Newtown Square, Pa. The second major championship begins today with the kick-off of the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.
The strongest field in major championship play — 97 of the top 100 — have assembled at the Donald Ross layout to see which golfer hoists the famed Wannamaker Trophy when play concludes.
The last major championship to be played in the greater Philadelphia area was 13 years ago when Merion hosted the US Open. The last time the PGA Championship was played in the area happened 64 years ago when a young Gary Player claimed the title for his third major triumph with six additional ones to follow.
Plenty of key questions await answers at Aronimink. Here are the top ten that merit serious attention.
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Will Scottie Scheffler return to the winner’s circle?
The world-ranked number one player is having a quality season having won once already on the PGA Tour and in his last three starts finished as runner-up. But the 29-year-old is primed to return to the winner’s circle and secure a defense of the title he won in 2025 at Quail Hollow.
A win would secure his fifth overall major title and showcase triumphs in three of the last five majors played. A victory would also reaffirm a clear message that the top dog remains the player with the loudest bark.
Can Scheffler get off to a good start? That’s been an issue in his performances for much of 2026. A strong opening could lay the foundation for a clear statement by the game’s premier player.
Is Rory McIlroy ready to rumble after successful defense at Augusta?
When McIlroy captured the 2025 Masters he joined the career Grand Slam club as only the sixth to do so. He also ended a major-less streak stretching back to 2014. However, the balance of that season did not show any other wins. McIlroy did play well but he lacked the wherewithal to advance a superlative early 2025 into a stellar year.
Now the 2026 season is in full mode and it will be interesting to see if the same hunger that McIlroy demonstrated at Augusta can return at the PGA Championship
When the BMW was played at Aronimink in 2018, McIlroy showed fine form finishing 5th.
McIlroy’s ultimate goal is to add major wins and to return to the highest perch in men’s golf. To do that, he will need to overcome Scheffler who has cemented himself in that position for over 150 consecutive weeks.
Will the 37-year-old learn from what happened last year and reassert himself. Aronimink will provide some clear answers.
Is Cameron Young set to achieve first major victory?
No tagline is more dubious than the one that specifies the best player never to have a major. And that honor – if one can call it that – falls on the shoulders of Cameron Young. The 29-year-old won the Players Championship this past March and then nearly added the green jacket at Augusta and ended with a T5 finish.
Young’s steady play has resulted in a second win at the Cadillac Championship at Doral and until a final round 74 he was ready to claim another win at last week’s Truist Championship.
Cameron’s failure at Quail Hollow was the result of a balky putter. The green complexes at Aronimink have plenty of internal movements and how he handles the requirements presented will be a matter of great interest.
Cameron Young has ascended rapidly since 2025 –a major championship title would be fitting given his dad’s connection as a PGA professional.
How will Aronimink fare?
Major championship sites are always an issue. In the case of Aronimink the return to the spotlight is the first notable professional tournament hosted there since staging the 2018 BMW Championship.
The 2026 PGA Championship is the second to be played on the Donald Ross design course with the first coming 64 years earlier in 1962.
Architect Gil Hanse and his partner Jim Wagner updated the course in 2015 and the timing of the event now in May means turf conditions will feature dense thick rough just off the fairways. The layout will play to a max of 7,394 yards and to a par of 70.
PGA of America Chief Championship Officer Kerry Haigh is again at the forefront in how the course will be set-up for the event. Members at Aronimink were pulled off the course in November of last year and no golf shots have been played on the layout since.
Aronimink features a vexing array of internal contours. The premium will be on consistent and well-placed approach shots that provide good opportunities for birdies.
When the BMW was played in 2018 – soft conditions provided ideal scoring conditions allowing 14 players to score -15 or better. Keegan Bradley and Justin Rose finished the event at -20 before Bradley prevailed in a playoff.
Can Aronimink sufficiently test the world’s best players. We shall soon see.
Related: Behind the Architectural Curtain — Aronimink Golf Club
Can Tommy Fleetwood finally join the major winners circle?
The talented Englishman broke a barrier in 2025 when claiming his first PGA Tour title in notable fashion by winning the Tour Championship. The 35-year-old has been a consistent performer but in the major championships he has yet to break through. His last top ten finish in any major came at the 2024 Masters with T3 finish. There is little question of Fleetwood’s talent and his 6th position in the world rankings clearly demonstrates serious talent.
The time clock is ticking because life at the elite level in pro golf can be “fleeting” — no pun intended.
Does the beat go on for the Fitzpatricks?
The Fitzpatrick tandem, Matt and Alex, has become a regular act on the PGA Tour this year. Matt has claimed two titles this year – at the Valspar and then the RBC Heritage. He joined with his brother Alex in winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Brother Alex pushed his name into the limelight in singular fashion winning in India earlier this year and the aforementioned team win with his brother.
At last week’s Truist, Alex battled for much of the final round before slipping off the top of the leaderboard with a late double-bogey at the penultimate hole.
The brothers are different from one another. Matt favors the analytical approach — Alex is more instinctive.
Can the duo be in the mix at Aronimink?
We shall see.
Calling Bryson DeChambeau — Calling Jon Rahm. Anybody home?
The two biggest stars on LIV Golf have much to show when the PGA Championship commences. DeChambeau had a pitiful Masters in missing the 36-hole cut and Rahm fared only slightly better with a T38 finish.
DeChambeau, unlike Rahm, remains hopeful that LIV Golf have a future even after the Saudi Public Investment Fund has ruled out any more financial connection after the 2026 season concludes. The two-time US Open champion has stated a desire to be a YouTube golfer in connecting with his growing fan base. The 32-year-old has been adamant in not having any desire to return to the PGA Tour.
Rahm opted for a different course of action than Bryson. The 31-year-old chose to settle his ongoing dispute with the DP World Tour and agreed to pay fines (roughly $3 million) for playing LIV Golf events without the required, official “conflicting event” releases, violating that tour’s regulations. Earlier this month, Rahm reached a settlement to pay the fines to remain eligible for Ryder Cup play. Rahm’s future reconnection with membership on the PGA Tour remains undecided at this point.
Will DeChambeau and Rahm return to elite level form and be in the mix at Aronimink?
All eyes will be watching closely on both.
Is Brooks back?
The five-time major winner with three of those victories in the PGA Championship is starting to get back into elite level form.
Granted a T11 at Myrtle Beach in a secondary PGA Tour event is not earth shattering but the progression of Koepka’s game will be something to check this week at Aronimink.
Koepka’s reputation as a big-game hunter is remarkable given the number of majors he has won versus overall tournaments.
Comebacks are not uncommon in sports, but the golf circuit is highly problematic. Sometimes the road back never happens. Brooks made a detour with his career to LIV Golf. His return to the PGA Tour will be worth watching because in the biggest of moments he was able to seal the deal with powerful wins.
Does he still have the juice?
Jordan’s journey
After securing three major wins by 2017 the pathway for Jordan Spieth has been one of trying to resume a consequential role at elite level golf. Since 2017, there have only been three wins to add to his ledger.
This season has seen consistent play but not one top ten finish to date.
Spieth needs a PGA Championship title to become the 7th golfer to achieve the career Grand Slam. He’s been in search of doing that now for 9 years.
A win at Aronimink would be a colossal achievement for the 32-year-old. Even with the long odds in that happening, Spieth remains dogged in pushing forward.
Is Aronimink where Ludvig Åberg finally emerges?
The talented Swede has shown plenty of promise but now the bigger question is when does that promise translate into something of real substance?
The 26-year-old has finished in the top eight in five of his last six PGA Tour starts.
But he has not made the cut in two previous PGA Championship starts. Aronimink is a second shot course so Ludvig’s consistent iron play should fit his game well.
Related: On the tee — Gary Player
