Quick: Name one player who’s going to win a men’s major championship in 2026.
If you answered Scottie Scheffler, well, chances are you’re probably not wrong. The world’s No. 1-ranked player is coming off a two-major campaign and can follow Rory McIlroy as the seventh member of golf’s career grand slam club if he wins the U.S. Open at Shinnecock on his 30th birthday.
Of course, picking a player to win a major and making a futures bet on a player to win a major can be two very different things.
Scheffler’s recent success and current price serve as a great example of this.
Beginning at the 2022 Masters, Scheffler has won four of the last 16 majors – a pretty simple mathematical equation of 25 percent, or an even simpler rate of once per year.
That would perhaps suggest he’d be even-money to tack on another title this year, but if you’re expecting to find that price, dream on. Scheffler is currently -175 at BetMGM to win a major this year, which certainly makes sense on the surface level, but doesn’t exactly provide much value in the market.
It’s similarly tough to back McIlroy at +130 after he’d just recently gone more than a decade without a major win or Tommy Fleetwood at +450 despite never having won one.
That doesn’t mean I won’t bet someone who hasn’t done it yet, I’d just like a slightly bigger number. In fact, below are five players who make some sense in this market – and four of ‘em have yet to win a major.
5 Futures Bets for the 2026 Men’s Golf Major Championships
Viktor Hovland (+650)
With top-four finishes at majors in each of the past four years, Hovland is clearly knocking on the door of what would be his greatest career accomplishment. What really has me bullish is that those four results have come in the PGA Championship (twice), U.S. Open and Open Championship (once apiece), while he has a T-7 at the Masters during this time, as well.
I’ve long believed that what separates the uppermost echelon of players from the next tier is that the best of the best can win anyplace, anytime and while Hovland hasn’t done that yet, he’s proven that he doesn’t have any blind spots at the big four.
Best bet: Open Championship (+2800)
Despite a T-2 and solo third at the PGA over the past three years, I still think The Open offers his best chance, as he really wasn’t as far off as the final leaderboard showed at the Old Course in 2022. Royal Birkdale should test a player’s mettle with those long- and mid-irons, which happens to be Hovland’s specialty.
Hideki Matsuyama (+900)
Personally, there are very few times during the year when Matsuyama’s name makes my card for a specific tournament. There’s always the risk that his notoriously balky neck issue springs up or that he’s benching yet another putter, although each of those specific instances have led to victories in the past anyway.
That said, if you give me Hideki for an entire year – or in this case, for four tournaments – I know with a decent amount of confidence that he’ll play well at some point. Since 2013, he owns multiple top-10s at each of the four majors except The Open, which would appear his least likely place to win his next major.
Best bet: Masters (+3000)
As McIlroy will find out in a few months, it’s a whole lot tougher to try and win at Augusta National for the first time than the second time. Playing with the knowledge that no matter what, you’ll be back at the next year’s Champions’ Dinner along with all of the other festivities can help ease a player’s nerves when he’s playing the most famous back-nine in golf. Matsuyama claimed his green jacket five years ago and could certainly do it again this year.
Robert MacIntyre (+1000)
If you Google the moniker “Big Shot Bob,” the search engine will yield results for former NBA player Robert Horry, who was never a superstar, but made plenty of big shots while winning seven team titles. Don’t be surprised if MacIntyre starts stealing that nickname, as he’s shown a propensity early in his career for playing his best golf at the biggest moments. He was runner-up at the U.S. Open at Oakmont last year and already owns three top-10s in six starts at The Open.
Best bet: The Open (+2800)
This is a somewhat easy call, and I’m actually surprised Bob’s price is this high in advance of heading to a classic links course, which should suit his game perfectly. It still feels like he’s playing something of an underdog role, but at No. 7 in the world ranking, being ninth on this odds board suggests a bit of value.
Cameron Young (+1000)
I’ve written in multiple places that while I won’t make any comparisons to Scheffler, I do think that Young’s performance in last fall’s Ryder Cup (when he posted a 3-1-0 record and won in the opening singles match on Sunday afternoon) could similarly lead to success, just as Scheffler’s play in the team competition did for him four years ago. Add in the fact that Young finally got himself into the winner’s circle at the Wyndham Championship and we should expect him to be playing with a rare combo of confidence and momentum this season.
Best bet: PGA Championship (+5000)
The New York native has played some of his best golf in limited starts in the northeast, and a trip to Aronimink GC in the Philadelphia area should have him licking his chops as we head toward the month of May.
Marco Penge (+2000)
If you think I’m going overboard in my awe for this 27-year-old’s game, then consider this: In the past 52 weeks, he went from 414th in the OWGR to 29th. Or this: After starting last season suspended, he came back to win three times on the DP World Tour.
Or this: He was first in SG: Off the tee and fifth in scoring average on the Euro circuit last year. I’ll maintain that Penge is a star developing in front of our very eyes and it might not take long for him to become one of the world’s best players. I don’t mind the idea of buying at 20/1 to see if it comes to fruition in the form of a major.
Best bet: PGA Championship
You might think The Open would be the most sensible selection for any Englishman, but I’m a firm believer that Penge’s game is going to be much better suited for the big ballparks of the U.S. than any links courses back home. He finished top-30 at Quail Hollow last year and it wouldn’t shock me to see him overpower Aronimink, especially if he’s got a PGA Tour win under his belt by that time already.