McIlroy Arrives at Aronimink Ready to Hunt His Seventh Major, and Nobody's Playing Better Right Now

Rory McIlroy walked into last year's PGA Championship with a career-defining high: he had just completed the Grand Slam at the Masters and snapped a 10-year major drought. Then he finished tied for 47th and went home empty. Fast forward 12 months, and the Northern Irishman is a completely different animal. A Ryder Cup victory and a second green jacket later, McIlroy is rejuvenated, confident, and ready to contend at Aronimink Golf Club starting Thursday. That toe blister? Not a concern anymore.

McIlroy Is Chasing History, And the Field Knows It

A seventh major championship this week would tie McIlroy with Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, and Bobby Jones. That's the kind of company that makes your palms sweat. "Coming into this tournament feels a lot different than what it did last year," McIlroy said. "I feel like I've got some nice clear road ahead to try to get some more of these majors." He's not wrong. The 97 of the top 100 golfers in the world assembled here, including defending champ Scottie Scheffler, is the strongest field of the year. Scheffler collected his third major at the 2025 PGA at Quail Hollow Club and added the Open Championship before summer wrapped up. He'll be hunting back-to-back major wins.

Aronimink Is a Bunker-Filled Beast Nobody's Seen Before

This course has only hosted one men's major, way back in 1962 when Gary Player won. After Gil Hanse renovated it in 2018, Aronimink traded trees for bunkers. Lots of bunkers. Like, 174 bunkers total. The par-4 11th hole alone features 20-plus. Approach shots are brutal, climbing uphill into sloped green complexes that punish anything off target. McIlroy was straightforward about the strategy: "Strategy off the tee is pretty nonexistent. It's, basically, bash driver down there and then figure it out from there. The greens are the main focus this week." Fellow contender Xander Schauffele, the 2024 champion, summed it up perfectly: "Course is firming up. Greens are diabolical. It should be a really good test."

Cameron Young Is the Dark Horse Pick

Cameron Young broke through this spring with wins at The Players Championship and the Cadillac Championship, vaulting to No. 3 in the world. He's got seven major top-10 finishes and is a trendy pick this week. Young has stayed grounded despite the hype, focused on the process rather than the results. "It's kind of remarkable how much more it's recognized for winning versus coming in second," he said. "Golf-wise, it's small. I'm trying to value the work that I put in and evaluate days based on how I go about my day and not necessarily what I shot or how I finished a tournament." Other notable first-major hunters include Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, and Ludvig Aberg.

The field of 156 includes 11 LIV Golf members and 20 PGA teaching professionals. Thursday's first round marks the start of a week that could crown another breakthrough champion or see McIlroy add another major to his legendary resume.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.