As we look ahead at the 2026 season, here’s a look at 10 golfers who we predict will get their first PGA Tour victory.
It was a good year for first-time winners on the PGA Tour.
Of the 46 official PGA Tour events, 17 were won by players picking up their first win on the Tour. Some , like Tommy Fleetwood, were accomplished winners across the world. Others, like Ben Griffin, won and then continued to win again and again.
As we look ahead at the 2026 season, here’s a look at 10 golfers who we predict will get their first PGA Tour victories. Players are listed in alphabetical order:
If you want to look back at who we predicted to get their first win in 2025 (we went 4/10), click here.
Chandler Blanchet
Blanchet won the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, one of two KFT victories for him in 2025. He's a name PGA Tour fans should familiarize themselves with.
Luke Clanton
Clanton's best finish after turning pro was T-29. He missed three of his final six cuts of the year, but the talent and ability is still there for the former Florida State standout. He'll hoist a trophy in due time.
Max Greyserman
Greyserman is 31st in the world rankings and has five runner-up finishes in 55 starts on Tour. He lost in a playoff this year to Aldrich Potgieter, another first-time winner, in Detroit. Perhaps he finally breaks through in 2026.
Nicolai Hojgaard
In each of his first two seasons on the PGA Tour, Nicolai has a pair of runner-up finishes but hasn't crossed the finish line quite yet. Perhaps he and his brother (spoiler alert) can have a competition for first win.
Rasmus Hojgaard
Rasmus, who has five international victories, joined the Tour last year and earned his best finish alongside his brother at the Zurich Classic. He also finished T-3 at the Sanderson Farms in the fall and was on his first Ryder Cup team.
Marco Penge
If we were rankings these 10 players, Penge would be No. 1. He finished second in the Race to Dubai rankings behind Rory McIlroy. He absolutely mashes the golf ball. He earned his card and could have a stellar debut on Tour if his form continues.
Kristoffer Reitan
Another player who earned his card via the Race to Dubai, he won the Nedbank Golf Challenge earlier this month and is another European who could make big waves in the United States.
Neal Shipley
It's gotta be the hair, Cotton. Feathered and lethal. Neal Shipley rose to popularity when he finished runner-up in the 2023 U.S. Amateur. Then he was low am at the 2024 Masters and U.S. Open. Now, he has his PGA Tour card. Another win coming soon?
Sam Stevens
Stevens played 31 events in 2025 and made all but six cuts. He tallied a pair of runner-up finishes and four top 10s. His consistency is going to pay off soon.
Michael Thorbjornsen
Five top-10 finishes and one runner-up in 2025 for Thorbjornsen, who's becoming a fixture on the first page of leaderboards. Another player who is trending for that first career win.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Predicting 10 first-time winners in 2026 on the PGA Tour
Category: General Sports
