Fifteen years ago, a $1 bet on Keegan Bradley would have paid $125. Ten years back, the same wager on Jimmy Walker would have returned a similar amount. Five years ago, betting on Phil Mickelson would have won you $250.
Could the trend of an underdog winning every five years continue at this week’s PGA Championship? The odds are long, of course. For various reasons, the favorites don’t always dominate, and these past results are likely coincidental. But who doesn’t love a good storyline?
If you’re willing to take a chance, our staff has each picked a long-shot player to help guide your thinking. It’s a fun exercise for us. Use it however you see fit.
Here are our 2026 PGA Championship sleeper picks:
**Josh Berhow**
Sleeper pick: Kristoffer Reitan (+8,000). Don’t overthink it—he just won on Sunday and is still a long shot. All these guys are talented, but it’s hard to ignore someone who was better than everyone over 72 holes.
**James Colgan**
Sleeper pick: Daniel Berger (+22,500). I wouldn’t bet on him to win, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he puts up a surprisingly competitive performance in Philadelphia.
**Dylan Dethier**
Sleeper pick: Matt McCarty (+15,000). McCarty is playing really well. Don’t sleep on him! And for a deeper dive, consider Ben Polland (+200,000), a talented club pro who could sneak into the top 40 if all goes well.
**Jack Hirsh**
Sleeper pick: Jordan Spieth (+8,000). Let’s have some fun, shall we? Grand slam, here we come.
**Jessica Marksbury**
Sleeper pick: Min Woo Lee (+6,000). Aronimink feels like a course where Min Woo can shine, using his off-the-tee strengths. Plus, he’s trending up, with a T-18 at the Cadillac and a T-14 at last week’s Truist.
**Nick Piastowski**
Sleeper pick: Gary Woodland (+10,000). This would be one of the best stories in golf, but Woodland has played solidly this year. He has four top-25 finishes, including a win.
**Josh Schrock**
Sleeper pick: Rickie Fowler (+5,000). I’m going back to Fowler as a sleeper. He’s been playing consistently good golf and has regained his putting touch. He carded top-10s at the RBC Heritage and Doral. I could see him contending in Philadelphia with his iron game.
**Josh Sens**
Sleeper pick: Keegan Bradley (+9,000). His heart might still be aching from the Ryder Cup, but his game has been coming together. And he loves the big stage.
**Johnny Wunder**
Sleeper pick: Patrick Cantlay (+4,500). Great course for him, especially if scores are low—which I’ve heard they might try to encourage. Pat is still the quiet assassin he’s always been. If he gets to the top of the leaderboard early in the week, my hunch is he stays there until the end.
