NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — The season’s second major is nearly upon us, and might a clash of the game’s best be on tap?
Scottie Scheffler is the world No. 1 and defending his title at the PGA Championship, coming in off a historic streak of three straight runner-ups—the kind of run that would satisfy many pros, but not him.
Of course, his solo second at the Masters was behind Rory McIlroy, and the world No. 2 is rested and feeling positive. But all eyes on the Northern Irishman will be peering down at his feet come Thursday, as a nagging foot ailment has affected his prep at Aronimink Golf Club.
He will play the first two rounds alongside Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth, a starry pairing that will draw plenty of Philly fans. Spieth is teeing it up in his 10th PGA with a chance to complete the career Grand Slam, not that he needs reminding. Rahm is good to go in future Ryder Cups but wants to get his major game back on track first.
Who else could surprise? Rickie Fowler was in the hunt late at the Truist last week and is well in form, while Adam Scott is building on a remarkable major streak but wants it to be more than just a number.
Play begins Thursday morning at 6:45 a.m. (that's not a typo, that’s what it takes to get 156 players around in one day at a major). In the meantime, the Sports Illustrated team of writers and editors have made their picks on who will celebrate Sunday evening at Aronimink.
SI Golf’s picks to win the PGA Championship
Bob Harig, SI Golf Senior Writer: Scottie Scheffler seems to have been just a little off all year, which I don’t believe will last. You know he’s determined to win again, and defending at the PGA seems more than likely.
Tyler Lauletta, SI Staff Writer: I know, I know—extremely bold to take the best golfer in the world to win the big golf tournament. In terms of “best bet value” it’s probably not Scottie Scheffler given how low his odds are, but this is a guy that has finished solo second in three straight events dating back to the Masters, and has very clearly not had his best stuff. If Scheffler is playing B- golf, there may be only be six players in the field that can compete with him, and if he’s playing A+ golf, that number comes down to one, or maybe zero. I feel like with the success we’ve seen from Scheffler and Rory at the majors of late, we are due for a showdown. Give me a Sunday with one of them leading, one of them chasing, and one or two other chasers (Ludvig? Bryson? Dare I ask for Spieth?) and let’s have ourselves a major to remember.
John Pluym, SI.com Managing Editor: Rory McIlroy. He's coming off his second consecutive Masters win and played well at Quail Hollow this past weekend. I'd love to see a historical season from Rory, and winning the PGA would put him on pace for one of the best golf seasons in recent memory, dating back to the Tiger Slam.
Jeff Ritter, SI Golf Managing Director: There are several top players who enter this week in great form, so I don’t think this is the week for a sleeper winner. But it’s historically difficult to repeat at the PGA, which is what Scottie is up against. It’s also rare to win two straight majors to start a year, which is Rory’s task. But I do think it’ll be the best player of the moment, right here, right now. And as we ramp up for a fun week ahead, no one is playing better than Cam Young. He wins his first major this week.
Michael Rosenberg, SI Senior Writer: Rory McIlroy. The last time the best male players in the world played Aronimink, at the 2018 BMW Championship, 22 players shot four straight rounds in the 60s. It’s fair to assume the course will present a tougher this week, but it’s only 127 yards longer than it was in 2018, and the USGA is not running things, so that test will likely come on and around the green. Well, McIlroy is the best player of his generation at going low—and he showed at the last two Masters that he can navigate difficult greens and pins under major-championship pressure.
Max Schreiber, SI Golf Contributor: Cam Young. Right now, he’s arguably the best player in the world. Sixth on Tour in strokes-gained off the tee and 21st in approach make him a factor any time he tees it up. The question is, will his putter cooperate? For example, at the Truist, he shot a third-round 63, gaining two strokes on the greens. Then, a day later, he lost over five strokes with the putter amid a final-round 74. If he fixes that, he’ll win his first major.
John Schwarb, SI Golf Senior Editor: I tossed out Rory McIlroy at the Masters, figuring he couldn’t go back-to-back, but I’m not making that mistake again with Scottie Scheffler. He couldn’t be more due after his three-event streak of runner-ups and he’s ready for this major the way he wants to be—he skipped the Truist even though it’s where he won his PGA last year. The one concern is his tendency to start slow (he’s 69th on Tour in Round 1 scoring average) but letting others jump out early only improves his live odds (a little). He’s No. 1 in final-round scoring, and with that he will lift the Wanamaker at Aronimink.
More Golf from Sports Illustrated
- Beginner’s Betting Guide for the PGA Championship: How to Bet Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, and More
- Jim Furyk Wants to Fix the Mistakes That Haunt the U.S. Ryder Cup Team
- Luke Donald Is Relieved That One Major Roadblock Is Cleared for His Ryder Cup Team
- PGA Championship Hole in One Odds and History at Aronimink Golf Club
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2026 PGA Championship Predictions: Our Picks to Lift the Wanamaker Trophy.
