The PGA Championship heads to another classic Northeast bentgrass venue this week as Aronimink Golf Club takes center stage just outside Philadelphia. The Donald Ross design has hosted high-level events for decades, and while the venue carries major championship pedigree, I think we are going to see a much more scoreable setup than many people expect.
2026 PGA Championship Preview and Picks
Not quite Valhalla-level scoring, but certainly easier than the “brutal major test” narrative that will inevitably dominate coverage this week.
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Aronimink has a strong tournament history. Justin Rose won the 2010 AT&T National here at 10-under par, Nick Watney followed with a 13-under victory in 2011, and Keegan Bradley won the 2018 BMW Championship at a blistering 20-under par in a playoff over Rose.
That tells us something important right away: this course can absolutely yield birdies when conditions soften.
Why Aronimink Could Play Easier Than Expected
You’re going to hear a lot this week about thick rough and difficult conditions. Some of that is fair. Aronimink has length, challenging green complexes, and enough rough to punish completely errant drives.
But there’s only so much you can realistically do to a golf course in the Northeast in May.
The weather matters here. Rain throughout the week combined with the natural softness of Philadelphia-area courses this time of year should widen effective fairways and make these greens much more receptive than they would be later in the summer. If this tournament were being played in August, we’d likely see a firmer, faster, and far more difficult golf course.
Instead, I think this setup leans heavily toward driving accuracy and elite iron play.
Russell Henley +5000
Can Russell Henley win a major championship?
Honestly, why not?
He’s already proven he can win multiple times on the PGA Tour, and he just contended at Augusta National against one of the strongest fields of the season. More importantly, the profile fits this golf course perfectly.
Henley’s game is built around driving accuracy and precision iron play, and we just watched him flash a massive +9 approach week at the Masters. On a softer Aronimink setup where positioning and quality approach play should matter more than pure power, this feels like an excellent course fit for him.
At 50/1, there’s real value.
Viktor Hovland Top 5 +900
Viktor Hovland’s game still feels slightly volatile, but the ceiling remains undeniable on courses like this.
He has consistently played well on long, demanding golf courses with thick rough and difficult ball-striking requirements. We’ve seen him flash at venues like Oak Hill, Oakmont, and Olympia Fields — all courses that ask very similar questions.
The recent form has been inconsistent, but the ball striking has shown signs of life, and this type of setup plays directly into his strengths.
Robert MacIntyre Top 10 +450
Robert MacIntyre has quietly built a very strong profile on difficult Northeast bentgrass tracks.
The last two comparable venues he played — Caves Valley and Oakmont — nearly resulted in victories. He has always looked comfortable in tougher “major-style” setups, and while his 2026 season has been somewhat inconsistent, the overall form is good enough to trust here.
If Aronimink turns into the softer scoring test I expect, MacIntyre’s combination of iron play and comfort in difficult conditions gives him a strong path toward another major championship top 10.
