Fifty Predictions for 2026

The PGA Tour announces it will not return to Hawaii for the 2027 season. -Will Knights

The PGA Tour will officially come out against the rollback ball and announce it will not adopt it in 2028. -Brendan Porath

Despite the best efforts of paid actors, support for the rollback gains steam in the court of public opinion. Shinnecock Hills cannot provide the test it once did without slipping over the edge of unplayability, giving a clear lesson on where the game currently stands. -Joseph LaMagna

Scottie Scheffler will complete the career Grand Slam at Shinnecock Hills. -Adam Woodard

Scottie Scheffler will NOT become the seventh person to win the career Grand Slam, but will win his second straight Open Championship. -Kevin Van Valkenburg

Rory McIlroy will win the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. -Brendan Porath

Scottie Scheffler wins the Masters by multiple shots. Again. -Joseph LaMagna

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Memorial Park is an immediate success and massive upgrade from the doldrums of Carlton Woods. Part of the reason why is that there is no makeshift, Frankenstein Poppy’s Pond leap, and the tradition is finally put out of its misery. -Meg Adkins

Bryson DeChambeau will win the PGA Championship and give his equipment full credit for the W. -Brendan Porath

All four men’s major championship winners will be in the top 10 of the OWGR at the time of their victories. -Will Knights

Phil Mickelson will finish in the top 10 at the Masters. He will also continue to stay out of jail but not out of trouble. -Brendan Porath

Mercedes-Benz ambassador Ludvig Aberg earns himself a new parking spot in the Champions Lot at Augusta National for 2027. -PJ Clark

A new men's major championship single-round scoring record will be set, likely at Aronimink, or perhaps a calm day at Birkdale, and it may be by two shots (so, a 60). -Brendan Porath

Japanese success at women's majors continues with two more wins in 2026, giving the country six majors in the last three years. The domination will be mixed with parity, though, as two new winners will hoist the trophies, making all six victories from different players. -Meg Adkins

Having already crossed off Quail Hollow, Oakmont, and Royal Portrush, Shane Lowry will complete the career “Fook dis place!” Grand Slam by expressing his disgust with Augusta National during a second-round 74. The Friday afternoon remark will be discovered by a fan watching from home via the “Every Shot Live” function on Masters.com. -Kevin Van Valkenburg

Will Zalatoris puts the back injury behind him, winning on the PGA Tour and adding another major top 10 to a ridiculous Wikipedia page. -PJ Clark

A rise in public golf course redesigns will occur. -Matt Rouches

Auston Kim has a breakout season on the LPGA Tour and ends the year in the top 10 of the Rolex Rankings. -Will Knights

The renovation of TPC Craig Ranch “unfortunately” does nothing to improve the scoring woes at the properly amalgamated CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Scottie Scheffler wins the plaque again, because of course he does. -PJ Clark

Brooks Koepka will play in at least one PGA Tour event. -Adam Woodard

As previously discussed on a Shotgun Start episode, Rico Hoey is 2026’s Ben Griffin breakout, riding a new broomstick putter and elite ball-striking all the way to East Lake… and Medinah! - PJ Clark

Jordan Spieth will bring Sam Saunders to tears with his letter requesting a sponsor exemption to the Arnold Palmer Invitational. -Adam Woodard

Cameron Young ends 2026 in the top ten of the OWGR. I could (should?) be bolder, but I choose peace as we enter this new year. -PJ Clark

Rory McIlroy joins Lunch with the Boys. -Matt Rouches

LeBron James will do a pre-game tunnel walk while reading Fried Egg Golf Volume I. -Adam Woodard

Tiger Woods will not be announced as the 2027 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain. Tiger opts to wait for a home Ryder Cup instead of serving in Ireland. -Will Knights

The Americans will lose the Presidents Cup. -Matt Rouches

Daniel Berger makes the Presidents Cup team after winning the Players. -PJ Clark

Keegan Bradley will make the Presidents Cup team again, and then give an impassioned speech in the victorious team room telling the group that they will be going to Ireland in a year to “kick their f***ing ass.”  -Brendan Porath

Lottie Woad and Rose Zhang face off at the Solheim Cup, blessing women’s golf with a new rivalry. -Meg Adkins

The Americans win an away Solheim Cup for the first time since 2015. Lexi Thompson snags three points for Team USA. -Meg Adkins

Another reinstated amateur wins the 2026 U.S. Mid-Am, but that doesn’t take the shine off an incredible tournament at the Lido. -Will Knights

It may be hard to notice a huge difference in the new Golf Channel that’s not NBC but still kind of NBC but a separate company that might be sharing people with the other company, maybe. Either way, prepare yourself for Versant mentions. -Brendan Porath

Cleeks GC will host more garden parties at LIV Golf events and its logo will “transcend golf the same way Michael Jordan’s Jumpman logo and Ferrari’s prancing stallion did.” -Adam Woodard

After a winless 2025, Jon Rahm will win four times on LIV and take his second straight individual season title, re-crossing the Rubicon. -Brendan Porath

Lucas Glover will rip Brian Rolapp for something. But seriously, the honeymoon period with the mules will end, and there will be some public outcry about Rolapp and the new Strategic Sports Group era. It will have little impact on the course of the ship. -Brendan Porath

LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil loses the support of the LIV fanbase and becomes the scapegoat for the league’s lack of traction, no matter what he does, as he is tasked with the impossible job of compelling young fans to care about teams like the RangeGoats. -Joseph LaMagna

Donald Trump will show up to the PGA Tour event at Doral and make some off-the-cuff remark about how it’s better than when LIV was there. -Brendan Porath

Don Rea. Michael Block. Can't say how or what or why, just that both men — like Thanos — are inevitable. -Brendan Porath

At some point, someone will ask Bryson DeChambeau if YouTube competitions deserve OWGR points. He will earnestly answer that yes, a good case can be made for it. -Kevin Van Valkenburg

A dyed-in-the-wool YouTuber – so one who is not a former or washed-out, full-time tour pro – will play in a PGA Tour event. -Brendan Porath

LeBron James joins Bryson DeChambeau for an episode of “Break 50.” This might be a free space. -PJ Clark

Tommy Fleetwood wins multiple events. -Matt Rouches

The Xander Schauffele App shuts down operations (this could’ve already happened, we wouldn’t know!). -PJ Clark‍

Rory announces that he’ll play on the Champions Tour after all! Sabbatini, that is. Who did you think I meant? -PJ Clark

An Open winner at the Old Course, Masters champion, and American golf icon will make his long-awaited Champions Tour debut. That’s right: Zach Johnson tees it up in his home state of Iowa at the Principal Charity Classic in June. -PJ Clark

Will Knights will start a Kickstarter campaign to fast-track “Happy Gilmore 3.” -Beau Scroggins

Marco Penge bucks the trend and finds success on the PGA Tour in his first year with a card. He’ll enter 2027 squarely in contention for a spot at Adare Manor. -PJ Clark

In a moment of mega-brand activation, Bryson DeChambeau petitions the powers that be to wear Oakley Meta Vanguard (AI sunglasses) during competition, as he prefers taking course management advice from an AI chatbot as opposed to his caddie. -Beau Scroggins‍

Craig Kessler’s big moves continue with a revamped 2027 schedule that creates a season-ending playoff structure that sees the return of match play. -Meg Adkins