PGA Tour Brunch First Round Preview

@PGATourBrunch Coverage of the Wells Fargo Championship Opening Round

May 6, 2021

Welcome to PGA Tour Brunch Coverage - Wells Fargo Championship

The Wells Fargo Championship was last contested in 2019 as last year’s tournament was cancelled for obvious reasons. Back in ‘19, Max Homa became the fifth player to claim his first PGA Tour victory at the Wells Fargo Championship joining Anthony Kim (2008), Rory McIlroy (2010), Rickie Fowler (2012) and Derek Ernst (2013).

There’s a strong field ready to compete as 10 players in the Top 15 in the World Golf Ranking are playing Quail Hollow and they include, Justin Thomas (2), Jon Rahm (3), Xander Schauffele (4), and Bryson DeChambeau (5) of the Top 5. Patrick Reed (7), Webb Simpson (9), Viktor Hovland (11), Patrick Cantlay (12), Tony Finau (13), and former Wells Fargo champion Rory McIlroy (15) round-out the impressive competitors.

World Golf Hall of Fame member Phil Mickelson will make his 17th consecutive start today. He holds a tournament-record Ten Top-10 finishes, eight of which were inside the Top 5. Mickelson first missed the cut here in 2019.

World No. 12 Patrick Cantlay is making his first start at the Wells Fargo Championship. Cantlay is in search of his fourth career Tour title and second of the season (2020 ZOZO Champ).

Much of Tuesday and Wednesday was spent with the Super League for Golf ruminating in the gallery of Quail Hollow. Please see the news clips below for additional information and PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan’s strict edict on current PGA Tour card holders who might choose to stray to the Saudi-backed, Jupiter, Florida-based Super League.

Tournament Tee Times begin today at 6:50am (EDT) through 2:22pm (EDT).

Weather: Today’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and 62-degrees with 9 mph winds with only a 10% chance of rain. Friday and Saturday should be mostly sunny, 58-64-degrees, with a 10% chance of rain Friday and 0% on Saturday. Long-term forecast for Sunday is for partly cloudy skies, 74-degrees and 14 mph winds.

PGATourBrunch will be posting before 6:50am (EDT) early tee times Friday.

Next Week: AT&T Byron Nelson (McKinney, Texas)

Field Updates:

Charles Howell III (out) / Grayson Murray (in)

Davis Love III (out) / D.J. Trahan (in)

Jim Herman (out) / Sebastian Cappelen (in)

Camilo Villegas (out) / Justin Suh (in)

Brendon Todd (out) / J.J. Spaun (in)

The Field - (link)

THIS WEEK on the PGA TOUR: Wells Fargo Championship

COURSE: Quail Hollow Country Club (Charlotte, NC)

ARCHITECT: George Cobb

YARDS/PAR: 7,521 yards/Par 71

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $8,100,000/$1,458,000

DEFENDING Champion (March 2019) - Max Homa - (2019 Leaderboard)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Available/Winner: 2,989/500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @WellsFargoGolf

OFFICIAL SITE: (Wells Fargo Championship) - (Official Tournament Site)

TV COVERAGE: Today and Friday, May 7: 2:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. On Saturday, May 8 and Sunday, May 9 - Golf Channel’s TV coverage will air from 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT), then CBS takes over coverage from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

STREAMING: PGA Tour Live will offer streaming coverage of Featured Groups today and on Friday from 7:00am to 6:00pm (EDT). On Saturday and Sunday, PGA Live Featured Groups runs from 8:00am to 3:00pm (EDT) with Featured Holes streaming from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: Streaming Radio coverage today and Friday from 12:00pm Noon to 6:00pm (EDT); then Saturday and Sunday, 1:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com.

How to Watch: (PGATourCom)

What They’re Saying:

Rory Says Players Need to Engage Player Impact Program (Golf Channel)

Wells Fargo Odds, Predictions (CBS Sports HQ)

Horses for the Course at Quail Hollow (PGATourCom)

#SportsBiz and Golf Industry News

Super League Making Offers (ESPN)

Mickelson Doesn’t Bash Super League; Others Do (ESPN)

PGA Commish Reiterates Punishment for Players (Golf Channel)

PGA Ready to Suspend of Expel Players (Sky Sports)

Is Premier Golf League Still in Play? (GolfWeek)

On This Day in Golf History:

May 6, 2012 - Ricky Fowler won his highly anticipated first PGA Tour title here at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow. Fowler won on the first hole of a sudden death playoff against Rory McIlroy. Fowler hit his approach shot within four feet and putted in for birdie to win in his 67th pro tournament. Courtesy of Randy Walker, Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE