Scheffler feels overdue, Spieth eyes the slam and Cam Young’s major moment top PGA Championship storylines
It’s easier to complain during the buildup of a PGA Championship than any of the other three major championships in golf, but it 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 took the title in 1962. We’re somewhat familiar with the course thanks to the PGA Tour hosting the BMW Championship at Aronimink in 2018, but it still feels fresh and new for the most part, something the PGA Championship has desperately needed in recent years.
A “new” golf course with the games of some of the best players in the world very much trending heading into the week, and the 2026 PGA Championship could turn out to be one to remember. We’ll set the table with some of the biggest storylines as Thursday’s opening round approaches.
Doubt Scottie Scheffler At Your Own Risk
The overall sense of doubt surrounding Scottie Scheffler and his game heading into Aronimink isn’t nearly what it was prior to the Masters in April, but that doesn’t mean it’s entirely gone. Scheffler of the United States walks on the fourth green during the first round of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md., on Aug. 14, 2025. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
What makes this particularly fascinating is that Scheffler enters this week as the defending champion and off of three consecutive solo runner-up finishes at the Masters, RBC Heritage and the Cadillac Championship. He opted to pass on teeing it up in last week’s Truist Championship, which is the same strategy he took prior to last year’s PGA Championship, a tournament he ultimately won by five shots.
From my perspective, Scheffler’s approach to the PGA Championship feels more like a test than a chance to win. His performance this week will determine whether he can find the winner’s circle again. Jordan Spieth gets another go at the Slam
Just as Rory McIlroy’s hunt for a green jacket to complete the career grand slam dominated Masters storylines until he found it in 2025, Spieth looking to get his hands on the Wanamaker Trophy to conquer the same feat, will be a lead talking point as long as he’s in the field and Father Time isn’t a main character.
Spieth has had six top-25 finishes in his 12 starts this season, and missed only one cut, but hasn’t picked up a top-10 finish along the way. Interestingly, the driver has arguably been his best friend in 2026, while his putter has been as inconsistent as possible.
If, and it's a huge if, Spieth can get every aspect of his game clicking at even just a slightly above-average rate, he can find the winner’s circle again. That happening this week at the PGA Championship, one being contested on bentgrass greens on top of that, feels more unlikely than likely.
Is Cameron Young Getting Too Much Love?
A win at The Players, a T-3 at the Masters, another win at the Cadillac Championship, on top of another three top-10 finishes. Cam Young has been a force in 2026, and now you put the New York native and his red-hot game on a course outside of Philadelphia, and you have the makings for an ideal setup for Young to win his first major championship.
You couldn’t build a better buildup to a maiden major championship victory than the one Young has put together heading into Aronimink. Some may see that as a sign of things being too good to be true, while others will be stunned if he isn't firmly in the mix down the stretch on Sunday.
LIV Guys Need To Show Signs Of Life
Aside from Tyrrell Hatton finishing T-3, the Masters was a disaster for LIV Golf as a whole. Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut after rounds of 76-74, while Jon Rahm was never a factor after firing an opening round of 78 before finishing T-38.
As far as this week at Aronimink goes, I think things can go one of two ways for the LIV players in the field: one of the high-end players truly mixes on Sunday, or the distractions of the Saudi PIF pulling LIV's funding (https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/inevitable-outcome-arrives-liv-golf-saudis-officially-pull-plug-funding) prove to be a legitimate issue, and nobody shows any form at all.
Maybe Rory McIlroy Will Just Be The Major 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 exactly been shy in sending a message about where his career morals lie at this point, and they appear to be strictly on the major championships.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland smiles during the Pro Am event prior to the Truist Championship 2026 at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 06, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
McIlroy may have found the sweet spot in terms of confidence, preparation, and just overall mindset to build a formula to play his way into the final groups of major Sundays and get legitimate swings in adding another to his resume.
