Jordan Spieth Chases Golf’s Elusive Grand Slam at 2025 PGA Championship

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2025 PGA Championship Player Profile Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth speaks with the media prior to the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 13, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Andrew Redington via Getty Images)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The air at Quail Hollow Club buzzed with anticipation this morning as Jordan Spieth stepped to the podium, his eyes glinting with the quiet fire of a man on a mission. The 2025 PGA Championship, set to unfold this week on the pristine fairways of this iconic venue, isn’t just another major for the 31-year-old Texan. It’s the final piece of a puzzle that could etch his name among golf’s immortals: the career Grand Slam.

Spieth, already a three-time major champion, needs only the PGA Championship to join the elite fraternity of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, and, as of last month, Rory McIlroy, who completed his own Grand Slam with a gritty triumph at the Masters. McIlroy’s victory, a hard-fought battle against Augusta’s unrelenting pressure, looms large in Spieth’s mind as he prepares to tackle Quail Hollow, a course that demands precision and resilience.

“It’s always circled on the calendar,” Spieth said during a press conference Tuesday morning, his voice steady but charged with purpose.

“For me, if I could only win one tournament for the rest of my life, I’d pick this one for that reason. Obviously, watching Rory win after giving it a try for a number of years was inspiring.”

2025 PGA Championship Player Profile Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth looks on from the sixth tee prior to the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 13, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Maddie Meyer for PGA of America/PGA of America via Getty Images)

McIlroy’s Masters win, his first major title since 2014, was a masterclass in perseverance. The Northern Irishman, long haunted by near-misses in his quest to complete the Grand Slam, clawed his way to victory, fending off a stacked leaderboard and his own demons. Spieth, a keen observer, noted the toll it took.

“You could tell it was a harder win,” he said. “Most of the time he makes it look a lot easier, so that obviously was on the forefront of his mind.”

The career Grand Slam is a feat so rare it’s been accomplished only six times in golf’s modern era.

“Something like that has not been done by many people, and there’s a reason why,” Spieth said, acknowledging the crucible of pressure, skill, and fortune required. Yet, the three-time major champion thrives in such moments. His knack for improbable escapes and clutch heroics has defined his career.

Quail Hollow, hosting its second PGA Championship, is a fitting stage for Spieth’s quest. The 7,600-yard, par-71 layout, with its punishing Green Mile finish, rewards aggressive play but penalizes the slightest misstep. Spieth, who finished T28 here in 2017, knows the course’s demands intimately.

2025 PGA Championship Player Profile Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth plays a shot from a bunker on the fifth hole prior to the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 13, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Maddie Meyer for PGA of America/PGA of America via Getty Images)

“There’s a number of great golf courses that we play, and this is one of them. You’ll get guys shooting 5-, 6-, 7-under, and you’ll get guys shooting 5-, 6-, 7-over,” Spieth said.

“There’s no faking it. The rough is up a little more than what we normally see when we come here during the season. A little more premium on the fairways. Trying to find greens in regulation will be my goal.”

After undergoing offseason surgery to repair a wrist injury, Spieth’s 2025 season has been a mixed bag — flashes of vintage Spieth tempered by inconsistency.

“Less and less as the year has gone on, which is great,” he said, when asked about the surgery’s lingering effects.

“It’s hard to tell if it was preventing anything that I could or couldn’t do, so I’m not going to say that it’s everything. But just the ease of not worrying about it dislocating, I guess, or subluxing, I think, is the term for this specific, is really nice.”

2025 PGA Championship Player Profile Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth warms up at the driving range prior to the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 12, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Alex Slitz via Getty Images)

A run of four straight top-20 finishes, including a T14 at the Masters and solo fourth at the Byron Nelson, showed Spieth’s game trending at an opportune time, but a T34 last week in Philadelphia raised more questions about his form.

Still, Spieth’s major pedigree is undeniable: he’s notched three wins and nine other top-10 finishes, including a runner-up and T3 in the PGA Championship.

The field at Quail Hollow is stacked, with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, and a resurgent Justin Thomas all vying for the Wanamaker Trophy. McIlroy, fresh off his Grand Slam coronation, looms as a top favorite on a course where he’s won four times. Yet Spieth, with his boyish grin and steely resolve, remains a dangerous contender. His ability to summon magic in the clutch makes him a threat to rewrite history.

“I’d love to throw my hat in the ring and give it a chance come the weekend,” Spieth said, a nod to the marathon mindset required to conquer a major. For Spieth, the PGA Championship isn’t just about lifting a trophy; it’s about claiming a legacy. As the golf world watches, the kid from Dallas is ready to take his shot at immortality.

The opening round tees off Thursday. If Spieth’s past is any indication, expect the unexpected.

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