The PGA Tour has a funny way of making everything feel new and old at the same time. This year, we aren't heading to the familiar, tree-lined corridors of Quail Hollow for the event formerly known as the Wells Fargo. Instead, the Truist Championship has packed its bags and moved north to the Philadelphia Cricket Club. It’s a one-off detour because Quail Hollow is busy prepping for the PGA Championship, but honestly, this change of scenery is exactly what the mid-season grind needed.
If you’re looking at the Truist Championship power rankings, you have to throw out half of what you know about the "Green Mile" in Charlotte. We’re dealing with the Wissahickon Course now. It’s an A.W. Tillinghast masterpiece—shorter, tighter, and way more focused on who can hit a precise wedge than who can bomb a 340-yard drive into the stratosphere.
The field is stacked. Since this is a Signature Event, we’ve got a $20 million purse and a limited field of around 70-80 players. No cut. No Friday afternoon heartbreak for the guys sitting at +3. Just four days of elite golf in a city that usually saves its intensity for the Eagles.
The Top Five: Truist Championship Power Rankings
Ranking these guys is getting harder because the hierarchy on Tour is shifting almost weekly. Scottie Scheffler is taking the week off, which opens a massive door for everyone else. Here is how the top of the board looks heading into the Wissahickon test.
1. Rory McIlroy
It’s impossible to put anyone else at the top. Rory has owned this tournament in its previous iterations, winning it four times. While those wins came in North Carolina, he’s coming off a massive 2025 where he already bagged The Masters. He’s playing with a level of "house money" confidence we haven't seen in a decade.
Rory’s game travels. Even on a shorter course like Philly Cricket Club, his ability to exert pressure with his approach play is unmatched. He’s the defending champion, and until someone proves they can handle the Sunday pressure better than him this season, he stays at number one.
2. Justin Thomas
JT finally broke his winless drought recently at the RBC Heritage, and he looks like a man possessed. He’s historically been a "streaky" player—once he finds the winner’s circle, he tends to stay near it for a month or two.
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The Wissahickon Course is a par 70 that measures just over 7,100 yards. That plays right into Thomas’s hands. He’s arguably the best creative iron player in the world, and on a Tillinghast layout where you have to shape shots into small greens, he’s going to be dangerous.
3. Collin Morikawa
If this tournament were being played at a wide-open bomber's track, Morikawa might slide down a few spots. But Philly is an "accuracy first" kind of place. Collin has a new caddie, Joe Greiner (who used to loop for Max Homa), and the immediate results have been promising.
He’s currently ranking near the top of the Tour in Strokes Gained: Approach. If his putter is even remotely lukewarm, he’s a lock for a top-five finish. He’s the "boring" pick because he just hits fairways and greens, but boring wins trophies on classic courses.
4. Xander Schauffele
Xander is the ultimate bridesmaid lately, but his consistency is terrifying. He’s finished in the top 20 in nearly every start this year. He hasn't quite had that "killer" Sunday yet in 2025, but his statistical profile has no weaknesses. He’s good out of the sand, great from the fairway, and a solid putter. At some point, the dam has to break.
5. Sepp Straka
The "Georgia-Austrian" is having a career year. He already won the Truist Championship once (back when it was the 2025 edition in some people's books) and he’s proving that his win at The American Express wasn't a fluke. Straka is a ball-striking machine. He doesn't get rattled, and his game is built for the tough, par-saving grinds that Tillinghast courses demand.
Why Philadelphia Cricket Club Changes Everything
Most PGA Tour stops feel like they were built in a lab to test ball speed. The Wissahickon Course is different. It’s historic. It’s moody.
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The course underwent a massive restoration in 2014 to bring back the original 1922 vision. What does that mean for your Truist Championship power rankings? It means you should value "scrambling" and "bogey avoidance" over raw power.
- The Greens: They are undulating and fast. If you miss on the wrong side, you’re looking at a 60-foot putt that might roll off the green.
- The Rough: It’s thick, penal, and sticky.
- The Par 3s: Tillinghast was famous for his difficult par 3s. These aren't "gimme" holes; they are defensive stands where par feels like a birdie.
Basically, if a player is struggling with their short game right now, they are going to have a miserable time in Philly. This is why guys like Russell Henley and Shane Lowry are popular "dark horse" picks this week—they thrive when the conditions require a bit of grit.
Underdogs and Value Picks to Watch
Beyond the big names, there are a few players who fit this specific course profile perfectly.
Corey Conners is the name everyone is whispering about. He’s essentially a Morikawa-lite. He hits nearly 70% of his greens in regulation. In a Signature Event with a limited field, a guy who stays out of the trees and on the short grass has a massive advantage.
Viktor Hovland is another one. He’s been on a bit of a rollercoaster with his swing changes lately, but he showed signs of life at the Valspar. If Hovland’s chipping holds up—which has always been his Achilles' heel—his ball-striking is good enough to win by five.
The "Rory Factor" and the Signature Event Pressure
There is a lot of talk about whether the Signature Event format is working. With $20 million on the line and no cut, some critics say the intensity isn't there.
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Tell that to the guys on the bubble.
The Truist Championship serves as a vital jumping-off point for the rest of the summer. A win here worth 700 FedEx Cup points basically punches your ticket to the Tour Championship in East Lake. For someone like Ludvig Åberg, who has been slightly inconsistent of late, this week is about proving he belongs in the same breath as Scheffler and McIlroy.
Åberg is an interesting case for the power rankings. He’s arguably the most talented young player on the planet, but his iron play (ranked 110th in SG: Approach) has been leaky. On a course like this, you can't fake it. He’ll either figure it out and dominate, or he’ll be fighting for a T-40 finish.
Actionable Strategy for Following the Tournament
If you’re tracking the Truist Championship power rankings for your fantasy lineup or just to stay informed, keep these three things in mind:
- Monitor the Morning Wave: Philadelphia weather in May can be fickle. If the wind picks up in the afternoon, the scoring gap between the early and late starters will be huge.
- Focus on "Proximity to Hole": Total driving distance won't win this week. Look at the players who excel from 125-150 yards. That’s the "scoring zone" at Wissahickon.
- Watch the Par 4s: This is a par 70. There are only two par 5s to take advantage of. The winner will be the person who plays the difficult par 4s at even par or better for the week.
The move to Philadelphia is a breath of fresh air. It’s a classic "old school" test that rewards patience over ego. While Rory is the logical favorite, don't be surprised if a "tactician" like Justin Thomas or Collin Morikawa ends up holding the trophy on Sunday.
To stay ahead of the curve, check the official PGA Tour tee times on Wednesday afternoon to see which favorites are grouped together, as the energy in those "super groups" often dictates the early leaderboard pace. Focus your attention on players who have historically performed well on other Tillinghast designs, such as Bethpage Black or Winged Foot, as the architectural DNA is very similar.