Tee times begin early Thursday (6:45 a.m. ET!) and the golf runs late (last group off at 2:27 p.m.).
There are lots of ways to watch (streaming begins bright and early) although certain time slots might demand a little more attention than others. So to properly prepare you for the first two rounds of the 2026 PGA Championship — and because it’s a mildly fun exercise to conduct on a sleepy tournament Wednesday — we (subjectively) ranked the 10 best groupings for the first two rounds of the second major of the year.
You can check out the full tee sheet for Thursday and Friday here, but scroll below for 10 marquee groups you don’t want to miss — a list that includes a dynamite trio that landed in our top spot.
Ranking the 10 best PGA Championship groupings for Rounds 1 and 2
A trio of major champs are featured in the No. 10 spot, although all three are still looking to return to that major-winning form of a couple years ago. Comeback coming? A quality group.
No. 9 — Gary Woodland, Jason Day, Sam Burns 7:34 a.m. Thursday/12:59 p.m. Friday
Two more major champs (sorry, Sam Burns) make up this grouping, one that’s headlined by fan-favorite Gary Woodland, who has had to overcome brain surgery and battles with PTSD yet still won in Texas in March.
No. 8 — Chris Gotterup, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood 1:43 p.m. Thursday/8:18 a.m. Friday
Chris Gotterup can absolutely move the golf ball, while Tommy Fleetwood is one of the game’s best ball-strikers. Plus, Robby MacIntyre is also very good.
Everyone is a Max Homa fan — minus the Internet trolls Max fires back at online — and watching Hideki Matsuyama hit irons is quite fun. J.J. Spaun is the reigning U.S. Open champ and playing some very good golf, having won already this year.
Justin Thomas has won this tournament twice and it seems like anything in the northeast quadrant of the United States is a home game for Keegan Bradley. And then there’s Cam Young, who’s also from the Northeast (New York) and playing the best golf out of anyone in this threesome — and better golf than almost anyone on Earth right now. It’s a big week for Young, who after his Players Championship title in March is looking to take that next step and win his first major.
Xander has won this tournament, Brooks has won it three times and the self-deprecating-but-immensely-talented Tyrrell Hatton is about as entertaining as they come. Can Koepka contend for Wanamaker Trophy No. 4 on Sunday?
No. 3 — Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose 2:05 p.m. Thursday/8:40 a.m. Friday
The World No. 1 is almost guaranteed to get one of the top spots in this ranking, and he’s also the defending champion this week (and playing well, with three straight runner-up finishes). He’s grouped with two European Ryder Cup veterans, and one of them (Matt Fitzpatrick), is a key player to watch this week, entering the tournament having won three of his last five starts.
This group got the slight edge over the Scheffer/Fitzpatrick/Rose threesome, mainly because Bryson at major tournaments is must-see TV and since Rickie Fowler is still a draw. But don’t forget about Ludvig Aberg. And if you had, here’s a quick refresher: the sweet-swinging Swede has finished in the top 10 in five of his last six starts.
No. 1 — Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm 8:40 a.m. Thursday/2:05 p.m. Friday
Let’s be honest, this wasn’t even close. This grouping, which finishes up in primetime on Friday, features the reigning Masters champ, one of the most beloved and interesting players in the sport and, last but not least, a talented Spaniard who has been all over the news lately but still should be among the favorites this week. Oh, and Jordan Spieth needs to win to complete the career Grand Slam. What’s not to love?
