2026 PGA Championship: Ranking the 10 best groups to watch on Thursday and Friday

The must-see groups (Nos. 1-5)

These are the groups for which you'll want to make sure your schedule is clear when they walk to the first tee at Aronimink on Thursday and Friday.

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1. Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth

• First round: 8:40 a.m. ET
• Second round: 2:05 p.m. ET

Jordan Spieth of the United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walks off the seventh green during the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 15, 2024 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

The phrase "appointment television" comes to mind with this group. You have the back-to-back Masters champion Rory McIlroy going for his seventh major title. You have two-time major winner Jon Rahm trying to silence the doubters after receiving loads of criticism both on and off the golf course. There's also the idea (albeit probably overblown) that there could be some tension between McIlroy and Rahm, given the former's recent comments about LIV Golf, which is seemingly on its last legs. And then amidst all that, you have perhaps the most intriguing storyline of the week in fan-favorite Jordan Spieth, whose game is trending (kind of?) as he tries to complete the career Grand Slam with a win at Aronimink. This group is just ... chef's kiss.

2. Bryson DeChambeau, Ludvig Aberg, Rickie Fowler

• First round: 8:18 a.m. ET
• Second round: 1:43 p.m. ET

Rickie Fowler of the United States watches his shot from the 16th tee as Bryson DeChambeau of the United States looks on during the second round of the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park on August 07, 2020 in San Francisco, California.

Anytime Bryson DeChambeau is on the golf course, it's worth tuning in. The guy is entertainment personified, both intentionally and unintentionally. He's also finished no worse than T-4 in his last three starts at the PGA Championship, so he's been flirting with the Wanamaker Trophy for years now. He'll play alongside one of the game's brightest young stars in Ludvig Aberg, who's seeking his first major win, and Rickie Fowler, who seems to be in the midst of a career resurgence and enters Aronimink with three straight top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour. A major title has eluded Fowler, though. Could this be the week he gets it done?

3. Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose

• First round: 2:05 p.m. ET
• Second round: 8:40 a.m. ET

Matthew Fitzpatrick of England and Scottie Scheffler of the United States walk the 18th green during the final round of the RBC Heritage 2026 at Harbour Town Golf Links on April 19, 2026 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the defending PGA Champion and will be looking to capture a fifth major title in just four years. Matt Fitzpatrick is arguably the hottest player in the world with three wins in the last 55 days at the Valspar Championship, RBC Heritage (where he beat Scheffler in a playoff) and the Zurich Classic. And then there's the timeless Justin Rose, who could become the fifth-oldest major winner of all time if he breaks through at Aronimink. This is a group of elite players who are all popular picks to hoist the Wanamaker.

4. Cameron Young, Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley

• First round: 1:54 p.m. ET
• Second round: 8:29 a.m. ET

Cameron Young of the United States and Justin Thomas of the United States walk the ninth hole during a practice round prior to the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 13, 2026 in Newtown, Pennsylvania.

The only player who could dispute the claim that Matt Fitzpatrick is the hottest player in the world at the moment is Cameron Young, who has skyrocketed into superstardom in the past calendar year with wins at the Wyndham Championship, the Players Championship and the Cadillac Championship, where he dusted the field to the tune of a six-shot victory. He also finished T-3 at the Masters. Meanwhile, Justin Thomas has won the PGA Championship twice before and Keegan Bradley was victorious at the 2018 BMW Championship, the last time the world's best players took on Aronimink.

5. Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton

• First round: 8:29 a.m. ET
• Second round: 1:54 p.m. ET

Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele of the United States stand on the second hole during the third round of the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on February 12, 2022 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Brooks Koepka has won the most PGA Championships of anyone in the field this year at Aronimink, having had his name etched on the Wanamaker Trophy three times. He's been slowly but surely returning to form since going back to the PGA Tour and could be primed to make yet another run at it this year. He'll play with 2024 PGA Champion Xander Schauffele and Tyrrell Hatton, who has two top-5 finishes in his last three major starts and is always liable to provide viewers with a hilarious hot-mic moment.

Other groups to watch (Nos. 6-10)

Here's a rapid-fire rundown of some other notable groups to keep an eye on as you enjoy the first two days of the 2026 PGA Championship.

• 6. Chris Gotterup, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre

  • First round: 1:43 p.m. ET
  • Second round: 8:18 a.m. ET

• 7. Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa, Shane Lowry

  • First round: 1:32 p.m. ET
  • Second round: 8:02 a.m. ET

• 8. Gary Woodland, Sam Burns, Jason Day

  • First round: 7:34 a.m. ET
  • Second round: 12:59 p.m. ET

• 9. Hideki Matsuyama, Max Homa, J.J. Spaun

  • First round: 12:59 p.m. ET
  • Second round: 7:34 a.m. ET

• 10. Michael Block, Dustin Johnson, Rasmus Hojgaard

  • First round: 12:10 p.m. ET
  • Second round: 6:45 a.m. ET

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: PGA Championship: Ranking the best groups to watch on Thursday, Friday