What is going, everybody? I am very excited for Aronimink and the PGA Championship. I have a massive betting card for this week and I’m very fired up to gamble on this bad boy.
I’ve been to this tournament before, not the PGA Championship, but one of the PGA Tour events at Aronimink in either 2010 or 2011. So, I have some familiarity with the grounds – it’s an underrated golf area, especially for those of us that live on the West Coast. The greater Philadelphia area has great golf.
I am very, very excited for this week, so let’s get into it.
2026 PGA Championship Preview
Let’s get into the biggest storylines this week. This is a weird time of year because we peak. We go from THE PLAYERS right into The Masters, and it’s a pretty incredible stretch there in late April, early May. Even right after the Masters, the RBC Heritage in Harbour Town is awesome. That tournament slaps.
I love golf. I love watching professional golf on television – whether it’s a major or a non-major with big-time names facing off on Saturday and Sunday – as much as I do football in the fall.
Watching guys like Cam Young, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, and Jon Rahm go head-to-head on television is incredible. I watch a lot of golf, and this tournament feels like it’s gotten a little easier over the years.
A couple years ago at Valhalla, it was basically a cakewalk for those guys. By all accounts, this course could play relatively low again, somewhere in the mid-to-high teens under par. Ben Griffin said 12-under. Rory essentially said in his press conference that the course is too easy, without directly saying it.
The technology has changed dramatically. These guys are so deep now. Last week, one of the Højgaard brothers was hitting driver and 9-iron into a 430-yard par 4. That’s a completely different sport than what we watched 15 years ago.
Cam Young pulls out driver and hits it 340 yards. Some of Tiger’s old highlights are him hitting three-iron stingers at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2002. Those days are over. The power these guys possess now is pretty incredible, and by all accounts, they are going to destroy this course.
It has short par 4s and only one par 5 that’s around 540 yards. For some of these guys, they’re going to be hitting six and seven irons into par 5s. The majority of the par 4s are going to leave players with mid-irons at most. Some of the longer hitters are going to have the equivalent of eight and nine irons into greens all week. And when elite players have those clubs in their hands, they usually dominate.
The biggest storyline entering the tournament is Scottie Scheffler defending his title. His form coming into this week is pretty unreal for a guy who hasn’t won lately. He’s finished second in three straight tournaments, so it’s safe to say he’s trending upward.
It would be stunning if he’s not top six or seven and firmly in the mix come Sunday.
Then there’s Rory McIlroy. Rory is playing for majors now, and I think his goal is pretty clear: get to double-digit major championships. It’s safe to say he’s going to win another major.
The only concern is the blister on his foot that forced him to stop a practice round after three holes earlier this week. Golf isn’t exactly football or hockey, but foot issues matter when you’re walking 72 holes. If he gets it figured out over the next couple days, he’ll still be right there.
What golf has really been missing over the last few years is a true Scottie vs. Rory major duel. We’ve gotten Rory against Bryson at the U.S. Open. We’ve gotten Scottie against a bunch of different guys. But the sport would benefit massively from seeing those two go head-to-head on Sunday at a major championship.
That’s what everyone should be rooting for this week.
2026 PGA Championship Best Bets
The guy I’m going to hammer to win this tournament is Cam Young.
He won THE PLAYERS. He won at Doral by six shots. If you go back to last fall, there probably aren’t many players in golf with as much high-end talent who are as hot as Cam Young right now.
At the beginning of the year, he was around 50-1 to win this tournament. After THE PLAYERS, he dropped to around 30-1. A month ago, he was around 22-1. Now he’s sitting around 12-1 at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook, which honestly feels about right. If you’re going to slot somebody behind Scottie and Rory, the next tier usually lives somewhere in that 12-1 to 15-1 range.
He’s already won big events, so now it’s all about when he gets his first major. I think Cam Young is winning a major this year.
Not only is he my outright bet to win this tournament, I’d also hammer Cam Young Top 5 or Top 10. It would be pretty shocking if his name isn’t hovering around the top of the leaderboard entering the weekend.
Rickie Fowler is another guy I really like this week. He’s had success at this course before, and he was basically a couple missed putts away from winning last week. There’s real momentum there right now. You can get Rickie around +500 to finish Top 10. I don’t like it – I love it.
Gary Woodland is another name I’m betting. He’s had a fantastic year, has already won this season, and still hits the ball a mile. If his driver is working, he can absolutely contend here. If you want to get aggressive with Gary Woodland Top 10, I get it. But I really like Woodland Top 20 at +350. You’re getting strong odds on a guy who has won a major, played in Ryder Cups, played in huge events, and is playing really good golf right now.
Justin Thomas is another player worth looking at. He’s won the PGA Championship twice and is trending in the right direction. Top 10 and Top 20 bets both make a lot of sense.
Ludvig Åberg is another guy that fits this setup perfectly. If he’s hitting fairways, he’s so elite with his irons that he can absolutely contend. The putting can be inconsistent, but Top 10 around +200 is very reasonable.
J.J. Spaun and Si Woo Kim are two longer-odds guys I like. Si Woo has had a fantastic year. The issue with him has always been the putter. He honestly reminds me of Hideki Matsuyama from years ago – one of the best ball strikers on Tour, but inconsistent on the greens. When the putter heats up, though, he can win any tournament. Si Woo Top 10 and Top 20 are both very playable.
And if you’re looking for the emotional storyline this week, Jordan Spieth is one PGA Championship away from completing the career Grand Slam. It’s hard not to root for that. He has apparently made some driver changes that could help his accuracy, which has always been one of his biggest issues. But even if the driver cooperates, the putting has become a concern. For years, Jordan Spieth felt automatic from four to five feet. Now, he just doesn’t look nearly as confident on the greens. The eye test says the putting isn’t close to what it used to be during his prime.
One final name worth mentioning is Alex Fitzpatrick. He and Matt Fitzpatrick won the Zurich together, and Alex had a real chance to win again last week before a couple bad swings late derailed him. He’s playing incredibly well right now.
The majors are a different animal, but as a flyer Top 20 bet on a guy who’s red hot, it makes a lot of sense.
Middlekauff’s PGA Championship Picks Recap
- Cam Young Outright Winner (+1200)
- Cam Young Top 5 (+250)
- Cam Young Top 10 (+140)
- Rickie Fowler Top 10 (+500)
- Gary Woodland Top 10 (+850)
- Gary Woodland Top 20 (+350)
- Justin Thomas Top 10 (+500)
- Justin Thomas Top 20 (+210)
- Ludvig Åberg Top 10 (+200)
- Si Woo Kim Top 10 (+450)
- Si Woo Kim Top 20 (+210)
- Alex Fitzpatrick Top 20 (+350)
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