PGA Championship Power Rankings: Top ten at Quail Hollow

Rory McIlroy made a surprising move when he parted ways with longtime caddie J.P. Fitzgerald just before the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. However, the Ulsterman is still progressing nicely with his game, scoring a top-five finish at Firestone.

If you want an impression of just how far Rory has come in recent weeks, take it from Jordan Spieth. To many people, this author included, Spieth is a heavy favorite to complete his career Grand Slam at Quail Hollow. But that’s not how the defending Open champion sees it at the moment.

"“I would say Rory’s probably the guy to beat at this point next week,” Spieth said. “I played with him the first two days, and the way that he is driving the golf ball, if he continues to do it there he just has a massive advantage over the field at that point.”"

Speaking of massive advantages, McIlroy is also the only player in the PGA Championship field with two victories already at Quail Hollow. The winner of the Wells Fargo Championship in both 2010 and 2015, McIlroy has finished outside the top ten in Charlotte just once in in his last seven appearances.

McIlroy is taking the shortest odds in Vegas as we speak, and if he had been any more consistent this year, he’d be my runaway favorite. Still, with the momentum he’s building, you would be a fool to ignore all the ways McIlroy could walk away with his fifth major championship this week.