The PGA Tour is off to the iconic Quail Hollow Golf Club in North Carolina for the 2023 edition of the Wells Fargo Championship. Damien Kayat previews.
2022/2023 US PGA Tour
Wells Fargo Championship
Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina
4th-7th May
Golf’s family guy Tony Finau exacted some revenge in Mexico last week, outlasting World No.1 Jon Rahm to win his fourth US PGA Tour title in less than a year.
Finau finished just a shot behind the commanding Spaniard at last year’s Mexican extravaganza. The American was long castigated for his inability to close. He is now arguably the most clinical closer in world golf outside of Rahm and Scheffler.
It’s funny how much 12 months can change your career narrative. Rahm created history last week, breaking the PGA Tour season money record with four months still to go. It is one of the most startling indicators of LIV’s economic impact that we have witnessed thus far.
Wells Fargo Championship
‘Rahmbo’, as he is affectionately known, will actually be skipping this week’s action after his runner-up finish at Vidanta Vallarta. Scottie Scheffler will also join him on the sidelines for yet another star-studded, designated event: The Wells Fargo Championship.
The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, making this the 18th edition of the event. Despite its stature, the Wells Faro Championship only came into existence in 2003. It quickly established itself as a premier non-Major event on the tour.
This is most likely due to the reverence that many have for the championship course: Quail Hollow.
Quail Hollow
This will be the 16th time that the tournament will be staged at Quail Hollow. The 2017 renewal was hosted at Eagle Point as Quail Hollow undertook hosting duties of the 2017 US PGA Championship (won by Justin Thomas).
Last year’s edition was hosted at TPC Potomac as Quail Hollow once again showed off its wares at the 2022 President’s Cup. Where Augusta was built on the grounds of a former nursey; Quail Hollow was actually built on the site of an old dairy farm.
Designed by George Cobb in 1961, it played host to the Kemper Open between 1969 and 1979. It underwent a significant Fazio facelift in 1997 and has been tinkered with incessantly since. The ultra-fast greens- Bermuda overseeded with Poa- run at around 13 on the stimp and players will need to putt and scramble effectively.
Many dreams have been dashed at the vaunted ‘Green Mile’, a three-hole closing stretch that is regularly ranked as one of the most difficult finishes in golf.
This course is an absolute beast at 7,554 yards. Driving Distance has become far more indicative of success over the last decade and you almost have to get it out there to succeed around here. Jim Furyk in 2006 was the only course winner to ever rank outside the top 28 in Driving Distance.
Historically, GIR has been a massively important stat here. But I think some of the changes in the course have favoured the bombers and it may prove less imperative in upcoming editions. Look for players with length and dynamic short games.
People also tend to focus on a strong correlation with Riviera form. When Homa won the Genesis in 2021, he became the third winner in six years to have also won this event at Quail Hollow.
The Contenders
Rory McIlroy is a true Quail Hollow aficionado. He has won three times here in nine starts. But I can’t ignore those missed cuts at the Players and Masters. The previous TPC Sawgrass champ and perennial Augusta contender has lost his short-game mojo and looks far too short to trust this week.
Slow-coach Patrick Cantlay is in a solid vein of form while Finau will be looking to make it back-to-back tour victories for the second time in less than a year. The likes of Schauffele and Spieth can never be underestimated while the underperforming Justin Thomas can draw some confidence from his Major triumph here.
Defending champion Max Homa’s form has been in a bit of a rut and he could use a strong finish at his favourite event. Matt Fitzpatrick also returns to action after his scintillating playoff victory at the RBC Heritage.
Past Winners
2022: Max Homa (-8) *played at TPC Potomac
2021: Rory McIlroy (-10)
2020: event cancelled
2019: Max Homa (-15)
2018: Jason Day (-12)
2017: Brian Harman (-10) *played at Eagle Point
To Win Outright:
Rory McIlroy 8/1 | Patrick Cantlay 12/1 | Tony Finau 14/1 | Xander Schauffle 16/1 | Collin Morikawa 20/1
Value Bets
Sahith Theegala- To Win 45/1
Yet to win, Sahith Theegala has been contending on Tour for the better part of a year now. He has seven top-10 finishes this season, including a runner-up finish at the RSM Classic. He finished T5 last time out at the RBC Heritage and he recently has an encouraging T9 finish at the Masters. He has shown mad scrambling skills of late and should be able to handle the quick green complexes at Quail Hollow.
Talor Moore- To Win 80/1
First-time visitor, Talor Moore looks like an interesting option. He has already won this season- at the Valspar- and I think his game could suit Quail Hollow to perfection. He finished 5th at last year’s Wyndham Championship (his last visit to North Carolina). And he just picked up a creditable 11th at the RBC Heritage staged in South Carolina. He is 11th in SG: Putting this season and 25th for approaches from 175-200 yards. That last stat could prove consequential on this monster of a layout.
The Man to Beat- Max Homa- To Win 20/1
Sure, Homa has gone slightly off the boil since his electric start to the year. He finished T3 at the Tournament of Champions before winning at Torrey Pines. He then finished runner-up to Jon Rahm at Riviera. His form has flattened considerably since a T6 at Sawgrass (he actually missed the cut last time out at the RBC Heritage). But Homa has turned into an elite competitor and he simply loves this event. He won on this course in 2019 and won at TPC Potomac last year. He also has brilliant Riviera form, winning in 2021 and finishing runner-up this year. Like Bubba Watson, Homa is a player who tends to thrive in specific events (he is also a two-time winner of the Fortinet Championship).
