Sunday Matters: Why you need to see the PGA Tour's Truist Championship

The frontrunner: Alex Fitzpatrick

Alex Fitzpatrick of England walks the second hole during the third round of the Truist Championship 2026 at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 09, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Alex Fitzpatrick has to be pinching himself right now. Less than a month ago, he was grinding away on the DP World Tour. Now, he's a PGA Tour winner and finds himself on the cusp of a second victory in the span of just three weeks.

Fitzpatrick earned his Tour card by winning the Zurich Classic, a team event, alongside his brother, Matt, who's ranked No. 4 in the world. Alex is already making the most of that incredible, career-making performance last month in New Orleans. He finished tied for ninth at the Cadillac Championship in Miami last week and enters the final round of the Truist Championship as the solo leader, one shot clear of the field. He made eight birdies at Quail Hollow on Saturday en route to a 7-under 64 and a spot in the final pairing on Sunday's tee sheet.

Alex has spent much of his golfing life watching his older brother triumph at big tournaments, like the 2022 U.S. Open or the three PGA Tour wins Matt has already racked up this season. But Alex now looks to make his own stamp on the game, and here's a mind-boggling stat for you: If Alex wins the Truist Championship, the Fitzpatrick brothers will have accounted for about 30 percent of all PGA Tour victories in 2026. This incredible story could become even more unbelievable with another solid round from Alex on Sunday at Quail Hollow.

The challengers: Kristoffer Reitan, Cameron Young

Kristoffer Reitan of Norway hits a tee shot on the sixth hole during the third round of the Truist Championship 2026 at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 09, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Kristoffer Reitan is making just his 15th start on the PGA Tour and he's in position to capture his first win. But that isn't exactly unfamiliar territory for the 28-year-old Norwegian.

Reitan finished tied for 10th at the Valero Texas Open in March before making the cut at the Masters and then placing T-2 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside his teammate, Kris Ventura. A three-time winner around the globe, Reitan has all the tools to be a mainstay on Tour for years to come, and he's showing that so far at the Truist Championship, where he shot bogey-free 64 on Saturday to follow up rounds of 66 and 70 over the first two days. If he can get the job done at Quail Hollow, he'll become just the second Norwegian player to ever win on the PGA Tour, joining his good friend, Viktor Hovland.

Cameron Young hits a tee shot on the second hole during the third round of the Truist Championship 2026 at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 09, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Scottie Scheffler is still No. 1 in the OWGR by a significant margin, but there's an argument to be made that Cameron Young is, at this very moment, the best golfer on the planet.

He won the Players Championship in clutch, dramatic fashion back in March, finished T-3 at the Masters in April, and then made the Blue Monster look easy as he dusted the field at the Cadillac Championship last week. Now, he's right back at the top of the leaderboard again at Quail Hollow. Young fired an 8-under 63 in Saturday's third round, making seven birdies and an eagle to offset his lone bogey at the 18th. He won't be in the final pairing Sunday, which could bode well for him. If he starts making some noise, it could put some serious pressure and nervous thoughts in the heads of Fitzpatrick and Reitan.

The reasonable longshot: Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas looks on while playing the ninth hole during the third round of the Truist Championship 2026 at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 09, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Justin Thomas played a rollercoaster round of golf Saturday, making four bogeys and six birdies on his way to signing for 2-under 69. He'll enter the final round five shots off the lead at 9 under.

This is just the seventh start of the season for Thomas, who spent the first two months of the year recovering from a back surgery. He's made the cut in all but one start, with his best finish coming in the form of a T-8 at the Players Championship. He hasn't won since the 2025 RBC Heritage more than a year ago, but what makes Thomas a great long-shot pick is the fact that he's tasted victory at Quail Hollow before, in the 2017 PGA Championship, the first major title of his career. Good vibes can lead to good scores, and there's no doubt Thomas has good vibes at Quail Hollow. Don't be surprised if he makes a charge Sunday.

The weather: A better outlook for Sunday

A general view of the 15th hole during the first round of the Truist Championship 2026 at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 07, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Mother Nature has posed issues all week at the Truist Championship, with weather delays on Thursday and Saturday forcing tee times to get pushed back. Fortunately, Sunday's forecast looks much better. There is no chance of precipitation all day, according to AccuWeather, with partly cloudy skies expected for the final round at Quail Hollow. It will be hot and muggy, though, with temperatures in the low 80s and the heat index exceeding 90 degrees.

The holes to watch: Nos. 16-18

The nickname for E Block at fictional Cold Mountain Penitentiary is "The Green Mile," named for the lime-green linoleum of the floor, replacing the traditional common phrase for death row, which is known as “The Last Mile," writes Golfweek's Adam Schupak.

A general view of the 17th hole during the second round of the Truist Championship 2026 at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 08, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

At Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, the emerald stretch beginning at the 16th tee and ending at the 18th green has adopted the Green Mile name from the 1999 prison movie based on a Stephen King novel. It doesn’t compare to the electric chair, but it’s become the most brutal closing stretch on the PGA Tour. It’s where this week’s Truist Championship, a signature event with a 72-man field and a purse of $20 million, likely will be won or lost.

It starts with the par-4 16th, which measures over 530 yards. The approach shot is daunting, with water both long and left and a bunker on the front-right side. The 17th is a par 3 that can play as long as 200 yards depending on where the tees are set up. The tee shot requires a full carry over the water, and any miss short or left will surely be wet. Then the 18th is another par 4 that nears 500 yards when tipped out. A creek runs all the way up the left side, spelling trouble for any left miss off the tee or on approach, and the right side of the green is guarded by a pair of large bunkers.

The course: Quail Hollow is a staple of American golf

Originally designed by George Cobb and later reworked by several architectural masters, Quail Hollow, which opened in 1961, features a wonderful mix of doglegs veering off in all directions, writes Golfweek's Jason Lusk. Championship contenders must work the ball, curving their shots to match the fairways’ frequent bends while avoiding overhanging branches and vibrant rough.

The course received some changes in 1986 by Arnold Palmer and has since been overhauled by Tom Fazio in series of renovations. It's now viewed as one of the premier golf courses in America. In 2025, it clocked in at No. 58 among Golfweek's Top 200 Modern Courses in the U.S.

A general view of the 18th hole green during the second round of the Truist Championship 2026 at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 08, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Quail Hollow has a long history of hosting top-tier professional events. In addition to the 2017 PGA Championship won by Justin Thomas and the 2025 PGA Championship won by Scottie Scheffler, the venue has played host to the 2022 Presidents Cup and a PGA Tour event most years since 2003.

The list of winners at Quail Hollow, their names on plaques affixed to an outside fireplace at the course’s turn, reads like an entry list to golf’s Hall of Fame. Tom Weiskopf won here three times. Raymond Floyd, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, Jason Day. Tiger Woods in 2007. And, of course, Rory McIlroy, who has prevailed at Quail Hollow four times, including in 2024. All of them and plenty more are elite ball strikers who could bend a ball at will.

Previous signature winners

Here's a quick rundown of the players who have emerged victorious at the five PGA Tour signature events so far in 2026:

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Collin Morikawa

Collin Morikawa poses with the trophy during the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Genesis Invitational: Jacob Bridgeman

Jacob Bridgeman of the United States reacts to his winning putt on the 18th green with his caddie G.W. Cable during the final round of The Genesis Invitational 2026 at Riviera Country Club on February 22, 2026 in Pacific Palisades, California.

Arnold Palmer Invitational: Akshay Bhatia

Akshay Bhatia of the United States kisses the trophy after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard 2026 in a playoff at Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Golf Course on March 08, 2026 in Orlando, Florida.

RBC Heritage: Matt Fitzpatrick

Matthew Fitzpatrick of England celebrates after winning the RBC Heritage 2026 at Harbour Town Golf Links on April 19, 2026 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Cadillac Championship: Cameron Young

Cameron Young of the United States lifts the trophy after winning the final round of the Cadillac Championship 2026 at Trump National Doral Miami on May 03, 2026 in Doral, Florida.

Remaining PGA Tour signature events

Golfweek senior PGA Tour writer Adam Schupak and Golfweek travel editor Jason Lusk contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Sunday Matters: Why you need to see the PGA Tour's Truist Championship