Four majors, four different winners, and none of them was the world No. 1. The 2026 men’s majors gave us a historic repeat at Augusta, a first-time champion from England, a wire-to-wire U.S. Open and a 39-year-old who birdied the last hole to win the Claret Jug. Here’s every winner, what made each win stand out, and what it tells you about the year ahead.
The short version
- Masters: Rory McIlroy, −12, back-to-back.
- PGA Championship: Aaron Rai, −9 at Aronimink, his first major.
- U.S. Open: Wyndham Clark, −4 at Shinnecock Hills, wire to wire.
- The Open: Ryan Fox, −10 at Royal Birkdale, birdie on the 72nd hole.
- Scottie Scheffler won none, but finished second, T4 and top five in three of them.
| Major | Winner | Score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters (Augusta National) | Rory McIlroy | 276 (−12) | 1 | Scottie Scheffler |
| PGA Championship (Aronimink) | Aaron Rai | 271 (−9) | 3 | Jon Rahm, Alex Smalley |
| U.S. Open (Shinnecock Hills) | Wyndham Clark | 276 (−4) | 1 | Sam Burns |
| The Open (Royal Birkdale) | Ryan Fox | 270 (−10) | 1 | Cameron Young |
The Masters: McIlroy Does It Again
A year after finally completing the career Grand Slam, McIlroy defended his green jacket by a shot over Scheffler. Repeat Masters winners are rare: he joined Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as the only players to do it. Four players (Tyrrell Hatton, Russell Henley, Justin Rose and Cameron Young) tied for third at −10, two back. McIlroy is now No. 2 in the world ranking behind Scheffler.
The PGA Championship: Aaron Rai’s Breakthrough
Aronimink produced the most crowded leaderboard of the year: 22 players started Sunday within four shots of the lead, the most at any major since the 2001 Open. Rai separated himself late, holing a 68-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th, and won by three. He’s the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship since Jim Barnes in 1919. Rahm, the LIV points champion, tied for second with Alex Smalley, and Ludvig Åberg was fourth.
The U.S. Open: Clark Holds On
Wyndham Clark led after every round at Shinnecock, the first wire-to-wire U.S. Open winner since Martin Kaymer in 2014. It wasn’t smooth. He started Sunday six shots clear, shot 73, and won by one when Sam Burns closed with a 67. It’s Clark’s second U.S. Open (2023) and he’s since added a FedEx Cup playoff win at the BMW Championship, which is why he’s up to No. 5 in the world.
The Open: Ryan Fox’s Finish
At the halfway point Fox was level par and barely inside the cut line. He finished at −10 after a huge weekend, then stood on the 18th tee tied with Cameron Young, split the fairway, hit his approach to about 12 feet and made the putt. It’s the 39-year-old New Zealander’s first major. Fox’s win also helps his Race to Dubai position on the DP World Tour. Here’s where that race stands.
Scheffler finished second, T4 and top five in three majors and won none. That says more about how deep the top of the game is than about Scheffler.
What the 2026 Majors Tell Us
- The top is crowded. Four majors, four different winners, and two of them (Rai and Fox) were first-time major champions.
- Cameron Young and Sam Burns knocked on the door. Young was T3 at Augusta and second at Birkdale; Burns was second at Shinnecock and third at Birkdale. Both are top 10 in the world now.
- Experience still wins. Rai and Fox are not young phenoms. Both are veteran tour players who had been building for years.
- LIV’s best are still major threats. Rahm’s T2 at Aronimink came in the middle of LIV’s worst year. Here’s what’s happening with LIV.
The Women’s Majors
| Major | Winner |
|---|---|
| Chevron Championship | Nelly Korda |
| U.S. Women’s Open | Nelly Korda |
| KPMG Women’s PGA | Ryu Hae-ran |
| Amundi Evian Championship | Ryu Hae-ran |
| AIG Women’s Open | Shiho Kuwaki |
Korda and Ryu split four of the five, two each. Our LPGA season breakdown covers both of their years.
Who won the 2026 Masters?
Rory McIlroy, at 12 under par, one shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler. It was his second straight Masters title.
Who won the 2026 British Open?
Ryan Fox of New Zealand won the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale at 10 under par, one ahead of Cameron Young, with a birdie on the final hole.
Did Scottie Scheffler win a major in 2026?
No. He was second at the Masters, tied for fourth at the U.S. Open and finished in the top five at The Open, but he did win the FedEx Cup for the second time.
Sources
Divot Depot Tour News
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