JJ Spaun can win.
Or Xander Schauffele. Or Bryson DeChambeau. Or any of this week’s players The PGA Championship his name is not Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy.
Or not.
Over the past year-plus, the big ones have been Scheffler AND McIlroy – and everyone else. The pair have won four of their last five (and five of their last nine) and you’d be right to think they’d be the two highest-ranked players in the world against the PGA field. But Scheffler and McIlroy haven’t won every major. After all, there may be one Spaunwho won the US Open last year.
Who could that be at Aronimink Golf Club outside of Philly? Some help is below, where you’ll find a list of the top five players in odds below Scheffler and McIlroy, along with our staff members’ picks to win and sleep.
Top five 2026 PGA Championship players in odds list, minus Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy
– Cam Young, +1200. With Young, you’re getting this year’s winner of the Players Championship and the Cadillac Championship, and a player who tied for third at the Masters. He also ranks second this year in hits: total.
– Jon Rahm, +1600. Rahm has finished no worse than a tie for eighth in LIV Golf this year, and he has won twice.
– Xander Schauffele, +1800. Schauffele finished third in the Players and tied for ninth in the Masters. He has also won two of the last nine championships.
– Bryson DeChambeau, +2000. DeChambeau has won twice on the LIV Golf circuit this year. He also won the 2020 and 2024 US Opens.
– Ludwig Aberg, +2000. Aberg has finished in the top eight or better in five of his last six tournaments. He also ranks third this year on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: total.
What about sleep? Some thoughts on those players ranked exactly at 100-1
– Alex Fitzpatrick: He won the Zurich Classic with his brother, Matt. A week later, he tied for ninth in the Cadillac Championship. A week after that, he finished fourth at the Truist Championship.
– Gary Woodland: He won this year’s Texas Children’s Houston Open. He is also an emotional favorite, having revealed earlier this year that he is battling PTSD following a brain procedure.
– Thomas Detry: He is fourth this year in the LIV Golf rankings.
– Ben Griffin: He won three times last year. Two weeks ago he finished third in the Cadillac Championship.
– Harris English: He’s missed a cut in 12 starts this year on the PGA Tour.
– Jason Day: Day has missed two cuts in 11 starts this year on the PGA Tour.
PGA Tour golfers aren’t the only ones who can make some 💰 starting next Thursday. You can too! Here are some tips. https://t.co/uldLYRZvRh
— Nick Piastowski (@nickpia) June 5, 2020
2026 PGA Championship expert picks to win, sleep to watch
Josh Berhow
To win: Cameron Young, +1200. I can’t remember a major where I last thought the list of potential winners was this slim, but here I am with the top three. The way Rory, Scottie and Cam Young are playing, I can’t bring myself to look down the odds list. I’ll pick Cam, whose 74 Sunday at Truist was nothing short of special.
Choice of sleep: Kristoffer Reitan, +8,000. Don’t overdo it – he just won on Sunday and is still away! All of these guys are good – but it’s hard not to like the one who was better than them all through 72 holes.
James Colgan
To win: Brooks Koepka, +4000. A major championship on a big, burly, northeastern golf course? Yes, it sounds like an ideal setting for Koepka, whose game has shown some sneaky signs of life.
Choice of sleep: Daniel Berger, +22,500. I probably wouldn’t take him to win this golf tournament, but it wouldn’t shock me if he turned in a surprisingly competitive performance in Philly.
Dylan Dethier
To win: Cameron Young, +1200. It’s Cameron Young. It’s Cameron Young! The secret is revealed. Look, it was fun to watch Young put his best stuff on display, from the Ryder Cup to the Players to the Masters in Miami a few weeks ago. But I feel an I-like-then-platinum band kick. I was listening to Young’s old stuff, just so you know. However, if you give me any old-school Northeast golf course right now, I’ll give you Cameron Young as a surefire contender. A tie for fourth at Oakmont was a sign of things to come. This Ryder Cup statement was too. Here comes Cameron.
Choice of sleep: Matt McCarty, +15,000. McCarty is playing really, really well. Don’t sleep on it! And let’s dive a lot deeper for Ben Polland (+200,000), a talented club pro who could crack a top 40 here if all goes well.
Jack Hirsch
To win: Cameron Young, +1200. Cameron Young picked up his first PGA Tour win on a classic Donald Ross course, so I wouldn’t be shocked if one of the game’s top two players picked up another at Aronimink. It would feel like a very satisfying climax to this heater it’s in.
Choice of sleep: Jordan Spieth, +8,000. Let’s have some fun. Grand Slam, here we come.
Jessica Marksbury
To win: Scottie Scheffler, +450. That’s a pattern for me, it seems – picking the world No. 1 to win a major. But apparently I’m in the minority in this group advertised by Cameron Young! Scheffler needs no introduction here, but I’ll lay out a few quirks anyway: He’s the defending champion, his worst finish of the year is a tie for 24th, and his last three finishes were runners-up (Masters, RBC Heritage, Cadillac Championship). Come on, a fire must be lit! He’s winning this week.
Choice of sleep: Min Woo Lee, +6,000. Aronimink feels like a course where Min Woo can shine and play to his strengths. Plus, he’s been trending lately, finishing 18th in Cadillac and 14th in last week’s Truist.
Nick Piastowski
To win: Ludwig Aberg, +2000. Over his last six tournaments, Aberg has posted five top 10s and he ranks third this year on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: total. He will earn several degrees. This week, he wins his first.
Choice of sleep: Gary Woodland, +10,000. That would be one of the best stories in golf – but Woodland has also played solid golf this year. He has four top-25 finishes, including one win.
Josh Schrock
To win: Cameron Young, +1200. You could argue that Cam Young has been the second best player in the world since he switched golf balls and clubs nearly a year ago. Hit shots down the stretch to win at TPC Sawgrass and just ran over the field at Doral. He had the lead on Sunday at the Masters and I saw Rory close in on him. Just like when McIlroy blew up the 2011 Masters and responded to win the next title, I think Cam’s time comes at Aronimink.
Choice of sleep: Rickie Fowler, +5,000: I’ll just go back to sleeping with Fowler. He has played consistently good golf this season and rediscovered the feel with his putter. Top 10s carved out at RBC Heritage and Doral. I could easily see him struggling in Philly with his iron game.
Josh Sens
To win: Scottie Scheffler, +400. This is the golf handicapping equivalent of Occam’s Razor. He is still the best player in the world. In his last five races, his worst finish is a tie for seventh. He is guaranteed to fight. He will probably win. He is the favorite for a reason.
Choice of sleep: Keegan Bradley, +9,000. His heart may still be broken from the Ryder Cup, but his game has come together nicely of late. And we know he likes the big stage.
Johnny Wunder
To win: Jon Rahm, +1600. He is still in my heart and mind the leading contender to dethrone Scottie. The trick is to get him to cook in specialties, which usually comes down to the shooter. If his deployment is merely useful and he makes it normal, he’s a serious threat. He will win a greatness this year.
Choice of sleep: Patrick Cantlay, +4500. Great game for him, especially if the scores are low, which I’ve heard they might try to encourage. Pat is still the quiet killer he’s always been. If he can get to the top of the table at the start of the week, my guess is he’ll stay there until the end.
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