Golfers most likely to win multiple majors in 2026: top five picks

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• How often do players win multiple majors today? A quick look at the trend since 2000
• Rory McIlroy — Can the Masters winner go back-to-back at the majors?
  • Why he’s a top pick for a two-major year
  • Course fit and recent form
  • What could derail him
• Scottie Scheffler — Late-round heroics and momentum for a second major
  • Strengths that matter in major weeks
  • How he could secure a second major in 2026
  • Potential hurdles
• Collin Morikawa — Returns, resilience and the case for a comeback season
  • Why he remains a dark-horse for two majors
  • Health questions and improvements
  • What needs to happen
• Viktor Hovland — The consistent contender who could flip into multiple wins
  • Why his profile screams future major champion
  • Course-specific notes and momentum
  • Barriers to a two-major campaign
• Cameron Young — Rapid rise, big-stage experience and why he’s a dark horse
  • How Young built momentum
  • Major pedigree and temperament
  • Limits and what he must improve

Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele have shown how quickly a season can flip from chase to celebration. Claiming one major is the career-defining moment; collecting two in the same year moves a player into an exclusive stratosphere. As attention turns toward 2026, bettors, fans and pundits are already sizing up who has the combination of form, temperament and course fit to haul in multiple majors.

Below I break down the recent pattern for multiple-major seasons and profile five players who look most likely to pull off a two-major campaign next year — examining strengths, potential roadblocks and how each fits the remaining major venues on the calendar.

How often do players win multiple majors today? A quick look at the trend since 2000

Winning multiple majors in one season is unusual but far from unprecedented. Since 2000, elite performers have stitched together seasons with two or more major victories, and Tiger Woods remains the outlier with a three-major sweep and an overlapping four-major run.

• Tiger Woods — the only player to win three majors in a single calendar year (2000) and the architect of the “Tiger Slam” when he held four consecutive majors across seasons.
• Other two-major seasons since 2000 came from players including Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, and more recently Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler.
• What that history shows is consistency at the highest level matters more than streaks of brilliance — and course fit and timing play huge roles.

Rory McIlroy — Can the Masters winner go back-to-back at the majors?

Why he’s a top pick for a two-major year

• Rory’s blend of length and ball-striking gives him a major-course engine that translates well across different setups.
• He’s already proven he can close when it matters, and a recent major win puts extra confidence into his season.

Course fit and recent form

Royal Birkdale’s links test rewards precise ball-striking and a calm head in shifting winds — two areas where McIlroy has historically excelled. His strong final rounds under pressure suggest he can handle the week-to-week swing that winning multiple majors requires.

What could derail him

• Weather and course set-up at links events are equalizers; one bad week can ruin a major bid.
• The last time a Masters champion followed with a second major in the same season was Jordan Spieth in 2015, highlighting how difficult the feat remains.

Scottie Scheffler — Late-round heroics and momentum for a second major

Strengths that matter in major weeks

• Clutch closing ability: Scheffler’s tendency to peak in the back nine gives him a clear advantage in events where Sunday charges decide the outcome.
• Course management and mental toughness that show up when leaderboards tighten.

How he could secure a second major in 2026

Scheffler has been able to turn average opening rounds into winning weeks by turning up the heat in rounds three and four at venues like Phoenix and Pebble Beach. With three majors still ahead before the Open, a late-season surge could put him in position to capture a second trophy by mid-summer.

Potential hurdles

• Repeating late-round electricity across multiple major weeks is demanding — both physically and mentally.
• Depth of field and course-specific variables (greens, rough, weather) might blunt his preferred strengths.

Collin Morikawa — Returns, resilience and the case for a comeback season

Why he remains a dark-horse for two majors

• Morikawa’s hallmark is elite iron play and strokes gained: approach, which is priceless on major courses that reward positioning into greens.
• When healthy and rolling with confidence, he has a game that composes with the majors’ toughest demands.

Health questions and improvements

Concerns about a back issue and a title drought since 2021 temper the outlook, but recent events show his swing can hold up under pressure — a top-10 finish at a major while managing discomfort demonstrates that mechanical soundness and mental grit are still in place.

What needs to happen

• Continued progress with the putter; better short-game scoring would convert more opportunities into top-tier major finishes.
• Staying healthy across a long season — durability will be a deciding factor.

Viktor Hovland — The consistent contender who could flip into multiple wins

Why his profile screams future major champion

• Hovland has registered top-10s across all four majors in recent seasons, signaling a high floor at golf’s biggest events.
• His ball-striking and adaptability to different setups make him a serious threat wherever the majors land.

Course-specific notes and momentum

Over the past several seasons Hovland has posted top-four or better finishes in the three majors that remain on the schedule, and his ability to handle challenging U.S. Open rough (a third-place showing last year) suggests he’s not easily fazed by penal conditions.

Barriers to a two-major campaign

• He still needs to break through for that first major win — once that barrier falls his trajectory could accelerate.
• Recent form swings, such as a T18 at a recent Masters after strong lead-up play, show how quickly odds can shift.

Cameron Young — Rapid rise, big-stage experience and why he’s a dark horse

How Young built momentum

Young’s breakthrough came with his first PGA Tour win last year and he followed by helping the U.S. at the Ryder Cup. This season he added a marquee victory at The Players, and his world ranking climbed rapidly as he began to convert talent into results.

Major pedigree and temperament

• Since 2022 Young has compiled top-10 finishes across all four majors, showing he thrives on the biggest stages.
• He’s shown he can produce low rounds at the right time, including a 7-under 65 that put pressure on the leaders at the Masters.

Limits and what he must improve

Young has been known to fade late in final rounds; turning near-wins into wins consistently is the next step if he hopes to join the season double club.

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