Reason the PGA Championship isn't played at the same course each year like the Masters is

The 2025 tees off at Quail Hollow on Thursday, with a field of 156 professionals vying for major glory.

The tournament lands as the second major of the golfing calendar, following on from April's and preceding June's and the in July. And while there are many similarities between the US PGA and the Masters that always comes before – including the ability for golfers from the , and to come together and compete alongside one another – there is one major difference.

That is how the Masters is always played at the same course, while the other majors are not.

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As many fans will know, the Masters always takes place on the famed fairways and greens of Georgia's , however, the PGA Championship – along with the US Open and the Open – change home each and every year. But why is this?

It all dates back to the creation of the Masters. Amateur golfer Bobby Jones – who was born in Atlanta, Georgia, spotted a plant nursery in the nearby Augusta that he thought would be a brilliant space for a course.

As per Golf Monthly, Jones said of the plot: "I shall never forget my first visit to Augusta National. The long lane of magnolias through which we approached was beautiful... but when I walked out on the grass terrace under the big trees behind the house and looked down over the property, the experience was unforgettable.

"Indeed, it even looked as though it were already a golf course." Alongside Alister MacKenzie, he designed the course that later became Augusta National, with a vision for an invitation-only event to be played there. Construction began on the course in 1931 before it was complete the following year, with the Masters seeing its first tournament at Augusta National in 1934.

An invite-only event with a smaller field, the Masters was turned into a major in 1960 due to the tradition surrounding the event – and organisers announced that it would continue to be held at the course it was conceived on every year.

Fast forward to 2025, and it's a tradition that still rings true, with professional golfers from all walks of life dreaming of playing at the famed course and acquiring the coveted Green Jacket which is awarded to winners. at Augusta, doing so in historic fashion.

After sweeping up titles at the PGA Championship, the US Open and the Open, the Green Jacket was the only major accolade that had eluded him through the course of his career. And after a nail-biting play-off of the 18th against , McIlroy etched his name into the annals of history by completing the career Grand Slam by finally earning his win on the 17th time of asking.

For his efforts, he joined an incredibly exclusive club made up of just , , , , and in completing the career Grand Slam - a feat that many professional golfers will only ever dream of given the stiff competition surrounding them week in, week out.

It comes as McIlroy will hope to double down in terms of majors at this week's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, after seeing success on the very same course at last year's Wells Fargo Championship (renamed as the Truist Championship this year). There, he ran out victorious after registering a total score of 17-under-par – five strokes clear of .

Last year's PGA Championship, of course, was played at Kentucky's Valhalla Golf Club, while it was contested at the Oak Hill Country Club in New York the year prior. The last time the event was played at Quail Hollow came in 2017, when clinched a win with a margin of two strokes over , , and .