CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Justin Thomas, the winner at the first PGA Championship contested at Quail Hollow in 2017, will not be around this weekend to chase the 2025 title.
The winner last month at the RBC Heritage bogeyed two of his last three holes to finish at 3 over, two shots shy of the cut line which fell at 1-over 143.
And he’s far from the only major champion going home.
Jordan Spieth came to Quail Hollow inspired to try to complete his own career Grand Slam after Rory McIlroy did it at the Masters, but that will have to wait another year after he missed the cut by one shot. He followed an opening 76 with a 68, but it wasn’t enough.
Also missing the cut by one shot were former British Open champion Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka, who came to the PGA after winning the Truist Championship last week at Philadelphia Cricket Club.
Xander Schauffele, the defending PGA champion who also won the British last year, made the cut on the number and extended his PGA Tour-best made cut streak to 64. His last missed cut was the 2022 Masters.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who hasn’t had a good first two rounds of driving with what was reported to be a backup driver after his regular failed testing by the United States Golf Association, also made the cut on the number.
Ludvig Åberg, another popular pick to win, missed the cut at 3 over, as did Hideki Matsuyama. The 2021 Masters champion had made 19 consecutive major cuts and took out his frustration at the Quail Hollow driving range Friday afternoon. Schauffele now holds the active major cut streak at 13.
LIV Golfers Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson both finished far outside the cut line. Mickelson finished at 9 over (79-72) while Johnson shot 12 over (78-76).
Justin Rose, who lost to Rory McIlroy in the playoff at last month’s Masters, also missed the cut at 9 over.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson Miss the Cut at the PGA Championship.
