PGA Championship betting guide: Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth out in front but Justin Rose an underdog to consider

Who should you back to win the PGA Championship at Quial Hollow?

Rory McIlroy is the favourite to win the PGA Championship ahead of Jordan Spieth (Getty)

Give it two years and the likes of Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth will have their sights set on the FedEx Cup play-offs and the BMW PGA Championship by the time August rolls around, given the date change that was announced this week to shift the US PGA Championship to May from 2019.

But, for now, the pair will be focused on this weekend’s encounter at Quail Hollow and the battle to become the first to win the career grand slam. Spieth can do that this Sunday and become the youngest ever to do so, beating Tiger Woods’ record of 24 years and 206 days old, and while McIlroy cannot achieve it until The Masters next year, he can certainly stop Spieth.

The Northern Irishman may have failed to do that during Spieth’s three major victories since 2015, but there is every reason to believe that he can do so this weekend in North Carolina. Even though he has more often than not been the bookmakers’ favourite for every major since his last success at the 2014 PGA Championship, the odds look in his favour this time around.

For starters, Quail Hollow will play long, 7,600-yards-long to be more precise, and it’s not going to be the calm, serene conditions that Spieth often flourishes in. McIlroy can also struggle in these conditions, but his roots in Portrush, Northern Ireland, should hold him in good stead for the weather heading his way.

Spieth is the form man, and his major record since his first triumph at the 2015 Masters in currently unrivalled by any player in the field this weekend. The 24-year-old American has won three of the last 11 majors, finished second twice and fourth in another, while he heads into the event having just won The Open at Birkdale with an incredible resilience that saw him wrestle toe Claret Jug away from Matt Kuchar by playing the last five holes in five-under.

Yet even though he was never really in contention, McIlroy was not a million miles behind. Five-under was enough to see him finish in a tie for fourth, and with close friend Harry Diamond on caddie duties this week following his firing of long-time bagman JP Fitzgerald, McIlroy may just be on the right path once again. He has form at Quail Hollow, having won here twice which includes the phenomenal round of 61 in 2015 that remains a course record, and as he said this week, his body is in the right place finally after suffering from injuries early in the year.

Golf is never a two-horse race, but right now the runners and riders look few and far between other than Spieth and McIlroy. True to the rankings, Hideki Matsuyama may just be the man to upset the party. The 25-year-old is bidding to become the first Japanese man to win a major, and he heads into the tournament off the back of a brilliant victory at the WGC-Bridgestone last weekend that featured a closing-round 61.

Hideki Matsuyama won the WGC-Bridgestone Championship last weekend (Getty)

With six top-10 major finishes, Matsuyama is beginning to show the right signs that he is ready to take the next step and snatch the glory come Sunday evening.

When the words “play long” are muttered, the next two are quote often “Dustin” and “Johnson”, but the big-hitting American may just be one to avoid this weekend. The 33-year-old is on course for his worst major year since 2009, having pulled out of The Masters after falling down a flight of stairs, missing the cut at the US Open and finishing a tied-54th at Birkdale.

Outside of the obvious choices, Justin Rose is an appealing option. The Englishman has struggled this year as he adjusts his swing to try and lessen the impact on his back, but a runner-up finish at The Masters and his world class putting means that he could well be in the mix if the tricky weather conditions hit Quail Hollow as expected that will help lessen the gap between the front-runners and Rose.

Justin Rose is an enticing option at 40/1 (Getty)

Taking all of this into account, McIlroy at 7/1 (Betfred) and Spieth at 11/1 (Paddy Power) presents reliable offers, with the American definitely the better option each-way of the pair. Matsuyama at 12/1 (SkyBet) is perhaps billing the Japanese higher than he should be and is one to avoid, though a punt on Rose each-way at 40/1 (BetVictor) is certainly worth a shout.