5 Players to Watch For 2026 PGA Championship

For a sport which has endured pace of play issues for, oh, the past century or so, professional golf can move pretty quickly sometimes.

Case in point: Today (which is Tuesday, for those who haven’t promptly clicked this link) is the exact midway point between the final round of the year’s first major championship and the opening round of the second.

With every approaching minute, we’re closer to balls in the air at the PGA Championship than Rory McIlroy’s final-hole bogey save to win a second consecutive Masters title.

It’s difficult to take some time to smell the futures markets when the PGA Tour schedule is inundated with a trio of signature events in between these first two majors, but the festivities at Aronimink GC are rapidly approaching and it’s time to start considering some outright plays before they potentially lose value over the next two weeks.

Here are five options for the PGA Championship which might make more sense to grab sooner than later.

5 Players to Watch For 2026 PGA Championship

Cameron Young (+2000)

Quite frankly, I’m surprised Young – after winning The Players and contending at the Masters – is still available at this 20/1 number, just as I’m surprised that he remains sixth on the board. Scottie Scheffler (+350) is always a worthy favorite, with McIlroy (+700) behind him, but Bryson DeChambeau (+1200), Jon Rahm (+1400) and Xander Schauffele (+1600) simply haven’t been as good as Young over the first four months of this year.

On a driver-heavy course at Doral this week, I like Young to contend once again, which could move this price shorter by next week. If you like the big-hitting Northeast native on a big Northeast course, my recommendation is that you shouldn’t wait, because I don’t believe this number is getting any longer.

Chris Gotterup (+4500)

Much like Young, this is a brawny ball-striker from up north whose game should fit this course. While the regional narrative is fun, the reality is that Gotterup has turned into a closer over the past year, now with four PGA Tour victories. Can he win a major? That remains to be seen, but I like his chances more than some of those who have shorter numbers on the current board.

Robert MacIntyre (+5000)

I really liked Bob entering the recent Masters and, well, I felt like he was giving that middle finger not just to his ball finding the hazard on the 15th hole at Augusta National, but to my prediction, as well. That said, he tends to play his best golf at the biggest events, so I’m staying true to him for the PGA, too. Unlike the first two names on this list, MacIntyre isn’t playing this week, so you’ve got some time to ponder this play before it threatens to get any shorter.

Sam Burns (+5500)

It was right after Burns claimed a share of the first-round lead at Augusta when a local writer from Louisiana asked my opinion on why he hasn’t won more, especially over the past few years. My answer? After thinking about it for a few seconds, I simply shrugged. He’s got everything necessary to be a major champion and win more big events – and in fact, he was a late addition to my outright card for this week at Doral. If it happens – or even comes close – he’ll likely be sub-50/1 very soon, so I don’t mind jumping on the current number before it gets shorter.

Keegan Bradley (+9000)

You’ll probably hear this a lot over the next few weeks: The last time Aronimink hosted a professional tournament, it was Bradley who won the 2018 BMW Championship in a playoff over Justin Rose. The most recent U.S. Ryder Cup captain didn’t have a great start to his season, often explaining that he was still dealing with the aftereffects of that event, but he’s gone 21st-12th in his two most recent starts and could be primed for another title contention soon.