The year’s second major heads to Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, where Scottie Scheffler returns, aiming to successfully defend the PGA Championship title he secured at Quail Hollow 12 months ago.
The leading contenders all arrive in outstanding touch, with Scheffler recording Top 4 finishes in 12 of his past 15 appearances, Rory McIlroy coming off another Masters triumph and Cameron Young collecting two victories from his previous five events. Everything points towards a blockbuster week at Aronimink.
Key Stats/Skill Set Required
- Driving Distance
- Strokes Gained: Tee To Green
- Scrambling
- Strokes Gained: Around The Green
- Bogey Avoidance
- Putting Average
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Par 3 Performance: 200+ Yards
Aronimink is one of Donald Ross’ most respected layouts and has undergone multiple renovations over the past 30 years, with recent changes aimed at preparing the venue for another major championship. Length off the tee is always a major advantage in PGA Championships, while touch around the greens is also expected to play a significant role this week. Strong play on the longer Par 3 holes should also be a major factor in separating contenders from the rest of the field.
Key Correlation Courses/Tournaments
- Sedgefield
- Pinehurst No.2
- Detroit Golf Club
- East Lake
Cameron Young is producing some of the best golf of his career right now and few players in the world are striking the ball with greater confidence. The New Yorker has claimed victories at both the Players Championship and the Cadillac Championship across his last five starts and now owns three wins alongside nine additional Top 11 finishes in his past 16 tournaments.
Although still chasing a maiden major championship, Young has repeatedly shown he can contend on golf’s biggest stages, recording seven Top 10 finishes from his last 16 major appearances. His Wyndham Championship victory last season is another strong pointer given the Donald Ross connection with Aronimink. Statistically, his profile is elite ranking 2nd in Scrambling, 2nd in Bogey Avoidance and 6th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green. With a victory already this season, excellent major championship form and a strong Data Golf ranking, Young shapes as the standout option this week.
Xander Schauffele proved his ability to handle the pressure of the big stage when winning the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla and signs are emerging that his game is trending back towards that level. Before an underwhelming result at the Truist, Schauffele had pieced together seven consecutive Top 25 finishes, while his third placing at the Players Championship earlier this year highlighted his upside.
His all-round game continues to stack up strongly for Aronimink, ranking 7th in Scrambling, 12th in Bogey Avoidance, 15th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and 19th in Strokes Gained: Approach. He checks plenty of important boxes for a PGA Championship contender.
Former US Open champion JJ Spaun is another player finding his best form at the right time. Spaun captured the Valero Texas Open earlier in the season and has added three Top 25 finishes from his last four starts since then.
He currently ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 14th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green, both key indicators for success at Aronimink. Spaun also fits a number of recent winner trends including already having a win this season, being American, holding a Top 20 Data Golf ranking and entering the week off a recent Top 5 result. His odds appear generous.
Recent PGA Championships have heavily favoured powerful players arriving in form and Chris Gotterup fits that mould perfectly. He sits 5th in Driving Distance and has already collected two victories this season after winning the Sony Open and Phoenix Open.
Gotterup also ranks 14th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and has shown promising form both in recent majors and at correlating venues such as Sedgefield. If he can maintain his current level from tee to green, he has the tools to surprise.
Kurt Kitayama continues to fly under the radar despite consistently producing quality golf on the PGA Tour. The former Arnold Palmer Invitational champion has the statistical profile to contend strongly this week.
Kitayama ranks 6th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 16th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green, 18th in Bogey Avoidance and 19th in Driving Distance. He has also previously posted a Top 10 finish in the PGA Championship back in 2023, making him an appealing roughie play.
Matt McCarty has been one of the hottest players on tour in recent weeks with five straight Top 25 finishes, including three consecutive Top 10 results. His T-24 finish at the Masters further demonstrated he is capable of competing on the biggest stage and his confidence is clearly building.
With Hideki Matsuyama priced very short in this market, Ryo Hisatsune shapes as the more appealing option. Hisatsune ranks inside the Top 20 for performance on long Par 3s as well as Strokes Gained: Tee To Green, two key indicators that should translate strongly to Aronimink. He looks well placed to outperform expectations this week.