{"id":394819,"date":"2026-01-08T08:48:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T08:48:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/394819\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T08:48:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T08:48:17","slug":"five-things-we-want-to-see-in-2026-more-scottie-scheffler-more-challengers-more-clarity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/394819\/","title":{"rendered":"Five things we want to see in 2026: More Scottie Scheffler, more challengers, more clarity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s get greedy.<\/p>\n

Last year was really good to us, maybe too good. Rory McIlroy completing the career Grand Slam in epic fashion, then starring in an emotional home game three months later. Scottie Scheffler continuing to take no prisoners in the majors. Little-known J.J. Spaun prevailing at golf\u2019s toughest test against the best leaderboard of the year. Stirring stuff, all of it.<\/p>\n

But rather than brace for a letdown, let\u2019s keep it rolling in 2026.<\/p>\n

Here are five things we\u2019d love to see this year \u2014 for history, for the health of The Product, and, well, obviously, for the delicious drama.<\/p>\n

Scottie Keeps Doing His Thing<\/p>\n

This one should be obvious \u2014 an individual sport like golf needs a dominant star, and there hasn\u2019t been a stud this spectacular since prime Tiger Woods. We\u2019re witnessing history unfold every week, each season. We should savor it.<\/p>\n

In 2025, Scheffler branched out and added two different majors to his career haul, meaning he\u2019ll head into the U.S. Open \u2014 set to conclude on his 30th birthday \u2014 with a chance to seal the final leg of the slam, rightfully confirming himself as a player for the ages.<\/p>\n

Scheffler is so good, and so complete, that he\u2019ll always be able to get his. So what will be most interesting to see is what he does from a statistical perspective. Even if he didn\u2019t equal his win total last year from 2024 (9-6), he actually was better through the bag, owing to a sizable improvement on the greens. Does he see more incremental gains this year, or will he revert to his career mean \u2014 and how does that affect his projected win totals?<\/p>\n

And yet, as sensational as Scottie is and has been, it still leaves us longing for …<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"PGA:<\/p>\n

Jun 13, 2025; Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA; Xander Schauffele plays his shot from the tenth tee during the second round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

A Serious Challenger to Scheffler\u2019s Reign<\/p>\n

McIlroy, coming off a season in which he semi-seriously contended for Player of the Year, would seem the clear favorite here, but who knows just how much we\u2019ll see him on the every-week tour in 2026. He\u2019s made it abundantly clear he\u2019ll play where he wants, when he wants, and that likely means fewer head-to-head tilts with the world No. 1.<\/p>\n

So if there\u2019s a void at the top, who fills it?<\/p>\n

Xander Schauffele logged a fall victory after an injury-delayed campaign and is a prime candidate to bounce back.<\/p>\n

Tommy Fleetwood is brimming with confidence and playing the best golf of his life.<\/p>\n

Ludvig \u00c5berg, still just 26, has all of the physical tools for a true breakout year.<\/p>\n

Cam Young, Ben Griffin and Sam Burns … Chris Gotterup, Marco Penge and Michael Thorbjornsen \u2014 they\u2019re all interesting names to consider. It\u2019s always fun to see who ascends to the next level.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Delamar\"<\/p>\n

CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT – JUNE 16: PGA TOUR CEO announcement and board meetings at Delamar on June 16, 2025 in Cromwell, Connecticut. (Photo by Tracy Wilcox\/PGA TOUR)<\/p>\n

Clarity on the Schedule<\/p>\n

Heading the future competitions committee, Tiger Woods said last month that he and his crew, mired in thousands of simulations and scenarios, intend to kick off the \u201cnew\u201d PGA Tour for the 2027 campaign.<\/p>\n

What that looks like remains to be seen as they attempt to reimagine a circuit with the top players playing the biggest events on the best courses with the brightest spotlight. Everything is apparently on the table: Starting after the NFL season and ending before Labor Day. Weeding out the C-level tournaments. Building in off-weeks following the majors. In theory, a streamlined product of powerhouse events sounds ideal.<\/p>\n

But with so many constituents involved, there\u2019s skepticism that a consensus can be reached for a 2027 launch \u2013 and the clock is ticking.<\/p>\n

Fans have grown weary of the constant talk of change; ever since the advent of the signature-event series model, in late 2022, the Tour has promised a new-look product in the future. All it\u2019s turned into is four consecutive \u201ctransition years\u201d with swings, a distinct A\/B tour and an unimaginative grand finale.<\/p>\n

CEO Brian Rolapp has promised significant, foundational changes. Let\u2019s see \u2019em.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Crown<\/p>\n

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 03: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot as a part of the Pro-Am prior to the Crown Australian Open 2025 at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club on December 03, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

More Stars in the \u201cShoulder Season\u201d<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t escape us that during one otherwise sleepy week in early December, McIlroy played a national open in Australia, Viktor Hovland headlined the field in South Africa, and Scheffler teed it up in a 20-man holiday exhibition in the Bahamas.<\/p>\n

What are we doing here?<\/p>\n

One benefit of a pared-down Tour schedule is that it opens up other opportunities around the world during the other five months on the calendar. Incentivizing the Tour\u2019s best to play some of the marquee events on the DP World Tour schedule (particularly the national opens) would be a boon to all involved \u2014 especially golf fans who can watch their favorite players on different courses, in different conditions and during different broadcast windows than the heart of the golf season.<\/p>\n

Sure, that requires significantly better cooperation among the established tours, but a scribe can dream.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"LIV<\/p>\n

PLYMOUTH, MI – AUGUST 22: Brooks Koepka of Smash GC concentrates on the third hole during Day One of LIV Michigan at The Cardinal at Saint John\u2019s on August 22, 2025 in Plymouth, Michigan. (Photo by Michael Miller\/ISI Photos\/ISI Photos via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

ISI Photos via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Koepka Reincorporated into the PGA Tour<\/p>\n

Outside of the schedule, the biggest question at the dawn of the new year is what happens with Koepka.<\/p>\n

The five-time major winner left LIV with one year left on his contract, and his immediate playing future is unknown. In a statement announcing the move, Koepka said that he wants to prioritize time at home with his family \u2014 but he also used that same rationale in explaining away his decision to leave for LIV back in 2022.<\/p>\n

The Tour should provide some clarity on Koepka\u2019s status soon because right now it\u2019s murky. He didn\u2019t renew his Tour membership following the 2022-23 season, which theoretically puts him in a different position than, say, Laurie Canter, who never held Tour status but served a one-year suspension for competing in an unauthorized event and qualified for the 2025 Players. The first step, if he\u2019s interested in returning to the Tour, would be for Koepka to reapply for membership \u2014 and from there, it\u2019s up to the Tour to decide any disciplinary action.<\/p>\n

Every Tour player likely has a different answer on the best path forward. McIlroy said on the record he wants Koepka back as soon as possible \u2014 but not all Tour players are in McIlroy\u2019s gilded position, of course, with guaranteed status, a hunger for the top competition and hundreds of millions in the bank. To many in this new era of fewer members and dwindling tournaments, Koepka\u2019s reentry without retribution could be seen as a threat to their competitive livelihoods.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a fascinating test case for Rolapp and Co. \u2014 and a gut check for the player policy board \u2013 that would provide a blueprint for any other LIVers potentially looking for an exit ramp.<\/p>\n

Any outcome is sure to rankle at least a segment of the Tour population, but we keep returning to a data point from last year: After polling golf fans, roughly 70% said they favored reunification, the best players together again. Reintegrating Koepka \u2013 one of the most successful and well-known players of his generation \u2013 would be a significant step toward that end goal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s get greedy. Last year was really good to us, maybe too good. Rory McIlroy completing the career…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":394820,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[427,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-394819","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-golf","9":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=394819"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394819\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/394820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=394819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=394819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=394819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}