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The second major of the year is upon us. The best players in the world are headed to Aronimink Golf Club for the PGA Championship.
This is a look at the best first-round leader bets to make for the event on DraftKings Sportsbook.

The second major of the year is here. The PGA Championship is being played at Aronimink Golf Club, just outside of Philadelphia. The defending PGA Championship winner is Scottie Scheffler, who dominated at Quail Hollow last year. Rory McIlroy won the first major of the year by winning his second consecutive Masters. Those are the two favorites to win this week. However, players like Cameron Young, Xander Schauffele, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau are all serious threats to win as well.
Aronimink is a par-70 course that ranges 7,394 yards. Unlike other majors, this is a full-field event. There are 156 players in the field, containing almost the entire top 100 in the OWGR and the nation’s top-20 PGA professionals, including Michael Block. This is a short course that can be attacked by everyone in the field, but especially the bombers. Players like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler should be able to pull a driver on almost every Par 4 and then have a flip wedge in with their second shots. This is not going to be the most challenging course, but that should allow the best players in the world to flex their muscles.
It is time for Chris Gotterup to come back to the forefront. Gotterup started the year in remarkable form, winning two of his first three tournaments. Gotterup won in Hawaii and at the WM Phoenix Open. His form took a bit of a dip in the following weeks, but he has still finished in the top 25 at four of his past five tournaments. He is coming off a great weekend at the Truist Championship, shooting below 70 on Saturday and Sunday to finish T14. Gotterup should be feeling good about the state of his game coming into the PGA Championship.
Gotterup has proven he can compete on the big stage, finishing in the top 25 in each of his past three majors. The PGA Championship is built for Gotterup’s game. Just like someone like Keegan Bradley before him, Gotterup grew up in the northeast playing on these types of courses with wide fairways where you can let the driver rip. Gotterup ranks fifth on the PGA Tour in driving distance, and he should be able to use his length to his advantage here.
Chris Gotterup has been excellent in opening rounds this year. He ranks second on the PGA Tour in first-round scoring average. Gotterup’s biggest flaw in his game is his putting, but he has putted the best in the first round. He ranks 39th on the PGA Tour in putts per round in the first round. Gotterup has a great chance to come out firing and seize the lead after the opening round at Aronimink.
Rickie Fowler is quietly playing some great golf heading into the PGA Championship. He has three straight top-10 finishes, finishing T8 at the RBC Heritage, T9 at the Cadillac Championship and T2 at the Truist Championship. Fowler’s game is a solid fit for Aronimink. While this is a bomber’s paradise, you don’t need to be a bomber to excel here. As long as you are not in the shortest third of players on the PGA Tour, you will be able to avoid a lot of the trouble. Fowler is fantastic around the greens, ranking 12th in Strokes Gained: Putting and ninth in scrambling.
Rickie Fowler is one of the few players in the field who has been on Tour long enough to have a lot of experience here at Aronimink. He has three career starts at this venue, dating back to 2008. In his last two starts at Aronimink, he finished 13th and eighth. Fowler has been excellent in opening rounds this season as well. He ranks ninth on the PGA Tour in opening round scoring average this season. Fowler should come out firing and has a great chance to lead after the first round.
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