There’s formally certainly concerning it: For the upcoming 7 times, Philly is actually a golf city.
Thanks to the Sixers, that observed on their own away from the NBA playoffs in a move through the I-95 rival Knicks, the path is actually formally very clear for significant champion golf’s splendid go back to Philly today. Aronimink Golf Nightclub, some of Philly’s wide variety of golden-age, normally loved golf nightclubs, are going to participate in multitude to the most recent version of the PGA Champion.
Last year, the golf planet observed Philly’s golf bona fides when it seemed like half the city showed up to Philadelphia Cricket Club for the Truist Champion, which was actually put off to Philly to create room for the PGA at Quail Cavity. Right now, the major series on its own resides in city, and also getting the golf planet each time when the manipulation goes to an enduring higher. Therefore just before you view this weekend break (on CBS or even ESPN), and also just before the twist of the major full week drains its own pearly whites in to you, permit’s go through the most significant accounts worth taking notice of.
8 most significant PGA Champion storylines
8. What the heck is actually occurring with LIV?
The golf planet has actually expired in to a condition of continuous complication concerning the more comprehensive designs of LIV following the Saudi hideaway. Yet the inquiries are actually merely acquiring louder. Typical case: My associate Alan Bastable’s interview with LIV CEO Scott O’Neil coming from LIV Virginia, through which the mind of the militant game accepted they were actually still possessed just about totally due to the Saudis, and also performed certainly not talk about whether that indicated the Saudis maintained decision-making command over possible future clients in the game.
The inquiries are going to definitely proceed for the weekend break in Philly, where — just like the U.S. Open up at LACC merely a couple of brief years earlier — the activity has actually currently been actually specified versus the background of more comprehensive LIV complication.
7. What’s occurring with LIV’s superstar gamers?
The amusing feature of significant full weeks in the LIV time is actually that they function as a number of minority opportunities that everybody in the golf planet mingles. Today, Jon Rahm and also Bryson DeChambeau are going to remain in the very same spot as Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and also Jordan Spieth. Probably, they’ll discover some points to discuss relating to the present condition of undertakings.
Of course, the risks for Aronimink aren’t specifically Yalta, so our company most likely shouldn’t be actually anticipating any kind of structural activities in the golf planet to develop coming from PGA full week, however felt confident, individuals are going to be actually chatting.
6. What’s occurring with *the remainder* of LIV’s gamers?
Nobody will certainly be actually dropping rest concerning the lasting affordable leads of gamers like Talor Gooch, that submitted his significant champion future at probably his job’s best watermark for a LIV agreement, and also right now possesses his really personal staff (OKGC, nee Brooks Koepka’s Sensation GC). Yet probably our company oughta be actually thinking of him!
Gooch is just one of a handful of gamers coming from the LIV midfield that can be overmuch affected due to the transformation very likely pertaining to the game in the upcoming 1 year. Unlike Rahm and also DeChambeau, that are going to possess supporters and also major-championship welcomes and also affordable futures whatever takes place to LIV, gamers like Gooch compromised their standing for the opportunity at life-altering funds. Luckily, they received their cash advances. However, their futures are actually right now in better inquiry than in the past.
Ironically, Gooch (whose martyrdom around some of the major championship drama of the very early LIV times got him some abuse) won’t remain in the industry today at the PGA after obtaining an exclusive exception in 2024. It’s a right glance in to the condition of the LIV midfield, and also it increases the risks on those that did make it in to the industry at Aronimink to reveal effectively. The event might possess potential work capacity at concern.
5. The year of Rory?
Last year, I always remember being actually attacked due to the eyesight of Rory McIlroy, that reached the PGA Champion. After his thrilling gain at Augusta National, I thought McIlroy will be actually drifting on sky — and also holding the type of tranquility of an individual without just about anything entrusted to show. It led me to forecast that he’d gain a ton extra majors, probably as quickly as 2025.
Then he showed up at Quail Hollow looking cantankerous, abrasive and generally peeved. He never quite moved on from that worldview for the rest of the ’25 major season.
It wasn’t until he arrived at Augusta National for the first time as champion that the switch flipped. McIlroy arrived in 2026 at the Masters with all of the quiet, self-assured confidence I assumed I’d see from him in Quail Hollow. After that he won his second green jacket, and also talked about resetting after feeling as if the grand slam was his career’s final “destination.” He said he’s found new hunger and enthusiasm in competing in the majors in this stage of his life — and if that’s true, this week could provide confirmation of a new kind of Rory.
4. Where art thou, Scottie?
Far be it coming from me to suggest that Scottie Scheffler is not playing great golf. He’s still the No. 1 player in the world. He’s still the biggest threat to win every tournament he plays in. He’s still pretty good at playing a really, really hard sport — as he often reminds us with a chuckle.
But Scottie Scheffler has not been the same untouchable force in 2026 that he was in most of 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
A couple of thoughts on that: 1. It’s not inherently a bad thing that this is true — Scheffler would have to be the greatest golfer in history to survive half a decade without a single lull in his game, and even then it might be unrealistic to think. 2. It’s not as if Scheffler’s “fall off” has been pronounced: DataGolf’s world rankings still have him as the best player in the world by three-quarters of a shot. 3. It’s still early in the season — early enough that a victory would quickly remove these conversations in their entirety.
In other words, Aronimink is Scottie’s chance to make us all shut up.
3. Forever Young
Hard to picture a player who better fits the profile of a winner this week than Cam Young, a burly northeasterner playing a burly northeast golf course. Young has been playing the best golf of his life in 2026, grabbing wins at the Players Championship and Doral en route to a career-best OWGR rank of World No. 3.
He profiles as the kind of ball-striker to win at least one significant championship in his career, and his recent success in normal golf tournaments and major championships suggests his game is peaking in time for this week. This is a storyline worth monitoring.
2. New leadership
If you’ve only been paying attention to golf’s myriad other existential shakeups, it’s possible you’ve missed the leadership challenges happening at the PGA of America, where new CEO Terry Clark will preside over his first major championship since taking over for the brief tenure of Derek Sprague.
Clark has his plate full already at the PGA of A, including addressing matters of the golf ball rollback, the PGA Championship’s role in the greater golf hierarchy, the development of a true championship identity and the path to avoiding the persistent rake-steps that have dominated the governing body’s last several years ($800 Ryder Cup tickets and World No. 1 player arrests among them). We’ll get our first glimpse at his governing philosophy during a presser this week, and we’ll be paying close attention to what comes next.
1. Philly, baby!
Philadelphia is one of pro golf’s most overlooked cities, and there’s no really good reason for it. There might be no metro area in the United States along with a better combination of great golf courses and also rabid golf fans. The city will play a major role in the fun this week, and also hopefully create a good case for golf in a regular significant-champion turning.