Golf 2026

[Uncle Rico]

Very few professional golfers, male or female, can sustain excellence.  They have hot streaks and ride the wave to fortune and majors.  Then, marriage, kids, the wrong equipment deal, a swing change striving for more that wrecks what worked before that they can never quite find again, external expectations, internal expectations, injuries, happen and the 100 out of a 100 remains forever elusive. 


I love Nellie's swing.  Long, flowing, powerful.  She is certainly capable of winning more majors.   It would be good for the LPGA in America if she did.   I can easily picture the external expectations messing with her happy.   

Rory went 11 years between majors.  Dustin Johnson has 2, well 1 really, that Masters doesn't count.  Winning is hard.

[tower912]

Do you think Spieth wins another major?  I mean, the career slam is a worthy dream, but I don't think he ever gets back to the top.
I can see Koepka getting maybe one more, 2 at the outside.
JT?
Xander?  Maybe.
Woodland?  Great story.  Skeptical.
Bryson?  Sadly, probably.
Spaun?  One hit wonder.

Scottie probably has the best chance of multiple more majors.  He has to break out of the habit he has gotten into this season of starting slow.

You are correct.  Winning is difficult.

[swoopem]

Xander- yes
JT- yes
Brooks- maybe? But I'll say no
Bryson- yes but I hope not
Spieth- no
Spaun- no
Woodland- no

[Uncle Rico]

Xander- yes
JT- yes
Brooks- maybe? But I'll say no
Bryson- yes but I hope not
Spieth- no
Spaun- no
Woodland- no

Xander - yes, because he game travels to all types of courses

JT - eh, big number always creeping.  Bogeys are fine.  Others do him in.  Up and down putter but ball striking can cover a lot of that

Brooks - yes, will always be viable at a US Open or PGA Championship

Spieth - he'll have one more magical weekend that stuns us, probably an Open but watch for him at PGA Frisco in a year

Spaun - no

Woodland - Game travels like Brooks to US Opens and PGA Championships.  Won't be shocked if he gets another

Bryson - Yes.  Game is built for US Opens and PGA Championships.  Have a hard time seeing him win across the pond unless he radically alters his approach like FIGJAM at those venues.  Masters will be his white whale

Morikawa - yes

Lowry - no, see JT

[MU82]

Can't believe you guys are leaving out Tiger, the way he still intimidates the field in every tournament.

[JWags85]

Xander - yes, because he game travels to all types of courses

Brooks - yes, will always be viable at a US Open or PGA Championship

Spieth - he'll have one more magical weekend that stuns us, probably an Open but watch for him at PGA Frisco in a year


Bryson - Yes.  Game is built for US Opens and PGA Championships.  Have a hard time seeing him win across the pond unless he radically alters his approach like FIGJAM at those venues.  Masters will be his white whale

Agree totally on Xander.  He continues to be the most underrated golfer in the world for casuals.  Of all the ones listed above, I think he's easily the most likely active golfer  to jump into that 6 major tier with Rory, Trevino, Phil, and Faldo (besides Scottie obviously).  He's won The Open Championship, he won a PGA, but he's been electric at the US Open and the Masters even without a win.  He has 4 straight Top 10s at Augusta.  Since the 2022 Masters where he missed the cut, he's played 16 majors and only finished outside of the top 20 once.  In his last 11 majors he didn't win (since 2023), he has 7 top 10s.  Thats unreal consistency.  Id personally be shocked if he didn't grab one of the next 4-5 Masters.

Brooks, idk man.  I just wonder how much he still cares.  I know part of his "I don't like golf" persona was just bro schtick, but there was some honesty there. The combination of that, the injuries, and the absurd money he made over the last 5 years with LIV and other successes, I'm not sure.  He hasn't won in almost 2 years even on LIV.  Coming back to PGA does seem like he still wants to compete, but IDK.  Until he had a nice Masters, he'd been pretty awful in majors (for him) since that 2023 PGA.

Spieth, I'd bet hard on no.  He's just lost the ability to win, period.  He's got 2 wins TOTAL since he won the Open in 2017.  He hasn't won on the PGA in 4 years.  Maybe he finds something at the Masters one year, cause he still plays Augusta pretty well.  But I can't see him holding a lead late.

Bryson, gonna be one of the top 4-5 lowest odds in both the PGA and the US Open this year.  Outside of the Masters flop, he's been playing really well this year.  Love him or hate him, he's not going to be one of those people who just disappears cause whatever they did wasn't working or their style got passed up by others.

The other interesting potential is obviously Rahm.  Took a step back the last few years after being the best player in the world for awhile, but he was dangerous at the PGA and the US Open last year and has been on fire to end 2025/start 2026.

[Uncle Rico]

Agree totally on Xander.  He continues to be the most underrated golfer in the world for casuals.  Of all the ones listed above, I think he's easily the most likely active golfer  to jump into that 6 major tier with Rory, Trevino, Phil, and Faldo (besides Scottie obviously).  He's won The Open Championship, he won a PGA, but he's been electric at the US Open and the Masters even without a win.  He has 4 straight Top 10s at Augusta.  Since the 2022 Masters where he missed the cut, he's played 16 majors and only finished outside of the top 20 once.  In his last 11 majors he didn't win (since 2023), he has 7 top 10s.  Thats unreal consistency.  Id personally be shocked if he didn't grab one of the next 4-5 Masters.

Brooks, idk man.  I just wonder how much he still cares.  I know part of his "I don't like golf" persona was just bro schtick, but there was some honesty there. The combination of that, the injuries, and the absurd money he made over the last 5 years with LIV and other successes, I'm not sure.  He hasn't won in almost 2 years even on LIV.  Coming back to PGA does seem like he still wants to compete, but IDK.  Until he had a nice Masters, he'd been pretty awful in majors (for him) since that 2023 PGA.

Spieth, I'd bet hard on no.  He's just lost the ability to win, period.  He's got 2 wins TOTAL since he won the Open in 2017.  He hasn't won on the PGA in 4 years.  Maybe he finds something at the Masters one year, cause he still plays Augusta pretty well.  But I can't see him holding a lead late.

Bryson, gonna be one of the top 4-5 lowest odds in both the PGA and the US Open this year.  Outside of the Masters flop, he's been playing really well this year.  Love him or hate him, he's not going to be one of those people who just disappears cause whatever they did wasn't working or their style got passed up by others.

The other interesting potential is obviously Rahm.  Took a step back the last few years after being the best player in the world for awhile, but he was dangerous at the PGA and the US Open last year and has been on fire to end 2025/start 2026.

Rahm will get more.

Let me see how Brooks plays the PGA and US Open this year.  I still think he gets another one of those.

Spieth hill I'll die on.  He's got one more magical weekend in him that reminds us of why he was so captivating.  Like I said, I feel it'll be at an open.  His game travels there much better.  I don't think he'll get another green jacket.  He's been worse there since the latest renovations.

[MuggsyB]

Very few professional golfers, male or female, can sustain excellence.  They have hot streaks and ride the wave to fortune and majors.  Then, marriage, kids, the wrong equipment deal, a swing change striving for more that wrecks what worked before that they can never quite find again, external expectations, internal expectations, injuries, happen and the 100 out of a 100 remains forever elusive. 


I love Nellie's swing.  Long, flowing, powerful.  She is certainly capable of winning more majors.   It would be good for the LPGA in America if she did.   I can easily picture the external expectations messing with her happy.   

I think her overall golf skills are Tiger (in his prime) level vs her competition.  Ergo, winning 10+ Majors is extremely doable imo if she plays 10-15 years.  Nelly has an ultra-elite/pure golf swing and flushes it consistently.  We're talking about a prodigious talent that you rarely see.  Again, it's all about the putter and eliminating a few mental mistakes here and there.  Her A to B+ game is significantly better than the rest of the LPGA tour.  It's not particularly close.  Dropping the 🔨 🔨 and destroying all opponents would be my mindset.  Although, I understand people have different approaches (no pun intended) and life interests.  That said, I think you're underestimating her talent. 

[tower912]

I fully appreciate her talent.  I don't think you are appreciating how fine the line is.

[tower912]

LIV canceling events. Stunning.

[CreightonWarrior]

LIV canceling events. Stunning.

Hard to see them host anything until they get their ballroom. Enough is enough.

[MuggsyB]

I fully appreciate her talent.  I don't think you are appreciating how fine the line is.

The line between winning and total domination?

[Uncle Rico]

https://youtu.be/HdszYsu35MQ?si=QbbeX7Wzruuu3Mb3

[pbiflyer]

LIV canceling events. Stunning.

Look, was LIV Golf successful? No.

Did it bolster the reputations of everybody involved? Also, no.

But was it fun? Once again, no.

https://x.com/mikebeauvais/status/2049597607907881363?s=46&t=wj-kQtLCLPNb9xDTKbHRvQ

[MU82]

Comment I just read on The Athletic site:

Maybe Trump will have the government buy LIV and the golfers can take Spirit to all their events.

[tower912]

He did endorse LIV at the beginning and recommended everybody jump over to it.

[pbiflyer]

https://x.com/shootermcgavin/status/2049593727060996227?s=61&t=jsIZllSIAp6Fe-FmvZNVnw

[Uncle Rico]

Crowds have been the biggest ever for a PGA Tour event this weekend at Doral.  According to many smart people, no sporting event has ever had crowds this big.

[MuggsyB]

Nelly dismantled another field of competitors.

[MuggsyB]

As far as the LPGA marketing, I've noticed on the Sirius Sports updates, there was no mention whatsoever of Nelly winning another major last week or her victory today. Zero. That's not right. 

[tower912]

How is everyone's game in 2026?  I can't get all of the parts going at the same time.  Coming off two weeks of really poor iron play.  Prior to that, somehow my driver got on the wrong setting (a la Koepka), leading to two fairways hit in two rounds.  Have gone through chipping yips.   Somehow, still cobbling together/grinding out scores.

[MuggsyB]

I'd like to get more umph on my stinger and add 15 yards on my Driver.  I don't know how Woosy got so much pop. 

[Uncle Rico]

I'd like to get more umph on my stinger and add 15 yards on my Driver.  I don't know how Woosy got so much pop. 

Beer and whisky

[Jables1604]

How is everyone's game in 2026?  I can't get all of the parts going at the same time.  Coming off two weeks of really poor iron play.  Prior to that, somehow my driver got on the wrong setting (a la Koepka), leading to two fairways hit in two rounds.  Have gone through chipping yips.   Somehow, still cobbling together/grinding out scores.

Weather here hasn't been cooperating. Played yesterday. Temperature dropped about 15 degrees during the round. Was fighting my swing all day. Despite all that still shot 83 (index is 7.0). For this early in the season I try to focus on ball striking (PAUSE) and not the score.

[MuggsyB]

Beer and whisky

Tremendous clubhead speed and overall focus/tenacity.