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2026 PGA Championship Fantasy Contest: Top Picks for Aronimink
By Tony L. Starks
Published on
Every choice carries weight when there’s a major on the line.
Stakes are high this week with the Wanamaker Trophy up for grabs at the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink in Philadelphia. Inside the ropes, someone will earn the right to hoist the 27-pound Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday.
For the rest of us, there’s still a chance to win heavyweight prizes through the PGA Championship Fantasy Contest.
The format is simple: Build a team by choosing one player from each of the eight (8) pre-determined categories. Your top six scores count toward your total, with points awarded based on performance throughout the week. Your top six (6) players will count towards your score. A complete scoring breakdown is available here.
PRIZES
1st Place
- Trip for two to the 2027 PGA Championship, including airfare, four nights of lodging, and Championship tickets for Saturday and Sunday.
- Golf on Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco the Monday after the Championship
- Meta Quest VR headset and download of Golf+ VR
- $250 PGA Shops gift card
2nd-5th Places
- Meta Quest VR headset and download of Golf+ VR
- $250 PGA Shops gift card
To help get you started, here are some example picks for each category:
Rory McIlroy
If this feels like a layup, that’s because it is. Rory McIlroy arrives at Aronimink fresh off his second Green Jacket, and he took a similar approach to prepping as he did for Augusta when he joked about all the time he spent there.
Jokes aside, Rory looks as comfortable and confident as ever. Who wouldn’t be as the newest member of golf’s elite Career Grand Slam club?
Rory last competed at Aronimink in 2018, finishing T5 at the BMW Championship. He also enjoys a good Donald Ross design, like the prestigious Seminole Golf Club, where he and his father compete annually at the star-studded Pro-Member.
Add in his current form, and he’s as reliable a cornerstone pick as there is.
MAJOR CHAMPIONS (Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship)
Matt Fitzpatrick
With two wins to his name this season already, the 2022 U.S. Open Champion is playing some of the most complete golf of his career.
He’s added distance off the tee with speed-focused swing changes – an important advantage on a par 70 golf course that stretches 7,400 yards. Historically, he loves Northeastern setups (see his U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur Championships at The Country Club at Brookline, for example).
Things are trending in the Fitzpatrick household, as well (see below). He helped his brother, Alex, secure a PGA TOUR card with their team win at the Zurich Classic. Alex then went on to finish runner-up at the Truist Championship last week. There’s good karma with the Matt Fitz pick.
TOP 25 FINISHERS FROM 2025 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Ben Griffin
Griffin hasn’t quite matched the form of his 2025 season, which included three wins and the consistency needed to earn a Ryder Cup spot.
That said, the foundation is still there. He’s made 11 of 14 cuts in 2026 and has already earned more than $2 million, highlighted by a third-place finish at the Cadillac Championship.
He’s the type of player who rarely beats himself and consistently takes what the course gives him – a reliable formula for major championship golf.
OWGR TOP 50
Cameron Young
Like Rory at the top, this one feels like a layup.
Cameron Young is the leader in the clubhouse for player of the year as we approach the halfway point of the season. With two wins and six top-10 finishes in his last seven starts, he’s arguably THE PLAYER to beat.
He ranks second in Strokes Gained: Overall and sixth Off the Tee, pairing elite speed with consistent ball-striking. While his SG: Putting numbers (50th) don’t jump off the page, the improvement is real – he currently sits 15th in putting average at 1.5 putts per hole across 720 holes this season.
Add in his Northeast roots as the son of a PGA of America Golf Professional, and this sets up as a strong fit on multiple fronts.
COREBRIDGE FINANCIAL TEAM
Ben Polland
If you’re unfamiliar with Michael Block’s game, you’ve probably stayed away from social media the last few years. The California-based club pro made history by finishing T15 in the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, making an ace while paired with Rory McIlroy in the final round.
He’s the obvious choice.
If you want to dig a little deeper, look to Ben Polland. The Wyoming-based PGA Director of Golf is making his 5th PGA Championship start and made four cuts on the PGA TOUR in 2025. His last PGA Championship round (2024 at Valhalla) was a 69.
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP DEBUT
Alex Fitzpatrick
Could it be a family affair in Philly?
Alex Fitzpatrick looks to build upon the form he’s shown in the last three weeks. Following the team win at the Zurich Classic with his older brother to lock up his TOUR card, he finished T9 at Doral and solo 4th at Quail Hollow.
USA GOLFER
Brandt Snedeker
This pick is all heart.
The 45-year-old Brandt Snedeker is coming off an emotional win at the Myrtle Beach Classic – his first PGA TOUR victory in eight years and the first since the passing of his mother.
It came on Mother’s Day, making it one of the more meaningful moments of the season. It’s easy to root for the President's Cup Captain this week.
INTERNATIONAL
Haotong Li
The last time we saw Haotong Li on a major stage, he was paired with Scottie Scheffler on Sunday at Augusta.
It didn’t fully come together under the spotlight, but the experience matters. Li has looked increasingly comfortable in big moments on and off the course.
His personality, combined with his shot-making ability, makes him one of the more fun – and unpredictable – players in this field.
