Three Longshots Who Could Make a Deep Run at the 2026 PGA Championship
As the flowers bloom and the sun begins to show its face more frequently, the major season kicks into high gear. Following the Masters comes golf’s second major of the year, the PGA Championship. Come May 14th, one of Pennsylvania’s top golf courses, Aronimink Golf Club, will field a compilation of the sport’s top talent. While the field, weather, and course setup may not be finalized as of now, there is enough information in the golf universe to give a sneak peek of what to expect.
Gil Hanse and Hanse Golf Design aimed to restore ‘the Mink’ to Donald Ross’ original design and former glory, adding around 100 bunkers to the course and widening the fairways prior to the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship back in 2018. At the 2018 BMW Championship, both Keegan Bradley and Justin Rose found their way into a playoff at Aronimink thanks to being within the top 25 in strokes gained off the tee and within the top 10 in strokes gained putting; expertise in each of these respective categories is arguably the recipe for success at Aronimink. Just like last year, most of the top golfers in the world possess the shortest odds to win. However, an arguably more intriguing question is: which long-shot golfers have the best chance to find themselves near the top at this year’s PGA Championship?
Eric Cole
For a golfer who is not typically known for his driving accuracy or distance, Eric Cole sure makes up for it with a reliable putter; his putting stats speak volumes. According to Data Golf, the 22-23 PGA Rookie of the Year gains 1.4 strokes with the putter in his hand. Also, so far this season on the PGA Tour, he is 35th in strokes gained putting and 19th in putts made inside of 10 feet, making 89.96% of said putts. Cole also has a solid track record in both the PGA Championship and on old-style golf courses like Aronimink. The Florida native finished tied-sixth at the Donald Ross-designed Detroit Golf Club in 2024 and placed in a tie for 28th place at the Gil Hanse-restored Colonial Country Club last year. Additionally, Cole has made two cuts in his three total PGA Championship starts.
While Hanse and his design group littered Aronimink with bunkers, the wider fairways give below-average drivers a crutch to lean on. Also, most of Aronimink’s length comes from its par-3 holes; three of the four par-3 holes measure over 200 yards. With this, Cole can hit less than driver on most par-4s if he is uncomfortable, or unsuccessful, with the big stick. If the 37-year-old American can put himself in decent spots off the tee, his ability to roll in putts at will should take over.
Tom McKibbin
Tom McKibbin, one of LIV Golf’s young stars, has too much talent not to break through at major golf tournaments; this year’s PGA Championship is the perfect tournament and venue for the young Northern Irishman. The 23-year-old’s game merges length and accuracy off the tee, giving him an extra leg up on most of his competitors; he also wields a capable flatstick. According to Data Golf, McKibbin gains one stroke in relation to the field in terms of his driving accuracy; he also gains 0.5 strokes in terms of his driving distance. Furthermore, in his inaugural LIV Golf season, the 23-year-old is currently sixth on LIV in percentage of fairways hit at 66.07%. McKibbin is also tied for seventh on LIV in putting average at 1.58 putts per hole.
While he has not logged a win on LIV so far this season, the 23-year-old is coming off a tied-fifth finish at LIV Golf Mexico City. In addition to posting his best performance since joining LIV, McKibbin also intends to play every week before the PGA Championship. This week, he tees it up at the National Golf Club for the Turkish Airlines Open. Also, he plays next week at LIV Golf Virginia at Trump National Golf Club, just north of Washington, D.C. McKibbin would head into Aronimink, benefiting from the combination of live reps and a fitting golf game; his potential second PGA Championship start will be about putting the two together and maximizing his explosive potential.
Taylor Moore
In terms of being the most proven and arguably the most complete, Taylor Moore leads this trio in both respects. The Arkansas men’s golf alumnus is not the most accurate of the bunch, but his distance off the tee and putting continue to turn heads on the PGA Tour. Before this week’s Cadillac Championship, Moore is currently 28th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee, 38th in strokes gained putting, and 23rd in percentage of putts made inside 10 feet at 89.87%. In terms of meeting the statistical demands of Aronimink Golf Club, the 32-year-old’s game off the tee and on the greens allows him to stand out from the rest.
As for the 32-year-old American’s relationship with golf’s greatest stages, his finishes do most of the talking. Excluding The Open Championship, Moore has only missed two cuts in his last seven starts in majors on United States soil. Specifically, he has logged two top-20 finishes in each of the last two PGA Championships. While his lone PGA Tour win was not at a major, the Valspar Championship is at a notoriously brutal golf course, the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort, and usually draws a talented field. Moore is no stranger to major golf tournaments or tough tests; he rarely flinches under the gun, even if a win is on the line.
None of the three aforementioned golfers is confirmed to be in this year’s PGA Championship field; most of the field has not been finalized, however. Each of Cole, McKibbin, and Moore will do what they can to have the opportunity to tee it up at Aronimink. A classic trend of American sports fans is their affinity for the underdog; this batch of underdogs can give golf fans a realistic underdog to root for if they can somehow qualify for men’s golf’s second major of the year.
