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The second men's major championship of the year has arrived as the game's best players have made their way to the Philadelphia area for the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.
Here's a look at 10 players to watch for this year's event:
The Texan’s 20th PGA Tour win at the 2026 American Express made the 29-year-old the third fastest to reach that plateau. His 20th also grants him a lifetime exemption on the PGA Tour. He is the 40th player to reach 20 wins. Scheffler, who turned pro in 2018 and joined the PGA Tour in 2020, reached win No. 20 in start No. 151. That trails only two legends of the game, as Jack Nicklaus needed 127 starts, and Tiger Woods, the lone golfer to do it in less than 100 starts.
McIlroy won the Masters earlier this year for the second straight time, and took a lengthy break after the win, even skipping consecutive signature events at the RBC Heritage and the Cadillac. He has a pair of PGA titles under his belt back in 2012 and 2014, but he hasn’t finished in the top 5 since.
After finishing in the top 10 in six of eight majors in 2024 and 2025, DeChambeau looked awkward at Augusta this April and missed the cut. His record indicates he’ll improve mightily, although it’s possible the uncertainty surrounding the future of LIV Golf could have been eating at him more than he insisted.
The Spaniard is LIV Golf's all-time earner at more than $80 million and he made more than $53 million on the PGA Tour before switching leagues. So Rahm isn’t fired up to play for the money, but after finishing outside the top 30 in each of the last two majors, expect him to come to Aronimink hunting for bear.
After winning the PGA at Valhalla in 2024, Schauffele added another major at the Open Championship. He hasn’t captured a major since, but he’s been a mainstay atop the leaderboard at each of them, including a T-9 finish at Augusta in April.
Before his victory at the 2025 Wyndham Championship, Young was atop most of the best-player-to-never-win-a-PGA-Tour-event lists. Now, he’s been shifted to the list of the best current players without a major. His victory at the Players Championships shows that Young has the game to stare down the world’s biggest players and come away with a win.
It’s been a great spring for Fitzpatrick, who captured the Valspar and the RBC Heritage as well as the Zurich Classic with his brother Alex. His lone major win came at the U.S. Open in 2022, but Fitzpatrick has finished in the top 8 in two of the last four PGA Championships.
Since returning from LIV Golf, Koepka has found the water a little rougher than expected, but nobody gets up for big events like the Florida State product. Koepka has hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy thrice, including his most recent victory in 2023 at Oak Hill near Rochester.
Although his lone major victory came at the Open Championship, it’s actually the PGA Championship where the affable Irishman has had his most top-10 finishes, including a T-4 at Kiawah Island back in 2021. Last year, he came to the PGA at No. 10 in the OWGR, the highest of his career, and while he’s slipped a bit since then, he’s still dangerous.
Each year, talk centers around Spieth getting another crack at completing the career grand slam, but truth be told, he hasn’t threatened at the event in 2019 at Bethpage, when he finished T-3. Spieth hasn’t cracked the top 25 since then, and although he still has the game to contend, finishing four rounds at Aronimink without a big number seems a tall task.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: PGA Championship: 10 golfers to watch
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Here's a look at 10 players to watch for this year's event:
Scottie Scheffler
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The Texan’s 20th PGA Tour win at the 2026 American Express made the 29-year-old the third fastest to reach that plateau. His 20th also grants him a lifetime exemption on the PGA Tour. He is the 40th player to reach 20 wins. Scheffler, who turned pro in 2018 and joined the PGA Tour in 2020, reached win No. 20 in start No. 151. That trails only two legends of the game, as Jack Nicklaus needed 127 starts, and Tiger Woods, the lone golfer to do it in less than 100 starts.
Rory McIlroy
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McIlroy won the Masters earlier this year for the second straight time, and took a lengthy break after the win, even skipping consecutive signature events at the RBC Heritage and the Cadillac. He has a pair of PGA titles under his belt back in 2012 and 2014, but he hasn’t finished in the top 5 since.
Bryson DeChambeau
After finishing in the top 10 in six of eight majors in 2024 and 2025, DeChambeau looked awkward at Augusta this April and missed the cut. His record indicates he’ll improve mightily, although it’s possible the uncertainty surrounding the future of LIV Golf could have been eating at him more than he insisted.
Jon Rahm
The Spaniard is LIV Golf's all-time earner at more than $80 million and he made more than $53 million on the PGA Tour before switching leagues. So Rahm isn’t fired up to play for the money, but after finishing outside the top 30 in each of the last two majors, expect him to come to Aronimink hunting for bear.
Xander Schauffele
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After winning the PGA at Valhalla in 2024, Schauffele added another major at the Open Championship. He hasn’t captured a major since, but he’s been a mainstay atop the leaderboard at each of them, including a T-9 finish at Augusta in April.
Cameron Young
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Before his victory at the 2025 Wyndham Championship, Young was atop most of the best-player-to-never-win-a-PGA-Tour-event lists. Now, he’s been shifted to the list of the best current players without a major. His victory at the Players Championships shows that Young has the game to stare down the world’s biggest players and come away with a win.
Matt Fitzpatrick
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It’s been a great spring for Fitzpatrick, who captured the Valspar and the RBC Heritage as well as the Zurich Classic with his brother Alex. His lone major win came at the U.S. Open in 2022, but Fitzpatrick has finished in the top 8 in two of the last four PGA Championships.
Brooks Koepka
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Since returning from LIV Golf, Koepka has found the water a little rougher than expected, but nobody gets up for big events like the Florida State product. Koepka has hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy thrice, including his most recent victory in 2023 at Oak Hill near Rochester.
Shane Lowry
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Although his lone major victory came at the Open Championship, it’s actually the PGA Championship where the affable Irishman has had his most top-10 finishes, including a T-4 at Kiawah Island back in 2021. Last year, he came to the PGA at No. 10 in the OWGR, the highest of his career, and while he’s slipped a bit since then, he’s still dangerous.
Jordan Spieth
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Each year, talk centers around Spieth getting another crack at completing the career grand slam, but truth be told, he hasn’t threatened at the event in 2019 at Bethpage, when he finished T-3. Spieth hasn’t cracked the top 25 since then, and although he still has the game to contend, finishing four rounds at Aronimink without a big number seems a tall task.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: PGA Championship: 10 golfers to watch
Continue reading...
