Who wins golf’s big prizes in 2026.
Tommy Does Golf - The Podcast
EPISODE 2
SEASON 01
6 Jan 2026
Tommy: Welcome to Tommy Does Golf, the podcast where three old timers give you our opinions on everything. Golf. I'm Tommy Long, joined by fellow PGA professionals, James Morgan and Paul Charman. With over a hundred years and counting in the golf industry between us, we are well into our back nines. We'll do our best to stay on topic, but just like our tee shots these days, this podcast could go anywhere.
We are hoping you enjoy the banter and maybe just maybe we'll share a few pearls of wisdom along the way. Let's get into it.
Tommy: Welcome to our first podcast of 2026. In this episode, we reveal who we think wins the four majors plus the DP European Tour Order of Merit, and the FedEx cup crowns.
From April to July Each year, we get to drink in all four major championships, but when the open ends in late July, the hangover begins. We are left with an eight month major championship drought before the Masters tee off again the following April. For golfers, that countdown to Augusta is as painfully slow as the countdown to Christmas is for kids.
Now, I'll admit that my record on picking major winners isn't the best. My mates reckon if I studied the horse racing form for a week, I'd still end up backing a donkey, but everyone's luck has to change at some stage. I'm intrigued to hear your picks, fellas. So without further ado, let's begin. James, you are first on the T. Please reveal your selection for who wins the green jacket at Augusta this year. And your reasons why.
James: First up, I wanna have a disclaimer. I have the worst record with the TAB betting at golf. My mate, Neil rings me up and goes, so who have you? Who have you backed? And I'll tell him I'm backed. He goes, okay, well I'll take them off my list. Because I never win any money back in golf. But anyway, masters, I'm going, Rory, back to back. He's gonna go back to back. Right. Uh, and again, I know we keep going about Scottie Scheffler, but I think Rory is just gonna go, you know what? I've done it. I own it. And this golf course is mine. That shot that he hit into 15, which we've mentioned in another podcast, was on the line and he had a target, what, three yard stink?
Paul: Mm-hmm.
James: Maybe four. And he hit it. Yeah. From 200 and something odd yards out, high looping. I mean, it's just the most amazing golf shop now. He can stand there and go, I can do that. Yeah. I've done it under the ultimate pressure. Yeah. I can now hit any shot I want when I want. Yeah. And that's what you need around that golf course. You need to have the balls to be able to say, I can do it, and then you do it. So he has to be my pick.
Paul: Yeah.
Tom: Yep. I can understand your thinking on that one. Okay. Paul,
Paul: What are the odds gonna be on Rory to win, do you reckon? Roughly
James: five. Sixes.
Tom: A betting man.
James: Five sixes, same as Scottie. He'll be the same as Scottie. There'll be six to one. Okay.
Tom: So Paul, come on. Alright, and before you do, I just want to tell the listeners, but you picked Danny Willett
To win the Masters.
So this is gonna be interesting for me. Is it gonna be a rank outsider or are you going for one of the favorites?
Paul: I am actually. There is a theme to my picks. I'll tell you who I think is gonna win. Okay. But before I do that, I want to say that the theme of my picks do have a South African bias.
James: Right.
Paul: Okay. South African bias. Now. This is this. Hear me out. Hear me out. Hear me out. Okay. Okay. Who was the last South African to win a major? You will be surprised. I think you'll be very surprised. Ernie Els. He won the open in 2012. Okay. Um, Charl Schwartzel. Yeah. 2011 won the Masters and then we go to Immelman 2008. Really? And then we go all the way back to sort of like, you know, there's a, but what I, that's, that's really shocked me. Ernie Els was the last South African. When you think about the South African quality, the quality of players that have come through South Africa, Ernie Els. Oh my gosh. Okay.
James: Sorry, I thought you one eye open. No, no,
Paul: No. Not yet. Not yet. But you will see that there is this, um, sort of, so come on here. Where, so I am going Garrick Higgo. Yes.
Tom: Really?
Paul: Okay. Yes. Okay. I'm going for him because he's from South Africa. Right. No other reason. He's a good to win the Masters. To win the Masters. Okay.
James: Has he qualified for it?
Paul: I think he's playing. I did check and I do think he's actually playing. Okay. You can, you can check that for me, right? Um, but if not, if he's not playing, I'm gonna go for either Tristan Lawrence or Christiaan Bezuidenhout.
Tom: Okay.
Paul: Okay. That's my pick.
Tom: So you're going with the South African winner?
Paul: I'm going for South Africa.
Tom: So it's a long South African winner of the Masters. Was was
Paul: Schwartzel?
Tom: Charl Schwartzel. Schwartzel, okay. Who actually birded the last four holes, first player ever to birdie the last four holes to win the Masters, I believe.
Paul: Yep.
Tom: So pretty impressive then.
Paul: I was shocked I always thought that more South Africans had won the masters there. Actually a lot of South Africans have won the masters.
Tom: Okay.
Paul: Alright. Anyway, that's you,
Tom: you're going for him?
Paul: I'm, I'm going South Africa and this is actually is honor of my mate Aubrie
Tom: Absolutely. Alright, I'm gonna go for Justin Rose. I have to go for Rose. I think the thing is, even though this is about who we think we'll win and not who we want to win.
Paul: Yeah.
Tom: I just think with Rosie, we talked about it, how he has almost reinvented himself and, and got himself up there again and extended his career and he just worked so hard. I think him having lost two playoffs to close friends, obviously 2017, losing to Sergio Garcia and then losing to Rory MIlroy. He knows he can do it. He likes that golf course. He plays well around that golf course. I just feel like it's almost now or never for him. Yeah, I've gotta go with Rosie. I think he. He deserves it. He really, really deserves another major and I just think it would be so good if he won that one. Meaning obviously he could play in net for year on years to come. Yeah. I'm, I'm gonna go with him. Okay. Gonna go. PGA ch Sorry, did you wanna say something?
James: Just while they swerve over to the side of the roof, just check. You don't have to swerve anymore. They now hasn't qualified another as he go yet. Yet, yet. I can't do. They will do guaranteed.
Tom: So the 2026 PGA championship returns to the historic Aronimink Golf Club. The stage is set for a true test of championship metal on a classic Donald Ross. Design the venue with its treeline. Traditional Parkland layout will favor the quintessential ball striker, a golfer whose power and precision of the tee on the demanding path. Fours are matched by an ability to control their approach shots into minks firm complex greens. The winner will need to marry length with accuracy and patience. Navigating a course that rewards strategic discipline as much as raw talent. James, back to you. Who wins and why does their game suit this specific test?
James: Uh, boring but Scottie Scheffler Okay. And, uh, wrote down ball striking his ball striking. When you see pros, stop to see other pros hit a golf ball. You know,
Paul: it's different,
James: You know, they're different class. If Tiger Woods was in the mix, he stuck himself smack in the middle of the range.
Paul: Yeah.
James: So that everyone could see what he was doing and here, and if he was working on something, he would go down the far end so he could just do it on his own. But Scottie has that ability for ball striking. He also has the ability to forget the fact that he's just maybe made a double and he will move on and it won't affect him.
Tom: Okay.
James: You know, so mentally strong, unbelievable ball striker. Yeah.
Tom: And also, let's not forget, his distance control is ridiculous. Yeah. I mean, so it's, it's pin
James: high.
Tom: Unbelievable. Yeah, high, high. We've all seen the Taylormade adverts when he hits it and he's on the trackman, and the guy says, come on, how far you head it? And he goes, 173. And he goes, 173.2.
Paul: Yeah.
Tom: You know, it's unbelievable. So, okay. Pretty solid pick. What do you think, Paul?
Paul: Okay, so here we go. Right? Let me tell you. Right. So first and foremost, okay. My pick is Justin Rose. Alright.
Tom: Born in South Africa.
Paul: Born in Joburg.
Tom: Okay.
Paul: Born in Joburg. Okay. Now based on the theory that a South African is gonna win a tournament, a major, okay, I've gone Justin Rose. Um. He's played at this golf course. He actually won a tournament there, the at and t back in 2010. Okay,
Tom: so you
Paul: had research well done back in 10. 2010. He also at the same course, finished second to Keegan Bradley in 2018. Okay. Now Gary Player, also one here. So that's my South African kind of thing. Okay. And one other, the interesting stat here is that when. Justin Rose won the A T&T Classic at Aronimink Not one South African played in that tournament. In the whole field. In the whole field, there was not one South African. So therefore I take Justin Rose because, okay, he was born in Joburg.
James: Guess what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna back Justin Rose now and he's not gonna make the cut.
Tom: Alright, so. Well, mine's really boring. I didn't really do enough homework on this. I've gone for a player who I think is due, I think is capable of winning multiple major championships, and I feel like he almost needs to get the monkey off his back this coming year and, and get it done. So I am going for Ludvig Aberg, even though he's impressed at the Masters before I feel like U-S-P-G-A might just get it done. So I'm gonna go for oberg. Pretty boring pick. I can't really give you much more reasoning on that other than I just think he's due. So we'll crack on. We'll head to the US Open, which returns to the legendary Shinnecock Hills. This long Windswept classic link style course on American soil demands total command of your golf ball. It's all about controlling trajectory in the wind, navigating fast fairways that bleed into punishing fescue and mastering complex lightning fast greens. This test doesn't favour just a draw or a fade. It specifically favours the complete player who can work the ball both ways. James, your US open champion, please. And why.
James: Bryson DeChambeau. Now, last one to win there was Brooks Koepka 2018 and similar sort of build strong, powerful, um, and. He found out in the Ryder Cup and the ultimate pressure that his wedge game wasn't up to, he knew it this whole of this year, hadn't been, and I've watched a couple of podcasts and listened to some bits and pieces of him, and he's absolutely grinding his butt off as we speak.
Tom: Mm-hmm.
James: To get his wedge play sorted. And if he does that, I then think that will round his game out. Okay. He knows dodgy tongues, you know that putter stuck up his arm. But I still believe he's hold, I mean that put that he hold to big Rory. That was a fantastic, put the hole under pressure so he can put under pressure.
Tom: Sure.
James: So, and I just look at it and go, he's got the long game. Uh, so if he does stick it in the rescue and the, the deep jungle, he can hack it out. Yeah. But if he's, he's scoring club sorted. I think he's my pick. And if I put money on him, you'll miss the cup.
Tom: Nah, he won't. It won't, but I, I, I won't.
James: I'll save it for your, your selection.
Tom: Alright. Paul's next one. We are all eagerly anticipating what name is gonna come out. Let's
James: inside.
Paul: Now. Come on, Rory.
Tom: Oh,
Paul: where's
James: the South African
Paul: connection? Hang on a second.
James: Ah,
Paul: you can see the eagerness. Okay. Right now. Okay. First and foremost. Okay, the last player, well, the last South African to win was Retief Goosen
Okay. As friend of mine. Once told me how to pronounce his name, not Tif Goon. Okay. Can I, even though he was called the goose.
James: Can I have a, yeah,
Paul: a spray jacket for that one. Tif,
Tom: we'll wipe you
Paul: down. Okay. Anyway, so he won putted 11 greens in the final round to beat Phil Mickelson.
Tom: Okay? Mm-hmm.
Paul: Now, Rory played in 2018 and he shot 80 in the first round, then a 70. Okay. Um, and I, so therefore part of me thinks this could be revenge cock. You know, screwed me over revenge. Okay. Okay. However, the link to South
James: Africa,
Paul: okay. Now, Rory's, south African connection is that Rory's first dog was called Theo after his childhood hero, Theodore, Ernest Els Therefore, boom, Rory. Oh, I love it. Will win that tournament.
Tom: Okay, mark
Paul: my words.
Tom: Okay. All right. My pick is Scottie Scheffler. I know, I know. It's a boring pick. Easy to pick the current world, number one, to win a major, right? But my reasoning is this. I just believe that some things are written in the stars. The final round on Sunday falls on Scotty's 30th birthday, and he's only missing that major to complete the career slam. So if he does win it, he will become the seventh player in modern history to achieve that feat. I just feel that Scheffer's gonna get it done on,
James: on that one. I feel that because of the birthday thing, it'll be the same amount of pressure on him as there was at Rory when it first went back to Royal Portrush and he just snap hooked it on the first. Again, I might be wrong. I mean, Scotty's far more blinker than anyone else, but I just feel like the the stars are aligned. Okay. If after three, six holes he's in the mix, yes, then I'll go for it. But. I think they were, I think he's gonna have too much pressure for that slab.
Tom: Yeah. But do you actually think that he will be thinking about the fact that it's a birthday? Well, I'm thinking about it. Probably been told about it, but it's just a process to him.
James: But every single day at the press conference from two weeks beforehand to the, when he steps foot on there, they'll say, where's your birthday on Sunday? Are you gonna be lifting the traffic? See, it is not like he can forget about it and I'm kind of, I dunno.
Tom: Okay. Anyway, moving on. Open Championship Royal Birkdale.
James: Yeah.
Tom: Just way I'm waiting for Paul. But anyway, the oldest major of them all, head back to Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. Famous for its towering Sand Dunes classic fair, but demanding layout. James, who are we going for? For the open at Royal Birkdale?
James: This is probably wrong. Um, and I'm gonna put money on him But anyway, I got Tommy.
Tom: Fleetwood,
James: Tommy Fleetwood. Now the reason I thought that it's just, again, maybe this is just me doing the whole emotional side of things, win your first major. It's the open get the claret jug, more validation, um, but close
Tom: to home for him,
James: close to home. And I also feel that he's turning into an all round player, and I'd just love him to get on the right side of the draw as far as the weather is concerned, when Ian Baker Finch won it there. The greens were in horrendous condition. They'd been relayed. Yeah. And they were horrendous. And he hauled, puts from all over the place. Mm-hmm. And I believe Tommy's got his putting sorted. Uh, I think he, he plays up on court as well, so he's my pick.
Tom: Okay.
James: But I dunno what his dog's name was. There you go. Unfortunately, I don't look. I'll look it up.
Tom:
and on that note,
let's move to Paul
Paul: this one is. For me, pretty straightforward. Okay. Justin Rose, he's gonna go, he's actually, I think he's probably due not just one major, but in my view. Two. Mm-hmm. Okay. So I've gone for Justin. Uh, now, as I've said before, born in Joburg. So there's my connection, tide second 20 18, 20 24. And let's not forget that in 1998, at the age of 17, he picked up the silver medal finishing fourth, shooting a final round 66, and holding. A memorable we shot. Um, he then immediately, like literally the next day, decided to turn pro and went on to miss 21 consecutive cuts. Mm-hmm. I dunno how true this is, but I have heard that at some point during that period of his missing cut era, let's call it, that he was consoled. By Nick Price and Nick Price sort of took him under his wing. And even though Nick Price was from Zimbabwe, well, actually no, he was actually born in Durban, but he played under the Zimbabwe flag.
Tom: Okay. There's a connection,
Paul: Definitely.
Tom: Okay.
Paul: There is a connection. Okay, so therefore my pick for that particular tournament, the open championship is Justin Rose. I'd also like to add that Brandon Grace shot 62. At the 2017 open on the same golf course,
Tom: Amazing
Paul: school. Another
Tom: connection, south
Paul: African.
Tom: I love it. I love it. It's brilliant. Okay. Alright. Well look, I'm gonna give you my take on the open. The only round of golf I played in 2025 was in March. I was very fortunate in that I played with Ian Baker Finch, who of course won the open championship at Royal Birkdale back in 1991.
So I did. Cheat a little bit, and I did get in touch with Finchy and just ask him who he thought the course would suit, and he wasn't much help to be honest. He actually texted me back and said, I'm going out on a limb. He said, I'm going, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Tommy Fleetwood. So I actually went against what Finchy said, and I've gone out on my own and I'm gonna go for Tyrrell Hatton.
James: I like it
Tom: and I'm going for Tyrrell because I believe that he is just a dogged competitor. Mm-hmm. Um, but he rolls the rock exceptionally well. I feel like he's got a major in him. Tyrrell. Yeah. I'd like to see him win it. I fancy. He's got a chance. No South African connection obviously, but I'm going with Tyrrell Hatton, so there we go. Sure. I would love to win it. Yeah, it'd be great. I think a lot of people, 'cause he's so real, isn't he? Yeah,
James: he is
Tom: and that's why we like him 'cause it is just so real. We love it when he is micd up and he gets a bad bounce 'cause he lets you know all about it. And I just think it just makes you chuckle because you think yeah, it's exactly what people are, are thinking but not saying.
James: And then you then hear him interviewed. And
He just comes across as A really nice person
Tom: He just hasn't forgotten where he is come from. Just loves it. He loves it. Okay. European Tour Order of Merit. I found this quite difficult to pick a winner for. James. Who have you gone for?
James: I have gone for Rory. Just 'cause he wanted to chase Colin Montgomeries eight titles. Monty talked to him, he said in his interview, Monty talked to him before that last one and said, I want you to take my record. Go for it. And I put a challenge down. Cool. If you're, if anyone's gonna take it away from me, I want it to be you. Yeah. So that's a, that's whole.
Tommy: That's very cool.
James: That's drive, isn't it? Yeah. That's, you know, that's cool. That's very cool. That's someone saying, oh, I'm just passing my man along to you. That's
Tom: Right. Paul, your turn European tour Order a merit winner, please.
Paul: There is no connection that I could find to this pick.
Tom: Okay. But
Paul: I am going our own, our very own Daniel Hillier. Oh, and the reason why I'm doing this is because I do believe that he is capable of putting together some amazing performances. I think he's a really, really good golfer and I predict that he's actually gonna win three times in 2026 on the DP World Tour, and I do believe that he will end up winning the Order of Merit. That's my pick. It's a little bit kind of. Danny Willett ish?
Tom: No, it's not. It's not because I'm gonna jump in and grab the airwaves.
Paul: Really?
Tom: I went for Dan Hillier
Paul: No,
Tom: I did. And the reason I went for Dan, right? I know
James: both of you.
Tom: The reason I've gone for Dan
James: Get the one eyed Kiwi’s
Tom: he's hurting right now because obviously he missed out by a couple on getting his US PGA tour card, but He was up there so often, especially at the back end of the season. I think he'll have learned a lot from that. I think Dan's got big things ahead of him, so I'm, I'm gonna go
James: with him. I, I do too. But if you look at this season, you look at those two big tournament, he's just played in Australia, got in contention and made mistakes, and then as a result, instead of finishing third or fourth, he finished seventh or eighth. Now, when that comes down to money for the end of the year stuff, you know, you drop a hundred grand whilst you still win 150 or whatever, but it's. You need when you get that chance to get a top five, you've gotta take it 10. I know this sounds awful. 10th isn't good enough if you wanna win the order of merit. So if he doesn't win those three events, or unless he plays really well in the majors and I'm sure, I'm not sure. I know he's in some of them.
Tom: Yeah,
James: sure. If he's in all of them.
Tom: Yeah.
James: So he'll get some points from there. But again, he, 'cause he is not on the PGA tour, the two co sanctioned events, will he be able to get onto those? Mm-hmm He might through his DP roles. So is he gonna play all of the events? So I think he's won for the future. He's got a great game. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Solid looking swing everything about him. But I think 2026 might be too early,
Tom: Although,
James: Well, coming down
Tom: The Got
James: stretch.
Tom: Yeah. Coming down the stretch. But you've gotta be in thoses
James: Rory.
Tom: Yeah. But you gotta be in those positions to make those mistakes and learn from them. So, I'm with you Paul. I'm gonna go Dan, but anyway, we shall see. Let's jump on to FedEx Cup.
James: Yeah.
Tom: James,
James: how boring.
Paul: Oh, not again.
James: I have to though. Seriously, because it, he's relentless. It's Scottie Scheffler. I know. It's boring.
Tom: Yeah,
James: Yeah. Hold on. If you're driving now, don't fall asleep.
Tom: This isn't gonna be boring though, is it? It's as
James: Fast
Tom: Forward. Let's find out the South African connection. The winner FedEx go.
Paul: There is one.
Tom: Paul.
Paul: There is one. There is one. Okay, so my pick. Aaron Rai, great player and I think he's got a lot to give and I do think that there is possibly a major, I didn't go for a major, but I do think that he's that quality player that could produce those four consistent rounds that will end up, yeah, giving him a tournament of note. Now, if you're looking for a loose connection to South Africa, Aaron Rai’s. Mum was born in Kenya. Same continent
James:, they're not exactly close though
Paul: No, but they're, that's a loose connection. Okay. Okay. Alright. So that's my, alright,
Tom: well, unsurprisingly, I'm also going for Scottie Scheffler. Like James said, he's relentless. His level of consistency is so high that unless he picks up an injury, he's gonna be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.
Paul: So
Tom: Scotty Scheffler, FedEx Cup champion, in my opinion. So that's our 2026 predictions locked in. There's no getting away from it. It's been recorded. It's gonna be fun to look back at it for the people listening. Don't go with what we've said because honestly, the bookies have done very nicely out of me and James. Not so much outta Paul, but yeah, be interested to know what the listeners picks are. But that's us. That's done. Well done boys. Thanks a lot.
James: Awesome. Good job.
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