It has been only a month since Rory McIlroy received his second consecutive inexperienced jacket on the Masters on April twelfth.
However because the world’s greatest gamers collect at Aronimink Golf Membership in suburban Philadelphia for the 108th PGA Championship, which begins Thursday, it appears like a giant change has taken place on this planet of males’s skilled golf.
It will likely be the primary time golfers from each the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League will play collectively since Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund introduced April 30 that it could not fund the latter circuit after this season.
Eleven LIV golfers are taking part, together with previous main champions Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm. Two-time PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson will miss his second consecutive main match this season because of household well being points.
Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 golfer, is the defending champion. He got here away with a five-stroke victory final 12 months at Quail Hole Membership in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Aronimink Golf Membership final hosted the PGA Championship in 1962, when Gary Participant received by one stroke.
The final golfer to qualify for the 155-man subject was Brant Snedeker, 45, who received his tenth PGA Tour victory Sunday on the ONEFlight Myrtle Seaside Traditional. Snedeker ended a winless drought that had lasted greater than seven years.
Norway’s Christopher Reitan had already certified after successful his first PGA Tour victory on the Turist Championship at Quail Hole on Sunday.
This is a take a look at this week’s subject for the second main of the season, from clear favorites to sleepers.
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clear favourite
Welcome, Cameron Younger and Matt Fitzpatrick, to the quick listing of candidates to win the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday. Scheffler and McIlroy are perennially on the prime of the game, however Younger and Fitzpatrick have performed higher than anybody else this season. Younger can be aiming for his first main championship this week.
Scotty Scheffler
Regardless of issues about Scheffler’s kind, the world’s No. 1 golfer completed second in three consecutive tournaments, together with the Masters. He turns into the primary golfer to perform that since Sergio Garcia in 2014. Scheffler leads the tour in strokes gained (2.056 whole), factors averaged (69.37) and birdies averaged (5.03). He’ll win once more quickly – maybe this week.
Rory McIlroy
McIlroy mentioned he felt higher after successful the Masters for the second time than he did final 12 months, when he didn’t win once more on tour. Lowry has began simply six video games this season. He has received the PGA Championship twice, most just lately in 2014 at Valhalla Golf Membership in Louisville, Kentucky. He’s attempting to turn out to be the primary participant since Jack Nicklaus in 1975 to win the Masters and the PGA Championship in the identical 12 months two years in a row.
Cameron Younger
A person who could not win on the PGA Tour has found out how one can putt. He received the Cadillac Championship wire-to-wire, by six strokes, for the third time since August. He appears to be like able to tackle The Gamers in March and win the most important trophy of all time.
matt fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick is the one three-time winner on tour this season, with first place finishes on the Valspar Championship, RBC Heritage and the Zurich Traditional in New Orleans (alongside along with his brother Alex). He has risen to 4th place on this planet rankings and is aiming for his second main victory.
Those that can win
Different reliable candidates to win Sunday’s Wanamaker Trophy are: They’ve the sport, guts and nerve to play 4 high-pressure rounds.
Xander Schauffele
Schauffele, who received the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla, has been on a roll since early February. He climbed again into the OWGR prime 10. He loves Donald Ross’ designs, received at East Lake and tied for third on the 2018 BMW Championship at Aronimink. He ranks third on tour in scrambles, which can be vital this week.
Jon Rahm
The 2-time main champion revealed earlier this week that he most likely will not be capable of terminate his contract with LIV Golf until the circuit disbands. That is not excellent news for his legacy. Rahm received the LIV League for the fourth time on April 19 in Mexico Metropolis. He was in competition ultimately 12 months’s PGA Championship till he was eradicated on the again 9.
bryson dechambeau
DeChambeau, one other LIV Golf League captain whose future appears unsure, has already received twice on the tour this season. He has completed within the prime 5 in 4 of the previous 5 PGA Championships, ending runner-up in every of the final two. He received the 2024 U.S. Open within the Ross-designed Pinehurst No. 2. DeChambeau has been affected by wrist ache.
Ludwig Oberg
Surprisingly, the ultra-talented Oberg missed the reduce in each of his previous two begins on the PGA Championship. His sport tendencies are too good for that to occur once more. Given his iron play and work across the greens, it would not be shocking to see him win his first main.
Justin Rose
Rose appeared to nonetheless be battling a post-Masters hangover when he tied for sixty fifth within the Cadillac Championship. He used new McLaren golf irons, however his preliminary outcomes have been poor, dropping greater than three strokes on his method within the first two rounds. He completed runner-up on the 2018 BMW Championship, dropping in a playoff to Keegan Bradley, and received the 2010 AT&T Nationwide at Aronimink.
russell henry
Henry tied for third on the Masters, his greatest end at Augusta Nationwide. He has but to complete within the prime 10 on the PGA Championship in 12 video games. Issues may change this week if his iron play improves.
patrick reed
The 2018 Masters champion will not be eligible to play on the PGA Tour till Aug. 25, so he has not competed since ending tied for twelfth at Augusta Nationwide. He would be the favourite to win this week along with his quick sport.
Collin Morikawa
Morikawa withdrew from final week’s Vacationer Championship. He has been battling a again harm because the opening gap of The Gamers. The 2-time main champion was in a position to end tied for seventh on the Masters. If he continues his good kind this week, he may win his second PGA Championship.
harris english
The end result for English in latest months has been feast or famine. Eventually 12 months’s PGA Championship, he positioned second, 5 strokes behind Scheffler. If his putter will get sizzling, he might be a favourite once more.
tommy fleetwood
The reigning FedEx Cup champion has 5 top-10 finishes this season. Work on the greens prevented him from successful. He ranks 97th on tour in Strokes Gained: Placing (-.128). He had consecutively lowered his stroke depend on method in tournaments previous to the Vacationer Championship.
robert mcintyre
The Scottish golfer’s kind has been on the decline since ending tied for second on the Valero Texas Open. If he flips the hen this week at Aronimink Golf Membership, he may turn out to be a fan favourite exterior of Philadelphia.
Tyrrell Hutton
Final week, Hatton confirmed he has signed a multi-year contract with LIV Golf. He is most likely one of many three or 4 greatest golfers on the market. He completed beneath sixtieth prior to now two PGA Championships.
Chris Gotterup
Gotterup had two wins at first of the season in Hawaii and Phoenix, however the regulation of averages has caught him prior to now few tournaments. He tied for twenty fourth in his Masters debut, no small feat.
Viktor Hovland
Hovland appeared to have turned a nook after tying for 18th on the Masters, however tied for forty second on the RBC Heritage and tied for thirty eighth on the Cadillac Championship. Pretty much as good as he was three years in the past, it is superb he nonetheless hasn’t received a significant.
Akshay Bhatia
Bhatia returned to the monitor after failing to qualify and tied for sixteenth on the RBC Heritage and tied for twenty third on the Cadillac Championship. He ranks fifteenth in method (.528) and third in placing (.848).
Hideki Matsuyama
The PGA Championship wasn’t a lot enjoyable for the 2021 Masters champion. He missed final 12 months and hasn’t completed within the prime 25 since 2021, when he tied for twenty third place.
Brooks Koepka
Keep in mind when Koepka confirmed up on the PGA Championship and mentioned that generally majors are the best tournaments to win? Ah, these have been the times. Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour was turbulent. If he wins 4 PGA Championships, he can be tied for third place on the all-time listing with Tiger Woods (Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen have received 5).
ben griffin
After struggling within the Florida swing, Griffin seems to be turning issues round. He tied for tenth within the Zurich Traditional staff occasion and completed third solo within the Cadillac Championship. He tied for eighth at Quail Hole final 12 months.
If all goes effectively…
Introducing sleeper candidates who’re more likely to win the PGA Championship. This tier consists of a number of previous main champions, this season’s tour winners, and several other gamers who made comebacks this season.
Rickie Fowler
Fowler has racked up top-10 finishes in his previous three begins: RBC Heritage, Cadillac Championship and Twist Championship. His final PGA Tour victory got here on the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Traditional on the Ross-designed Detroit Golf Membership. He ranks twentieth on tour in placing (.484) and nineteenth in driving accuracy (63.2%).
Patrick Cantlay
Cantlay’s sport lastly flourished with three consecutive top-12 finishes on the Valspar Championship, Masters and RBC Heritage. His putt prevented him from doing way more. Ranked one hundred and tenth in strokes gained on the inexperienced (-.219).
jake knapp
Knapp withdrew from the previous two signature occasions because of a sprained left thumb. He acquired crimson sizzling on the West Coast swing and completed eleventh on the Masters. If Knapp stays wholesome, he might be the favourite to win this week.
jordan spies
This can be Spieth’s ninth profession Grand Slam try. He grew to become the seventh golfer to perform that. His final main championship win was the 2017 British Open Championship. Spieth hasn’t completed within the prime 10 this season.
Sepp Straka
Straka shot 68-66 over the weekend and tied for fourth within the Cadillac Championship at 11 below par. It was his second top-5 end this season. He did not do effectively within the majors final season, ending tied for forty first on the Masters.
Shane Lowry
Lowry hasn’t completed inside the highest 20 since Feb. 26, when he blew a late lead on the Cognizant Traditional in Palm Seaside. Possibly the golf gods will throw him a bone this week. He has completed within the prime 12 in his final seven PGA Championship appearances.
Joaquin Niemann
Niemann has received seven LIV Golf League championships, however completed exterior the highest 10 in six of his first seven begins in 2026. He tied for eighth ultimately 12 months’s PGA Championship, his solely top-10 end in 26 begins at a significant.
Justin Thomas
Aside from a tie for twenty third on the Cadillac Championship, issues have been robust for Thomas recently since he tied for eighth at The Gamers. He ranks 121st in strokes gained (-.465), 103rd in approaches (-.142) and 152nd in putts (-.605). The 2-time PGA Championship winner continues to be serious about the state of affairs after present process again surgical procedure in November, however he performed a lot better at Quail Hole.
sam burns
Barnes has performed effectively within the majors, ending within the prime 10 3 times in his previous seven begins. He tied for seventh place on the Masters.
Wyndham Clark
Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, has come out of a troublesome state of affairs with three straight top-25 finishes, together with a tie for twenty first on the Masters. Will he be capable of putt effectively sufficient to contend?
Jacob Bridgman
Bridgeman cooled down after a powerful begin to the season, which was to be anticipated. He nonetheless ranks No. 1 on tour in placing (1.106), so he might be a bona fide sleeper.
Jason Day
Day gave the impression to be overcoming a troublesome state of affairs, ending tied for sixth on the Texas Kids’s Houston Open and tied for twelfth on the Masters. Let’s hope Malbon would not get too carried away along with his outfits this week. Philadelphia followers could be tough.
keegan bradley
Bradley’s efficiency this 12 months hasn’t been nice, as he hasn’t completed larger than tied for twelfth in his first 10 video games. At the very least he has fond recollections of Aronimink, who beat Rose to win the rain-plagued 2018 FedEx Cup playoff occasion.
JJ Spahn
The reigning US Open champion received the Valero Texas Open after a horrible begin to the season. He missed out on qualifying for the Masters, however has since completed within the prime 25 3 times in a row.
maverick mcneely
McNeely has gotten higher and higher within the majors. Final 12 months, he tied for twenty third on the British Open and tied for 18th on the Masters.
Corey Connors
The Canadian golfer continues to be a ball-striking machine, however he has had points along with his quick sport and placing this season. He has not completed within the prime 10 in 11 begins.
Kim Si Woo
Kim tied for eighth ultimately 12 months’s PGA Championship. It was his solely top-10 end in 35 profession begins within the majors.
alex noren
The Swedish golfer has completed tied for seventeenth or higher in every of the previous two PGA Championships.
gary woodland
Woodland’s outstanding victory on the Texas Kids’s Houston Open stays the most important spotlight of the PGA Tour season. In 2018, he tied for twelfth place within the BMW Championship.
Daniel Berger
Berger misplaced in a playoff on the Arnold Palmer Invitational, lacking out on a spot within the Masters. He tied for twenty third place within the Cadillac Championship.
adam scott
The 45-year-old Scott confirmed he nonetheless has lots left, as he tied for twenty fourth on the Masters. His final prime 10 on the PGA Championship was in 2019, when he tied for eighth.
sahis segara
Seagala bounced again from a disastrous 2025 season with 4 top-10 finishes.
dustin johnson
Johnson is a two-time PGA Championship runner-up, however he hasn’t achieved a lot right here since his final match in 2020.
matt mccarty
McCarty has been in nice kind over the previous few tournaments, with back-to-back prime 25 finishes on the Masters.
denny mccarthy
McCarthy tied for eighth at Quail Hole final 12 months. He hasn’t been very correct off the tee this season.
Lee Min Woo
“The Chef” hasn’t cooked within the majors just lately, lacking a spot in 5 of his previous six begins.
alex fitzpatrick
The youthful Fitzpatrick has already made essentially the most of his PGA Tour card, ending fourth on the Vacationer Championship. In March, he received the Hero Indian Open on the DP World Tour.
Christopher Reitan
The PGA Tour rookie rode his standard putter to a shocking victory on the Twist Championship, gathering $4 million in first place prize cash. He joins Hovland as the one Norwegian golfer to win on tour. The 28-year-old has received twice on the DP World Tour and as soon as on the Problem Tour.
Nikolai Højgaard
Heigo received 3 times on the DP World Tour and tied for second place at 13 below on the Truist Championship, two strokes behind Reitan, shifting him nearer to his first PGA Tour victory.
Hey, miracles do occur
They are a lengthy shot. For gamers on this tier to win, every thing has to go completely over 72 holes over 4 days at Quail Hole Membership. There are numerous underdogs who’ve hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy. Ye Yang, Shawn Michael, and wealthy beam?It is potential.
michael brennan
brian campbell
bud corey
thomas detrie
ryan fox
ryan gerard
lucas glover
Max Glaserman
harry corridor
brian herman
joe highsmith
Ryo Hisatsune
Max Homa
Im Sung Jae
michael kim
Kurt Kitayama
Tom McKibbin
keith mitchell
andrew novak
John Parry
taylor pendrith
marco cash
JT Poston
aldrich potgieter
david puig
Andrew Putnam
aaron rye
alex smalley
cameron smith
brandt snedeker
sam stevens
nick taylor
Michael Thorbjornsen
Jonathan Vegas
matt wallace
Bernd Wiesberger
Will Zalatoris
Glover, Herman and Smith are former main championship winners. Smith hasn’t been the identical golfer since shifting to the LIV Golf League. The 32-year-old Australian had missed the reduce in every of his previous six begins within the majors.
Herman and Glover are greater than able to placing collectively 4 good rounds this week, however have struggled with their swings (and putters) this season.
Homa, who has fallen to 118th on this planet rankings, participated after two-time PGA Championship champion Phil Mickelson withdrew because of household causes. He tied for ninth on the Masters and completed within the prime 12 at Augusta Nationwide for the third 12 months in a row, however apart from that he hasn’t had any notably spectacular outcomes.
Zalatoris was top-of-the-line ball strikers on this planet earlier than a again harm derailed his profession. He has been enjoying by way of persistent again ache and has fallen to 326th on this planet rankings.
I am joyful to have the ability to reduce it
This group features a few older golfers seeking to stick with their playing cards and some learners seeking to acquire extra entry to the tour. They aren’t anticipated to hitch the ranks until one thing actually magical occurs, as Michael did greater than 20 years in the past.
Angel Ayora
Christian Bezuidenhout
Chandler Blanchett
Dan Brown
Ricky Castillo
stewart zinc
Pierceson Coody
luke donald
Nico Echavarria
stephen fish
Emiliano Grillo
jordan gunberg
Kazuki Higa
Garrick Higo
Daniel Hillier
Rico Hoey
Rasmus Højgaard
Ian Holt
billy horschel
Stefan Yeager
casey jarvis
Kota Kaneko
John Keefer
chris kirk
Haotong Li
michael lindberg
david lipsky
Max McGreevey
William Moe
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
davis riley
Patrick Rogers
Adrian Sadia
Jaden Shaper
Adam Schenk
Matty Schmidt
jordan smith
austin smotherman
elvis smiley
travis smith
Andy Sullivan
Sami Valimaki
Riley completed in a tie for second place at 6 below par ultimately 12 months’s PGA Championship, marking his first top-10 end at a significant match. Nevertheless, he hasn’t been nearly as good this 12 months, lacking six of his first 11 begins. He had an 82-80 file within the first two rounds of the Masters.
Horschel tied for third on the 2018 BMW Championship at Aronimink, lacking the playoffs by one stroke. Final season, he was sidelined for six months after present process hip surgical procedure, lacking three of the 4 main league video games.
previous champions
These are previous PGA Championship winners who are usually not included within the tiers above. Previous champions are given everlasting exemptions to majors. The listing included 1991 winner John Daly, 2002 winner Wealthy Beam, and Woods, who retired from golf after being arrested for drunk driving in March.
Jason Dufner
padraig harrington
Martin Kaymer
sean michael
jimmy walker
Ye Yang
This marks the tenth anniversary of Walker’s one-shot victory over Day on the 2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Membership in Springfield, New Jersey. He made three birdies on the again 9 and completed the ultimate spherical with a 3-under 67. The main staff was pressured to play 36 holes on Sunday after almost 4 inches of rain fell the day earlier than.
Harrington, 54, tied for fourth on the 2021 PGA Championship on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Mickelson received the match, making him the oldest main champion at age 50. Harrington has missed the reduce in three of his previous 4 begins on this match.
PGA Skilled
Derek Berg
Francisco Bidet
michael block
tyler collett
jesse dromer
bryce fisher
Chris Gabriele
Mark Geddes
Zach Haynes
austin hart
Jared Jones
Michael Catrudo
Ben Khan
Ryan Lenahan
Paul McClure
ben poland
Garrett Sapp
braeden shattuck
ryan vermeer
timothy weissman
The PGA Championship will host one other block celebration. Brock, 49, can be making his eighth begin after carding a final-round 69 on the PGA Skilled Championship at Bandon Dunes, Oregon.
Two years in the past, Bullock turned heads on the one hundred and fifth PGA Championship held at Oak Hill Nation Membership in Rochester, New York. He began the ultimate spherical in a tie for eighth, enjoying with McIlroy and hitting an ace on the par-3 fifteenth gap.
Dromer, a educating professional at Riverbend Nation Membership in Sugar Land, Texas, certified for his third PGA Championship by successful the Bandon Dunes match.
