FILE - This combo of file photos show the top golfers at the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa. Top row, from left, Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood, Cameron Young, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm. Bottom row, from left, Chris Gotterup, Cameron Young, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth. (AP Photo/File)
May 07, 2026 - 1:49 PM
A capsule look at 10 leading contenders for the 108th PGA Championship to be played May 14-17 at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania (listed in predicted order of finish):
Cameron Young
Age: 29.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 3.
Worldwide wins: 3.
Majors: None.
Best PGA Championship finish: Tied for third in 2022 at Southern Hills
Backspin: Young was contending in majors before he started winning. His two wins this year came in a duel with Matt Fitzpatrick at The Players Championship and a six-shot margin at Doral while playing three of the four rounds with Scottie Scheffler. He’s comfortable on a big stage.
Scottie Scheffler
Age: 29.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 1.
Worldwide wins: 23.
Majors: Masters (2022, 2024), PGA Championship (2025), British Open (2025)
Best PGA Championship finish: Won at Quail Hollow in 2025.
Backspin: His only victory was his first start of the year in The American Express. He goes into Aronimink with a week off and three runner-up finishes behind him. Will try to join Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back PGA champions in stroke play.
Rory McIlroy
Age: 37.
Country: Northern Ireland.
World ranking: 2.
Worldwide wins: 42.
Majors: Masters (2025, 2026), PGA Championship (2012, 2014), U.S. Open (2011), British Open (2014).
Best PGA Championship finish: Won at Kiawah Island in 2012 and at Valhalla in 2014.
Backspin: He goes for the second leg of the calendar Grand Slam for the second year in a row as the Masters champion. McIlroy took off three weeks after winning the Masters before returning at the Truist Championship.
Jordan Spieth
Age: 32.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 50.
Worldwide wins: 16.
Majors: Masters (2015), U.S. Open (2015), British Open (2017).
Best PGA Championship finish: Runner-up to Jason Day at Whistling Straits in 2015.
Backspin: This will be his 10th attempt at completing the career Grand Slam. He has been on the fringe of contention most of the year. A native Texan, both of Spieth’s parents grew up in the Philadelphia area.
Matt Fitzpatrick
Age: 31.
Country: England.
World ranking: 4.
Worldwide wins: 14.
Majors: U.S. Open (2022)
Best PGA Championship finish: Tied for fifth in 2022 at Southern Hills.
Backspin: He is one of the hottest players in golf with a runner-up finish at The Players Championship and victories at the Valspar Championship, RBC Heritage and Zurich Classic of New Orleans with brother Alex. The last Englishman to win the PGA was Jim Barnes in 1919.
Xander Schauffele
Age: 32.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 10.
Worldwide wins: 12.
Majors: PGA Championship (2024), British Open (2024).
Best PGA Championship finish: Won at Valhalla in 2024.
Backspin: While he hasn’t won this year, Schauffele has finished in the top 10 in five of his last six starts dating to Riviera. His game has been suited for the majors since his rookie season. He has 18 top 10s in 35 majors.
Tommy Fleetwood
Age: 35.
Country: England.
World ranking: 7.
Worldwide wins: 9.
Majors: None.
Best PGA Championship finish: Tied for fifth in 2022 at Southern Hills.
Backspin: After his best season that included the FedEx Cup title, Fleetwood has started slowly this year with four top 10s but no serious chance at winning. He tied for eighth at Aronimink in the 2018 BMW Championship.
Jon Rahm
Age: 31.
Country: Spain.
World ranking: 21.
Worldwide wins: 24.
Majors: Masters (2023), U.S. Open (2021).
Best PGA Championship finish: Tied for fourth in 2018 at Bellerive.
Backspin: He has won twice on LIV Golf this year but comes to the PGA Championship with something to prove, making him dangerous. Rahm has finished out of the top 30 in his last two majors and is dealing with the distraction of LIV’s future.
Chris Gotterup
Age: 26.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 11.
Worldwide wins: 4.
Majors: None.
Best PGA Championship finish: Missed the cut in 2024 at Valhalla in his only appearance.
Backspin: He won in each of the first two months to build momentum as a rising American star, This is as close as Gotterup gets to a home game having grown up in New Jersey and playing three years at Rutgers.
Bryson DeChambeau
Age: 32.
Country: United States
World ranking: 29.
Worldwide wins: 15.
Majors: U.S. Open (2020, 2024).
Best PGA Championship finish: Runner-up to Xander Schauffele in 2024 at Valhalla and to Scottie Scheffler in 2025 at Quail Hollow.
Backspin: One of the most entertaining figure in golf, DeChambeau figures to be the center of attention with LIV Golf’s future in doubt and two victories this year. He has missed the cut in two of his last three majors.
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