This year’s PGA Championship week has a multitude of possible storylines, from the possibility of a player earning their first major victory to the pursuit of a Hall of Fame career and the career Grand Slam.
A player has not held all four major championship trophies since Tiger Woods in 2001, but after winning this year’s Masters, Rory McIlroy has the potential to change the record books. The insurmountable task favors McIlroy’s game at Aronimink Golf Club, where his long, towering drives will lead to shorter clubs into tiered and sloped greens. His high ball flight with driver and long irons will be an asset in cutting off the dogleg mid-length par fours and will give him better stopping power on the long par threes. No player has won the modern Grand Slam by holding the Green Jacket, Wanamaker Trophy, U.S. Open Trophy, and Claret Jug simultaneously.
“Strategy off the tee is pretty nonexistent. It’s basically bash driver down there and then figure it out from there… The greens are the main focus this week, and I think getting yourself in the right sections of the greens, making sure you leave yourself below the hole for the most part. That’s the key.”
Source: Click On Detroit / AP
Scottie Scheffler comes into the tournament showing strong form with three consecutive second-place finishes at the Masters, the RBC Heritage, and the Cadillac Championship. He currently has five major championship victories and is the reigning PGA Champion. A win at Aronimink would put him in a tie with Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Lee Trevino, and Nick Faldo for major championship victories. Six majors would cement Scheffler as one of the greatest players under 30 years old. His yardage control with his irons will lead to easier birdie opportunities on the sloped putting surfaces, and his world-class chipping will help him recover from missed greens. Since he began competing in majors in 2020, Scheffler has missed only one cut — at Southern Hills in 2022 — and has finished no worse than eighth in every other appearance.
“My wife was like, ‘Hey, Scottie, you’re like the first guy in PGA Tour history to have three solo runner-ups in a row.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s probably because the guy that was playing that good figured out a way to win one of those.'”
Source: PGA Tour
A few players have elevated themselves into elite status on the PGA Tour this year and are seeking their first major victory. Tommy Fleetwood and Cameron Young come into this year’s PGA Championship with wins on big stages. Fleetwood earned his first PGA Tour victory at the 2025 Tour Championship. Young has shown a winning mentality in 2026 with victories at the Cadillac Championship and The Players Championship, along with a third-place finish at the Masters. Young is showing strong form heading into the week’s major, but both players would be fan favorites.
“If I can win one more tournament in my life, it would obviously be this one for that reason. But the easiest way to do that is to not try to, in a weird way. Just go out and get ready for the first hole, get a good game plan in and attack it the way it needs to be attacked.”
Source: PGA Tour
While the modern Grand Slam would be historic, the career Grand Slam has been achieved by only six players. Jordan Spieth looks to complete his career Grand Slam at the PGA Championship. Spieth has held the other three major titles since his 2017 Open Championship victory at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. However, Spieth has been notably absent from the winner’s circle, with his last victory coming at the 2022 RBC Heritage.
