Golf’s second major of the year is here, and it’s a familiar venue for many in the field. Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, plays host to the 2025 PGA Championship — a Par 71 stretched out to 7,626 yards with narrow fairways, thick rough, and lightning-fast Bermuda greens. It’s a true test of all-around skill, where bombers have thrived and scrambling becomes a necessity when tee shots inevitably miss their mark. Let’s dive into my PGA DFS picks and core plays for the PGA Championship.
Course Preview
Driving distance has always been a key at Quail Hollow, and with rain softening the course throughout the week, that advantage could be even more pronounced.
The fairways remain narrow and the rough is still penal, but softer conditions should help limit rollout on missed tee shots — allowing both long hitters and accurate drivers to benefit.
Add in the demanding long iron approaches and slick Bermuda greens, and it’s clear this course will continue to reward complete ball strikers who can stay patient and avoid mistakes.
Key stats I’ll be focusing on when choosing my players are: Strokes Gained: TOT, SG: Tee to Green, SG: Around the Green, SG: Approach, Scrambling, Bogey Avoidance, Total Driving and Proximity 175+ Yards.
I’ve run this week’s data through Stokastic’s PGA Sims Tool to pinpoint the top DFS plays. By simulating every hole and combining that with our projections, we’re able to generate tens of thousands of lineup builds to see which golfers land in the most profitable combinations. It’s a huge edge for narrowing down your core and spotting hidden value. If you’re serious about optimizing lineups, this tool is a must-use.
Let’s dive into the PGA Championship picks that I will be building my lineups around this week on DraftKings.
PGA DFS Picks: PGA Championship DFS Picks & Core Plays
PGA DFS Picks: PGA Championship DFS Picks & Core Plays: Xander Schauffele – $10,700
After running our PGA Sims multiple times and checking in with our Top Golfers Tool Page, Xander Schauffele continues to show up near the top — and not just because he’s the defending PGA Champion.
It might feel like the lazy or obvious choice to roll with last year’s winner, but there’s still value in Schauffele. At sub-13% projected ownership, a 14% Optimal Rate, and slight leverage, he’s getting overlooked despite checking every box. I get why some might pivot to Rory, Scottie, or Bryson instead — the idea of a repeat win is tough to buy into — but this is a chance to (slightly) differentiate in large-field contests like the million-dollar GPP on DraftKings.
He’s also had plenty of success at Quail Hollow, finishing runner-up in his last two appearances and T-14 before that. Statistically, he’s sets up well, too: 7th in SG: APP, T-12 in approaches from 175-200 yards, 20th in Driving Distance, and 31st in SG: T2G. With four straight top-18 finishes this year, he’s primed for another strong week on a course that he’s thrived at.
Tyrrell Hatton – $9,000
My next selection comes from LIV — Tyrrell Hatton. He finished T-14 at the Masters and has been steady all year across LIV events.
Hatton’s history at Quail Hollow is solid, with a T-3 finish here in 2023 and a +1.58 True SG mark over 10 career rounds. Over his last 36 measured rounds, he ranks 15th in SG: Total, 25th in SG: T2G, and 33rd in Driving Accuracy among this week’s field.
Per our PGA Top Golfers Tool, Hatton owns a 12.5% Optimal Rate, shows 2.3% leverage, and comes in around 10% ownership. After running the Sims multiple times, he’s showing up in over 20% of my builds — and it’s easy to see why.
PGA DFS Picks; PGA Championship DFS Picks & Core Plays: Daniel Berger – $7,900
According to our tools, Daniel Berger is likely to be a popular option at this price of $7,900.
It makes sense given how well his game fits this course and how he’s been playing lately. Over his last 36 rounds, Berger ranks 5th in SG: Total, 7th in SG: T2G, 11th in SG: APP, and he’s top 25 in both SG: ARG and SG: PUTT. Season-long, he’s also 7th in Total Driving, 14th in Scrambling, and 20th in Bogey Avoidance.
He’s logged 18 career rounds at Quail Hollow, though his last appearance came in 2019 (T-54). This year, however, Berger has 10 finishes of T-30 or better — including a T-2 at the WM Phoenix Open, T-3 at RBC Heritage, and T-11 last week at the Truist Championship.
He’ll likely be a popular play, but with this kind of course fit and recent form, it’s tough to leave him out.
GPP Flier: Rickie Fowler – $7,100
Yes, believe it or not – I’m taking a deep shot with Rickie Fowler. Hear me out, folks.
Fowler has a strong track record at Quail Hollow, with a +1.87 True SG mark over 45 career rounds. He’s finished T-4 in 2019, T-14 in 2023, and T-43 last year — so there’s plenty of familiarity and some solid results.
His experience is one thing, but his off-the-tee efficiency gives him a shot this weekend too. He ranks 34th in Total Driving, and per our PGA Top Golfers Tool, he carries a sneaky 7.2% leverage mark with an 8.8% Optimal Rate.
Maybe we get a little blast from the past and see Fowler string together four strong rounds.
