​The men’s major season finally reaches its climax this week with the Open Championship hosted at Royal Birkdale. The big-event campaign began in earnest when Cameron Young claimed a landmark victory at The Players Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass this past March. Following that, Rory McIlroy kicked off the official major stretch by earning his second straight green jacket at the Masters Tournament at Augusta National.
A surprising twist then emerged as Aaron Rai captured the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Wyndham Clark added another major title to his résumé by securing a commanding wire-to-wire victory at Shinnecock Hills in the U.S. Open. With the Open Championship and the rest of the season’s majors and prestigious events on the horizon, golf fans are left wondering who will close out the year as the final major champion.
Here’s a comprehensive look at the marquee events on the men’s schedule for 2026, along with the winners and the defending champions. (Click the link for the full 2026 PGA Tour schedule.)
– March 12-15: The Players Championship, TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida — Cameron Young
– April 9-12: Masters Tournament, Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia — Rory McIlroy
– May 14-17: PGA Championship, Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania — Aaron Rai
– June 18-21: U.S. Open, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, New York — Wyndham Clark
– July 16-19: The Open Championship, Royal Birkdale, Southport, England — Scottie Scheffler (Defending Champion)
– August 20-23: Tour Championship, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia — Tommy Fleetwood (Defending Champion)
– September 24-27: Presidents Cup, Medinah Country Club, Medinah, Illinois — United States (Defending Team)
As the landscape shifts toward the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, the global golf audience anticipates how the rest of 2026 will unfold. With each major and key tour event, players seek to carve their names into history and claim the year’s most coveted trophies. Stay tuned as the campaign unfolds and the chase for majors intensifies, culminating in the final major champion of the season.