PGA Championship 2026: Smylie Kaufman (?!) may have already hit the best shot of the tournament

No, Smylie Kaufman is NOT in the 2026 PGA Championship. In fact, his only appearance in the tournament happened exactly a decade ago. But on the eve of the event, he managed to hit a shot that anyone in the field this week is going to have a tough time topping.

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Kaufman, now an analyst for NBC Sports and Golf Channel, has also assumed the Johnson Wagner role with Wagner moving onto CBS. This means being brave enough to put his game on display to demonstrate certain shots faced by golfers playing in the event. And on Wednesday evening, he showed the challenges of the 490-yard closing par 4 at Aronomink.

Well, the challenges for most. Kaufman attempted an approach from 200 yards in the right side of the fairway to demonstrate how players will have to navigate a huge tree—and he pulled off a spectacular shot. Have a look:

What an absolute gem by Smylie, carving a long iron to about five feet. Yes, the guy won a PGA Tour event once upon a time, but to do that in front of the cameras—even when it's not in the heat of competition—is extremely impressive. Even he couldn't believe the result.

So keep that in mind when the PGA Championship comes to the final hole on Sunday. And think about how much money someone trying to win the Wanamaker Trophy would pay for Smylie's shot.

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