The sixth Signature Event of eight of the 2024 season takes the PGA TOUR to a familiar venue. Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, will provide a stern examination for the select field of 69 players the week before the PGA Championship.

The host of the 2017 PGA Championship and 2022 Presidents Cup, the George Cobb design from the late 1950s has evolved under the tutelage of Tom Fazio, including the 2024 edition, which has added 20 more yards to bring the scorecard of the par-71 to 7,558 yards.

Gamers must remember that the 2017 and 2022 Wells Fargo Championships did not take place at Quail Hollow Club.The 2017 edition was at Eagle Point in Wilmington, and the 2022 version was at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Bethesda, Maryland.

Strokes Gained: Putting

Replacing Bentgrass with Bermuda for the 2016 edition, the 2024 playing will have brand-new TifEagle Bermuda brewing under the Poa Trivialis overseed. Running at 12 feet plus, lagging putts from safe approaches will be a big part of the equation. The last four winners have ranked in the top three in gaining shots on the greens.

Defending champion Wyndham Clark (+1400) became the second champion from the last three events at Quail Hollow Club to win for the first time on TOUR. Successfully defending the title this week would make him the first in tournament history. Setting the par-71 scoring record last year on 265 (-19), his third-round 63 was the best of the week and gave him a two-shot lead after 54 holes. Closing with 68 and winning by four, he became just the third winner to post all four rounds in the 60s. Making his third start in Charlotte, he carded just five bogeys and led the field in SG: Tee to Green, SG: Approach, finished T1 GIR, plus was third in SG: Putting. Stout!

Strokes Gained: Approach the Green

Players listed are in the field this week; 2024 season stats.

Rory McIlroy (+700) is the only player with multiple titles in the field. Setting the course record of 62 on debut as a 20-year-old in 2010, McIlroy secured his first TOUR win. The 2015 edition saw him reset the target for the best 18 holes on property with 61 in Round 3. Setting the tournament scoring record (par-72 edition) on 21-under 267, he won for the second time. The only player to post 10-under in 2021, the Ulsterman won his third title. Signing for T64 in the 2023 edition was the only time outside the top 16 in 11 visits for his career.

The man who leads the TOUR in this category (Scottie Scheffler), and many, many, many others is awaiting the birth of his first child in Dallas and is not in the field this week. With Scheffler, winner of the last two Signature Events, on the sideline, the door is wide open, but the fairways at Quail Hollow Club are not. Ranking 17th-most difficult for the 2023 edition, the previous three events all registered in the top 10 in the most difficult fairways to hit on TOUR.

The last four winners:

Playing from two inches of perennial Ryegrass overseed into well-protected putting surfaces the players who can dial in approaches will have scoring chances. In the last four editions, Quail Hollow has ranked in the top threemost difficult to get it close (Proximity). Being patient and navigating away from the trouble of 61 bunkers and water penalty areas on seven holes goes a long way.

Bogey Avoidance

The 7,558 yards, unsurprisingly, do not afford many scoring chances to wipe out bogeys or worse. The meaty par 4s include nine of the 11 stretching 449 yards or better, including four bulging at 494 yards or more. None of the four par-3s plays less than 184 yards while No. 6 is a stout, 249-yard knock. Coming home, the "Green Mile” has added 20 extra yards for the 2024 edition and will not provide any late relief on the scorecard. Only 14 players in the last four tournaments have posted 10-under or better. The last four winners have finished the week first or second in this category. Make your par and move on until you find a yardage to attack the flag, the three par 5s, or the two drivable par 4s.

Max Homa (+2200) joined the club of first-time TOUR winners after he won the 2019 edition. With no event played in the spring of 2020, he was forced to wait to defend at the 2021 event before eventually missing the cut. Waiting another year to get back, he did win the event at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, but his return last year popped him right back into the top 10 with T8. Over those two editions, he’s 24-under par with all rounds 70 or better.

Jason Day (+4500) was the exception to the ball-striking rule during his 2018 victory. Getting up and down from everywhere and putting the dimples off the golf ball, the Australian major champion rode his short game to the winner’s circle. Cashing T24 or better in his first four visits, he has not played on the weekend in the last two.

Oddsmaker’s Extras

Rickie Fowler (+6600): The 2012 champion picked up his first win on TOUR by knocking out McIlroy and D.A. Points in a playoff. Playing the weekend in nine of 10 starts, he’s painted the top 10 four times and the top 25 four more.

Lucas Glover (+10000): Cashing T10 on his first visit in 2004, he returned to the top 10 in 2006 (T4) and 2009 (T2) before posting four rounds in the 60s to win the 2011 edition. The 2016 event was his last top-10 payday (solo 8th) and he has missed the weekend in three of the last four editions. Remember, there’s no cut this week.

Tommy Fleetwood (+2500): Opening with 65 in 2023, the Englishman picked up his first top five (T5) paycheck in the banking center of North Carolina. The 2022 edition saw him sign for 67 before cashing T14 on his second visit (MC 2018).

Xander Schauffele (+900): The Californian has been a quick study. Posting 291 in his first visit (T74) in 2018, he knocked 11 shots off in 2021 (T14) and lost 13 more with 269 (T2) last year. Trending.

Harris English (+5000): Never missing the cut in five previous visits, T3 last season was the best of the bunch.

Gary Woodland (+25000): The “reverse Fleetwood”! The big hitter posted four rounds of par or better for T14 in 2023 after solo fifth in 2021. In 10 tries, he’s found the weekend nine times. Power plays at QHC.

Official World Golf Ranking Top 30

-Odds courtesy of BetMGM-

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