koepka’s competitive fire and proven major pedigree make him a prime outright bet and a must-consider in all betting markets.

Claire Rogers said Max Homa is firmly on her "can-win" list for the 2025 PGA at Quail Hollow because the course lines up perfectly with his history and recent trajectory. Homa has already won once at Quail, has multiple additional high finishes there, and Rogers believes the comfort level is huge—“he loves the golf course, obviously.” She added that Homa’s overall form is trending back upward (“Max is back”), making him a live outright ticket and a strong DFS anchor on a layout where he clearly feels at home.

Claire Rogers opened her rankings with Xander Schauffele in the five-spot, citing his runner-up finish at Quail Hollow earlier this month and the confidence boost of attending the defenders’ dinner as last year’s PGA champion. Rogers noted Quail Hollow and Valhalla share a requirement for driving accuracy plus controlled high-trajectory irons—areas where Xander sits top-10 on TOUR this season. She expects the calmer pre-tournament schedule to keep Schauffele fresh and likes him for DFS cores and top-10 wagers.

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.

Shane Bacon slotted Justin Thomas fourth on his power ranking and advised sprinkling outrights and top-10s because Valhalla is the same venue where JT captured the 2017 PGA. Bacon noted Thomas is finally stringing together "good, solid golf"— gaining strokes tee-to-green in five straight starts—and trusts his elite short-game to cover for the occasional loose driver. While Thomas has under-performed in majors since 2021, Bacon thinks familiar sightlines and positive memories at Valhalla are the ideal catalyst for a bounce-back, making current 25-1 odds too long.

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.

Musso kept Scottie Scheffler atop his rankings, arguing that world No. 1s do not stay No. 1 without a ruthless competitive edge. He expects Scheffler to channel Rory McIlroy’s Masters hype as motivation, noting Scheffler already leads the TOUR in SG: Tee-to-Green (+2.41) and ranks top-5 in driving efficiency on long par-4s—a critical stat at Quail Hollow. Musso framed Scheffler as the safest outright in the field and a ‘pay-what-it-costs’ anchor in DFS cash builds.

Shane Bacon locked Bryson DeChambeau into the No. 3 slot and said he’d be ‘surprised if Bryson doesn’t finish top-3.’ DeChambeau has gained over 2 strokes tee-to-green in each of the last four majors and is trending as the game’s new big-event specialist. Bacon highlighted Bryson’s improved wedge control and willingness to throttle back off the tee—adjustments that have produced three top-6 major finishes in his last five starts. At a venue where length offers a distinct advantage, Bacon believes Bryson’s all-gas approach plus renewed confidence makes him a must-bet for outright, top-5, and one-and-done formats.

Musso slotted Collin Morikawa fourth and said the two-time major winner is ‘exactly what a PGA set-up asks of you.’ He pointed to Morikawa’s recent putter change—something he and Shane Bacon had loudly advocated for—and the fresh synergy with veteran caddie Joe Greiner. Ball-striking remains elite (top-10 in SG: Approach over the last 24 rounds), so even a neutral week with the flat stick could yield a top-5 finish. Musso suggested buying top-10 tickets now before any positive signal at the preceding event shortens his odds.

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.

Musso dropped Jason Day from his top-10 after learning—via Dan Rapoport—that Day’s withdrawal from the Truist event was due to a disc herniation in his neck. Musso said any outright or DFS exposure is now a ‘dream only’ scenario and advised removing Day from betting cards unless concrete medical updates show full recovery before the PGA at Quail Hollow.