The 2026 PGA Championship is set to be a thrilling event, with a star-studded field taking on the challenging Aronimink Golf Club. The tournament promises to be a showcase of the world's best golfers, with a mix of established stars and rising talents. Here's a deep dive into the rankings and what it means for the upcoming major.
The Top Contenders
Cameron Young - The hottest player on the tour, Young has two wins and a T-3 finish at the Masters in his last five starts. He's the Tour's leader in par-3 scoring and ranks top 5 in strokes gained off the tee and proximity. It's time for him to claim his first major title.
Scottie Scheffler - Despite being the reigning PGA champion, Scheffler is currently fourth in Data Golf's trend table. He's third in strokes gained off the tee and around the green, but his iron-play proximity is a concern.
Jon Rahm - Rahm has dominated LIV with two wins and a second in his last four starts. However, his T-38 at the Masters shows that his success isn't translating to majors. Still, he's one of the best all-around players and will be competing on a course that rewards complete players.
Ludvig Åberg - Åberg has cracked the top 5 in four of his last six starts and is top 10 in total driving, proximity, approaches over 200 yards, and par-3 scoring. He's another contender for his first major title.
Rory McIlroy - McIlroy is the best driver of the golf ball and is top 10 in strokes gained approach. However, his putting hasn't been great, which could cost him. His inconsistent play at Quail is a concern, but he was fifth at Aronimink in 2018.
Rising Stars and Dark Horses
Matthew Fitzpatrick - Fitzpatrick has won three of his past five starts and is improving his putting. He's also showing career-best ball-striking numbers.
Patrick Reed - Reed has cracked the top 20 at three of his last six PGAs and drove it well at Augusta. If he can replicate that performance here, he'll be a contender.
Adam Scott - Scott has put together some great rounds and leads the Tour in strokes gained approach. He's also second in par-3 scoring.
Xander Schauffele - Schauffele has been in great form since Pebble Beach with five top-12 finishes. However, he struggled at Quail and hasn't been good on the par-3s.
Rickie Fowler - Fowler is displaying some of the best golf of his career, riding elite iron play to three straight top-10s. His putter has been consistent, and he has a top-10 finish at Aronimink in 2018.
The Long Shot
- Collin Morikawa - Morikawa had a T-7 finish at the Masters and a T-4 at the RBC Heritage. He's healthy and will be fine, but his putter could be a concern.
The Underdogs
Jake Knapp - Knapp has yet to make a cut in two career PGA starts, but his solo 11th at the Masters shows he's ready to contend.
Brooks Koepka - Koepka is striking it at a high level and his putter is slowly getting more reliable. He's in a great headspace and will be a factor if he starts seeing putts fall.
The Dark Horses
Bryson DeChambeau - DeChambeau is back on track at LIV Virginia and has been top 4 in four of his past five PGA starts. However, there's too much noise surrounding him, both on and off the course.
Patrick Cantlay - Cantlay is riding a run of four straight top-12 finishes. His waywardness off the tee should be mitigated, and he's top 20 in strokes gained off the tee. He also plays the par-3s at a top-10 rate on Tour.
The Long-Shot Contenders
Si Woo Kim - Kim is a statistical darling going into majors, but he has rarely contended in them. His T-65 at Quail is a concern.
Thomas Detry - Detry is a strong play for low LIV player, as he's finished top 10 in four of his last five LIV appearances.
The Underdogs
Min Woo Lee - Lee is another guy who the model loves more than he performs in majors. He's top 10 in total driving and has no real glaring weaknesses.
Alex Smalley - Smalley ranks top 10 on Tour in proximity and is trending with seven top-25s in his last nine starts.
Russell Henley - Henley hasn't been elite with the long irons this season, but he had one of his best iron weeks at the Masters and was T-3.
The Long-Shot Contenders
Tyrrell Hatton - Hatton has been T-16 or better five times in majors since joining LIV, including last month's T-3 at the Masters. He fits this golf course well.
Sudarshan Yellamaraju - Yellamaraju is the best long-iron player on Tour right now and nearly top 10 in total driving. He checks a lot of boxes.
Alex Fitzpatrick - Fitzpatrick is riding the hot hand and would lead the Tour in strokes gained off the tee if he qualified. He flushes his irons and has top-10s in two straight tournaments.
The Underdogs
Nicolai Højgaard - Højgaard loved what he saw at Truist, with a pair of runners-up in his last five starts. He's been above average statistically and really good with his irons.
Tommy Fleetwood - Fleetwood has had a great run with a T-5 at Truist, his fifth top-10 in his last nine starts. He has one career top-15 at the PGA, but he was eighth at Aronimink in 2018.
The Dark Horses
Viktor Hovland - Hovland hasn't had a top-10 finish since Phoenix, but he's managed to show up in the majors. He has missed just four major cuts and has cracked the top 30 in four of his last five PGA starts.
Chris Gotterup - Gotterup has some momentum back after a rough ball-striking week at Doral and is top 10 in strokes gained off the tee.
Sepp Straka - Straka had a great opening 66 at Truist and is top 5 in par-3 scoring and approach proximity. His iron play will show up.
Hideki Matsuyama - Matsuyama has fallen off since his T-12 at the Masters, but he typically finds a way when you least expect it. He's so good with the long irons and on par-3s.
The Long-Shot Contenders
- Akshay Bhatia - Bhatia has no top-10s since winning API, but he's one of the best scramblers in the world. His approach play has been top 15 this season.
The Rest of the Field
The rest of the field includes a mix of established stars and rising talents, with a few club pros making the cut. The final 20 spots are reserved for the Corebridge Financial Team, as club pros rarely make the cut.
