Just two hours will separate the first and last groups teeing off at Quail Hollow on Thursday. This tighter schedule is more than a simple change. On Wednesday, the PGA Tour said tee times for the first two rounds of the Truist Championship will now run from about 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. All 72 players will go out in groups of three from both the first and tenth tees. The reason is simple: bad weather is expected later in the day. But this two-hour window also removes something the Tour rarely mentions, the draw advantage that has quietly influenced Thursday scores for years.
The PGA Tour announced the change through its official channels, pointing to bad weather in Thursday’s forecast. The move to threesomes off split tees, instead of the usual twosomes from one hole, is a routine step to get everyone around before conditions get worse. It does the job, but it also removes some of the usual advantages and makes the field more even.
Normally, players with early tee times on Thursday have a small but real advantage, about 0.15 to 0.20 strokes—thanks to softer greens and calmer winds. When the schedule is compressed, that edge disappears. Everyone faces the same conditions, and the draw no longer matters. Now, it comes down to who can handle a tight, possibly interrupted round at one of the toughest stops on Tour.
Due to impending inclement weather in Thursday’s forecast, tee times for the first and second round of the Truist Championship will be adjusted to approximately 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET in groups of three off Nos. 1 and 10.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) May 6, 2026
Quail Hollow is a test even in perfect weather. The course is a par 71, runs 7,583 yards, and played nearly three-quarters of a stroke over par at the last Truist in 2024. The final three holes, the Green Mile, have ended plenty of strong runs. With the weather in the mix, mental toughness becomes just as important as ball-striking. Players who can handle delays and a broken rhythm will have the advantage.
Tournament officials pushed the first-round tee times to 11:09 AM for the 2025 Truist Championship because of weather concerns. This marks the second year in a row the Tour has made this change at the same event.
Friday brings more uncertainty. The forecast calls for widespread rain, possible lightning, and likely delays, putting Round 2 at the most risk in the four-day schedule. The PGA Tour has not made any early changes for Friday yet, but more adjustments could happen if the weather gets worse. The real question is not if the weather will affect play, but how much of Round 2 will be completed.
This uncertainty also affects viewers at home, since the broadcast schedule is just as vulnerable to changes.
Truist Championship broadcast schedule faces its own compression
Golf Channel’s broadcast window is set from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday, following the old tee time model. But with the new, compressed schedule and players starting between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., most of the action will finish before the cameras are even rolling. The channel might catch a few late groups or delays, but for the most part, it will miss the main event.
ESPN+ starts streaming at 7:30 a.m. ET and covers featured groups and holes all day. This is the only way to watch live golf during the early rounds. CBS takes over on the weekend, with Saturday split between Golf Channel and CBS, and Sunday following the same pattern. Paramount+ will simulcast the CBS coverage. For Thursday and Friday, viewers looking for live action will need to turn to ESPN+. The traditional broadcast window will not deliver what most fans expect.
The weekend weather looks clear. Saturday will be the windiest day, with gusts up to 15 mph, but no rain is in the forecast. Sunday should be the calmest day of the tournament. How the first two rounds finish, whether without interruption or broken up by delays, will decide how the weekend unfolds. The Tour has set its schedule, but the weather will decide the rest.
