The 2026 PGA Championship is upon us, and the question on everyone's mind is: Who can stop Scottie Scheffler's repeat bid? With a Round 1 scoring average that ranks 77th on the PGA Tour, Scheffler needs better starts, but his recent runner-up finishes at majors and signature events suggest he's a force to be reckoned with. The field is stacked with talent, and the course setup at Aronimink will be key to identifying the best player for the week. From the Masters champion McIlroy to the LIV Golf members Rahm and DeChambeau, every player brings something unique to the table. The PGA Championship has a distinctiveness to it, and the winners' list is a testament to that. Since the move to May, the list has included elite-level players like Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, and Phil Mickelson. The course setups have been universally lauded, and the PGA of America's chief championship officer, Kerry Haigh, has been credited with identifying the best player for each given week. As we try to determine the potential winners, recent history suggests that we shouldn't look too far down the list for a champion. The world's No. 1-ranked player, Scheffler, has been defeated by just two players in regulation during his last three starts, all runner-up finishes at a major and two signature events. His performance last five tournaments includes a 77th ranking in Round 1 scoring average, indicating that he needs better starts. However, his fellow competitors don't want to hear that, and there's still plenty of room for improvement this week. The bandwagon is rolling for Cameron Young, who's not only asserted himself as a top-five player in the world but has also learned how to close, a stark contrast to the guy with seven runner-up finishes before his initial triumph. Young's recent wins at The Players and the Cadillac Championship have solidified his status as a top-five player who's learned how to close. Rory McIlroy, the Masters champion, is the only one still eligible to capture the elusive single-season grand slam with three majors remaining. However, his performance last five tournaments, including a T-47 finish at the PGA Championship, suggests that he'll fare better in the immediate aftermath of this Masters victory than he did a year ago. Matt Fitzpatrick, the 85th-ranked player in the world, has had a resurgence, finishing T-8 at the PGA Championship and leading to a PGA Tour-best three wins this season. Tiger Woods, the five-time major champion, has been a force to be reckoned with, and his recent wins and top-fives at majors are a testament to his enduring talent. Jon Rahm, the LIV Golf member, has been experiencing rough seas, with two wins and five top-fives at majors from 2021-’23, but no major finish better than seventh since leaving for LIV. Xander Schauffele, the first major title winner, is flying under the radar but getting very close to that 2024 level again. Chris Gotterup, the no-nonsense ball-striker, has been on a roll with four wins in the past 24 months and a high world ranking. Tommy Fleetwood, the course record-tying 8-under 62, is a strong fit for this course, and his recent wins and top-fives at majors are a testament to his enduring talent. Ludvig Åberg, the YouTube star, is in a position that suggests his personal brand might be more important than ever before, and a Pinehurst-like performance could help that Q rating. Bryson DeChambeau, the injured golfer, has been persevering through that injury while finishing T-7 at the Masters and T-4 at the next week’s RBC Heritage. Collin Morikawa, the persevering golfer, has been dealing with offseason back surgery and a recent withdrawal on the second hole of a big event with a back injury. Justin Thomas, the multiple PGA Championship title winner, is looking to become just the seventh with at least three of them. Brooks Koepka, the leader in Strokes Gained: Swagger, has been a force to be reckoned with, and his recent wins and top-fives at majors are a testament to his enduring talent. Patrick Cantlay, the forgotten man, has been on a roll with four consecutive top-12 results and a high ball-striking number. Robert MacIntyre, the Scotsman, has earned a reputation as a player who tends to play some of his best golf at the biggest events. Rickie Fowler, the extremely high-level player, has been playing at an extremely high level recently with three consecutive top-10 results. Russell Henley, the well-rested player, has never posted one at the PGA Championship in a dozen career starts, but he's overdue for a spot on the leaderboard this weekend. Adam Scott, the 45-year-old, has been a force to be reckoned with, and his recent wins and top-fives at majors are a testament to his enduring talent. Tyrrell Hatton, the golfer known for emotional outbursts, could finally earn his first major title in front of spectators who once chucked batteries at Santa Claus. Sepp Straka, the red-hot iron player, has been gaining strokes in all but one start and is trending in the right direction with four results of 13th or better in his last nine events. Patrick Reed, the golfer in golf purgatory, has been focusing on the majors while biding his time. J.J. Spaun, the U.S. Open winner, has been on a roll with recent wins and top-fives at majors. Kurt Kitayama, the statistical darling, has been a top-level pro with an uncommonly high ceiling and a low floor. Si Woo Kim, the top-level pro, has been on a roll with four top-fives and six top-10s this year. Viktor Hovland, the Norwegian, has been stuck in neutral, and his recent performance suggests that he could use another frustrating finish to get him going once again. Hideki Matsuyama, the riddle wrapped inside an enigma, has been tremendous with just about every club in the bag other than driver, yet the results show no top-10s since mid-February. Justin Rose, the course record-tying 8-under 62, is a strong fit for this course, and his recent wins and top-fives at majors are a testament to his enduring talent. Keegan Bradley, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, has admitted that the defeat at Bethpage impaired his performance over this season's first few months, but he's recently started remembering less and playing better. Jordan Spieth, the faulty dam, has been taking two steps forward and one back or one forward and two back, but he remains impossibly entertaining. Stewart Cink, the dominant player on the PGA Tour Champions, has been leading just about every relevant statistical category, including driving distance and greens in regulation. The connections between sports terms are hidden, and finding the hidden link between them is a challenge.
