For a tournament long considered the fourth wheel among golf’s major championship slate, the PGA Championship has developed an identity all its own in recent years. 

The Masters has Augusta National. The U.S. Open has golf’s toughest test. The British Open has the finest links courses in the world. 

The PGA Championship just has fun. And the party is about to get underway May 18-21 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. 

The PGA of America’s annual course setup philosophy is now akin to the very best officials on the basketball court or gridiron. Keep it fair. Let the players shine. Stay out of the damn way. 

The USGA and R&A have too often been at the forefront of discussion during their respective Open weeks, facing scrutiny for all sorts of issues like fairness, playability, inclusivity, and overly-tricked-up courses. 

At the year’s second major, thrilling golf betting finishes and engrossing venues have made a lasting impression in recent years. 

Justin Thomas’ comeback playoff victory at Southern Hills. Phil Mickelson’s historic win at Kiawah Island. Brooks Koepka going shot-for-shot with Tiger Woods to emerge victorious at Bellerive. 

RELATED: Masters Scoring Average For Every Golfer

There doesn’t seem to be an intent to manipulate scoring relative to par, and winning scores have fallen anywhere from 5-under-par to 20-under-par over the past eight years. The setup largely depends on what makes the most sense for the course at hand rather than the final number at the end of the week. 

It’s all about giving players the chance to make spectacular moves down the stretch and seize the opportunity rather than simply outlasting the rest of the field. That risk/reward, pedal-down approach certainly favors some players more than others. 

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PGA Championship Scoring Average of 2023 Field

While the PGA Championship is played at different courses every year, there is an overall set of best practices and mindset that allow players to consistently rise to the occasion at this major specifically. And the list of the career-scoring average leaders is a who’s-who of golf’s most ruthless risk-takers and clutch finishers. 

1. Cameron Young – 69.0, 4 rounds
2. Mito Pereira – 69.0, 4 rounds
3. Brooks Koepka – 69.53, 40 rounds
4. Justin Thomas – 69.69, 26 rounds
5. Seamus Power – 69.75, 4 rounds
6. Jason Day – 69.9, 48 rounds
7. Davis Riley – 70.0, 4 rounds
8. Rory McIlroy – 70.17, 54 rounds
9. Collin Morikawa – 70.17, 12 rounds
10. Hideki Matsuyama – 70.2, 40 rounds
11. Scottie Scheffler – 70.3, 10 rounds
12. Jordan Spieth – 70.42, 36 rounds
13. Tiger Woods – 70.44, 79 rounds
14. Patrick Reed – 70.44, 32 rounds
15. Jon Rahm - 70.5, 22 rounds
16. Matthew Wolff – 70.5, 6 rounds
17. Abraham Ancer – 70.56, 16 rounds
18. Dustin Johnson – 70.59, 44 rounds
19. Rickie Fowler – 70.6, 48 rounds
20. Tyrrell Hatton – 70.64, 28 rounds
21. Tony Finau – 70.67, 30 rounds
22. Matt Wallace – 70.75, 16 rounds
23. Sam Burns – 70.75, 8 rounds
24. Xander Schauffele – 70.8, 20 rounds
25. Keegan Bradley – 70.82, 44 rounds
26. Patrick Cantlay – 70.86, 22 rounds
27. Luke List – 70.94, 16 rounds
28. Bryson DeChambeau – 70.94, 16 rounds
29. Francesco Molinari – 70.96, 48 rounds
30. Phil Mickelson – 71.0, 110 rounds
31. Justin Rose – 71.0, 68 rounds
32. Branden Grace – 71.03, 30 rounds
33. Brendan Steele – 71.03, 30 rounds
34. Adam Scott – 71.05, 76 rounds
35. Webb Simpson – 71.07, 42 rounds
36. Viktor Hovland – 71.08, 12 rounds
37. Gary Woodland – 71.15, 40 rounds
38. Sungjae Im – 71.17, 12 rounds
39. Shane Lowry – 71.18, 38 rounds
40. Billy Horschel – 71.24, 38 rounds
41. Jimmy Walker – 71.24, 34 rounds
42. Matt Fitzpatrick – 71.27, 22 rounds
43. Tommy Fleetwood – 71.31, 26 rounds
44. Russell Henley – 71.34, 32 rounds
45. Ryan Fox – 71.36, 14 rounds
46. Tom Hoge – 71.42, 12 rounds
47. Marc Leishman – 71.43, 40 rounds
48. Harold Varner – 71.44, 18 rounds
49. Russell Knox – 71.44, 18 rounds
50. Jason Dufner – 71.5, 40 rounds
51. Jason Kokrak – 71.5, 30 rounds
52. Harris English – 71.5, 22 rounds
53. Joaquin Niemann – 71.5, 16 rounds
54. Aaron Wise – 71.5, 14 rounds
55. Talor Gooch – 71.5, 10 rounds
56. Matt Kuchar – 71.55, 42 rounds
57. Chris Kirk – 71.58, 24 rounds
58. Louis Oosthuizen – 71.61, 46 rounds
59. Ian Poulter – 71.72, 20 rounds
60. Cameron Smith – 71.73, 26 rounds
61. Sergio Garcia – 71.76, 68 rounds
62. Charl Schwartzel – 71.77, 56 rounds
63. Martin Kaymer – 71.83, 40 rounds
64. Daniel Berger – 71.88, 26 rounds
65. Brian Harman – 71.92, 26 rounds
66. Chez Reavie – 71.92, 26 rounds
67. Bernd Wiesberger – 72.0, 24 rounds
68. Paul Casey – 72.05, 64 rounds
69. Alex Noren – 72.06, 34 rounds
70. Jhonattan Vegas – 72.06, 18 rounds
71. Lee Westwood – 72.07, 76 rounds
72. Erik Van Rooyen – 72.17, 12 rounds
73. Christiaan Bezuidenhout – 72.25, 8 rounds
74. Lucas Herbert – 72.29, 14 rounds
75. Si Woo Kim – 72.41, 17 rounds
76. Padraig Harrington – 72.49, 68 rounds
77. Cameron Champ – 72.5, 12 rounds
78. Max Homa – 72.5, 12 rounds
79. Thomas Pieters – 72.6, 20 rounds
80. Kurt Kitayama – 72.6, 10 rounds
81. Sepp Straka – 72.63, 8 rounds
82. Adam Hadwin – 72.65, 20 rounds
83. Bubba Watson – 72.73, 52 rounds
84. Robert MacIntyre – 72.75, 12 rounds
85. Corey Conners – 72.75, 12 rounds
86. Sebastian Munoz – 72.75, 8 rounds
87. J.T. Poston – 72.9, 10 rounds
88. Y.E. Yang – 72.92, 39 rounds
89. Mackenzie Hughes – 73.1, 10 rounds
90. K.H. Lee – 73.33, 6 rounds
91. Shaun Micheel – 73.42, 50 rounds
92. Sam Horsfield – 73.67, 6 rounds
93. Rich Beem – 74.09, 56 rounds
94. John Daly – 74.19, 29 rounds
95. Maverick McNealy – 74.33, 6 rounds
96. Tom Kim – 75.25, 4 rounds
97. Steven Alker – DEBUT
98. Nico Echavarria – DEBUT
99. Nick Hardy – DEBUT
100. Kazuki Higa – DEBUT
101. Sihwan Kim – DEBUT
102. Taylor Moore – DEBUT
103. Trey Mullinax – DEBUT
104. Ockie Strydom – DEBUT
105. Adam Svensson – DEBUT

Career PGA Championship Scoring Average Betting Tips

The first thing we should do here is reconsider players in the top 10 with less than eight rounds under their belt. Cameron Young, Mito Pereira, Seamus Power and Davis Riley are crowding the top of the board with just a few rounds played. Impressive performances at Southern Hills aside, they have a ways to go before being considered among the top PGA performers. 

However, that does show players can seriously contend in their PGA Championship debuts if they’re up for the challenge. Don’t discount the first-year players on betting apps at Oak Hill.

As for players with 10 or more rounds under their belt, the top 11 in PGA Championship scoring average are all major champions. It may seem redundant to note that major champions perform better at the majors, but it’s not the case elsewhere – players like Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele and Corey Conners are all in the top 10 of Masters scoring average without having ever won one of the big four. 

That brings intangibles into play a bit. Winning a major is all about keeping the nerves in check and executing in the most nerve-wracking situations. That can be even more true at the PGA with plenty of scoring opportunities for the chasers on Sunday, and it takes nerves of steel to hold off the field for a victory – see Mito Pereira’s final-hole collapse at Southern Hills. 

That’s why it’s not surprising to see the most clutch major performer of the past decade in two-time PGA winner Brooks Koepka on top of the list among those who’ve played more than four rounds. 

As far as discernible skills go among the top average scorers, it’s hard to pin it down. Koepka, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler are among the most well-rounded players in the game. A versatile game and mindset seem to play a bigger factor at the PGA Championship than any one individual area. 

Overall, the list shows that the most consistent PGA Championship performers are not the guys looking to par their ways to a top-10 finish with a fairways-and-greens approach. That might work at a U.S. Open, but this major is all about stepping up to the plate, taking on risk and never backing away from the moment.