PGA Championship 2026: 5 longshot bets I love at Aronimink
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Augusta National
This tournament is as wide open and vulnerable to a dark horse as any major in recent memory. Under 7,400 yards with an emphasis on precision and putting, Aronimink Golf Club and the PGA Championship will continue their habit of opening pathways to longshots and potentially humbling the chalk. Rich Beem, Jimmy Walker, Y.E. Yang and countless others have entered the week off the radar and ended it with their names etched on the Wanamaker Trophy.
Welcome to PGA Championship week, where a caravan of players from different tours and professions roll in to attack Aronimink. Coined by Donald Ross as his “masterpiece,” I fully expect firm conditions and demanding greens will appeal to accuracy merchants. Aronimink provides little room for separation off the tee, increasing the emphasis of approach play where the difference between a good vs. a great shot will be monumental.
As I review the odds board, there are several players with the right game for this golf course who aren’t getting the attention they deserve.
Here are five prime candidates who fit the bill and CAN win the 2026 PGA Championship.
Russell Henley
Andrew Redington
My outlook on Russell Henley has always been tortured. He possesses elite consistency and proven precision but often lacked the required aggressiveness in contention. I noticed a different Henley on Sunday at Augusta, when he was best in the field in ball-striking and routinely made aggressive putts that burned past the edges. He needed that T-3.
The No. 9-ranked player in the world is always overlooked at majors, as they often feature 7,700-yard behemoth designs. Aronimink is a natural fit for Henley, who is exceptional at dialing in short iron approaches and does not shy away from difficult pins. With three consecutive top-10 finishes in majors, his resume is building toward a coronation at Aronimink.
Current best odds: 60-1, Bet365
Read The Line's John Haslbauer on the perfect formula that Russell Henley has to win a major:
Tyrrell Hatton
Maddie Meyer
Often lurking behind the two titans of LIV, you’ll find Tyrrell Hatton not-so-quietly going about his business and racking up results. Long snakebitten by disappointing results in majors, Hatton has figured them out. T-4 at Oakmont, followed by a T-3 finish at this year’s Masters has only bolstered confidence for the English marksman.
The firm conditions and exacting nature of Aronimink sets up to be an ideal fit for Hatton, who excels in difficult scoring conditions on less than 7,400-yard golf courses. This tournament is in his wheelhouse, and he may be the most overlooked player on the board.
Current best odds: 60-1, DraftKings
J.J. Spaun
Andrew Redington
This will be a popular selection due to the connective tissue based on the last time a major was held in Pennsylvania, 11 months ago at Oakmont. Aronimink provides a very different examination, and honestly one that more naturally aligns with the skill set of J.J. Spaun.
Spaun’s last month of form only accelerates his momentum (T-5 at the Truist and T-14 at the Cadillac), and a win at the Valero Texas Open. He’s back to driving it straight off the tee, but the hallmark of his game has always been precision on approach. Spaun has gained on the field with his irons in eight straight starts, something I fully expect him to leverage at Aronimink. The putting performance at Oakmont was the best of his career, and something Spaun will hope to bring down I-76 to Philadelphia a year later.
Current best odds: 78-1, DraftKings
Jason Day
Orlando Ramirez
The way that Kerry Haigh has set up courses for the PGA Championship has always brought the best out of Jason Day. His only major came at the PGA, and he has five top-10s at this championship in the past 11 years. Day looked sharp at Augusta National, gaining across all four major stat categories, and rekindling a thirst for contention on Sundays that facilitated 13 career PGA Tour wins.
The maniacally undulating greens at Aronimink will emphasize his putting prowess, and Day remains one of the most reliable players on tour out of the sand, something that may strike fear in other players amongst the 178 bunkers. He’s a major champion, having spent 51 weeks ranked No. 1 in the world, and he’s one of the rare elites who chose to make his homebase in the Midwest, around golf courses that look and play a whole lot like Aronimink.
Current best odds: 130-1, DraftKings
Keegan Bradley
Maddie Meyer/PGA of America
The legendary Gil Hanse was charged with restoring Aronimink to its glory in 2017. He doubled the bunkers, added length and brought back the severity of the greens. Only one player has won at Aronimink since, and it’s Keegan Bradley in 2018.
He returns to Aronimink quietly trending in the right direction. Early season struggles with his wedge proximity left him void of birdie opportunities. That has vastly improved over his past four starts, and he’s one of the best in the field at putting on greens in the Northeast throughout his career. He’s another player with his name already on the Wanamaker, and odds that are high enough to temp me with the prospects of adding it a second time.
Current best odds: 130-1, DraftKings
Joe Idone is a Read The Line contributor and host of the Preferred Lines podcast.