5 golfers who underperformed at the 2025 PGA Championship ft. Justin Thomas

Scottie Scheffler won his third Major title at the 2025 PGA Championship on Sunday (May 18). He finished at 11-under after a steady even-par 71 in the final round. Scheffler came into the week as one of the favorites, and he backed it up with a dominant performance at Quail Hollow.

While Scheffler impressed, several big names failed to meet expectations. Some of them were previous Major champions, while others had strong odds going into the tournament but struggled to deliver.

---

Five players who underperformed at the 2025 PGA Championship:

1. Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy entered Quail Hollow with impressive form, having already picked up three wins this season — at Pebble Beach, The Players and the Masters. He was second only to Scottie Scheffler in the betting odds, listed at +500.

Rory McIlroy: PGA Championship - Final Round - Source: Imagn

But at Quail Hollow, McIlroy couldn't find his pace. He finished tied for 47th after shooting rounds of 74, 69, 72 and 72, ending the tournament at 1-over 287. It was his lowest finish of the season, having posted five top-10s in eight starts before the event.

2. Ludvig Åberg

Ludvig Åberg had odds of +1200 going into the tournament. But the Swedish star couldn’t find his rhythm at Quail Hollow.

Åberg missed the cut after shooting 70 and 75 in the first two rounds, finishing at 3-over 145. This marked his third missed cut of the season. His only win this year came at the Genesis Invitational.

3. Xander Schauffele

Xander Schauffele came into the tournament as the defending champion, having won the 2024 PGA Championship with a record 21-under score. He was one of the favorites, with +1200 odds.

However, he couldn’t match his performance from last year. He finished tied for 28th place at 3-under 283, shooting rounds of 72, 71, 72 and 68. This season, his best finish so far has been tied for 8th at the Masters.

Xander Schauffele: PGA Championship - Final Round - Source: Imagn

4. Collin Morikawa

Collin Morikawa was ranked sixth in the odds at +1400, but he struggled at Quail Hollow. He shot rounds of 70, 72, 74 and 72, finishing the tournament tied for 50th at 4-over 288.

This year, Morikawa hasn’t won yet but has recorded three top-10 finishes in 10 events. Last year, Morikawa did much better at the PGA Championship, finishing tied for 4th at 15 under. This year’s result was a disappointment compared to that.

5. Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas was another disappointment. The 2017 PGA champion missed the cut this year after shooting 73 and 72 in the opening rounds. He finished at 3-over 145.

Thomas had been playing well lately, ending a nearly three-year win drought at the RBC Heritage. This season, he has six top-10 finishes in 12 events, but the PGA Championship wasn’t one of them. Despite odds of +2000, he failed to meet expectations.