Go Low - PGA Championship 2026 Predictions & Best Bets: Cameron Young to WIN, Scottie vs Rory

What’s up, everybody—John Middlekauff here on Go Low, rolling into major number two with a heavy betting card, a bunch of top 10s and 20s, and a couple of flyers; hit @golopod with your golf questions, subscribe to the Go Low feed and YouTube, and I’ll drop a Sunday reaction after the final putt.

This stretch after the Masters always feels flat, and this major can get overshadowed by the Players, but the field is deep and the course looks gettable, so expect scores in the mid to high teens under par if weather cooperates.

Tech and speed have changed the sport—guys are hitting mid and short irons into most par 4s, the short par 5 is two-shot territory, and even with rollback talk, players like Cam Young are still launching it.

Scottie Scheffler is the defending champ, has three straight runner-up finishes, and feels like a coin flip to be in the fight on Sunday, even if the outright odds are brutal to bet.

I’d love a true Scheffler–Rory duel; Rory’s chasing majors now and he flashed form last week, but the blister on his foot is a real concern even though his ceiling is never in doubt.

My pick to win is Cam Young—he’s been scorching for months, the number has crashed from long shot to near favorite, and I expect him hovering on the first page all weekend; I’ve already got a big outright on him and I like him for top 5 and top 10 as well.

Bryson and Rahm are stayaways for me in outrights given recent form and the LIV rhythm, though a top 10, top 20, or even a miss-the-cut sprinkle makes more sense than trying to thread the needle.

LIV itself is a storyline—Bryson’s become a massive draw beyond golf and Rahm’s contract is complicated, but the money burn rate is real, so I wouldn’t be shocked if back-channel talks with the PGA Tour heat up this summer.

Featured pairings pop: Xander–Koepka–Hatton, Cam Young–Keegan–JT, Rory–Spieth–Rahm, and Scheffler–Fitzpatrick–Rose; Rory with Rahm doesn’t feel random to me, and there may be some quiet intent behind that grouping.

If you must take Scottie, I’d pair him with a top-10 leg from a premium name to juice the number; beyond my Cam Young outright, I love Ricky Fowler top 10, Gary Woodland top 10 and top 20, Xander for a top 10, and longer stabs on Si Woo Kim and JJ Spaun for placement.

Ludvig Åberg top 10 is live if the driver behaves, Justin Thomas for top 10 or top 20 is very reasonable, and Jordan Spieth is a heart pick only because the putter from short range has gone shaky.

Mailbag—courses that really pop on TV: Harbor Town at the RBC Heritage and Pebble are hard to beat, the Players is always must-watch, Memorial and Riviera look great, and I’ve got a soft spot for the AmEx in Palm Springs.

Mailbag—fixing a wild driver: you can’t play modern golf without it, so book a focused lesson with a teaching pro just for the big stick and get one or two feels you can trust; the distance gap versus a hybrid is too big to ignore.

Mailbag—did Rahm wreck his career: no, he’s only thirty-one and can still stack majors, but he did burn valuable years competitively, and without PIF underwriting, those contracts and exits get murky fast.

Mailbag—favorite watch outside the obvious: Torrey can hit different if you’re freezing back east, but Kapalua was magic to open the year and the Sony Open vibe ruled; losing Kapalua stings—I’m really going to miss that one.