Sunday at Aronimink: The Stage Is Set for a PGA Championship Showdown
The Weight of a Sunday at Aronimink
There's a particular quality to the air on the final day of a major championship. It hangs heavier somehow, charged with decades of accumulated drama and the knowledge that everything—three days of grinding, strategic brilliance, and nerve-steadying—comes down to these final eighteen holes.
At Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, that air will be thick with anticipation as the 2026 PGA Championship reaches its crescendo. The tee times have been released, the pairings are set, and the story of this championship is about to write its final chapter.
The Marquee Pairing: McIlroy and Schauffele
All eyes will be fixed on the 7:05 PM tee time, where Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele will walk onto the first tee together. This is the pairing that Sunday major golf was made for—two of the game's most complete players, both hunting for hardware that would cement their legacies.
Just behind them at 7:15 PM, Aaron Rai joins Ludvig Åberg, while the 7:25 PM slot brings Nick Taylor alongside Jon Rahm. The final wave of this championship reads like a who's who of modern professional golf, and Aronimink's classic Donald Ross design will provide the ultimate examination.
The Chasing Pack
The late afternoon groupings are packed with players capable of making Sunday charges. At 6:25 PM, Justin Rose—a man who knows what it takes to close out a major—tees off with the exciting Joaquin Niemann. The 6:05 PM pairing of Ben Griffin and Cameron Smith promises fireworks, with Smith's creativity around the greens always capable of producing Sunday magic.
Scottie Scheffler, paired with David Puig at 5:05 PM, will have plenty of scoreboard watching ahead of him. The world's best player knows how to manufacture pressure from in front, and an early move could change the entire complexion of the championship.
The Full Picture
The day begins at 12:49 PM with Luke Donald and Ben Kern, and the parade of talent never relents. Collin Morikawa, the two-time major champion, tees off at 12:58 PM alongside Elvis Smylie. Former champions Jason Day, Padraig Harrington, and Brooks Koepka are all scattered throughout the afternoon, each carrying the knowledge of what it takes to lift the Wanamaker Trophy.
The international flavor is unmistakable—the Højgaard twins, Rasmus and Nicolai, are both in the mix. Hideki Matsuyama, paired with Chris Gotterup at 5:45 PM, represents Japan's continued emergence as a major championship force. Martin Kaymer, paired with Bud Cauley at 6:15 PM, brings the weight of two major victories and that unforgettable 2014 Pinehurst performance.
Ross's Masterpiece Awaits
Aronimink has waited nearly a century for this moment. Donald Ross designed this gem in 1928, and the course has been meticulously prepared to test every dimension of championship golf. The players who navigate Ross's subtle contours and strategic bunkering most effectively will separate themselves in the final reckoning.
The $20,500,000 purse is historic, but the Wanamaker Trophy cannot be purchased—only earned through 72 holes of supreme golf at a course worthy of the moment.
The Takeaway
Sunday at a major is always special, but this particular final round at Aronimink carries exceptional weight. The McIlroy-Schauffele pairing at 7:05 PM is appointment viewing, but the entire afternoon promises drama as the 2026 PGA Championship crowns its champion on one of American golf's most storied stages.