PGA Championship: Jordan Spieth chasing career grand slam glory at Quail Hollow

The American won at Augusta in 2015 and triumphed at the US Open in the same season before winning the Open Championship in 2017.

But the Major in May has so far eluded him, as the former World No.1 has suffered dips in form in recent years.

However, a final round of 62 at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson just over a week ago reminded us of his excellence.

This year's edition of the PGA will take place at Quail Hollow in North Carolina, a course that last hosted the PGA Championship in 2017.

While Rory McIlroy and World No.1, Scottie Scheffler, are hot favourites, could Spieth join the former and earn a place in golf's most coveted club?

While Spieth will inevitably see each bite at the cherry as an opportunity, the pain of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow will inevitably haunt him with that ‘what if' feeling if he doesn't get over the line.

The then 23-year-old came into the event in Charlotte fresh off a third Major win at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. He had the chance to become the youngest player in history to complete the career Grand Slam since Tiger Woods in 2000 and the hype was palpable – fans, media and social media were ready.

But in the weight of expectation, coming off the high of his victory in Southport, the three-time Major winner just never looked comfortable with four rounds over 70 seeing him finish at two-over and in T28.

Since that weekend, Spieth has chased the missing PGA Championship title, finishing in the top three twice but being well out of contention in the last five attempts, with only one top 30 finish (2023) in that run.

In recent years, the event has been the scene of disappointment. Maybe 2025 will be the year that Spieth packs a Major punch.

Jordan Spieth is fully aware that he's got to play his best golf in recent years if he's going to be in contention come the final round on Sunday.

And many will feel that Rory McIlroy will have to slip up if the door will open for someone else with few coming into the event with more confidence than the the Northern Irishman.

As if he needed any other factors in his favour on top of his three event wins this season, the 2025 Masters champion has the weight of a career Grand Slam off his shoulders – and, of course, he's won four titles at Quail Hollow or as Spieth has dubbed it, 'The Rory McIlroy Country Club'.

He won his maiden PGA Tour title event at the course in Charlotte in 2010 before enjoying unrivalled success at Wells Fargo Championship events; it's a golf course that favours aggressive driving and precise approach play.

By contrast, Spieth will tee it up at the venue with caution, not confidence.

The Texas man has struggled at Quail Hollow, with no top-25s in stroke-play events at the course and driving accuracy and long-iron mishaps being rife in recent years.

If he wants to challenge the favourites in Charlotte, Spieth will have to find his Tour-leading short game and hit enough fairways through 72 holes.

Watching Jordan Spieth in recent years has been a somewhat lucky dip – you never know what you're going to get.

One stroke could be an audacious bunker shot to within five feet, and the next a skewed wedge shot off the green.

But one thing that is for sure, his form is slowly improving, he's stuck to his guns, trusted his equipment and believed the form will come.

And it has, of sorts.

Spieth's 2025 season has hinted at a steady resurgence, not a return to dominance as of yet, but there are promising signs that things are on the up for the 31-year-old.

The 13-time PGA Tour winner hasn't won since 2022, where he triumphed at the RBC Heritage. He's posted three top 15 finishes this year, including a T4 finish at the WM Phoenix Open and a final round score of 62 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson – his best lap in years.

2025 has been a stark contrast to his erratic results in recent years, and that might be due to his commitment to his driver following his period of chopping and changing his option off the tee in the last few seasons.

He's played a variety of Titleist golf equipment through the years but has found peace with the TSR2 driver model and its high launch/low spin blend.

The fact that he's going into the PGA Championship in the top 20 for strokes gained on the PGA Tour suggests his game is going in the right direction, with seven event winners in and around his average of 0.842 total SG.

By no means has he been a force, but he will start the tournament off the back of a better run of results than his last few attempts at career Grand Slam glory.

If Spieth manages to pull it out of the bag and be in contention down the stretch, he or the potential leading group will see the survival of the fittest on Quail Hollow's ‘Green Mile' – three holes that form one of the most punishing stretches in golf.

The 16th, 17th and 18th are a bunker-laden par 4, long par 3 over water, and a testing dogleg-left par 4 respectively – an imposing final trio that can throw the tournament wide open.

For Spieth, whose history at the event is already underwhelming, the Green Mile would be the greatest final test if he were to find himself in a position to be jostling for that career Grand Slam he so desperately wants.

The weekend has an aura of 'now or never' about it; every missed opportunity that goes by is a second off the ticking time bomb.

Rory's Sunday at Augusta National would be hard to beat but a Spieth victory this week would also earn a place in golfing folklore.