Three Things to Know About the 2025 PGA Championship

The 2025 men's Major Championship season is underway . . . and it's time grab your popcorn.

Rory McIlroy finally got the proverbial monkey (more like a gorilla at this point) off his back, conquering past demons and Augusta National to win his first Green Jacket on April 13. McIlroy also completed the career Grand Slam, becoming only the sixth player to do so in the history of the sport.

And now . . . the eyes of the golf world turn from Augusta to Charlotte for the second major of the year: the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club, May 12-18.

It's a familiar venue for plenty of players, and a comfortable one for McIlroy. There's a bevy of storylines and things to know, but we boiled it down to the three you should focus on over the next four weeks.

Like most of the recent PGA Championships, the 2025 edition promises drama. That's because Quail Hollow Club is built for it with the infamous Green Mile finishing stretch that requires precision and poise. Players are familiar with the setup, given that Quail Hollow is an annual PGA TOUR stop each year, but that doesn't mean the course will play easy.

With PGA of America Chief Championships Officer Kerry as one of the best (if not the best) course setup wizards in the game, Quail Hollow will be a fair and fun test. In 2017, the course played at 7,600 yards and a par 71, with Justin Thomas winning his first major title at -8. Six birdies in total, including the infamous lip-hanging putt on No. 10 and then a dramatic chip-in on 13, gave him enough space to come down the 18th hole somewhat comfortably for a final round 68 and the Wanamaker Trophy.

Thomas will likely be one of the favorites at Quail Hollow, but since this is not a new venue for a lot of competitors, the leaderboard could be one littered with stars led, of course, by McIlroy. But as we've seen in the last couple PGA Championships, there tends to be a flair for the theatrics. Expect the same at Quail Hollow.

The road to the PGA Championship this year started in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where Tyler Collet won the PGA Professional Championship in a rout, clinching his spot at Quail Hollow alongside 19 other PGA of America Golf Professionals..

It's the opportunity of a lifetime for many of these pros, and if there's any need for a refresher on how cool these storylines can get look no further than 2023 and the now legendary story of Michael Block.

Block is back this for a seventh PGA Championship appearance, and so are these 19 other PGA of America Golf Professionals:

Jesse Droemer, Houston, Texas, Riverbend Country Club, Southern Texas Section

Brian Bergstol, Nazareth, Pa., Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, Philadelphia Section

Dylan Newman, Westbury, N.Y., Meadow Brook Club, Metropolitan Section

Brandon Bingaman, Dallas, Texas, Gleneagles Country Club, Northern Texas Section

Ryan Lenahan, New Hudson, Mich., Walnut Creek Country Club, Michigan Section

Andre Chi, Queens, N.Y., Deepdale Golf Club, Metropolitan Section

John Somers, Trinity, Fla., Southern Hills Plantation Club, North Florida Section

Justin Hicks, Wellington, Fla., Stonebridge Golf & Country Club, South Florida Section

Rupe Taylor, Virginia Beach, Va., Virginia Beach National Golf Club, Middle Atlantic Section

Tom Johnson, San Francisco, Calif., Meadow Club, Northern California Section

Nic Ishee, Columbus, Miss., Old Waverly Golf Club, Gulf States Section

Eric Steger, Westfield, Ind., Pebble Brook Golf Club, Indiana Section

Bob Sowards, Dublin, Ohio, Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club, Southern Ohio Section

Bobby Gates, The Woodlands, Texas, Summit Golf School, Southern Texas Section

Greg Koch, Orlando, Fla. - Ritz-Carlton Golf Club-Grand Lakes Orlando, North Florida Section

Timothy Wiseman, Corydon, Ind., Old Capital Golf Club, Indiana Section

Larkin Gross, Fairfax, Va., Westwood Country Club, Middle Atlantic Section

Michael Kartrude, Port. St. Lucie, Fla.. The Bear’s Club, South Florida Section

Among the Corebridge Financial Team, 10 players will be making their PGA Championship debut. Bob Sowards will play in his 12th Championship, tying the record for most golf professional appearances with Steve Schneiter. Block has the second-most starts and will be making his 7th.

It's hard to look past Rory at the moment. The Masters monkey is off his back and it might be have turned the tap back on when it comes to racking up major titles. The course in Quail Hollow - where he's won four times - is a bomber's paradise, which suits Rory's eye. Will he be geared up for it? More than likely.

But you also can't count out a bushel of stars who are more motivated now than ever to unseat Rory as the talk of golf. Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler, Ludvig Aberg, Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele and Jason Day all finished in the Top 10 at Augusta National. All are Major Champions minus Ludvig - and it's only a matter of time before he gets his first.

Plus, there's another Grand Slam storyline emerging: Jordan Spieth. With a PGA Championship win, he joins McIlroy, Woods, Nicklaus, Player, Hogan and Sarazen in the rare air of career Grand Slam winners. Spieth didn't play awful at The Masters with a T14 finish and has show flashes of his former brilliance. He just needs to put four rounds together this time.

So it sets up a similar formula like last year at Valhalla where Schauffele inched by DeChambeau with a birdie on the last to claim the Wanamaker. The good news is if you're looking to experience an exciting finish like that in-person, there's still limited PGA Championship tickets that remain, too for the 2025 PGA. And all ticket purchases will be dropped into a recently announced Play Like the Pros sweepstakes, where you and two friends can win a chance to play at Quail Hollow the day after the final round!

There you have it: A course ripe for fireworks and drama. Plenty of storylines. A stacked field. The 2025 PGA Championship, as it always seems to do, is set to deliver yet again.