Kristoffer Reitan defeated Rickie Fowler and Nicolai Hojgaard by two strokes to win the 2026 Truist Championship. The 28-year-old Norwegian is a PGA Tour rookie this year, after earning his card through the DP World Tour last season.
Reitan started the final round one stroke behind leader Alex Fitzpatrick, and stayed at even par for the day through hole 13. But he earned a one-stroke lead with back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th holes.
The Green Mile (the last three holes of Quail Hollow Club) played a pivotal role in deciding the winner. Fowler, Hojgaard and Fitzpatrick all played the final three-hole stretch over par, but Reitan played the final three holes at even par to secure his first career PGA Tour win.
When asked about winning the tournament on the Green Mile, Reitan said: “It took some courage. They’re very uncomfortable golf shots even without pressure, so I felt like I really needed to step up and give myself a chance to put good swings on it.”
With this victory, Reitan became the fourth first-time winner of the 2026 season, joining Jacob Bridgeman / The Genesis Invitational, Ricky Castillo / Puerto Rico Open and Alex Fitzpatrick / Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Reitan also joins Viktor Hovland as the only players from Norway to win PGA Tour events.
The 28-year-old Norwegian is a PGA Tour rookie, playing in his 15th career start, which is why he said he was “absolutely over the moon” about this win. He won the 2025 Soudal Open and 2025 Nedbank Golf Challenge to finish inside the top 10 of the DP World Tour’s 2025 Race to Dubai rankings and earn his PGA Tour Card.
The 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club is next on the PGA Tour. Scottie Scheffler will look to defend his title from a field that includes past PGA Championship winners Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy and Keegan Bradley.
In the latest podcast on Fairway to Green’s network, The Teacher and The Pro, you can hear from Tessa Teachman, an assistant golf professional at Aronimink Golf Club, who discusses the preparations for hosting the 2026 PGA Championship, including which holes to watch and her winner prediction.
