Bold predictions are, by nature, destined to fail. They are brave for a reason.
Surprisingly, My 2025 predictions were more prescient than I could have hoped.
Let’s take a look back at my predictions for 2025 (and what actually happened).
- Scottie Scheffler will have four or fewer wins– I thought I was so cool with it. Scheffler opened the season a bit upset and didn’t get his first win until May. Alas, he is the highest player in the world for a reason. He went on to win six times, including two majors. Never doubt Scottie.
- The Europeans will upset the Americans in Bethpage-Ding, ding, ding! The Europeans claimed their first Ryder Cup win on the road since 2012, hammering the Americans over the first two days before surviving a furious rally by the red, white and blue during Sunday’s singles. Last January, I wrote, “While the Americans need some guys to get into shape, Europe might actually have the best roster on paper.” This turned out to be true as the depth of the euro was extraordinary.
- Justin Thomas will return to form, winning several times (including a major)– A little true, but not enough. In his first 11 starts of 2025, Thomas won the RBC Heritage, had three runner-up finishes and posted two more 10s. That part was promising, but Thomas struggled mightily in the majors (T36-MC-MC-T34) and fell hard over the summer.
- Even the major companies will have real TV rating problems— It was a mixed bag here. The Masters saw a boost due to McIlroy’s victory, averaging 12.7 million viewers during Sunday’s final round. The PGA Championship (4.76 million Sunday) was down slightly from 2024, but nothing crazy. The US Open was the least-watched final round of that event since 2020, down about eight percent from last year. The ratings of the Open Championship increased significantly. Hard to draw any meaningful conclusions from this, but we definitely didn’t have a mass exodus from watching golf on TV. In fact, the Tour’s numbers increased greatly compared to 2024.
- McIlroy’s drought will finally end– Here we go! I wrote that Rory is “too good and too involved for one of them to get out of the way.” Never mind how I thought he was going to win the US Open or the Open instead of the Masters.
Hey, that’s 40 percent! Considering how I’m currently in the trenches with a newborn, I think we should all count this as a win.
But you’re not here for that – you want to know my bold predictions for the year 2026.
We come into 2026 with a slightly different perspective than we had 365 days ago. PGA and LIV Tour they appear to be on completely separate paths as a merger is highly unlikely. However, neither county seems too concerned by that development.
Somehow, Tour and LIV are becoming more and more alike. The tour seems to be heading into drastic schedule changes (as early as 2027, but more likely 2028) with limited events and a complete breakdown of the lower tier of the tournament. Meanwhile, LIV advanced to the 72-hole eventgiving up one of the main elements that distinguished them from traditional golf.
The pro golf buzz is muted as talk of TGL, YouTube golf, Grass League and other alternative forms of the game grows – but there are still some interesting stories on the traditional competitive side.
Here are my five bold predictions for pro golf in 2026.
1. LIV golfers go winless in majors (again)
Since LIV went online in 2022, only two of the 14 majors contested were won by players who were currently at LIV (this does not include Cameron Smith and Jon Rahm who won majors and then left for LIV).
Last year, no LIV golfer claimed a major. It was the first time that happened in a full major league season.
Looking at LIV’s chances of ending the drought, I’m not inspired.
Rahm (Data Golf No. 3) and Bryson DeChambeau (No. 9) are likely to be back in the mix, although Rahm’s major performances have left much to be desired since his 2023 Masters triumph.
Beyond these two, the LIV field has thinned out considerably. The only other player in Data Golf’s top 50 is Tyrrell Hatton. Joaquin Niemann is struggling and has been a fixture in the majors throughout his career. Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith and others are in witness protection.
Someone needs to get past the historically good Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele needs to have a bounce back season after injuries slowed him down in 2025.
I’m not feeling like a big LIV winner in 2026.
2. Scottie Scheffler will complete the career Grand Slam
No more rooting against Scottie – I’m taking him to capture the US Open at Shinnecock Hills.
That would make Scheffler the seventh player to win a career Grand Slam. He already has two Masters wins, a PGA Championship and an Open Championship.
In his last five US Open starts, Scheffler has gone T7-T2-3-T41-T7. It’s one of those events where his ball-striking is so dominant that he’s almost guaranteed to be in the top 10. You can’t fake a place like Shinnecock. When Brooks Koepka won there in 2018, the winning score was 1-over.
This kind of brutality is perfect for Scheffler. I also suspect he will be misled by the historical implications of the moment. If anything, this will only motivate him further.
3. Cameron Young will finally realize his potential
Young has been one of the most confusing players over the last five years.
His natural talent is evident. Young ranks well above average for driving distance, approach, short game and putting. He finished No. 7 in tackles last year, a dramatic improvement from 2024 when he was No. 145.
While he had been a bully in the past, it all came together for Young near the end of 2025. He won the Wyndham Championship – his first Tour victory – then rattled off five consecutive top-11 finishes. During that run, he was also the top performer on the US Ryder Cup team.
Turning 29, it seems like Young is rounding a corner and rounding out his game. It’s only a matter of time.
Let’s say Young gets at least one win, breaks into the top 10 of the Data Golf rankings, and finds himself in contention for a major.
4. A prominent LIV player will seek to return to the Tour
While I have no doubt that LIV will continue as normal with minimal changes, I’m betting that one notable player will be disappointed with the league.
That player could be Brooks Koepka. His reason for joining LIV made sense at first, but it looks like Koepka is upset. His Data Golf ranking has fallen well outside the top 150 and he is a total non-factor in the majors. Injuries have been a real concern even though Koepka said he felt healthier last year.
This looks like it could go one of two ways: Koepka, 35, sticks with LIV and sails off into the mid-range golf sunset OR fights his way back into competitive shape.
He may feel like the Tour is his best route back into contention. Or maybe not. We will find out soon, as his contract with LIV expires in 2026. He has already received his money and may not be as motivated by it as he was a few years ago.
With several more contracts expiring, I think it’s likely that at least one good player will leave LIV.
5. Tommy Fleetwood will finally get a major
It’s been a joke over the years how Tommy Fleetwood can’t close golf tournaments on American soil.
That curse was broken when Fleetwood captured the tournament championship.
Looking at the stats, Fleetwood has quietly risen to number 2 on Data Golf. He continues to play outstanding golf on the DP World Tour, including a win at the Indian Championship in October.
I think that will really ease the pressure on him.
While his major career record is spotty – seven top-five finishes in 41 starts, but none since the 2024 Masters – Fleetwood is a world-class player with a game that translates to any country. It’s a great year for him to finally grab a hit as he’s in the prime of his career.
This year’s Open Championship is at Royal Birkdale, which Fleetwood would enter as a child growing up in Southport, England. Imagine the scene if he won.
These are my bold predictions for 2026. What are yours? Let me know below in the comments.
Image caption: Tommy Fleetwood could be destined to win his first title in 2026. (GETTY IMAGES/Mike Ehrmann)
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