Scheffler feels overdue, Spieth eyes the slam and Cam Young’s major moment top PGA Championship storylines

It’s easier to complain during the build-up to the PGA Championship than golf’s other three major championships, but that may not be the case this time around.

This week’s 108th PGA Championship returns to Aronimink Golf Club in the Philadelphia area for the first time since Gary Player won the championship in 1962. We have some familiarity with the course thanks to the PGA Tour hosting the BMW Championship at Aronimink in 2018, but it still feels largely fresh and new, something the PGA Championship has desperately needed in recent years.

It’s a “new” golf course where the play of some of the world’s best players is very trending heading into the week, and the 2026 PGA Championship could be one to remember. We’ll be putting some of the biggest stories on the table as Thursday’s opening round approaches.

Doubt Scottie Scheffler at Your Own Risk

The general sense of doubt surrounding Scottie Scheffler and his play leading up to Aronimink isn’t the same as it was before the Masters in April, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone completely.

The entire golf world is so numb to Scheffler winning, when he hasn’t found the winner’s circle in over three months, the natural question to ask is: What’s wrong with him? The answer to this question is nothing, and it’s really hard to win golf tournaments even if you’re the No. 1 player in the world.

Scheffler enters this week as the defending champion with three consecutive solo runner-up finishes at the Masters, RBC Heritage and Cadillac Championship. He chose to participate in last week’s Truist Championship; This was the same strategy he followed before last year’s PGA Championship, a tournament he ultimately won by five shots.

As Aronimink doesn’t fit the typical ‘bomber paradise’ mold and has huge, undulating greens that require distance control (Scheffler’s strong colour), it certainly looks like his best opportunity to win a 5th major compared to the other two majors that will be on the calendar this week.

Jordan Spieth Makes Another Try at the Slam

Just as Rory McIlroy is searching for a green jacket to complete the Masters tales, with his career dominated by the grand slam until he finds it in 2025, Spieth, who wants to capture the Wanamaker Trophy to achieve the same feat, will be the main talking point as long as he is on the field and Father Time is not the main character.

Jordan Spieth tees off on the eighth green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)

This week will be the 32-year-old’s ninth attempt to complete the slam to win the PGA Championship, making him the seventh player of the modern era to do so. The feeling that Spieth will likely win this major, or any of the other three majors, is mixed. It feels distant, but not entirely impossible, and it also doesn’t feel that close.

In 12 starts this season, Spieth has six top-25 finishes and missed just one cut, but has failed to finish in the top 10 along the way. Interestingly, while the driver has arguably been his best friend in 2026, his putter has been about as inconsistent as it gets.

If Spieth can execute every aspect of his game at even a slightly above average rate, which is very likely, he can find the winner’s circle again. The incident that occurred at the PGA Championship this week, and one that was contested on a fairway green, seems highly unlikely.

Is Cameron Young Very Popular?

After a win at The Players, a T-3 at the Masters, a win at the Cadillac Championship and three top-10 finishes. Cam Young has been a force in 2026, and now you put the New York native and his hot game on a field outside of Philadelphia and you have the makings of an ideal setup for Young to win his first major championship.

Next month’s US Open tournament at Shinnecock Hills in his home state will likely be a better setup, but that’s a story for another day; this is PGA Championship week.

Cameron Young of the United States tees off during the third round of the Cadillac Championship 2026 at Trump National Doral Miami on May 02, 2026 in Doral, Florida. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) (Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

CAMERON YOUNG GAVE HIMSELF A HEAVY PENALTY, AND WAS IMMEDIATELY REWARDED BY GOLF GODS IN DORAL

Other than a poor round with the flat bat at times, Young has shown no weakness in his game, finishing 10th or better in six of his last seven starts. The experience of playing in the final group on Masters Sunday will also pay off.

You couldn’t have prepared better for his first major championship victory than Young did heading into Aronimink. Some may see this as a sign that things are too good to be true, while others will be stunned if Sunday isn’t fully thrown into the mix.

Is Matt Fitzpatrick a Two-Time Major Winner?

Since winning the 2022 US Open, Matt Fitzpatrick has failed to mount a serious challenge in any of the 14 major championships that have followed. But in the form it carries into this week’s action, this trend could come to a life-altering halt.

Matt Fitzpatrick won the RBC Heritage award for the second time in his career. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

MATT FITZPATRICK GIVES A GREAT REACTION TO US RYDER CUP FANS AFTER PGA TOUR VICTORY

Following his solitary runner-up finish at The Players, Fitz has been among the winners three times in his five appearances since then. One of those wins was the Zurich Classic, where he teamed up with brother Alex Fitzpatrick, but three wins in five starts prove that he is playing at an absurdly high level.

Fitz is in the PGA Championship field over his last 20 rounds: first in strokes gained around the green, 12th in approach strokes gained, sixth in strokes gained off the tee, and 16th in driving accuracy.

In addition to putting up outstanding numbers, he has also found a palpable confidence and swagger around the ropes, which is easier said than done for a player wearing Skechers.

LIV Men Need to Show Signs of Life

Other than Tyrrell Hatton finishing T-3, the Masters as a whole was a disaster for LIV Golf.

Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut after rounds of 76-74, while Jon Rahm was never a factor after firing an opening round 78 before finishing T-38.

Coming into this week at Aronimink, I think things could go one of two ways for the LIV players in the field: one of the top players actually gets involved on Sunday, or the distractions of the Saudi PIF pulling funding from LIV emerge as a legitimate issue and no one shows any form.

Bryson DeChambeau watches his putt on the 12th hole during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)

Talk of this week’s course layout being one where taller hitters in the field don’t necessarily emphasize accuracy should be well established for both DeChambeau and Rahm. Your guess is as good as anyone’s as to what we’ll see from LIV players this week.

Maybe Rory McIlroy Will Just Be the Great Chaser

Career grand slam winner, back-to-back Masters victories and just five starts on the PGA Tour so far in 2026. Rory McIlroy hasn’t been shy about sending a message about where his career ethics lie at this point, and it looks like they’re firmly focused on the major championships.

Last week’s Truist Championship was his first start since donning the green jacket in early April, and although his short game was well below his standards, he was able to finish T-19 by essentially moving.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland smiles during the Pro Am event ahead of the Truist Championship 2026 at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 06, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images) (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

RORY MCILROY DETAILS THE DIFFERENCE IN EMOTIONS AFTER WINNING EACH OF HIS SUBSEQUENT MASTERS.

McIlroy may have found the sweet spot in terms of confidence, preparation and overall mentality to get into the final groups of big Sundays and create a formula to get legitimate moves, adding to his resume.

A win at Aronimink this week would at least be entertaining to reopen the calendar slam debate.

I Feel Like a Trap

We do this for most major championships because that’s what we want, but that’s almost never true and that’s talking to ourselves that everything is wide open and more than a dozen players can actually win the tournament.

In fact, four players in this field are at a much higher level than others entering the week: Scheffler, McIlroy, Young and Fitzpatrick. If we were smart, all the predictions and bets would revolve mainly around these four names and these four names, but we are emotional beings and sometimes we make stupid decisions.

Scottie Scheffler walks to the green on the 18th hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 11, 2026. (David J. Phillip/AP)

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For example, my brain has already entertained the idea that Patrick Cantlay has a very good chance of winning at Aronimink this weekend.

A great week awaits us, I’m almost certain of it, but the last few gaps may be a version of the inevitable that we didn’t expect.