Photo by Lo Sarno on Unsplash Statistical analysis of amateur golf performance consistently reveals a counterintuitive finding: distance control errors on approach shots cost recreational golfers more strokes than directional errors, even though most golfers practice and worry about direction far more. The Statistical Pattern Shot-tracking data from systems used across recreational and competitive golf shows that amateur golfers are typically far more likely to miss an approach shot short or long of their intended distance than they are to miss significantly left or right of their intended line. A shot that's 15 yards short or long frequently finds trouble — a bunker, water, or simply a much longer subsequent putt — in a way that a shot 10 yards left or right of the pin, but still on the green, does not. Why This Happens Directional misses are usually caused by face-to-path errors, covered in our ball flight laws article , which tend to be relatively consistent for an individual g...
Beyond Scheffler, McIlroy, Koepka, and Schauffele, the 2026 PGA Championship field at Aronimink is filled with players capable of hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy. Here is a look at the other significant contenders for the 108th PGA Championship.
Collin Morikawa
Morikawa won the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park as a PGA Tour rookie — one of the most impressive major championship debuts in history. His ball-striking is among the most precise on tour and Aronimink's demands on long and mid-iron accuracy align directly with his greatest strength. Morikawa has been in form in 2026 and Aronimink is the kind of course where his approach game can dominate. He is a legitimate favorite.
Jon Rahm
Rahm won the 2023 Masters and is one of the most physically powerful and technically complete players in the world. He has significant major championship experience and has shown an ability to perform on demanding, precise layouts. Aronimink's difficulty will not intimidate him — it may suit him. His ranking and form heading into the week place him firmly among the co-favorites.
Bryson DeChambeau
DeChambeau is a two-time US Open champion whose power game creates a different kind of course management at every venue he plays. At Aronimink's par 70, with only two par fives, his distance advantage is somewhat reduced compared to venues with multiple reachable par fives. But DeChambeau's iron play has improved significantly over his career and his ability to attack flagsticks from distance makes him a dangerous wild card.
Ludvig Aberg
The young Swede has quickly established himself as one of the most technically gifted players on tour. His iron play is exceptional, his composure in major championships has already been tested and found solid, and Aronimink's precision-based demands align with how he naturally plays the game. Do not be surprised if Aberg features prominently on the leaderboard by moving day.
The Club Professionals
One of the unique elements of the PGA Championship field is the inclusion of 20 PGA of America club professionals — the club pros who teach the game every day at courses across America. They rarely contend for the championship itself, but their inclusion is one of the tournament's most distinctive traditions. Michael Block's performance at Oak Hill in 2023 — where he made a hole-in-one and finished tied for 15th — is a reminder that these players can occasionally produce something extraordinary.
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