As the 2026 PGA Championship approaches, all eyes are on Aronimink—and if you want to know who might shine, history offers some compelling clues. The legendary psychologist B.F. Skinner once said, "The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior." For golf fans and players alike, that wisdom rings especially true this week.

Aronimink, nestled in eastern Philadelphia, is hosting the PGA Championship for the first time in 64 years. While data from Gary Player's victory back in 1962 is understandably sparse, the course has seen plenty of top-tier action more recently. In 2011 and 2012, Aronimink stepped in as the host of the AT&T National when Congressional was busy preparing for the U.S. Open. Those events drew strong fields, sitting perfectly between the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. Then, in 2018, the course welcomed the BMW Championship, the penultimate stop of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Thanks to insights from DataGolf, we can dig into how the course played during those three events—and the numbers tell a clear story. While it might seem obvious that winners putt well, at Aronimink, putting isn't just important: it's the defining factor.

Consider the 2018 BMW Championship. Keegan Bradley didn't just win—he dominated the field in strokes gained/putting with an incredible +7.2. In 2011, Nick Watney topped the putting charts at +10.6 on his way to victory. And in 2012, Ryan Moore led the field in the same category (+8.6) and finished just one shot behind winner Justin Rose, who himself gained over seven strokes on the greens.

This pattern isn't a coincidence. Look at the 2018 leaderboard: the top four finishers—Bradley, Rose, Xander Schauffele, and Billy Horschel—all ranked among the top 10 in strokes gained/putting that week. At Aronimink, the greens reward precision and touch, making putting the ultimate equalizer.

So, as you gear up for the 2026 PGA Championship, keep an eye on the players who roll the rock best. At Aronimink, history suggests the flat stick might just be the most important club in the bag.