PGA Championship starts May 14 at Aronimink

Major-championship golf is back Thursday, May 14, and this one has a very specific feel. The PGA Championship is at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia for the first time in more than 60 years. That matters because even the best players are dealing with a course they mostly know from homework, not scar tissue. The headline entering the week is simple — Scottie Scheffler is defending, Rory McIlroy is right behind him in the market, and the venue adds a real layer of uncertainty. ### Why is Aronimink the story? Aronimink is a Donald Ross course in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, and the PGA Championship hasn’t been there since Gary Player won in 1962. In modern major golf, that’s basically a new site. Players and bettors can lean on architecture notes, BMW Championship memories, and practice-round intel, but there isn’t a deep recent major-history file here the way there is at places like Quail Hollow or Valhalla. (pgachampionship.com) ### Who’s actually in the field? The field is 156 players, and it’s loaded. The PGA of America’s field list says it includes 15 past PGA champions, 29 major champions, and 20 PGA of America club professionals. PGA TOUR betting coverage adds another useful detail — 97 of the top 100 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are here. So this is not a watered-down major. It’s basically everybody who matters. (pgatour.com) ### Why is Scheffler still the favorite? Because the market still treats Scottie Scheffler as the most complete player in the world. PGA TOUR betting coverage had him narrowly ahead of McIlroy on the odds board this week, even with the top tier more crowded than usual. That tells you the basic shape of the tournament — Scheffler is the default answer, but not by a huge margin. He’s defending champion, world No. 1, and the safest all-around profile in a field where almost everyone has some flaw. (pgachampionship.com) ### Why is McIlroy so close? Because Rory McIlroy is arriving with real momentum and a very live major storyline. He’s the Masters champion this season and is going for a third PGA Championship title and a seventh major overall. When the market prices him just behind Scheffler, it’s saying this isn’t a one-man week. It’s saying the ceiling case is very real — especially if Aronimink rewards elite driving and high-end iron play instead of pure putting luck. (pgatour.com) ### What are the first-round groups worth watching? The PGA Championship posted featured groups built to feel like a major. Scheffler, McIlroy, and Cameron Young are grouped together. That’s the marquee draw — the defending champion, the Masters winner, and one of the game’s most volatile high-end talents in one pod. Tee times for the first two rounds are already out, so the event has fully shifted from preview mode into tournament mode. (pgatour.com) ### What’s the catch with all the betting certainty? The catch is that “favorite” and “likely winner” are not the same thing in golf. Even the shortest prices imply a lot of chaos because a 156-man major on a relatively unfamiliar course spreads risk everywhere — weather waves, rough, awkward bounces, and one cold putting day. That’s why the board can say Scheffler first and McIlroy second while still leaving plenty of room for someone like Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, or Collin Morikawa to crash the week. (pgachampionship.com) ### So what matters most now? Now it’s about fit, not reputation. Aronimink is the variable. The stars are obvious, but the real edge this week may come from who solves the course fastest. That’s the fun part — a major with a stacked field, a rare venue, and no deep recent playbook. (pgachampionship.com) (pgatour.com)