PGA Championship Predictions and Bets Bets: Is Xander Schauffele the play this week?
The PGA Championship, which is the second of four majors on the 2026 golf calendar, takes place this week at Aronimink Golf Club outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Storylines abound on what is the busiest stretch of the year in this sport, with all four majors being played in the span of four months. Rory McIlroy is attempting to win his second straight major after triumphing at the Masters in April for the second time in a row. Scottie Scheffler is looking to defend his PGA Championship title, which would mark his fifth major overall. Jordan Spieth is getting yet another chance to secure the elusive career Grand Slam.
Let’s break down the odds and discuss the best bets to make.
PGA Championship Odds
As usual, Scheffler and McIlroy are the clear favourites on the PGA Tour odds. And why not? Scheffler is the No. 1 player in the world and his placed in the top eight at the PGA Championship a whopping five times in the past six seasons. McIlroy comes in at No. 2 in the rankings and has seven top-10 finishes at the PGA, including two victories (2012 and 2014).
Among those looking to challenge Scheffler and McIlroy are Cameron Young, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Aberg. Young is in especially strong form at the moment, with six top-10 results in his last seven starts and two titles during this stretch – including The Players Championship.
Here is the shortlist of favourites to lift the Wanamaker Trophy:
- Scottie Scheffler +500
- Rory McIlroy +900
- Cameron Young +1400
- Jon Rahm +1500
- Xander Schauffele +2100
- Bryson DeChambeau +2100
- Matt Fitzpatrick +2400
- Ludvig Aberg +2400
- Tommy Fleetwood +2500
PGA Championship Best Bet: Xander Schauffele to win at +2100 odds
Schauffele has finished in the top 18 in five of the last seven PGA Championships, including a triumph in 2024 at Valhalla (by one stroke over DeChambeau). The 32-year-old American is simply a big-stage player. He is a two-time major champion (also at the 2024 British Open), won Olympic gold in Tokyo five years ago and has placed in the top 10 of 18 majors overall.
Schauffele’s scrambling is among the best in golf, and scrambling is often a key part of successfully getting around difficult major championship courses. Current form is solid but unspectacular. Schauffele has made nine consecutive cuts since missing his first one of the season at Torrey Pines. The world No. 11 has delivered three top-10 performances in his last five appearances in addition to a T12 showing last month at Harbour Town.
PGA Championship Prediction: Ludvig Aberg to win at +2400 odds
Aberg has been trending in the right direction – and that’s an understatement – since his 2026 campaign began with a withdrawal (La Quinta) and a missed cut (Torrey Pines). The 26-year-old Swede has made eight straight cuts and has placed in the top eight at five of his last six events.
Although Aberg has never made the cut at the PGA Championship, the sample size of two appearances is extremely small. We know the former Texas Tech standout can excel at the highest level, having twice placed in the top seven at the Masters – including a solo runner-up finish in 2024.
Aberg displays one of the best and certainly most efficient swings in the sport. It’s no surprise that he is one of the best ball-strikers on the PGA Tour, and his iron play should make him a serious contender at Aronimink. It’s a matter of “when”, not “if”, in the case of Aberg’s first major title, and it could very well be this week.