Tag Archives: Golf Majors

Reasons to Watch the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink

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Of all four majors the PGA Championship is the one that I do not get overly excited about to watch. I’m not saying I don’t want to watch it but it just doesn’t carry the same interest for me. I think if I surveyed most golf fans they would rank the majors as (1) The Masters, (2) U.S. Open, (3) The Open, and (4) PGA Championship. Well, maybe non-us golf fans would rank The Open ahead of the U.S. Open.

Since it is not one of my favorite events I was thinking what are the reasons to watch (besides the fact I just like to watch golf).

(1) Jordan Spieth – Every year the question arises can Jordan Spieth get hot and win. Spieth needs the PGA Championship to achieve his career grand slam. This year Spieth appears to be in better form. He has played in 12 events and made 11 cuts (missing the cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open). He has had six top 25 finishes. But frankly he is no where near the form he needs to be a favorite to win the PGA Championship. But we can hope for a miracle and that “the Spieth of 2015” suddenly appears.

(2) The Top Dogs – If you assume one of the top three players in the world will win then the question is will it be Scottie, Rory, or Cam. And yes I think golf fans know that Cameron Young is number three in the world and popular enough to be known by his first name. I am betting on Scottie because I think he has something to prove with so many runner up finishes this year. Of course, I heard that Rory spend a week at Aronimink so perhaps that strategy will allow Rory to win. It was interesting how poorly he played at Quail Hollow (the week before the PGA Championship). The Golf analysts all had Rory winning Quail Hollow because he had won there four times; but he shot 5 over on Saturday and basically was not a factor.

If you had to bet and the choice was one of the “top three in the world rankings” or “the field.” What would you bet? I’ve heard smart betters would take “the field” but I would bet one of “the top three” to win. And, as I mentioned above, if I have to pick one guy – it’s Scottie.

(3) The Course – Aronimink is a classic Donald Ross design located in Pennsylvania. The PGA Championship was held at Aronimink in 1962 and won by Gary Player. Gil Hanse completed the restoration of the course to “bring it back to the original Donald Ross design.” Hole 11 is a featured hole with 20 bunkers. I saw a video interview in which Gil Hanse said the course went from 79 bunkers to 179 bunkers. Hanse also said the greens are the major defense for the course because many greens have sever slopes and/or spines. Viewing the Aronimink hold-by-hole previews on Golf Channel it is beautiful and it is always fun to see a championship on a course we don’t normally get to see as amateur golfers.

Hopefully as the championship plays out there will be compelling reasons to tune-in and watch. The PGA Championship website has all the information on broadcast stations and times.

Stipends Paid to Golfers that Miss the Cut at Major Championships

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Unlike regular golf tour tournaments, players that miss the cut at a major championship actually get paid. The majors do not call it prize money but rather a stipend to help offset the cost of participating in a major.

Here is a break down of the stipends from 2025 by Major (organization running the championship):

Men’s Championships

(1) The Masters (Augusta National) – $25,000 (increase from $10,000 in previous years). This was the stipend last week (in 2026).

(2) The PGA Championship (PGA of America) – $4,000 (increased from $3,200 in 2021)

(3) The U.S. Open (USGA) – $10,000 (I know this was the amount as far back as 2014).

(4) The Open (R&A) – A sliding scale is used by the R&A; with the first 10 getting $12,350, 11-20 getting $10,300, and the rest of the players that missed the cut getting $8,750

Women’s Championship

(1) Chevron Championship (LPGA) – $10,000

(2) U.S. Women’s Open (USGA) – $10,000 (increased from $4,000 in 2024)

(3) KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (PGA of America) – $4,000

(4) AIG British Women’s Open (R&A) – $4,000

(5) Amundi Evian Championship (LPGA/LET) – $3,000

My source for all the amounts of stipends in 2025 were from Golfweek and Thegolfnews.net (which confirmed the same amounts so I have confidence that they are correct numbers).

I would not be surprised if we see increases to these amounts in 2026 or in the coming years. History has shown that if one major increases a purse or stipend that other majors will follow with an increase.

This might not seem like a big deal for the stars of the tours who can afford the expense (e.g., renting homes at the majors, etc); but for the journeymen golf professionals it is a wonderful benefit for the players that qualify to play in a major championship.

Finally, if you are wondering, Amateurs are not eligible for the stipend.