Buoyed by finally becoming the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam, McIlroy arrives at Quail Hollow looking for another slice of history.
Only Ben Hogan (1953), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Tiger Woods (2002) and Jordan Spieth (2015) have won the first two majors of the calendar year and the Northern Irishman could hardly ask for a better venue for that pursuit.
McIlroy won his maiden PGA Tour title at Quail Hollow in 2010 and has since racked up three more wins at the North Carolina course including when he set a course record 10-under 61 in the third round in 2015 on the way to victory at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Should McIlroy succeed he would also become the first non-American winner of the US PGA Championship since Australia’s Jason Day lifted the Wanamaker Trophy in 2015 at Whistling Straits.
A year on from being arrested and warming up for his second round by stretching in a jail cell, Scheffler heads the list of bookmakers’ favourites along with McIlroy.
The 28-year-old American has found some recent form after his start to this season was delayed by a hand injury suffered while preparing Christmas dinner.
Last year’s Masters champion was three shots adrift of McIlroy at Augusta National in April but followed that with an emphatic victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. His 31 under par total equalled the record for the lowest 72-hole score in PGA Tour history as he romped to an eight-shot win.
However, there are potential winners everywhere in the 156-man field including an in-form Justin Thomas.
The 32-year-old arrives in Charlotte after ending a three-year drought for a tournament victory at the RBC Heritage in April and following that up with a second-place at the Truist Championship.
The American also won the first of his two US PGA titles at Quail Hollow in 2017 and won four of his five matches in the 2022 Presidents Cup at the same venue.
Schauffele is bidding to win his third major title as he looks to become the event’s first repeat winner since Brooks Koepka in 2019.
His US Ryder Cup team-mate Jordan Spieth will make a ninth attempt to claim the fourth and final leg of the Grand Slam, since claiming his third major at the 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale.
Before last week’s Truist Championship he had recorded four straight top-20 finishes and closed with a bogey-free 62 in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, his lowest round for four years.
Ludvig Aberg’s power with his driver could prove advantageous in only his sixth appearance at a major, while England’s Justin Rose will hope to go one better after losing to McIlroy in a play-off at the Masters.
Two-time major winner Collin Morikawa cannot be underestimated as he looks to build on a solid opening to the season which has seen him post two second-place finishes on the PGA Tour.
Meanwhile, 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry climbed into the world’s top 10 despite falling short on the closing holes at the Truist Championship.
Each of the past nine US PGA Championships have been won by Americans, with Jimmy Walker, Thomas, Koepka in successive years, Morikawa, Phil Mickelson, Thomas, Keopka and Schauffele claiming the titles.
It is the longest such streak at this championship since a 10-year run from 1980 to 1989.
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