USPGA Championship First-Round Leader Tips: 3 Selections From Aronimink

The USPGA Championship starts at the Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania on Thursday for what should be a thrilling second major of the year.

Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion and is generally 9/2 on betting sites for a successful title defence, while Rory McIlroy’s odds have drifted to 10/1 with one bookmaker owing to a problem with a toenail he tore off after taking a shower.

The Panel have already picked out a handful of players in their USPGA Championship betting tips and a top 20 at 11/1 (now 9/1), but what about the first-round leader market?

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The wind looks calm for the first couple of hours of play, but will increase to a steady 10-11 mph throughout the day.

That should be fairly manageable for most of the field and those who have early tee-offs may still have to contend with a moderate breeze in the second half of their round.

With no real bias for morning or afternoon starts, The Panel have selected three USPGA Championship first-round betting tips for Thursday, starting with one of the favourites.

USPGA Championship First-Round Leader Tips: Schauffele A Quick Starter

Xander Schauffele is a major specialist and has only once finished outside the top 20 in his last 16 appearances. 

The American was the first-round leader when he won a thrilling USPGA Championship in 2024, the same year that he also lifted the Auld Claret Jug at Royal Troon.

A rib injury meant he struggled in 2025, but he is now back in excellent form and crucially has been getting off to fast starts in tournaments.

Schauffele has been inside the top 10 on a Thursday in five of his last seven outings which is clearly a very impressive record.

What’s also interesting is that the world number 11 also burst out of the blocks the last time Aronimink hosted a PGA Tour event, the 2018 BMW Championship.

Schauffele opened with a 63 on this exquisite par-70 Donald Ross-designed course softened by rain in what was a weather-affected four days.

That bodes well for Thursday when conditions will be much firmer, so The Panel are happy to grab the 33/1 on offer from BetMGM, which is offering seven places at 1/5 of the odds.  

USPGA Championship First-Round Leader Tips 1: Xander Schauffele 33/1 (Each-Way) - With BetMGM

USPGA Championship First-Round Leader Betting Tips:

• Xander Schauffele 33/1 (Each-Way) - With BetMGM (Seven Places)
• Rickie Fowler 55/1 (Each-Way) - With Bet365 (Five Places)
• Aaron Rai 125/1 (Each-Way) - With Coral (Five Places)

USPGA Championship 1st-Round Leader Tips: Fowler On Fire 

Rickie Fowler is getting back to his best after dropping out of the world’s top 100 last year, a return to form which prompted The Panel to pick the American as one of their outright tips at 55/1 with some of the betting apps.

Three successive top 10s at Harbour Town, Doral and Quail Hollow are the positive outcomes of changes to his swing and clubs.

If he had not been struggling with a high fever and a sinus infection in the build-up to the Truist Championship, Fowler could have been looking at a first trophy since the Rocket Mortgage Classic almost three years ago instead of a runners-up spot.

Fowler understandably posted a 74 last Thursday, but otherwise he has been bursting out of the blocks lately with three top 10s in seven outings and 11th in a couple of other tournaments.

Additionally, Fowler shot three consecutive 65s from Thursday to Saturday when Aronimink hosted the BMW Championship, so he knows how to go low here, although conditions were conducive to low scoring eight years ago.

After a second-round eight-under-par 63 at Quail Hollow – four better than the rest of the field – Fowler also pointed to improvements in his health.

He said: "I'm in a good spot with the game, body’s in a better spot than it was last year, and just kind of continuing to build off of that."

Hopefully, that will lead to another fast start from one of the most likeable players in the business.

USPGA Championship First-Round Leader Tips 2: Rickie Fowler 55/1 (Each-Way) - With Bet365 (Five Places)

USPGA First-Round Leader Tips: Catch Rai While He’s Hot

Aaron Rai is the last of The Panel’s first-round leader tip at 125/1 with Coral.

The 31-year-old from near Wolverhampton warmed up for this week with fifth place at the Myrtle Beach Classic where he was just one shot off the lead after the opening round.

That was the fifth time in six previous appearances that Rai was inside the top 10 after round one.

Interestingly, he was also fourth after the first round of last year’s USPGA Championship at Quail Hollow.

This is a course which should suit players accurate off the tee, like Rai, who has also been solid on approach and from tee-to-green this season.

USPGA Championship First-Round Leader 3: Aaron Rai 125/1 (Each-Way) - With Coral (Five Places)

Who do you think will be leading after round one of the USPGA Championship? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!