Braden Shattuck spent Wednesday morning at Rolling Green Golf Club doing what he has built his career on: teaching. Before the 108th PGA Championship opens Thursday, the PGA Director of Instruction led an on-course clinic for 10 golfers and then turned his attention to a stage he has earned the hard way. He is set to hit the opening tee shot at 6:45 Thursday morning.
That tee shot matters because Shattuck is not arriving as a ceremonial figure. He earned his place in the field by finishing T-8 at the recent PGA Professional Championship, and he has already proved he can handle this level. He won the 2023 PGA Professional Championship, captured the 2025 Philadelphia PGA and, at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla, made the cut while finishing as the Low PGA of America Golf Professional.
The path to this week runs through a much darker stretch. Shattuck had a serious car accident in March of 2019 and said the time that followed brought major mental health problems that sidelined him badly. Before the crash, he had won the New England Open. Afterward, golf had to wait while he focused on getting healthy again.
That history gave Wednesday’s clinic extra weight for the players who watched him work. Gale Donoghue said he “really, really cares” and wants people around him to succeed. Marianne Rafter said, “We couldn’t believe it,” and added that the group was astounded he did it “with all that’s going on.” Sharon DiPietro called the gesture generous and said everyone there would have supported him if he had chosen a different way to prepare for the championship.
Shattuck, who is from the Philadelphia suburbs, said the aftermath of the crash was not just physical. “I had some mental health problems during that time that were significant and sidelined me pretty hard,” he said. “I had to go to work and put a smiling face on for everybody and that was quite a challenge.”
What makes this week different is that Shattuck has already gone from survivor to contender. He is back on a championship stage, but he is also still the teacher at Rolling Green, which is why the moment feels larger than one tee time. The opening shot Thursday is not just a courtesy. It is the latest proof that he has worked his way back into the center of the game.
Braden Shattuck 2026 Pga return gives local pro a major-stage homecoming
