NEWTON SQUARE, PA – With less than 12 hours until the start of the 108th PGA Championship, who do I think will play well and win the Wanamaker trophy?
Scottie Scheffler.
Surprised? Of course not. The fact is, if wagering odds weren’t a thing, we would always pick the best player in the world. Although Scheffler only has one win in 2026, he is still the number one-ranked player in the world by a wide margin. Still have doubts? Scheffler is also ranked first on the PGA TOUR in strokes gained total this season. Whether you like to wager, play fantasy contests, or engage in a friendly PGA Championship pool, parameters exclude us from just picking Scottie all of the time. Let’s be honest, many of you would like to throw Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, or Matthew Fitzpatrick in that best player of 2026 conversation.
Since there seems to be some equality (currently among the favorites), how can we extract some value from this narrative? My role at Read The Line is to break down the field and find the best opportunities to win, place, or show when Scottie can’t always be the No. 1 option.
Favorite to win: Cameron Young (+1500)
Traveling back to the Northeast, Cameron Young will have an edge in the air and on the ground. With two wins and four more top 10s in his last seven starts, Young’s game is in fantastic form. The driver will give him a serious edge off the tee, cutting corners on dogleg par 4s, and reaching par 5s in two. Young has gained strokes on the field with his flatstick in 13 of his last 15 starts. The diabolical Donald Ross greens are going to test the field. Growing up on Bentgrass will give him extra confidence and the ability to cap off this incredible run with his first major championship.
Placement bet, to finish in the top 10: Sam Burns (+550)
Aronimink will favor an aggressive player who can wedge it close and putt. Sam Burns loves to swing the driver and cut dogleg corners. Get Burns as close to the green as possible because he has an elite approach game from close range. Attack Aronimink off the tee and take dead aim at the pin. The most unique feature of this championship course is the green complexes. Perennially one of the best putters in the world, Sam showed his skill just down the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Oakmont, finishing T7. Burns backed that up with a T13 at THE PLAYERS in March, and another seventh place at The Masters a month ago.
Showdown matchup: Take Patrick Reed over Jordan Spieth in a 72-hole match (-110)
Jordan Spieth has three wins in 3,214 days. That takes us back to his last major championship victory at Royal Birkdale in 2017. Patrick Reed has two wins this year. A T12 at Augusta National in April, Patrick can prepare for majors. Consider one last point, when they both played the BMW here in 2018, Reed finished T19 and Spieth T55. Overall, the combination of Reed’s form and short game gives him an advantage over the inconsistent Spieth in this tournament H2H.
