Brooks back on tour? Phil returns to Shinnecock? Our serious (and not-so-serious) predictions for 2026

We're already six days into 2026 but still nine days away from the beginning of the 2026 PGA Tour season, which is painful to type. The idea that there will be no opening round at Kapalua on our televisions Thursday evening is still difficult to wrap our heads around.

Alas, it's given us extra time to prognosticate on what might happen in the new year. As the golf landscape continues to change by the day, there is plenty left to the imagination.

That's why we dedicated our first episode of The Loop podcast in 2026 to predicting the future, in both a serious and not-so-serious manner. And now, you can literally bet on some of these very-absurd-but-not-out-of-the-realm-of-possibility outcomes thanks to prediction markets. What a country, am I right? 

So, please, have a listen to our full episode below, in which myself, Alex Myers and Stephen Hennessey each give three serious and three much less serious predictions for the year, as well as our picks for the four major championships. And like and subscribe to The Loop wherever you get your podcasts.