5 picks our expert likes

Welcome to our weekly PGA Tour gambling tips column, featuring picks from GOLF.com expert prognosticator Brady Kannon. A seasoned golf bettor and commentator, Kannon is a host and regular guest on SportsGrid, a syndicated audio network dedicated to sports and sports betting, and is a golf betting analyst for CBS Sportsline. You can follow Brady on X at @LasVegasGolferand you can read his picks below for the 2026 PGA Championship, which begins Thursday in Pennsylvania.

Two days before the start of golf’s second major championship of the season, there are still some questions about how this golf course will play – one of which involves the weather.

The forecast currently looks good with mostly sun, but there are a few areas of interest that the numbers could have an impact on this tournament. Around midnight ET Wednesday evening, there is a better than 50 percent chance of a few showers, expected to last for several hours. This, of course, could make for a soft and very vulnerable golf course in Thursday’s opening round. As the day continues, the sun is expected to shine with winds in the 15 mph range. This not only suggests that early tee times may see an advantage, but that the golf course may also dry out during the day. At the same time, the early wave looks set to experience chilly temperatures with an expected high for the day only in the low 60s – a stark contrast from Sunday’s final round expected high in the upper 80s.

Golf course restoration specialist Gil Hanse said Aronimink it is best when conditions are strong and fast. It looks like we’ll get there eventually, but Thursday may be different. It appears on the surface that there will be an opportunity to get off to a fast start on Thursday morning, taking on a rain-soaked golf course.

The other question mark for me is whether the bombers will be able to bomb completely – or will this test be more geared towards accuracy and positioning off the tee, as seems to be the architect’s intention? We may not know that for sure until early Thursday or even late Friday – and for our purposes, it certainly matters what type of player we think will have the best skills required for what the golf course presents.

It’s also interesting to note that when Hanse was brought in to do his overhaul in 2016, he was under the assumption that this PGA Championship would be played in its normally scheduled month of August, when conditions would almost certainly be strong and fast. Of course, the PGA Tour moved this event from August to May 2019. From a fan’s perspective, I hope Mother Nature cooperates and we get the perfect test. We saw Valhalla play soft and open in 2024 and Xander Schauffele won with a winning score of 21 under par. I can tell you that one of the best golfers in the world, Jeff Sherman, at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, has this week’s winning score proposition at 267.5 under/over — which is 12.5 under par. If he is right, I believe we get our wish for Aronimink, weather, rigor, etc., giving the proper test and producing a well-deserved champion.

We gave an early look at Aronimink and some of our picks to win 108th PGA Championship last week. Since then I have come up with five additional players who I believe have a legitimate shot at hoisting the Wanamaker trophy and are being offered at a fair price.

Patrick Cantlay (55-1)

I circled them and ran into Cantlay last week, but eventually pulled the trigger on Monday. I was concerned with the placement of his numbers, but I like almost everything else I’m seeing. First, in his last four starts, which include the Masters and two Signature Events, he has finished 7-12-8-10. Strong. Second, he has performed very well in what I believe make sense as related courses. He was third at Pinehurst in 2024, 14th at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023 and was a close fourth at Philadelphia Cricket Club last year for the Truist Championship. He has been runner-up at Detroit Golf Club and East Lake Golf Club. Cantlay has finished fifth, seventh, runner-up, and won the tournament championship. He ranks 51st on Tour in SG: Approach and Driving Accuracy. He is 20th for the Greens in Regulation and Scrambling.

Jordan Spieth (65-1)

I’ve actually looked up to 90-1 in the grand champion three times. Amazing number. I believe somewhere around 60-1 is the right price. This will be Spieth’s 10th attempt to win the PGA Championship and complete his career Grand Slam. I believe this golf course gives him a good chance and that his game is definitely up for grabs. I said Speith’s top 15 finish at the Masters was reasonable and if he found some magic he could win it. He finished 12th. I feel the same here. He is doing almost everything very well, especially the short game and the middle and short game. And I believe we’ll know right away whether this is Spieth’s week or not as he has only once in his career finished Round 1 of a PGA Championship inside the top 20 on the leaderboard. If he finds himself as such going into Friday, I believe he will have a shot.

Adam Scott (70-1)

The veteran Australian has experienced a bit of a resurgence in his career in the past two seasons, finishing second in the final round of last year’s US Open at Oakmont and now twice finishing fourth this season: once at Riviera and again three weeks ago at Doral. He hasn’t missed a cut since the Open Championship last July. The ball hit is impeccable, ranking third on Tour for SG: Approach, third for Hole Proximity from 150-175 yards, second from 175-200 yards and third from 200+ yards. Scott ranks 19th on Tour in Total Driving and is 46th in Scrambling. He finished ninth at Pinehurst in 2014.

Kurt Kitayama (80-1)

Speaking of hitting the ball. Wow. Like fellow UNLV Rebel golfer Adam Scott, Kitayama has also chipped in and ranks seventh on Tour in Total Driving. The approach numbers are very similar to Scott’s, as is his stroke, ranking 54th on Tour. Unfortunately, the SG: Placement numbers are also similar as Scott is 90th on Tour and Kitayama is 109th. Kitayama was runner-up this year at Riviera and has gone 8-9-19 in his last three games at Harbor Town, Doral and Quail Hollow respectively.

Sahith Theegala (150-1)

This is of course a remote possibility and we are invested with very low risk. Theegala has been struggling off the tee, ranking 125th on Tour for SG: Off the Tee. However, if the bomb and dig strategy is in play, it could work for Theegala. Also, if removing something short of driver off the tee for accuracy and positioning purposes works, that could benefit Theegala as well. What we do know for sure is that his approach game is very solid and his short game could be elite. He has done well in the past at other Ross designs such as Pinehurst, Oak Hill and East Lake. Some will say the steep fairways and large greens resemble the Plantation Course at Kapalua where Theegala finished runner-up in 2024. Some will say Aronimink lines up with the Silverado at Napa, where Theegala has won, finished seventh and sixth. At low risk, 150-1 or better is fine, and finishing position play for the top 40, 30, or even the top 20 can be very profitable.