{"id":47256,"date":"2026-05-17T06:58:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T10:58:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/17\/2026-pga-championship-rankings-of-favorites-contenders-hopefuls-and-everyone-else\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T06:58:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T10:58:32","slug":"2026-pga-championship-rankings-of-favorites-contenders-hopefuls-and-everyone-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/17\/2026-pga-championship-rankings-of-favorites-contenders-hopefuls-and-everyone-else\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 PGA Championship: Rankings of favorites, contenders, hopefuls and everyone else."},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/17\/2026-pga-championship-rankings-of-favorites-contenders-hopefuls-and-everyone-else\/#clear_favorite\" >clear favorite<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/17\/2026-pga-championship-rankings-of-favorites-contenders-hopefuls-and-everyone-else\/#Those_who_can_win\" >Those who can win<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/17\/2026-pga-championship-rankings-of-favorites-contenders-hopefuls-and-everyone-else\/#If_all_goes_well%E2%80%A6\" >If all goes well&#8230;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/17\/2026-pga-championship-rankings-of-favorites-contenders-hopefuls-and-everyone-else\/#Hey_miracles_do_happen\" >Hey, miracles do happen<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/17\/2026-pga-championship-rankings-of-favorites-contenders-hopefuls-and-everyone-else\/#Im_happy_to_be_able_to_cut_it\" >I&#8217;m happy to be able to cut it<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/17\/2026-pga-championship-rankings-of-favorites-contenders-hopefuls-and-everyone-else\/#past_champions\" >past champions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/17\/2026-pga-championship-rankings-of-favorites-contenders-hopefuls-and-everyone-else\/#PGA_Professional\" >PGA Professional<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>It&#8217;s been just a month since Rory McIlroy won his second consecutive green jacket at the Masters on April 12th.<\/p>\n<p>But as the world&#8217;s best players gather at Aronimink Golf Club in suburban Philadelphia for the 108th PGA Championship, which begins Thursday, it feels like a big change has taken place in the world of men&#8217;s professional golf.<\/p>\n<p>It will be the first time golfers from both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League will play together since Saudi Arabia&#8217;s Public Investment Fund announced April 30 that it would no longer fund the latter circuit after this season.<\/p>\n<p>Eleven LIV golfers are participating, including past major champions Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm. Two-time PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson will miss his second consecutive major tournament this season due to family health issues.<\/p>\n<p>Scottie Scheffler, the world&#8217;s No. 1 golfer, is the defending champion. He came away with a five-stroke victory last year at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.<\/p>\n<p>Aronimink Golf Club last hosted the PGA Championship in 1962, when Gary Player won by one stroke.<\/p>\n<p>The last golfer to qualify for the 156-man field was Brant Snedeker, 45, who won his 10th PGA Tour victory Sunday at the ONEFlight Myrtle Beach Classic. Snedeker ended a winless drought that had lasted more than seven years.<\/p>\n<p>Norway&#8217;s Christopher Reitan had already qualified after winning his first PGA Tour victory at the Turist Championship at Quail Hollow on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a look at this week&#8217;s field for the second major of the season, from clear favorites to sleepers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stream all of ESPN&#8217;s coverage here<\/strong><\/p>\n<aside class=\"inline inline-photo full\">\n<figure><picture><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0509%2Fpga_championship_tiers_1296x729.png&amp;w=570&amp;format=jpg, https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0509%2Fpga_championship_tiers_1296x729.png&amp;w=1140&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 376px)\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0509%2Fpga_championship_tiers_1296x729.png&amp;w=375, https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0509%2Fpga_championship_tiers_1296x729.png&amp;w=750&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 375px)\"\/><\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n<\/aside>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"clear_favorite\"><\/span>clear favorite<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><em>Welcome, Cameron Young and Matt Fitzpatrick, to the shortlist of candidates to win the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday. Scheffler and McIlroy are perennially at the top of the sport, but Young and Fitzpatrick have played better than anyone else this season. Young will be aiming for his first major championship this week.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Scotty Scheffler<\/strong><br \/>Despite concerns about Scheffler&#8217;s form, the world&#8217;s No. 1 golfer finished second in three consecutive tournaments, including the Masters. He becomes the first golfer to accomplish that since Sergio Garcia in 2014. Scheffler leads the tour in strokes gained (2.056 total), points averaged (69.37) and birdies averaged (5.03). He&#8217;ll win again soon &#8211; perhaps this week.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"inline inline-with-table float-r\"\/>\n<p><strong>Rory McIlroy<\/strong><br \/>McIlroy said he felt better after winning his second Masters than he did last year, when he failed to win again on tour. Lowry has started just six games this season. He has won the PGA Championship twice, most recently in 2014 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. He is trying to become the first player since Jack Nicklaus in 1975 to win the Masters and the PGA Championship in the same year two years in a row.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cameron Young<\/strong><br \/>A man who couldn&#8217;t win on the PGA Tour has figured out how to putt. He won the Cadillac Championship wire-to-wire, by six strokes, for the third time since August. He looks ready to take on The Players in March and win the biggest trophy of all time.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"inline inline-photo full\">\n<figure><picture><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0510%2Fr1656132_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=570&amp;format=jpg, https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0510%2Fr1656132_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=1140&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 376px)\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0510%2Fr1656132_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=375, https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0510%2Fr1656132_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 375px)\"\/><\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n<\/aside>\n<p><strong>matt fitzpatrick<\/strong><br \/>Fitzpatrick is the only three-time winner on tour this season, with first place finishes at the Valspar Championship, RBC Heritage and the Zurich Classic in New Orleans (along with his brother Alex). He has risen to 4th place in the world rankings and is aiming for his second major victory.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Those_who_can_win\"><\/span>Those who can win<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><em>Other legitimate candidates to win Sunday&#8217;s Wanamaker Trophy are: They have the game, guts and nerve to play four high-pressure rounds.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Xander Schauffele<\/strong><br \/>Schauffele, who won the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla, has been on a roll since early February. He climbed back into the OWGR top 10. He loves Donald Ross&#8217; designs, won at East Lake and tied for third at the 2018 BMW Championship at Aronimink. He ranks third on tour in scrambles, which will be important this week.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jon Rahm<\/strong><br \/>The two-time major champion revealed earlier this week that he probably won&#8217;t be able to terminate his contract with LIV Golf unless the circuit disbands. That&#8217;s not good news for his legacy. Rahm won the LIV League for the fourth time on April 19 in Mexico City. He was in contention at last year&#8217;s PGA Championship until he was eliminated on the back nine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>bryson dechambeau<\/strong><br \/>DeChambeau, another LIV Golf League captain whose future seems uncertain, has already won twice on the tour this season. He has finished in the top five in four of the past five PGA Championships, finishing runner-up in each of the past two. He won the 2024 U.S. Open in the Ross-designed Pinehurst No. 2. DeChambeau has been suffering from wrist pain.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ludwig Oberg<\/strong><br \/>Surprisingly, the ultra-talented Oberg missed the cut in both of his past two starts at the PGA Championship. His game trends are too good for that to happen again. Given his iron play and work around the greens, it wouldn&#8217;t be surprising to see him win his first major.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"inline inline-photo full\">\n<figure><picture><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0509%2Fr1655928_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=570&amp;format=jpg, https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0509%2Fr1655928_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=1140&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 376px)\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0509%2Fr1655928_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=375, https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0509%2Fr1655928_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 375px)\"\/><\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n<\/aside>\n<p><strong>Justin Rose<\/strong><br \/>Rose seemed to still be battling a post-Masters hangover when he tied for 65th in the Cadillac Championship. He was using McLaren Golf&#8217;s new irons, but he didn&#8217;t do well at first, losing more than three strokes on his approach in the first two rounds. He finished runner-up at the 2018 BMW Championship, losing in a playoff to Keegan Bradley, and won the 2010 AT&#038;T National at Aronimink.<\/p>\n<p><strong>russell henry<\/strong><br \/>Henry tied for third at the Masters, his best finish at Augusta National. He has yet to finish in the top 10 at the PGA Championship in 12 games. Things could change this week if his iron play improves.<\/p>\n<p><strong>patrick reed<\/strong><br \/>The 2018 Masters champion is not eligible to play on the PGA Tour until Aug. 25, so he has not competed since finishing tied for 12th at Augusta National. He will be the favorite to win this week with his short game.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Collin Morikawa<\/strong><br \/>Morikawa withdrew from last week&#8217;s Tourist Championship. He has been battling a back injury since the opening hole of The Players. The two-time major champion was able to finish tied for seventh at the Masters. If he continues his good form this week, he could win his second PGA Championship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>harris english<\/strong><br \/>The result for English in recent months has been feast or famine. At last year&#8217;s PGA Championship, he placed second, five strokes behind Scheffler. If his putter gets hot, he could be a favorite again.<\/p>\n<p><strong>tommy fleetwood<\/strong><br \/>The reigning FedEx Cup champion has five top-10 finishes this season. Work on the greens prevented him from winning. He ranks 97th on tour in Strokes Gained: Putting (-.128). He had consecutively lowered his stroke count on approach in tournaments prior to the Tourist Championship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>robert mcintyre<\/strong><br \/>The Scottish golfer&#8217;s form has been on the decline since finishing tied for second at the Valero Texas Open. If he flips the bird this week at Aronimink Golf Club, he could become a fan favorite outside of Philadelphia.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyrrell Hutton<\/strong><br \/>Last week, Hatton confirmed he has signed a multi-year contract with LIV Golf. He&#8217;s probably one of the three or four best golfers out there. He finished below 60th in the past two PGA Championships.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chris Gotterup<\/strong><br \/>Gotterup had two wins at the beginning of the season in Hawaii and Phoenix, but he has been caught by the law of averages over the past few tournaments. He tied for 24th in his Masters debut, no small feat.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Viktor Hovland<\/strong><br \/>Hovland seemed to have turned a corner after tying for 18th at the Masters, but tied for 42nd at the RBC Heritage and tied for 38th at the Cadillac Championship. As good as he was three years ago, it&#8217;s amazing he still hasn&#8217;t won a major.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Akshay Bhatia<\/strong><br \/>Bhatia returned to the track after failing to qualify and tied for 16th at the RBC Heritage and tied for 23rd at the Cadillac Championship. He ranks 15th in approach (.528) and third in putting (.848).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hideki Matsuyama<\/strong><br \/>The PGA Championship wasn&#8217;t much fun for the 2021 Masters champion. He missed last year and hasn&#8217;t finished in the top 25 since 2021, when he tied for 23rd place.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brooks Koepka<\/strong><br \/>Remember when Koepka showed up at the PGA Championship and said that sometimes majors are the easiest tournaments to win? Ah, those were the days. Koepka&#8217;s return to the PGA Tour was turbulent. If he wins four PGA Championships, he will be tied for third place on the all-time list with Tiger Woods (Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen have won five).<\/p>\n<p><strong>ben griffin<\/strong><br \/>After struggling in the Florida swing, Griffin appears to be turning things around. He tied for 10th in the Zurich Classic team event and finished third solo in the Cadillac Championship. He tied for eighth at Quail Hollow last year.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"If_all_goes_well%E2%80%A6\"><\/span>If all goes well&#8230;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><em>Introducing sleeper candidates who are likely to win the PGA Championship. This tier includes several past major champions, this season&#8217;s tour winners, and several players who made comebacks this season.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Rickie Fowler<\/strong><br \/>Fowler has racked up top-10 finishes in his past three starts: RBC Heritage, Cadillac Championship and Twist Championship. His last PGA Tour victory came at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Ross-designed Detroit Golf Club. He ranks 20th on tour in putting (.484) and 19th in driving accuracy (63.2%).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Patrick Cantlay<\/strong><br \/>Cantlay&#8217;s game finally flourished with three consecutive top-12 finishes at the Valspar Championship, Masters and RBC Heritage. His putt prevented him from doing much more. Ranked 110th in strokes gained on the green (-.219).<\/p>\n<p><strong>jake knapp<\/strong><br \/>Knapp withdrew from the past two signature events due to a sprained left thumb. He got red hot on the West Coast swing and finished 11th at the Masters. If Knapp stays healthy, he could be the favorite to win this week.<\/p>\n<p><strong>jordan spies<\/strong><br \/>This will be Spieth&#8217;s ninth career Grand Slam attempt. He became the seventh golfer to accomplish that. His last major championship win was the 2017 British Open Championship. Spieth has not had a top-10 finish this season.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"inline inline-photo full\">\n<figure><picture><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0509%2Fr1655936_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=570&amp;format=jpg, https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0509%2Fr1655936_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=1140&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 376px)\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0509%2Fr1655936_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=375, https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0509%2Fr1655936_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 375px)\"\/><\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n<\/aside>\n<p><strong>Sepp Straka<\/strong><br \/>Straka shot 68-66 over the weekend and tied for fourth in the Cadillac Championship at 11 under par. It was his second top-5 finish this season. He didn&#8217;t do well in the majors last season, finishing tied for 41st at the Masters.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Shane Lowry<\/strong><br \/>Lowry hasn&#8217;t finished inside the top 20 since Feb. 26, when he blew a late lead at the Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach. Maybe the golf gods will throw him a bone this week. He has finished in the top 12 in his last seven PGA Championship appearances.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Joaquin Niemann<\/strong><br \/>Niemann has won seven LIV Golf League championships, but finished outside the top 10 in six of his first seven starts in 2026. He tied for eighth at last year&#8217;s PGA Championship, his only top-10 finish in 26 starts at a major.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Justin Thomas<\/strong><br \/>Other than a tie for 23rd at the Cadillac Championship, things have been tough for Thomas lately since he tied for eighth at The Players. He ranks 121st in strokes gained (-.465), 103rd in approaches (-.142) and 152nd in putts (-.605). The two-time PGA Championship winner is still thinking about the situation after undergoing back surgery in November, but he played much better at Quail Hollow.<\/p>\n<p><strong>sam burns<\/strong><br \/>Barnes has played well in the majors, finishing in the top 10 three times in his past seven starts. He tied for 7th place at the Masters.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wyndham Clark<\/strong><br \/>Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, has come out of a difficult situation with three straight top-25 finishes, including a tie for 21st at the Masters. Will he be able to putt well enough to contend?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jacob Bridgman<\/strong><br \/>Bridgeman cooled down after a strong start to the season, which was to be expected. He still ranks No. 1 on tour in putting (1.106), so he could be a bona fide sleeper.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jason Day<\/strong><br \/>Day appeared to be overcoming a difficult situation, finishing tied for sixth at the Texas Children&#8217;s Houston Open and tied for 12th at the Masters. Let&#8217;s hope Malbon doesn&#8217;t get too carried away with his outfits this week. Philadelphia fans can be rough.<\/p>\n<p><strong>keegan bradley<\/strong><br \/>This year&#8217;s performance has been poor for Bradley, starting the first 10 games and not finishing higher than tied for 12th place. At least he has fond memories of Aronimink, who beat Rose to win the rain-plagued 2018 FedEx Cup playoff event.<\/p>\n<p><strong>JJ Spahn<\/strong><br \/>The reigning US Open champion won the Valero Texas Open after a terrible start to the season. He missed out on qualifying for the Masters, but has since finished in the top 25 three times in a row.<\/p>\n<p><strong>maverick mcneely<\/strong><br \/>McNeely has gotten better and better in the majors. Last year, he tied for 23rd at the British Open and tied for 18th at the Masters.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Corey Connors<\/strong><br \/>The Canadian golfer is still a ball-striking machine, but he has had issues with his short game and putting this season. He has not finished in the top 10 in 11 starts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Kim Si Woo<\/strong><br \/>Kim tied for eighth at last year&#8217;s PGA Championship. It was his only top-10 finish in 35 career starts in the majors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>alex noren<\/strong><br \/>The Swedish golfer has finished tied for 17th or better in each of the past two PGA Championships.<\/p>\n<p><strong>gary woodland<\/strong><br \/>Woodland&#8217;s remarkable victory at the Texas Children&#8217;s Houston Open remains the biggest highlight of the PGA Tour season. In 2018, he tied for 12th place in the BMW Championship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Daniel Berger<\/strong><br \/>Berger lost in a playoff at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, missing out on a spot in the Masters. He tied for 23rd place in the Cadillac Championship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>adam scott<\/strong><br \/>The 45-year-old Scott showed he still has plenty left, as he tied for 24th at the Masters. His last top 10 at the PGA Championship was in 2019, when he tied for eighth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>sahis segara<\/strong><br \/>Seagala bounced back from a disastrous 2025 season with four top-10 finishes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>dustin johnson<\/strong><br \/>Johnson is a two-time PGA Championship runner-up, but he hasn&#8217;t done much here since his last tournament in 2020.<\/p>\n<p><strong>matt mccarty<\/strong><br \/>McCarty has been in great form over the last few tournaments, with back-to-back top 25 finishes at the Masters.<\/p>\n<p><strong>denny mccarthy<\/strong><br \/>McCarthy tied for eighth at Quail Hollow last year. He hasn&#8217;t been very accurate off the tee this season.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lee Min Woo<\/strong><br \/>&#8220;The Chef&#8221; hasn&#8217;t cooked in the majors recently, missing a spot in five of his past six starts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>alex fitzpatrick<\/strong><br \/>The younger Fitzpatrick has already made the most of his PGA Tour card, finishing fourth at the Tourist Championship. In March, he won the Hero Indian Open on the DP World Tour.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Christopher Reitan<\/strong><br \/>The PGA Tour rookie rode his popular putter to a surprising victory at the Twist Championship, collecting $4 million in first place prize money. He joins Hovland as the only Norwegian golfer to win on tour. The 28-year-old has won twice on the DP World Tour and once on the Challenge Tour.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nikolai H\u00f8jgaard<\/strong><br \/>Heigo won three times on the DP World Tour and tied for second place at 13 under at the Truist Championship, two strokes behind Reitan, moving him closer to his first PGA Tour victory.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hey_miracles_do_happen\"><\/span>Hey, miracles do happen<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><em>They&#8217;re a long shot. For players in this tier to win, everything has to go perfectly over 72 holes over four days at Quail Hollow Club. There are many underdogs who have hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy. Ye Yang, Shawn Michael, and <\/em>rich beam<em>?It&#8217;s possible.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>michael brennan<br \/>brian campbell<br \/>bud corey<br \/>thomas detrie<br \/>ryan fox<br \/>ryan gerard<br \/>lucas glover<br \/>Max Glaserman<br \/>harry hall<br \/>brian herman<br \/>joe highsmith<br \/>Ryo Hisatsune<br \/>Max Homa<br \/>Im Sung Jae<br \/>michael kim<br \/>Kurt Kitayama<br \/>Tom McKibbin<br \/>keith mitchell<br \/>andrew novak<br \/>John Parry<br \/>taylor pendrith<br \/>marco money<br \/>JT Poston<br \/>aldrich potgieter<br \/>david puig<br \/>Andrew Putnam<br \/>aaron rye<br \/>alex smalley<br \/>cameron smith<br \/>brandt snedeker<br \/>sam stevens<br \/>nick taylor<br \/>Michael Thorbjornsen<br \/>Jonathan Vegas<br \/>matt wallace<br \/>Bernd Wiesberger<br \/>Will Zalatoris<\/p>\n<p>Glover, Herman and Smith are former major championship winners. Smith hasn&#8217;t been the same golfer since moving to the LIV Golf League. The 32-year-old Australian has missed the cut in each of his past six starts in the majors.<\/p>\n<p>Herman and Glover are more than capable of putting together four good rounds this week, but have struggled with their swings (and putters) this season.<\/p>\n<p>Homa, who has fallen to 118th in the world rankings, participated after two-time PGA Championship champion Phil Mickelson withdrew due to family reasons. He tied for ninth at the Masters and finished in the top 12 at Augusta National for the third year in a row, but other than that he hasn&#8217;t had any particularly impressive results.<\/p>\n<p>Zalatoris was one of the best ball strikers in the world before a back injury derailed his career. He has been playing through persistent back pain and has fallen to 326th in the world rankings.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Im_happy_to_be_able_to_cut_it\"><\/span>I&#8217;m happy to be able to cut it<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><em>This group includes a few older golfers looking to stick to their cards and a few beginners looking to gain more access to the tour. They are not expected to join the ranks unless something truly magical happens, as Michael did more than 20 years ago.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Angel Ayora<br \/>Christian Bezuidenhout<br \/>Chandler Blanchett<br \/>Dan Brown<br \/>Ricky Castillo<br \/>stewart zinc<br \/>Pierceson Coody<br \/>luke donald<br \/>Nico Echavarria<br \/>stephen fish<br \/>Emiliano Grillo<br \/>jordan gunberg<br \/>Kazuki Higa<br \/>Garrick Higo<br \/>Daniel Hillier<br \/>Rico Hoey<br \/>Rasmus H\u00f8jgaard<br \/>Ian Holt<br \/>billy horschel<br \/>Stefan Yeager<br \/>casey jarvis<br \/>Kota Kaneko<br \/>John Keefer<br \/>chris kirk<br \/>Haotong Li<br \/>michael lindberg<br \/>david lipsky<br \/>Max McGreevey<br \/>William Moe<br \/>Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen<br \/>davis riley<br \/>Patrick Rogers<br \/>Adrian Sadia<br \/>Jaden Shaper<br \/>Adam Schenk<br \/>Matty Schmidt<br \/>jordan smith<br \/>austin smotherman<br \/>elvis smiley<br \/>travis smith<br \/>Andy Sullivan<br \/>Sami Valimaki<br \/>Sudarshan Yelamaraju<\/p>\n<p>Riley finished in a tie for second place at 6 under par at last year&#8217;s PGA Championship, marking his first top-10 finish at a major tournament. However, he hasn&#8217;t been as good this year, missing six of his first 11 starts. He had an 82-80 record in the first two rounds of the Masters.<\/p>\n<p>Horschel tied for third at the 2018 BMW Championship at Aronimink, missing the playoffs by one stroke. Last season, he was sidelined for six months after undergoing hip surgery, missing three of the four major league games.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"past_champions\"><\/span>past champions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><em>These are past PGA Championship winners who are not included in the tiers above. Past champions are given permanent exemptions to majors. The list included 1991 winner John Daly, 2002 winner Rich Beam, and Woods, who retired from golf after being arrested for drunk driving in March.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Jason Dufner<br \/>padraig harrington<br \/>Martin Kaymer<br \/>sean michael<br \/>jimmy walker<br \/>Ye Yang<\/p>\n<p>This marks the 10th anniversary of Walker&#8217;s one-shot victory over Day at the 2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey. He made three birdies on the back nine and finished the final round with a 3-under 67. The leading team was forced to play 36 holes on Sunday after nearly 4 inches of rain fell the day before.<\/p>\n<p>Harrington, 54, tied for fourth at the 2021 PGA Championship on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Mickelson won the tournament, making him the oldest major champion at age 50. Harrington has missed the cut in three of his past four starts in this tournament.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"PGA_Professional\"><\/span>PGA Professional<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Derek Berg<br \/>Francisco Bidet<br \/>michael block<br \/>tyler collett<br \/>jesse dromer<br \/>bryce fisher<br \/>Chris Gabriele<br \/>Mark Geddes<br \/>Zach Haynes<br \/>austin hart<br \/>Jared Jones<br \/>Michael Catrudo<br \/>Ben Khan<br \/>Ryan Lenahan<br \/>Paul McClure<br \/>ben poland<br \/>Garrett Sapp<br \/>braeden shattuck<br \/>ryan vermeer<br \/>timothy weissman<\/p>\n<p>The PGA Championship will host another block party. Brock, 49, will be making his eighth start after carding a final-round 69 at the PGA Professional Championship at Bandon Dunes, Oregon.<\/p>\n<p>Two years ago, Bullock turned heads at the 105th PGA Championship held at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. He started the final round in a tie for eighth, playing with McIlroy and hitting an ace on the par-3 15th hole.<\/p>\n<p>Dromer, a teaching pro at Riverbend Country Club in Sugar Land, Texas, qualified for his third PGA Championship by winning the Bandon Dunes tournament.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s been just a month since Rory McIlroy won his second consecutive green jacket at the Masters on April 12th. But as the world&#8217;s best players gather at Aronimink Golf Club in suburban Philadelphia for the 108th PGA Championship, which begins Thursday, it feels like a big change has taken place in the world of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[17],"class_list":{"0":"post-47256","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-golf"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47256"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47256\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}