2026 US PGA Championship Betting Preview – JP
2026 US PGA Championship Preview
McIlroy mastered the Masters again at Augusta, can he follow up in the next Major of the season? James Punt is on the case again, check out his 2026 US PGA Championship betting preview below.
2026 US PGA Championship
The 107th PGA Championship will be held at Aronimink Golf Club, just outside of Philadelphia in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The Donald Ross designed course last held the PGA in 1962 and it received an update by Gil Hanse, who added a few expert tweaks prior to the 2018 BMW Championship. His ‘redesign’ was actually an effort to take the course back to the original Donald Ross design, but with added length, width and 102 more bunkers. Some 70 trees were removed to accommodate the wider fairways.
Ross was responsible for designing many of the USA’s top courses that host PGA tour events. Players who have recent wins on his designs, are Xander Schauffele (2), Bryson DeChambeau (2), Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, Arron Rai, Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Cameron Young and Aldrich Potgieter.
Par 70
The course is up to 7500 yards, depending on what tees are used and is a par 70, featuring just two par 5s and four par 3 holes. It is said to be a real test of long iron play, with a premium on accuracy. The greens are of the Bentgrass type.
The last three PGA tour events to be held here were the 2010 AT&T National which was won by Justin Rose, the 2011 AT&T National won by Nick Watney (Justin Rose T14th), and the 2018 BMW Championship, won by Keegan Bradley in a playoff with Justin Rose.
The field will consist of 122 players and a stronger field than the Masters. The tournament used to be the final major of the season but was moved to its new place in May and the second major of the year, back in 2019. Since then, it has been won by Brooks Koepka (2019 & 2023), Collin Morikawa (2020), Phil Mickleson (2021), Justin Thomas (2022), Xander Schauffele (2024) and Scotty Scheffler (2025).
Big Hitters
Traditionally the PGA is a test of length, so the big hitters have thrived. The last 14 winners have all driven the ball 300+ yards. When Bradley won the BMW Championship here in 2018, he was ranked first for strokes gained putting, so we are looking for a big bomber who can putt. Recent form of the winners has also been good, with nine of the last fourteen winners having had a top 10 finish in their previous start.
The top 20 players in that 2018 BMW Championship were – 1st: Keegan Bradley; 2nd: Justin Rose; 3rd: Billy Horschel, Xander Schauffele; 5th Rory McIlroy; 6th Tiger Woods; 8th: Tony Finau, Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler; 12th: Justin Thomas; 15th Hideki Matsuyama; 19th: Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed. Plenty of names who will be the field this week.
2026 US PGA Championship Selections
I am at a slight disadvantage, having to write the week before the tournament starts and don’t have the very latest tournament results (The Truist Championship) but hopefully the general recent form will do the trick.
Purely on a horses for courses basis, Justin Rose has to get a pick. Rose can still drive the ball over 300 yards and his recent form saw a third place at The Masters. He returned to action at the Cadillac Championship last week and made the cut with his new McLaren irons, finishing the weekend with a round of 68. There are players with more obvious claims, but few have as impressive a course record as Rose does (1/14/2), and the course clearly suits his game.
2026 US PGA Championship Tip: 0.5 point Justin Rose to win @ 41.00 with Coral (1/5 the odds 1-6)
In terms of recent form, there are few better than Cameron Young. He won the Cadillac Championship by a six shot margin from Scotty Scheffler. His last six tournaments have seen Young finish 7th, 3rd,1st, 3rd, 25th and 1st. He drives the ball over 310 yards and has won on a Donald Ross designed course.
2026 US PGA Championship Tip: 1 point e/w Cameron Young to win @ 15.00 with Betfair, Skybet, Bresbet (1/5 the odds 1-6)
The course would seem to be a good fit for the huge hitting Bryson DeChambeau. He flopped at the Masters, but his record at Augusta isn’t great. DeChambeau is a two-time winner on Donald Ross designed courses. He withdrew from the recent LIV Tour event in Mexico City with a wrist injury and for that reason, I will have to give him a miss.
Xander Schauffele won the 2024 PGA Championship and seems to be back to full fitness after a rib injury kept him out of the game for two months. He finished 9th at the Masters and followed that up with a 12th at the RBC Heritage. Schauffele drives it 312 yards, is ranked 9th in strokes gained (SG) from tee to green, and 41st for SG Putting.
A two-time major winner and he is chomping at the bit to get back to winning ways. He is a two-time winner on Donald Ross designed courses and was T3rd here when the PGA last visited Aronimink.
2026 US PGA Championship Tip: 0.5 point e/w Xander Schauffele to win @ 19.00 with Bresbet (1/5 the odds 1-6)
Rickie Fowler was T8th here in 2018 and is another player to have won on Donald Ross designed courses. Top 20 for SG putting, he can still bang the driver past 300 yards. He finished T8th at the RBC Heritage and was T9th in the Cadillac Championship. He hasn’t won since 2023 but I’ll take him to have another strong performance and get another top 10 finish.
