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PGA Championship 2017: 5 things we learned at Quail Hollow

By Robert Judin

CHARLOTTE, NC - AUGUST 13: Justin Thomas of the United States poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 2017 PGA Championship during the final round at Quail Hollow Club on August 13, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Thomas finished with an -8. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - AUGUST 13: Justin Thomas of the United States poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 2017 PGA Championship during the final round at Quail Hollow Club on August 13, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Thomas finished with an -8. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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The 2017 PGA Championship ended in a win for Justin Thomas, who captured his first major championship victory.

After the first two rounds of the 2017 PGA Championship, it was looking as if Kevin Kisner was going to run away with the crown.

However, he was unable to close the deal, and the door was left open for many to make a run at the top of the leaderboard. Among them was Justin Thomas, who took home his first major victory.

Thomas was able to stave off advances from most of the pack, including Patrick Reed who was looking over Thomas’ shoulder until the very end.

Here are five of the biggest lessons we learned from the PGA Championship this past weekend.

1. Jordan Spieth’s career grand slam will be put on hold

Heading into the weekend, the up-and-down season for Jordan Spieth seemed to be looking more up than down. He paired a Travelers Championship win with a win at The Open Championship, and Spieth tacked on another solid showing when he tied for 13th at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.

Having already captured wins at The Masters and The U.S. Open in 2015, Spieth was looking to complete the career grand slam. But he’ll have to try for it again next year. His lowest round of the weekend came on Sunday when he shot a 70. With scores of 72, 73, and 71 in the first three rounds, respectively, Spieth was never within striking distance and finished two over par.

2. Rory McIlroy didn’t live up to his Quail Hollow Club reputation

The hype surrounding Rory McIlroy is usually well deserved, and it seemed as though he was lining up to run away with the PGA Championship in the days leading up to the tournament. With back-to-back top-five finishes in The Open Championship and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, McIlroy was trending upward again. He won his first PGA TOUR title at Quail Hollow in 2010, where he owns two course records, and many thought he’d drive his way to the win.

However, McIlroy was never able to piece together a truly superb round. Bogeys on holes 4, 6, and 13 matched with a double bogey on 14, and McIlroy finished with a 72 in round one. Round two (72) and round three (73) were more of the same. And his improved play in round four might have yielded a score of 68, but he was already 11 strokes behind then-leader Kevin Kisner heading into Sunday.

3. Kevin Kisner couldn’t sustain his hot start

It happens all of the time. A few players shoot to the top of the leaderboard with outstanding starts and eventually cool off as the weekend continues. Unfortunately for Kevin Kisner, he was that guy this weekend. After shooting a 67 in both round one and round two, including a seventh-hole eagle in round two, Kisner lost the magic.

Round three saw Kisner successfully navigate the front nine, but the back nine produced some struggles. Bogeys on the 12th and 18th holes were bookends to a double bogey the 16th, lessening the value of his back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16. Kisner tried to get going again on Sunday, but bogeys on 11, 12, and 16 combined with a double bogey on 18 and ended up costing Kisner the 2017 PGA Championship.

4. Hideki Matsuyama will break through sooner or later

There’s a reason why many were high on Hideki Matsuyama coming into the 2017 PGA Championship. His stock has been going up for awhile now, and he had given plenty of reasons to make us believe he’d be in contention this weekend. After finishing tied for second in The U.S. Open, Matsuyama put up another top-15 finish in The Open Championship. He tied for fourth in the PGA Championship last year, and it felt as though he’d make a run for the top spot this weekend.

After opening up with a score of 70 in round one, Matsuyama posted a brillian round two score of 64 on Friday. Despite shooting a 73 on Saturday, he was looking to make a run to capture his first major championship. But five bogeys on the back nine on Sunday were too much for him to overcome. Having said that, though, Matsuyama has shown what he can do, and it probably won’t be long before he breaks through for that first major win.

5. Justin Thomas stepped up — big time

It appeared there were a handful of players who were being credited as favorites to win this past weekend. McIlroy, Matsuyama, Spieth, and others were all being lined up as favorites to take the win. And, being that Justin Thomas had finished tied for 66th in last year’s PGA Championship, it didn’t feel like he was a name you’d watch soar up the leaderboard. That was especially true considering his previous four tournaments included three consecutive cuts before finishing tied for 28th in the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.

Next: Complete List of U.S. Open Winners

But you have to hand it to him. He played beautifully this past weekend. After opening up with a score of 73 on Thursday, Thomas zoned in. Six birdies on Friday paved the way for a 66, which was his lowest score of the weekend. His performance on Saturday kept him in the race, as he birdied four more times to counteract two bogeys on the front nine. With Kisner having left the door wide open on Sunday, Thomas struck. With six more birdies, Thomas ended up finishing at eight under par to capture his first major.

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