Cutmakers, 2025 PGA
Those who had a good week at Quail Hollow, with some quibbling.
We’ve covered the Champion and other big winners. Now it’s time for those who had a mixed bag week at Quail Hollow.
LIV Golfers. Curtis Strange repeatedly referred to you as the El-Eye-Vee Tour during ESPN’s broadcasts. It could be worse! Eight of 16 LIV players playing on invites or past champion status made the cut. Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau contended while Joaquin Niemann recorded his first top 15 in a major to earn a return trip. All in all, a decent week if you ignore that Patrick Reed’s invite to the Ryder Cup bonding dinner got lost in the mail. But why does it still feel like a bunch of recent stars have lost their mojo playing 54 holes over C-list courses?
Americans. Of the top 16, where there was a 10-way tie for eighth, ten Americans made the bunch group highlighted by the top four finishers. But a good week for the red-white-and-blue cannot mask the dim prospects for this September’s Ryder Cup. Captain Keegan Bradley joined the T8 group last week to rise to 17th in points. In any other year, he’d be a prime candidate for a Captain’s pick given his match play record and familiarity with Bethpage. Billy Horschel was another veteran option until hip surgery took him out for months. So beyond Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas and Harris English seeming like the only consistent Americans right now, Thomas then went and missed the PGA cut. At least Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa seem close to having some big weeks. But with only two more majors to go, it’s looking like the Americans may be the underdogs on home soil.
Rory. There were two ways PGA week could go. He’d either maintain his Masters momentum and contend. Or come in still recovering from his April triumph firing on most cylinders. We got our answer. McIlroy’s refusal to speak after any round was an odd flex. However, the legit online rage over of his media slighting ignores that, (A) he’s more than generous with his time most weeks, (B) generally makes up for weeks when he’s not spoken (see the 2024 U.S. Open), and, (C) had to have been fuming over his Taylormade driver’s non-conforming test. Such a proximity to illegality should have been flagged by TaylorMade before a major week. The word of his and others’ failing is something for the organizations to sort through and for the golf world to ask why such info is a secret. McIlroy may be trying to delay commenting until after Taylormade is sold. Otherwise, saying just about anything prickly about his driver situation could cause problems or even jeopardize a deal for a company where selling drivers is the primary focus.
Move To May. The PGA of America can always counter another year of dicey weather with, “yeah, but remember August?” Fair enough. Surprisingly light Thursday/Friday crowds offered another reminder that people have jobs, kids are in school, and the air of late summertime fun has been lost with the move to May. Spring weather is clearly overrated based on the May PGAs to date.
Ratings. Seven years removed from a non-COVID August date, this one featured no Tiger or Rory in contention. This year’s overnights were down 4% according to SBJ’s Josh Carpenter, with CBS drawing an average of 4.763 million for the final round. That’s up from two years ago and saw a peak of 6.8 million viewers during the final hour. The final August playing featured Tiger Woods in contention and drew a 6.1 with a peak rating of 8.3. So around 2 million fewer viewers. Scheffler does not have the crossover appeal of Woods and McIlroy, making it was hard to see this one setting records. ESPN’s numbers were down but nothing fatal. And CBS is still up 13% for the 2025 PGA Tour season.
Course Setup. Who knew Kerry Haigh adores drivable par 4s? When Mike Davis was starting the practice of moving up tees for USGA events, the PGA of America resisted the fad. But with two short fours last week for the benefit of fans, Haigh backed up his word about presenting the course with a good show in mind. Playing the dreadful eighth hole at 311 yards two of the four days seemed odd since players can now drive the green from the 346-or-so tee. The decision to go forward may have been a product of the normal landing area being the wettest on the property. Or, Haigh was hoping to mask the tediousness of the hole?
Caddies. A lot of you have been getting fired lately, even though it’s the players hitting the shots or the wives asking why they missed that putt on the fourth. But at least you now get your own physio. Even if it’s down in the dark, dreary cart barn. Still progress!
