Men’s major season got off to a dramatic start with Rory McIlroy’s encore victory at the Masters in April. Now comes Act II with the 2026 PGA Championship set to return to Aronimink Golf Club just outside of Philadelphia for the first time in more than 60 years.

Scottie Scheffler arrives as the defending champion after cruising to a five-shot victory over Bryson DeChambeau, Harris English and Davis Riley a year ago at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. That was a far better memory than the one the PGA he had the year prior with his surreal arrest ahead of the second round of the 2024 PGA at Valhalla.

Scheffler and McIlroy have been playing well in 2026, but there are two more hot hands in Cameron Young and Matt Fitzpatrick. Both golfers have won multiple PGA Tour titles in 2026 and have themselves in prime position to contend for a major.

RELATED: 13 best bets at Aronimink

It’s easy then to look at this year as a four-player race, but obviously there are others who would like a word. With that as the jumping off point, let’s answer any and all frequently asked questions you may have about the 2026 PGA Championship.

When and where is the 2026 PGA Championship being held?

This year’s PGA Championship will be played at Aronimink Golf Club in Newton Square, Pa. It’s a private club founded in 1896, with the course, designed by Donald Ross, officially opening in 1928. The course has a history of holding big events, having hosted the PGA Championship in 1962 (won by Gary Player) as well as the U.S. Amateur in 1977 (John Fought), U.S. Junior Amateur in 1997 (Jason Allred), the Senior PGA in 2003 (John Jacobs) and the Women’s PGA Championship in 2020 (Sei Young Kim). Additionally, the PGA Tour has brought the FedEx Cup playoffs to the course on three occasions—2010 (Justin Rose), 2011 (Nick Watney) and 2018 (Keegan Bradley)

Coming in at 100 in Golf Digest’s most recent America’s 100 Greatest Courses ranking, Aronimink has been a mainstay on our lists, peaking at No. 49 in 1987-88. It has been ranked inside the top five courses in Pennsylvania since 1985, currently sitting at third. Ron Prichard is credited with a renovation in 2003, and more recently Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner return some of Ross’ original features during a restoration in 2018.

MORE: A closer look at the interesting lineup of courses hosting future PGA Championships

Who conducts the PGA Championship?

The PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association) of America conducts the event.

Are the PGA Tour and the PGA of America different?

Yes, the PGA Tour and the PGA of America have been independent of one another since 1968. The PGA Tour is an elite organization of tournament professionals, while the PGA of America is made up of club and teaching professionals who work at on- and off-course golf facilities around the country (and the world).

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When and where was the first PGA Championship played? And who won?

The first PGA Championship was played in 1916 at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, N.Y. England’s Jim Barnes won, 1 up, over Jock Hutchinson.

Wait, 1 up … so was the PGA Championship a match-play event at one time?

Yes, from 1916 to 1957, the PGA Championship was contested as match play with a stroke-play qualifier. During the course of the championship, it was not uncommon for players to play more than 200 holes in seven days. Starting in 1958, the PGA of America changed the format to a standard 72-hole, stroke-play championship. Dow Finsterwald won the first stroke-play version in 1958 at Llanerch Country Club in Havertown, Pa.

How many players are in the field?

The PGA Championship has a maximum of 156 golfers allowed in the field. There are many ways to lock in a spot, from a lifetime exemption for past champions to winning any PGA Tour event over the past year to being in the top 70 of the PGA Championship points list. However, it’s the only major that doesn’t grant automatic entry to the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Do club professionals play in the PGA Championship, too?

Yes. The PGA of America holds 20 spots for the top finishers at its annunal PGA Professional Championship, which was held in early May at Bandon Dunes Resort in Oregon.

Has a club professional ever won the PGA Championship?

Not in the modern era of the championship. According to the PGA of America, the best performance since 1970 by a club professional playing in the PGA Championship was a third-place finish in 1971 by Tommy Bolt, a former tour pro who had retired from the tour. The last top-10 also came from a former tour pro—a very famous one—turned club professional: Sam Snead in 1973. Prior to the 2023 PGA, only one club professional had finished inside the top 20 in the last 30 years—Jay Overton in 1988 at Oak Tree.

Michael Block changed all that three years ago when he had a run for the ages (which doesn’t look like it’ll stop anytime soon) and finished T-15 at Oak Hill. Three rounds of 70 and a 71 on Sunday had him in the mix all weekend as he became a surprising star while earning a tidy $288,333 as well. That top-15 finish also automatically qualified him for last year’s PGA Championship. The Block Party will return yet again after the 49-year-old punched his ticket for 2026, his seventh career PGA start, by finishing T-10 at the PGA Professional Championship.

Can amateurs play in the PGA Championship?

No. The PGA Championship is limited to professionals only, meaning amateurs cannot qualify.

What does the winner of the PGA Championship receive?

The PGA champion receives the Wanamaker Trophy, the largest trophy of the four men’s majors. In 2025, the winner also received a top prize of $3.42 million from the record $19 million purse. (The PGA of America hasn’t announced what the purse is for 2026.) Traditionally, the winner also receives automatic invites into all three of the other majors and the Players Championship for the next five years, PGA Tour membership for the next five years and DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) membership for the next seven years. They also become eligible to compete in the PGA Championship for life.

Who won the 2025 PGA Championship?

Scottie Scheffler won his third career major at Quail Hollow with a 11-under 273 total. He took control of the tournament on Saturday with a third-round 65 (going five under on the last five holes) to give himself a three-shot lead with 18 holes to play. And while Jon Rahm among others made an early Sunday charge, Scheffler held off all comers with a closing 71.

One other interesting caveat here: Scheffler won despite the fact that he had to switch his driver out ahead of the tournament. He was among a select number of players who had their drivers tested to see if they still remained compliance with the USGA/R&A’s CT (Characteristic Time) test. Scheffler’s driver, through natural use, was deemed non-conforming so put in a new version of his preferred driver. The news didn’t become public until Sunday afternoon. Scheffler wasn’t the only high-profile player to have this happen to him; Rory McIlroy also had to switch out his driver. But in his instance, it became public on Friday and raged into a story of its own, one in which McIlroy chose not to address.

Who has won the most PGA Championships?

Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen hold the record for most PGA Championship victories with five. Nicklaus also holds the record for most runner-up finishes in the PGA Championship with four.

How many PGA Championships has Tiger Woods won?

Tiger Woods makes his putt for par and to win the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. in 2007.

Montana Pritchard/PGA of America

Tiger Woods has won the PGA Championship four times, the last coming in 2007 at Southern Hills. His second was at Valhalla in 2000 when he defeated Bob May in a playoff.

Will Tiger be playing in the PGA Championship this year?

No. After his car accident and arrest for suspicion of DUI in March, Woods has stepped away from the game to seek treatment and will be missing the championship for a second straight year.

Who are the most famous golfers not to have won the PGA Championship?

Three players in golf history have won the other three men’s major championships (the Masters, the U.S. Open and the Open Championship) but have not completed the career Grand Slam by winning the PGA. They are Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Jordan Spieth. Spieth will be in the Aronimink field coming off a T-12 finish at the Masters. Who knows with Spieth, though? He could be leading the pack on Sunday or be searching for his ball in the woods for most of Friday.

Who is the youngest winner of the PGA Championship?

Gene Sarazen is the youngest winner, claiming the title at Oakmont Country Club in 1922 at 20 years and 174 days old. He defended his title the following year at Pelham Country Club and went on to win his third and final PGA at Blue Mound Golf & Country Club in 1933.

Who is the oldest winner of the PGA Championship?

Julius Boros held the record for decades after winning the 1968 PGA Championship at 48 years, four months and 18 days. But that mark was broken in 2021 when Phil Mickleson won at Kiawah Island when he was 50 years, 11 months and seven days old. It was Mickelson’s second PGA title and sixth major victory. He remains the oldest player to win any of the four men’s majors.

What is the PGA Championship aggregate scoring record and record in relation to par?

The PGA Championship scoring record was broken by Xander Schauffele in 2024 in a performance for the ages. X went 21-under 263 to top Brooks Koepka’s 18-under 264 at Bellerive Country Club in 2018.

Schauffele shot four rounds of 62-68-68-65, and he needed every single stroke, winning by just one.

What is the highest winning score of a PGA Championship? In relation to par?

The highest total score of a PGA champion is one-under 287, shot by Larry Nelson in 1987 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The highest winning score in relation to par was one-over 281, shot four times: Jay Hebert, 1960; Julius Boros, 1968; Gary Player, 1972; and Dave Stockton, 1976.

What is the largest margin of victory in the PGA Championship?

The largest margin of victory in the PGA Championship belongs to Rory McIlroy, who won by eight strokes in 2012 at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island (S.C.). The Northern Irishman won the event again in 2014 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. That was his last major championship victory … until the 2025 and 2026 Masters.

If players are tied after 72 holes, how is a winner determined?

In the event of a tie, the PGA of America employs a three-hole aggregate format for the championship’s playoff. This occurred just four years ago between Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris at Southern Hills. If players are tied after three holes, it becomes a sudden-death playoff.

How many playoffs have there been in PGA Championship history?

Since 1958 and the move to stroke play, there have been 14 playoffs in the PGA Championship, the most recent coming in 2022. The last one before that was back in 2011 at Atlanta Athletic Club, where Keegan Bradley defeated Jason Dufner in the three-hole aggregate playoff.

What site has hosted the most PGA Championships?

Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., is the all-time leader in PGA Championships hosted with five. Oak Hill and Valhalla are just behind with four each.

What state has hosted the most PGA Championships?

New York has hosted the most PGA Championships with 14. This will be the fifth in North Carolina with Pinehurst Resort, Quail Hollow and Tanglewood Park all hosting at least one.

What are the future venues for the PGA Championship?

Future venues for the PGA Championship have been announced officially through 2031 and in a handful of years beyond. They are as follows:

2026 — Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square, Pa.

2027 — The East Course at PGA Frisco, Frisco, Texas

2028 — The Olympic Club, San Francisco

The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California.

Ezra Shaw

2029 — Baltusrol Golf Club (Lower), Springfield, N.J.

2030 — Congressional Country Club (Blue), Bethesda, Md.

2031 — The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island (S.C.)

2032 — Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Okla.

2033 — Bethpage Black, Farmingdale, N.Y.

2034 — The East Course at PGA Frisco, Frisco, Texas

2035 — Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N.Y.

Who is the favorite to win the 2026 PGA Championship?

At the moment of writing this, defending champion Scottie Scheffler is the favorite to win the PGA at +350, with Rory McIlroy behind him at +650. Bryson DeChambeau is +1000 with Jon Rahm next at +1200. For good value, Matt Fitzpatrick, a three-time winner in 2026, is +2000.

What will the weather be like for the 2026 PGA Championship?

The fears that holding the PGA in May might lead to some dicey weather prospects when the championship visits northern locations might be playing out this week in Pennsylvania. The long-range forecast shows temperatures hovering mostly in the mid-60s during practice rounds and creeping into the mid-70s Thursday and Friday before returning to the 60s for the weekend. And while there looks like the potential for early week rain, it looks like sunny skies for over the weekend.

What is Aronomink known for?

The Donald Ross layout is considered a classic, walkable “Golden Age” course featuring wide fairways, challenging thick rough, and fast, intricate greens. The recent work by Hanse and Wagner turned back the clock to Ross’ early design by repairing bunkers and removing trees, enhancing the classic aesthetic.

Who broadcasts the PGA Championship?

This year’s PGA Championship will be broadcast on ESPN and CBS due to a joint contract between the two. ESPN replaced TNT in 2020 and holds rights to all of the early round and weekend morning coverage, including supplemental coverage on ESPN+. CBS will hold all rights to afternoon coverage of weekend rounds and will feature broadcasting legend Jim Nantz doing play-by-play.