2026 PGA Championship

Aronimink returns to the major championship spotlight this week, and it feels like a fitting stage for a PGA Championship that should demand both power and precision. Tucked into the rolling terrain of Newtown Square, just outside Philadelphia, Aronimink Golf Club is one of Donald Ross’s most admired designs—though like many classic courses, what players see this week is a modern restoration rather than a museum piece. Extensively renovated to recapture Ross’s original intent, the course now presents as a muscular par-70 stretching to nearly 7,400 yards, with strategic bunkering, elevated greens, and the kind of subtle contouring that can make even conservative approaches feel uncomfortable. 

Aronimink’s challenge lies less in visual intimidation than in the decisions it forces. From the tee, the fairways are framed by bunkers that reward commitment rather than caution, while the greens—Ross’s enduring signature—are full of deceptive movement and awkward angles. The property itself rises and falls naturally, adding a physical element to a championship that could become attritional over four days. It is not a links examination of imagination, nor a brute-force target-golf setup. Instead, Aronimink sits somewhere in between: traditional architecture scaled for the modern professional game. 

History adds another layer. This is only the second time Aronimink has hosted the PGA Championship, the first coming in 1962 when Gary Player captured the Wanamaker Trophy, his first PGA Championship title. But while its major pedigree is longstanding, its most recent experience with elite men’s professional golf came much more recently. The last PGA Tour event held here was the 2018 BMW Championship, won by Keegan Bradley after a playoff against Justin Rose. That week, the course yielded low scoring in soft conditions, prompting questions about whether modern professionals might overpower the layout. This week’s setup, however, is expected to present a sterner examination. 

The intrigue, then, is in the contrast between architecture and era. Ross built courses that asked questions rather than imposed punishment, but today’s players answer those questions with vastly different tools. Length alone will help at Aronimink, particularly on the demanding par-4s, but simply overpowering the course will not be enough if approaches miss the correct sections of these greens. The eventual champion is likely to be the player who combines aggression with discipline—a familiar formula for major success, but one particularly relevant on a course that rewards thoughtful execution.

For spectators, Aronimink offers something a major should: history, architectural substance, and uncertainty. It is not a venue that dominates conversation every year, which perhaps makes this return even more compelling. This week, one of golf’s quieter great stages gets the spotlight again.

Ludvig Aberg 3pts ew 16/1 (10 places Bet365)

Ludvig Åberg remains one of the more compelling upside cases at this week’s PGA Championship. His profile is built for demanding major setups: elite ball speed, high-end driving, and the kind of tee-to-green ceiling that travels. PGA TOUR’s recent statistical profiles have consistently shown Åberg gaining strokes off the tee, with his long-game metrics remaining the backbone of his scoring, while he has already piled up multiple top-10 finishes this season. 

From a course-fit perspective, that matters. Aronimink is a long Donald Ross test that should reward players who can drive it aggressively but still control long-iron approaches into elevated, well-defended greens. That’s exactly where Åberg’s case strengthens: he is at his best when the tournament becomes a tee-to-green examination rather than a short-game scramble. His volatility tends to come on the greens rather than with the driver or approach play, but majors often become separating events for superior ball-strikers, and that tilts in his favor. 

The question is less about whether Åberg has the tools, and more about whether the putter cooperates for four days. If it does, he has genuine win equity. He’s already shown he can contend in the biggest events, and his statistical makeup aligns neatly with what this championship is likely to demand: length, composure, and repeated quality approach play under pressure.

Rickie Fowler 1.5pts ew 40/1 (10 places Boyles)

Rickie Fowler arrives at Aronimink as one of the more interesting outsider cases, largely because his game profile has quietly become a strong fit for what this PGA Championship should demand. His recent form is encouraging: runner-up at last week’s Truist Championship, a top-10 at Bay Hill earlier this season, and a run of generally steadier results than the market often gives him credit for. Statistically, the case is stronger than perception suggests — Fowler currently sits 32nd on the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Total, 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting, 48th Off-the-Tee, and inside the top 25 in Total Driving, a useful combination on a course where positioning and controlled aggression off the tee should matter as much as pure power. 

There’s also genuine course evidence here. Fowler finished T8 at the 2018 BMW Championship the last time Aronimink hosted a major PGA TOUR event, opening with a 65 and ending the week at 16-under in what became a shootout. While this PGA setup will be firmer and more exacting than that FedEx Cup version, comfort on Donald Ross sightlines and familiarity with the property is still relevant. Fowler has never been the overwhelming bomber archetype, but Aronimink’s demands around shaping tee shots, finding quality approach positions, and converting chances on slick greens align with the sharper parts of his current game. 

The lingering question is whether his iron play can hold up under true major pressure for four rounds, because that has been the swing category that separates him from the elite. But if this becomes a championship where experience, putting, and smart course management matter as much as brute force, Fowler has a far more credible path than his outright odds imply.

Keegan Bradley 1pt ew 70/1 (10 places Boyles)

Keegan Bradley arrives at this PGA Championship with one of the clearest course-history cases in the field, because few players have better memories of Aronimink. His 2018 BMW Championship win here remains one of the defining weeks of his resurgence, grinding out a playoff victory over Justin Rose at 20-under after four consistently strong rounds. While this PGA setup should be firmer, faster and significantly more punishing than the rain-softened shootout Aronimink produced eight years ago, familiarity with the sightlines, green complexes, and the demands of Donald Ross architecture is a meaningful positive. 

From a statistical standpoint, Bradley’s case is the usual one: elite ball-striking, questionable putting, but exactly the kind of long-game profile that can thrive in a major championship. PGA TOUR data this season has him around the top 50 in driving distance, while his value historically comes through strokes gained approach and tee-to-green rather than on the greens. That matters at Aronimink, where controlling long irons into elevated targets should be far more important than simply surviving with the putter. His recent form has been solid rather than spectacular, with made cuts in seven of ten starts this season, and even if the headline finishes haven’t piled up, Bradley’s profile tends to improve as setups become more exacting. 

The concern is obvious: if this becomes a putting contest, Bradley loses ground quickly. But if the PGA turns into the stern tee-to-green examination many expect, he becomes a far more serious contender than the betting market may suggest. Major pedigree, elite iron play, and the confidence of already winning at Aronimink make him one of the more credible each-way cases in the field.

Adam Scott 1pt ew 66/1 (10 places Coral)

Adam Scott arrives at this PGA Championship making his 99th consecutive start in a major championship, one of the most extraordinary durability streaks in modern golf, and there are enough performance indicators to suggest this is more than just a ceremonial appearance. The Australian’s recent form has been quietly strong, with multiple top-10 finishes this season, and statistically his long game remains among the sharpest in the field. PGA TOUR metrics have him gaining significant strokes on approach play this year, while remaining comfortably positive off the tee — exactly the sort of profile that tends to translate on a demanding Donald Ross layout where ball-striking, rather than pure putting variance, often dictates contention. 

His Aronimink history is more nuanced than a simple course-for-fit narrative. At the 2018 BMW Championship, Scott opened with a costly 4-over 74 that effectively killed his chances in what became a birdie-fest, but responded impressively with three straight under-par rounds to salvage a tie for 51st. That recovery matters more than the finishing position suggests. He clearly found something after the slow start, and while this week’s PGA setup will be firmer, faster, and considerably less forgiving than the soft scoring conditions of 2018, familiarity with the visuals and green complexes is still a legitimate plus.

The obvious concern remains the putter, which has too often been the category separating Scott from a true Sunday run in majors. But if Aronimink becomes the kind of exacting tee-to-green examination many expect, his profile becomes increasingly attractive. Experience, elite iron play, and the kind of strategic patience that only comes from nearly 100 consecutive major starts make Scott a far more interesting outsider than the headline odds may suggest.