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This week's Signature event field includes 62 of the top 100 and 40 of the top 50 in the latest Official World Rankings, with seven players from inside the top ten. The headliners are #2 Rory McIlroy, #3 Cameron Young, #4 Matt Fitzpatrick, #5 Justin Rose, #7 Tommy Fleetwood, #9 J.J. Spaun, and #10 Xander Schauffele. Other notable names include #11 Chris Gotterup, #12 Robert MacIntyre, #13 Sepp Straka, #14 Ben Griffin, #15 Ludvig Aberg, #16 Hideki Matsuyama, #17 Justin Thomas, #18 Alex Noren, #19 Jacob Bridgeman, and #20 Si Woo Kim. Last year, 64 of the top-100 and 43 of the top-50 played in the Truist Championship, so the field strength is comparable.

Notable players taking the week off in this designated event are #1 Scottie Scheffler, #6 Collin Morikawa, #8 Russell Henley, #35 Shane Lowry, #39 Marco Penge, and #42 Aaron Rai.

The field includes 22 of the top 25 on the FedEx Cup point standings for 2026, missing only #1 Scottie Scheffler, #4 Collin Morikawa, and #18 Russell Henley.

Seven of the tournament's 22 past champions are in the field this week: Sepp Straka (2025), Rory McIlroy (2024, 2021, 2015 & 2010), Max Homa (2022 & 2019), Jason Day (2018), Brian Harman (2017), Rickie Fowler (2012), and Lucas Glover (2011).

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LIV Golf is now in its fifth and probably final year. The league was established in 2022 with the ambition to disrupt traditional golf by liberating players and democratizing power. Backed by a seemingly limitless budget from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), LIV came close to shaking up both the PGA and European Tours. As a result of LIV's influence, the PGA Tour was compelled to increase prize money and partnered with Strategic Sports Group, which invested $3 billion in the PGA Tour. That group includes hedge-fund titan and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, the Fenway Sports Group (owners of the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Liverpool), and Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons. Although the combined worth of these partners totals around $60 billion, it pales next to the Saudi PIF's $900 billion in assets. The PIF invests $70 billion annually across various sports, holds majority stakes in Newcastle United, and has bolstered the Saudi Pro League along with significant investments in tennis, Formula 1, and boxing.

When LIV launched, it had the financial resources not only to pay high appearance fees but also to finance each tournament. Each event offered a $30 million prize fund and paid out over $3 billion in total prize money during the first four years. Add in infrastructure and broadcast costs of around $250,000 per event, and the total investment came to about $13 million per event. Estimates of LIV's total cost over five years range from $4 billion to $7 billion.

The reception was mixed at best. Attendance and interest for events held in Asia, Australia, and South Africa were strong, but results in Europe and the United States never reached those levels. The primary issue was television ratings: in most cases, the PGA Tour attracted approximately 100 times as many viewers as LIV events.

Despite its substantial funding, LIV was never able to achieve financial self-sufficiency, resulting in major losses. The situation worsened amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, causing financial strain for Saudi Arabia and ultimately leading to the decision to cut ties with LIV at the end of the season in August.

LIV management, led by Scott O'Neil, claims it will seek alternative funding, but this seems improbable. It's unlikely anyone would invest a billion dollars annually in a venture with no potential for growth. Although LIV appears able to complete its remaining seven events, it is expected to shut down afterward.

LIV did have some advantages, including appealing to a higher demographic and introducing a team concept that garnered limited interest. However, as a weekly competition, it began to feel repetitive, akin to the movie Groundhog Day, with similar players consistently dominating the same events.

The big question now is what will happen to the 60 LIV players. They understood the potential consequences of leaving the PGA Tour, so players like Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton, Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, and Jon Rahm may face challenges. Rejoining the European Tour is more feasible, but returning to the PGA Tour could take up to a year and result in millions in penalties, as Brooks Koepka discovered. By this time next year, LIV will likely be gone, with few lamenting its end.

When the PGA Tour introduced Signature events, the goal was to reward players who chose to remain with the Tour rather than join LIV by offering several events with prize purses close to LIV's. The first Signature event was held at Kapalua in 2024 and was viewed as a fantastic opportunity for PGA Tour players. A total of eight events were played, averaging about one each month and spread across the four major tournaments.

In 2026, a ninth Signature event was added to the schedule at Doral. The problem is that it was held just before the Signature event at Truist, which takes place the week before the PGA Championship. That created a scheduling conflict, as Doral was played three weeks after the Masters and two weeks after the RBC Heritage. The top players on the PGA Tour generally avoid competing in more than three events in a row and prefer not to play the week leading up to a major.

The issue became evident when five top-ranked players chose not to participate at Doral. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, No. 3 Matt Fitzpatrick, No. 9 Xander Schauffele, No. 12 Robert MacIntyre, and No. 14 Ludvig Aberg all sat out the event. Six top players are also absent this week, including No. 42 Aaron Rai, No. 39 Marco Penge, No. 35 Shane Lowry, No. 8 Russell Henley, No. 6 Collin Morikawa, and No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Although Morikawa initially planned to play, he withdrew on Monday.

The biggest surprise was Scottie Scheffler's decision not to compete. Many expected him to participate, especially since he won the PGA Championship last year at Quail Hollow. However, Scheffler explained that he dislikes playing the week before a major. Given that the schedule includes Doral followed by Truist, the PGA Championship, and then the Byron Nelson, where he is not only the defending champion but also has hometown ties, his absence was understandable.

As the PGA Tour prepares the 2027 schedule, it faces significant questions. Is nine Signature events too many? Should a Signature event be held the week before or after a major? While players are generally okay with competing in a Signature event the week after a major, they prefer not to do so the week before. However, many marquee players participate in the Genesis Scottish Open the week before the British Open, as it helps them adjust to the time change and playing conditions. For now, players are adapting, but the PGA Tour is the one suffering, losing the legitimacy of its Signature events.

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Quail Hollow Golf Club
Charlotte, N.C.
7,583 yards | Par 35-36–71

Quail Hollow features a course rating of 75.0 and a slope rating of 140 from the back tees. The tees, fairways, and rough are comprised of 419 Bermuda Grass blended with Perennial Ryegrass. Following the 2023 Truist, the greens were updated to Champion Ultradwarf Bermudagrass.

At the end of 2016, the course underwent extensive changes to prepare for the 2017 PGA Championship and future events. All the greens were redone, thousands of trees were removed (similar to what was done at Oakmont Country Club), and the course's playability was reshaped, enhancing the influence of the wind.

Significant modifications were made to four holes: the first and second holes were combined into a single 540-yard par 4; the fifth hole was altered from a par 5 to a par 4; a new second hole was introduced as a par 3; and the eleventh hole was enhanced with additional bunkering. The average green size is approximately 6,500 square feet, and the course features 62 bunkers. Water hazards come into play on six holes (7, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18).

Tom Fazio made changes to the 8th hole four years ago, making it a straight shot and potentially a drivable par 4. He also made a notable change to the 16th hole by adding 18 yards, bringing the lake into play and increasing the difficulty. Additionally, he adjusted the tee of the 17th hole to the right and added 20 yards. These changes were well received, including the shift from a par 72 to a par 71.

Quail Hollow rewards a specific kind of player. Think of the course like a long flight where the cabin pressure changes hole by hole. You need power to get there, accuracy to stay comfortable, and patience when turbulence hits. Here are the stats that matter most:

Total Driving: Quail Hollow is one of the longest courses on Tour at 7,583 yards, but it isn't a pure bombers' track. The fairways narrow in critical spots and the rough at a Signature event will be punishing. Players who combine distance with accuracy, the total drivers of the ball, have a clear edge.

Greens in Regulation: Hitting fairways gets you in position, but hitting greens is what keeps the scorecard clean. Quail Hollow's greens are firm and undulating, and the closing stretch known as the Green Mile (16, 17, 18) demands precise long irons. The leaderboard at the end of the week will be stacked with players near the top of the GIR rankings.

Patience and Par Saves: This is one of those courses where par is your friend. Don't expect 25-under to win. Bogeys will happen, especially down the stretch, and the players who stay calm and convert scrambling chances will be the ones lifting the trophy.

A non-marquee guy can absolutely break through here. Joey Sindelar (2004), Anthony Kim (2008), Sean O'Hair (2009), Derek Ernst (2013), J.B. Holmes (2014), James Hahn (2016), Max Homa (2019), and Wyndham Clark (2023) all proved that history rewards the unexpected at Quail Hollow.

For a deeper dive, check out our Key Fantasy Stats breakdown for the week.

Finally, our Composite Rankings blend recent form, course history, and key statistical categories into one ranking, giving you a clear picture of who is best positioned to contend in Charlotte this week.