Truist Championship Betting Tips: 4 Panel Selections From Quail Hollow
Rory McIlroy tunes up for next week’s USPGA Championship by playing at his beloved Quail Hollow, a course where he won four times under its previous sponsor: Wells Fargo.
Quail Hollow was rested last year as it was the host venue for the USPGA Championship which Scottie Scheffler won by five strokes, but the world number one decided to skip the Truist Championship – the sixth Signature Event of the season - in favour of last week’s trip to Blue Monster at Doral.
That means McIlroy, making his first appearance since his successful title defence of The Masters, is the frontrunner on betting sites to win at one of his “favourite stops on tour”.
The main competition comes from in-form trio Cameron Young (9/1), Xander Schauffele (11/1) and Matt Fitzpatrick (14/1), who has won two of his last three tournaments, including the two-man team event with brother Alex at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Sepp Straka is the defending champion, although last year’s victory came at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, of all places, but he played well here 12 months earlier when he was eighth and he was fifth at Doral last week, so he is not out of the equation at 45/1 with one of the betting apps.
Quail Hollow regularly features in the top 10 most difficult courses on the PGA Tour, mainly since it was transformed by Tom Fazio 10 years ago and upgraded again in 2023 when the green complexes underwent an overhaul.
The changes mean that the track has been converted from a manageable par-72 to a very long par-71, comprising tightish fairways and doglegs galore.
With rain and possible thunderstorms on Thursday, The Panel are giving the first-round leader market a wide berth, instead picking out four outright Truist Championship betting tips and one top 20.
Sights and Sounds.
— Truist Championship (@TruistChamp) May 4, 2026
Truist Championship Edition. pic.twitter.com/EJYk1g1VFQ
Truist Championship Betting Tips: McIlroy Has Hatful Of Hollow Titles
Last month, McIlroy became only the fourth player in history to win at Augusta two years in a row, so he heads to Charlotte – one of his “favourite cities in the world” - in buoyant mood, playing on a course which suits his game.
After Friday’s round two years ago, the Northern Irishman said: "I'm comfortable here. I think I can take advantage of how far I hit it off the tee. I think this golf course really lends itself to driving distance."
Putting has also played a prominent part in determining the winners in the last five renewals at Quail Hollow where McIlroy has "historically putted these greens well" as he explained five years ago.
McIlroy was inside the top 10 for all the major Strokes Gained categories (he was first from tee-to-green and off-the-tee) in what turned out to be a dominant five-shot victory over Schauffele in 2024.
The one concern is that he played poorly at last year’s USPGA when he admitted it was "hard to find the motivation to get back on the horse" after completing the career grand slam at The Masters.
That should not be a problem this time and he kicks off this week’s selections at 6/1 with Bet365.
Truist Championship Betting Tips 1: Rory McIlroy 6/1 (3pts Win) - With Bet365
Truist Championship Betting Tips:
- Rory McIlroy 6/1 (3pts Win) - With Bet365
- Alex Smalley 66/1 (Each-Way) - With BetMGM (Six Places)
- Denny McCarthy 110/1 (Each-Way) - With Bet365 (Eight Places)
- Michael Kim 140/1 (Each-Way) - With Bet365 (Eight Places)
- Taylor Pendrith 9/2 Top 20 - With SpreadEx
Prices correct at time of publication 17.30 on May 5, 2026
Truist Championship Tips: Smalley Has Big Chance
The rest of The Panel’s picks from North Carolina are genuine outsiders, starting with Alex Smalley, who has never finished outside the top 30 on his two previous visits to Quail Hollow.
The American was inside the top 20 on his 2023 debut and last year tied for 28th as an alternate at the USPGA Championship where he was fifth after Thursday courtesy of an opening-round 67.
Smalley, who lives just a 90-minute drive away from Quail Hollow in Greensboro, has a decent all-round game and his recent form suggests he should go well on a course which demands exquisite approach play.
Having finished one shot behind the Fitzpatrick brothers alongside playing partner Hayden Springer at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Smalley was seventh at last week’s Cadillac Championship to make it four top 20s in his last 10 appearances.
Not only does Smalley rank 16th in the Strokes Gained: Approach standings and sit inside the top 25 from Tee-to-Green, his putting has also improved in the last couple of months.
At 66/1 with BetMGM, which is paying six places, Smalley has to be worth a shot on a course he won’t find overwhelming.
Truist Championship Betting Tips 2: Alex Smalley 66/1 (Each-Way) - With BetMGM (Six Places)
Truist Championship Predictions: McCarthy A Worthy Dark Horse
The Panel’s final two outright selections are generously priced at triple figures, starting with Denny McCarthy, whose previous two trips to Quail Hollow yielded top 10s.
Eighth in 2023 and sixth a year later, McCarthy was also inside the top 10 at last year’s USPGA at Quail Hollow, so this is clearly a venue he likes.
True, this season’s form has been nothing to write home about, but he was 12th at the Houston Open and last week’s performance was his third top 30 in five outings.
The last five winners at Quail have ranked either first or second for scrambling, something McCarthy excels at, and his putting has also been good this season.
His Tee-to-Green and Approach numbers could be better, but his Strokes Gained for the latter were positive at Doral.
All in all, McCarthy is decent value at 150/1 with Betfred, but The Panel are taking the 110/1 with Bet365 which is offering eight places.
Truist Championship Betting Tips 3: Denny McCarthy 110/1 (Each-Way) - With Bet365 (Eight Places)
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Truist Championship Betting Tips: Kim Hitting Peak Form
At even higher odds, Michael Kim also looks a lively outsider at 160/1, although once more The Panel are taking the safer option of 140/1 with Bet365, again with more places available.
Kim is on the fringe of breaking into the world’s top 40 on the back of a great April which saw him finish runner-up at the Texas Open, 25th at The Heritage and 18th at the Cadillac Championship.
Although he finished down the leaderboard at last year’s USPGA, he at least made the cut and he was seventh on this course three years ago.
Kim may not be the most consistent from tee to green or for approach, but his putting has been excellent this season.
He will need more than that if he is to be a contender, but he has done it before on this track and makes the squad at a big price.
Truist Championship Betting Tips 4: Michael Kim 140/1 (Each-Way) - With Bet365 (Eight Places)
Data always plays a big role in how I prepare to play a golf course. My 3 keys for this week at Quail Hollow that I’m focusing on today and tomorrow is drivers, 175-225 (7i-4i) and lag putting.
— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) May 5, 2026
I’ve always believed good data can give you an edge, but only if you can trust it.…
Truist Championship Top 20 Tips: Pick Pendrith
Taylor Pendrith can be backed at 125/1 this week, but instead The Panel prefer the Canadian in the top 20 market at 9/2 with SpreadEx.
Pendrith finished 10th in the final year of the Wells Fargo sponsorship and 12 months ago he posted a final-round 68 for fifth spot on this course – his best performance in a major.
He started the season with sixth at the Sony Open in Hawaii and although he has yet to post another top 20, he played reasonably well at Doral where his SG: Approach, Off-the-Tee and Tee-to-Green numbers were all positive.
Pendrith generally hits lots of greens and he is one of the longer players off the tee (312 yards average), but he has been let down by his putting.
Get that right and he can be a contender once again on a course where he tends to play well.
Truist Championship Betting Tips 5: Taylor Pendrith 9/2 Top 20 - With SpreadEx
Who do you think will win the Truist Championship? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!
