January 5, 2026 2:52 pm

It’s time to drag out my crystal Titleist Pro V1 and see what the 2026 golfing season has in store for us. This is my usual, appallingly poor attempt to predict the winners and losers of the bigger golf tournaments in the coming year. My record so far has been atrocious, but everyone loves a tryer, so here we go again.

The 2026 season comprises the normal 4 majors plus the season long Fedex Cup, for which there is an outrageous amount of money to be won. It’s also a Solheim Cup year, so let’s have a look at what might happen there too.

The Majors

The Masters is the kick off to the golfing year and this time it is running the week after Easter. I suspect this year’s Masters will not live up to the unbelievable excitement of last year w Rory McIlroy cemented his place in history by joining the Grand Slam Club. This year I predict American Patrick Cantlay will don the Green Jacket. He always strikes me as being a very efficient, if somewhat uncharismatic player. The high point for us this side of the pond might be good run at the title from Englishman Harry Hall, who I think will go well this season.

In the middle of May will come the USPGA Championship. The Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania is a new venue to me. The last time they held this tournament here, I had just been born and it was won by Gary Player, so there is some pedigree there.  This is often the major won by a first timer to the winner’s enclosure and I have put my money (figuratively I hasten to add) on American Chris Gotterup. It was a toss-up between him and Ben Griffin. But Gotterup missed out on the Ryder Cup last year, so he deserves the spoils this time.

The US Open in June is returning to Shinnecock Hills in New York. This is the tournament where the USGA try to make the course as impossible as they can. Their stated aim is to make level par the winning score and they usually get their wish. The victor here needs incredible patience, a silky touch on the green and a super high sense of humour. My pick for this is Tommy Fleetwood. Now he has got the monkey off his back about winning a PGA Tour event, it is time for him to take a coveted Major title. Why not this June?

Victor’s year?

July brings The Open championship and this year it is at Royal Birkdale This brings back some great memories for me because in 1983, I was 9 holes away from making it into the tournament. It used to be a 36-hole final qualifier after regional qualifying and on the 10^th tee I was on the mark to make it. I then frittered a bucket load of shots on the back nine to see my one shot at glory get buried in the Lancashire sands.

But enough of my failings, the champion this year will be Victor Hovland. Those that have read these missives previously will know that I always say that Victor Hovland will win a major, one year. Surely, I will be right eventually! Go Victor, let it be Birkdale 2026.

The Solheim Cup

The Solheim Cup in early September moves to a new country and is to be played in The Netherlands. After Team USA winning in 2024, I am looking forward to another close match. I think this could be a tie, 14 points each, which unfortunately will mean that Team USA will keep the cup. I hope that it is a fantastic tournament and is exciting to watch. The standard of golf is always amazing and the quality of the golf swings is far greater, I believe, than in the men’s game.

So, there you have it, another golfing year arranged. The continuing saga of LIV will probably roll on, still unresolved. They have changed their format to entice the governing bodies into allowing them to receive world ranking points.  These are desperately needed as LIV players are plummeting down the world rankings right now. But that was their choice when they took the money, so I for one hope that the status quo remains and the LIV players slide off into golfing obscurity.

I wish you your best- ever golfing season and look forward to seeing you at the range soon.

Jon Woodroffe – Master Professional, World of Golf London

 

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