Professional golf is a weird space and sport at times. Part of the reason Tiger Woods was able to captivate the public the way he did was because he could do things no one else could. But more than that, it was his ability to do it consistently, year after year, that was truly remarkable.
Scottie Scheffler is now the model of that kind of consistency. It seems like there isn’t a golf course in the world that can really take him out of his game. Rory fits that mold to some degree, but even he went 10 years without winning a major. Same with Jordan Spieth—who looked like he was primed to take over the sport—only to lose his form and, realistically, never get it back. At this point, expecting another Spieth major isn’t even a hot take—it’s just unlikely.
Before we dive in, it’s worth acknowledging that the season isn’t officially over. We still have the FedEx Cup Playoffs ahead, and the Fall Season that follows — both of which offer players a real chance to shift their trajectory. A strong finish could absolutely change the narrative for some of these guys.
That said, for most casual golf fans, the season effectively ends with The Open Championship. Even among more serious fans, attention tends to fade after that final major. Only the most locked-in golf followers will stay engaged through the remainder of the year. The majority won’t tune back in until sometime between Kapalua and The Players Championship. The real accomplishments that the top players will want to target, won’t present themselves again until 2026.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the other names who, as recently as last year, were regularly found at the top of odds boards and leaderboards—and who are now struggling. Who’s likely to bounce back in 2026? And who has legitimate concerns to be worried about?
Let’s dive in.
The immediate names that come to mind: Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Tom Kim, and Sahith Theegala. For the purpose of this article, we’re going to stick to the PGA Tour guys. But I know some of you are probably wondering about the outlook of a few LIV players — Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka. Perhaps we’ll dive into that another time.
So let’s get into it: which of these guys are most likely to bounce back in 2026 — and who should we be genuinely worried about?
Patrick Cantlay
I mean, the guy is a total asshole. He’s got 9 PGA Tour wins, but his last came at the BMW Championship way back in 2022. My heart tells me to let go — to just stop believing — but my brain keeps whispering that a resurgence is coming.
Statistically, Cantlay in 2025 was actually better than I remembered. He was above average in every major category. He’s still an analytics darling, a tee-to-green machine, and one of the most complete players on Tour. But he just… finds a way to screw things up. You can feel it coming every time he’s in contention. It’s not one specific part of his game — it’s the whole package just unraveling at the worst possible time. Or, he completely takes himself out of the tournament at the very start, only to claw back to a respectable finish.
And on top of all that, he’s just deeply unlikeable. When was the last time you heard someone say they were a Patrick Cantlay fan? Exactly.
Still, if he can replicate this season statistically — and that's a big “if” — it feels inevitable he finds the winner’s circle again. I’m not saying we should expect a Patrick Cantlay major any time soon, but I do think he’s got another important win in him. Maybe that’s another Tour Championship. Maybe it’s one of the elevated events. Either way, he’s not done yet.
Collin Morikawa
I mean, good lord. I didn’t think Collin could do this much damage to his own reputation. I still think he’s widely respected out on Tour, and personally, I still view him in a relatively positive light. But the way he’s handled things this year — ducking the media, the rotating caddies — it’s starting to feel less like a golf issue and more like a personal one.
He gives off the impression that he sees himself as a world-class superstar. But the reality is, he won a couple of COVID majors. And look — that sucks to say, but those two just don’t feel as valuable as the rest. There was a stretch between last year and early this year where he paired his elite iron play with a solid short game and actually looked like a real contender again.
But it’s been years now without a win. And unless he gets back to being the best iron player in the world — or finds a way to consistently pair top-tier ball-striking with a decent short game — he’s going to keep falling short. The lack of distance is always going to be a limiter.
Sure, I think Collin will win again. He’s too talented not to. But if you’re asking me whether he’s going to win another major? Honestly… I don’t think so. And that’s kind of wild to say out loud — but at this point, it feels relatively likely.
Max Homa
Max Homa might be the best example of a true roller coaster career. When things are down, he looks like a legit Korn Ferry talent — he can’t gain with the irons and struggles to make a singlecut. But at his best, he’s conquering the world — winning the Genesis in front of Tiger, contending at the Masters, all behind elite iron play.
The thing about Max is, he’s got that “it” factor. Unfortunately, his career has been defined by the ups and downs. He’s talked about quitting golf, then turned it around to win and make the Ryder Cup team.
If Max can contend at the Masters with little form, what could he do if his swing change and caddie change actually click? Right now, it feels like a low-probability outcome. But on a mental level, I trust Max to get back on track more than I do some of these other guys. A return to the winner’s circle is completely possible.
Tom Kim
Tom Kim is one I was especially interested to talk about. He firmly fits into the young stars category — a winner and sensation early on, becoming the talk of the town during the Presidents Cup as a clear highlight for the international team.
In 2024, he gained strokes with his irons in a sample of 13 out of 15 appearances. In 2025, he lost with the irons in 10 straight events. To be honest, I’ve always had macro concerns about Tom. I thought his lack of distance off the tee would be a real deterrent at the highest levels. There’s always the chance he follows a Matt Fitzpatrick-type path — bulks up and elevates his game — but with his frame and athletic profile, I was skeptical.
For that reason, I always wondered if he might be more of a Rickie Fowler type — someone who racks up big moments, maybe wins a Players or two, but never quite claims a signature major.
At this point, I’m not sure what to expect. I trust the mindset and the desire to compete. I’d expect the driving accuracy and the wedge/mid-iron play to return. But long term? Where does that really leave him?
Sahith Theegala
This was the name I had circled for this article. I believe Sahith Theegala is destined for greatness. That’s why his 2025 campaign was such a disappointment — a real step backwards in his trajectory, but by no means a death sentence.
I still believe Theegala has the modern skill set that leads to long-term success. I’ve said this before to people close to me and I’ll keep saying it: Theegala is going to make a lot of money at Augusta National over the years.
At his best, his profile is ideal — solid driving distance (though often erratic), strong iron play including long irons, and an elite short game and putter. It’s rare to find a player with legit lengthand such a silky touch around the greens. Comparing him to Phil Mickelson might be a stretch, but the concept holds — not the longest hitter, but capable of gaining significant strokes with distance.
It’s no surprise that his name tends to pop up at the better events and tougher golf courses. The issue in 2025 was that most venues didn’t do much to separate skill sets. Nearly everyone has 300 yards in the bag these days. When there’s no penalty for missing fairways, tournaments turn into wedge and putting contests.
What separates good professionals from elite ones is the ability to hit long irons into firm, fast greens — and to scramble and create on those same challenging surfaces. That’s why Augusta National remains the best test of golf in the world. (And by the way, the most predictive course according to DataGolf.) Why? Because the skill set it demands is specific, and it takes luck out of the equation. It separates the good from the elite.
I digress. My hot take: Sahith Theegala will win the Masters at some point in his career. In 2026, it’ll be his 4th try on the golf course. An area where you start to see players turn the corner. By the seventh try, expect some noise. More immediately, I think he bounces back in a big way in 2026.
Honorable Mentions —
Tony Finau has been decent at best. He’s getting relatively consistent results — just consistently below the standard he’s set for himself. You wonder how much his personal life and the surrounding scandal have weighed on him.
Will Zalatoris has the injury excuse. His unique swing unfortunately put so much strain on his back. I really hope he gets back to peak form — his high-end long iron play is sensational.
Cameron Young is currently in the process of trying to get back to form. He very well may win Wyndham. But what a strange skill set and development. He’s gone from contending in majors with elite ball striking to now being more or less a driver-putter combo. As if a young Dustin Johnson developed into Wyndham Clark. It’s just been bizarre.
Viktor Hovland — 2025 is going to end up being okay after a disastrous start. He picked up a win and had a solid showing at the U.S. Open. The big question remains: how much will his short game hold him back? His irons have been excellent all year. If he can just become a neutral or slight positive around-the-green player, he gets back to winning — and doing it consistently.
Professional golf is always shifting. The climb to the top is brutal, and staying there might be even harder. For every Scheffler—who makes it look routine—there are a dozen world-class players searching for that one piece to click back into place. A better caddie fit, a minor swing adjustment, a return to confidence—sometimes that’s all it takes. And sometimes, it never comes.
For the players we covered, the talent has never been in question. But the margin between relevance and being forgotten is razor-thin on the PGA Tour. Some of these guys will bounce back. Some won’t. That’s the nature of the game.