Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas Appear on Collison Course For PGA Championship, Which Would Be Fun

We entered the recent Masters Tournament believing that Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler could be on a collision course toward the green jacket. We went into the final round thinking it would be McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau. As it turned out, the correct answer in the end was McIlroy and Justin Rose, who battled in a playoff before the Northern Irishman made birdie to claim his first title.

Point is, targeting such head-to-head matchups in the biggest events is difficult enough when we’ve already been given access to part of the answer key, let alone when we’re trying to predict ‘em weeks in advance.

After all, how many times did we collectively assume that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson would vie for a major championship title with everyone else in their rearview mirrors? It never actually happened.

All of which should serve as a healthy precaution entering next month’s PGA Championship, even if it looks like McIlroy could be on a path to face off against yet another fellow superstar.

The last time a major was held at Quail Hollow Club was back in 2017, when Justin Thomas claimed the Wanamaker Trophy. It might only be a coincidence that on Sunday he triumphed for the first time in three years, but it certainly should provide plenty of momentum moving forward – and it should leave the masses considering another potential clash, even three weeks in advance.

Not only did Thomas win a major in Charlotte, he posted a 4-1-0 record when the Presidents Cup was hosted at Quail three years ago and owns five top-30 results in six career starts on this venue at what’s now being called the Truist Championship.

Perhaps the only player who’s enjoyed greater success at this course is McIlroy himself, who earned his first career PGA Tour victory here in 2010, then proceeded to add wins in 2015, 2021 and 2024. While he only finished in a share of 22nd place at the 2017 PGA Championship, there’s enough history to assure us that the Masters champion owns a definitive taste for this course, too.

Of course, believing that two of the game’s better players, each trending in the right direction, playing a course on which they’ve both enjoyed success, will square off in some sort of mano-a-mano duel remains a foolish proposition.

McIlroy remains the current co-favorite for this year’s second major at +500, while Thomas is +2000 on the heels of his long-awaited victory. Scottie Scheffler (+500), Xander Schauffele (+1200), Bryson DeChambeau (+1400), Ludvig Aberg (+1400), Jon Rahm (+1800) and Collin Morikawa (+2000) are the only players who remain between them on the current board.

And so, we can wish upon a couple of stars that McIlroy and Thomas will face off on a course which has hosted some of their greatest individual achievements, but if recent history has reminded us of anything, it’s that such prognostications rarely come true, even when those so-called stars have aligned.

It should serve as a fun narrative entering the next major championship. It’ll likely have bettors buzzing over course history and the metrics therein. And there are very few who would turn down the prospect of a bout between these two.

One month ahead, it’s enough to let our minds wander. Chances are, though, that even the players who have fared best at Quail Hollow – and the best lately – won’t battle it out down the stretch for the PGA Championship. That’s too bad.