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After several weeks of shutdown, the 2026 PGA Tour season begins Thursday with the Sony Open in Hawaii. Last week, we mentioned some bold predictions for this year, so this week we will move on to part two of our season preview. Scottie Scheffler won PGA Tour Player of the Year rewards the last four years, so do you take Scheffler or the field in 2026?
Josh Schrock, editor-in-chief (@Schrock_And_Awe): I’ll take the field. Scottie continues to improve, but he won’t end up winning. All. At least, I think so.
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Sean Zak, Senior Editor (@Sean_Zak): It would be a bit astonishing not to see Scheffler win three times in 2026. That looks like his floor! So who’s going to beat this? Rory McIlroy could win the crown, sure, but that would have to happen at the biggest events. If Jon Rahm were a PGA Tour golfer, maybe I would feel differently, but I don’t. So I’m going to take Scheffler out into the field.
Jack Hirsh, Associate Equipment Editor (@JR_HIRSHey): Yeah, it’s hard to bet against Scheffler. Last year, we wondered how he could pull off a seven-win season. How about winning six more times and doubling his major total to set up a possible Grand Slam tournament on Long Island this summer? Depending on how I feel on a given day, I sometimes think Rory McIlroy can be the best player at his best, but he’s just not there every week like Scheffler is now. You just can’t bet against that kind of lasting greatness.
If Scheffler doesn’t win, who will? Or who will be his finalist?
Schrock: I’m taking Tommy Fleetwood. Now that the The PGA Tour monkey is on its backhe won three times, including a major, and won the POTY.
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Zach: I think Xander Schauffele is returning to world form, so I’ll put my chips on him. Its ground has never really been that weak in 2025 despite some injury problems. He takes it up this year.
Hirsh: I’m also on the Fleetwood hype train, but I still don’t think (even if he wins the Masters like I expect) he’ll surpass McIlroy.
Last year, Ben Griffin started the season winless, but won three times on the PGA Tour and earned a Ryder Cup pick. Who is your choice as a breakout player in 2026?
Schrock: I want to say Luke Clanton, but the results since he turned professional have been difficult. He still has a lot of potential, but for a breakout player, I would go in a different direction and pick Michael Thorbjornsen to win multiple times in 2026. I would also look out for Marco Penge, who has one of the best swings in golf and is coming off three wins in 2025 on the DP World Tour. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him stay hot and win once or twice on his new tour if the game stays in good shape.
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Zach: Rasmus Hojgaard! I will plant my flag behind him as the best twin, with all due respect to Nico. He has won and competed numerous times on the DP World Tour; enough that he is expected to do so on the PGA Tour. My dart roll is that he gets a win in the spring and maybe another one in the fall.
Hirsh: Does Cameron Young count? I know he got hot at the end of the season, finally got into the winner’s circle and was the LLVP (Least Least Valuable Player) for the Americans at the Ryder Cup, but I see him carrying that momentum to at least two more wins this season.
No. 18 over Kapalua Plantation.
JJ Spaun made one of the most memorable putts of the season last year to win the US Open and win his first major. Which player without a major will win his first in 2026?
Schrock: I’ve already picked Fleetwood to win a major, so we’ll stay there. All eyes will be on him at the Open, but I think he’ll make it at Shinnecock in June.
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Zach: I will put my trust in Viktor Hovland and his endless chase. The talent is there. I hope everything will fall into place over the next few weeks.
Hirsh: Fleetwood wins the Masters. Ludvig Aberg is the champion golfer of the year. Did I stutter?
And the 2026 Rookie of the Year will be…?
Schrock: Give me Penge. I I love the swing and the behavior. He wins twice.
Zach: We’ll keep the Norwegian vibe high and choose Kristoffer Reitan. DataGolf currently ranks it 39th in the world, about 40 places higher than I expected. He hits it pretty far and makes a great putt. He can win in weeks where his irons are above average.
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Hirsh: I really like Penge too, but I’ll go with KFT Player of the Year Johnny Keefer. He almost won $1 million on this Tour last year, then finished T7 at RSM at the end of the year. The sky’s the limit for the Baylor kid.
And your latest bold and generic prediction is…?
Schrock: Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler both will return to the winner’s circle in 2026. Spieth will win at Pebble Beach in February, while Fowler will do so at the RBC Heritage.
Zach: Sepp Straka, major champion.
Hirsh: The trio of 40-year-olds, Justin Rose, Gary Woodland and Adam Scott, have won three times collectively, and each has a T5 in a major.
The position Tour Confidential: 5 burning questions for the 2026 PGA Tour season appeared first on Golf.
