• Xander Schauffele defends his title at the PGA Championship alongside Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
• McIlroy aims for success after winning the Masters and completing his career Grand Slam.
• Wet conditions from recent rains may favor big hitters as the tournament kicks off.
• Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth also compete, with Spieth seeking to secure his own Grand Slam.
• European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald struck the first shot of the tournament.

Xander Schauffele will launch his PGA Championship title defence on Thursday at Quail Hollow Club, playing alongside world number two Rory McIlroy and world number one Scottie Scheffler. This highly anticipated grouping features the top three players in the world and starts at 8:22 a.m. ET (1222 GMT). Schauffele is looking to become the first repeat winner since Brooks Koepka retained the title in 2019, while McIlroy is coming off his victory at the Masters, completing his career Grand Slam of golf's four majors, according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.

The tournament opens amid sunny skies but soggy course conditions due to significant rainfall earlier in the week. The par-71 layout, stretching over 7,626 yards, is playing longer than usual, which may favor the power hitters. As the week progresses, conditions are expected to firm up, with all eyes on McIlroy, who has won four times at this venue. Scheffler has also been in form, recently matching the PGA Tour's 72-hole scoring record, according to BBC and Channel News Asia.

Notable players starting later include Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. Thomas, a two-time PGA Championship winner, previously triumphed at Quail Hollow in 2017. Meanwhile, Spieth is attempting to secure the only major title missing from his resume, desperately seeking the career Grand Slam. The first shot of the tournament was struck by European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who teed off at 7:00 a.m. with Padraig Harrington and Martin Kaymer, according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.