In the high-stakes world of professional golf, the future often feels tantalizingly unpredictable. Yet, if you consult the cold, hard numbers from the betting markets, a clearer picture emerges. As the sport looks ahead to the next cycle of major championships – The Open Championship, the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the U.S. Open – two names consistently sit atop the probability charts: Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.
Scheffler, currently halfway towards completing a career Grand Slam with multiple Masters titles and a PGA Championship already secured, is the bookmakers` consensus favorite for each of the upcoming four majors. McIlroy, on the other hand, is positioned as the solid second choice, having recently achieved his own career Grand Slam milestone with a win at the Masters (as per the stated timeline). Beyond this dominant duo, only Bryson DeChambeau manages to break the 10-to-1 odds barrier for any of these prestigious events, highlighting a perceived gulf between the top contenders and the rest of the field.
Upcoming Major Venues and Dates
Understanding the specific courses and dates provides context for these future predictions:
The 2025 Open Championship
Scheduled for July 17-20, golf`s oldest major returns to the links of Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. The anticipation is palpable for a return to the course where Shane Lowry delivered a memorable victory in 2019, the last time The Open was contested on this challenging layout. Xander Schauffele is the reigning champion of The Open, having claimed the Claret Jug at Royal Troon in 2024.
The 2026 Masters
Tradition dictates that the Masters is always played at Augusta National Club in Georgia. The next edition will take place from April 9-12. This follows the year where, according to the source data, Rory McIlroy secured his first Green Jacket, completing his career Grand Slam.
The 2026 PGA Championship
The Wanamaker Trophy will be on the line from May 14-17, 2026, at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. This historic course, dating back 129 years, will host the PGA Championship for only the second time, the first being in 1962 when it was won by the legendary Gary Player. Scottie Scheffler is expected to arrive as the defending champion, having won the 2025 edition.
The 2026 U.S. Open
The national championship heads to the iconic Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. Shinnecock Hills last hosted the U.S. Open in 2018, a tournament famously won by Brooks Koepka as part of his back-to-back victories in the event. J.J. Spaun is noted as the winner of the 2025 U.S. Open held at Oakhurst and enters 2026 with longer odds to repeat.
Market Confidence: The Futures Odds
Here is a look at the futures odds for selected players across the next four major championships, reflecting the current market sentiment:
| Golfer | The Open (2025) | Masters (2026) | PGA Champ. (2026) | U.S. Open (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +475 | +500 | +450 | +400 |
| Rory McIlroy | +500 | +600 | +550 | +750 |
| Bryson DeChambeau | 12-1 | 12-1 | +900 | +800 |
| Jon Rahm | 12-1 | 14-1 | 14-1 | 12-1 |
| Xander Schauffele | 16-1 | 14-1 | 20-1 | 20-1 |
| Ludvig Åberg | 16-1 | 14-1 | 22-1 | 20-1 |
| Collin Morikawa | 16-1 | 14-1 | 22-1 | 25-1 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | 18-1 | 33-1 | 33-1 | 40-1 |
| Viktor Hovland | 22-1 | 28-1 | 33-1 | 28-1 |
| Shane Lowry | 22-1 | 40-1 | 50-1 | 40-1 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | 25-1 | 50-1 | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Robert MacIntyre | 25-1 | 50-1 | 100-1 | 50-1 |
| Brooks Koepka | 33-1 | 28-1 | 40-1 | 40-1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 33-1 | 33-1 | 40-1 | 40-1 |
| Patrick Cantlay | 35-1 | 33-1 | 33-1 | 40-1 |
| Russell Henley | 35-1 | 66-1 | 66-1 | 50-1 |
| Justin Thomas | 40-1 | 20-1 | 18-1 | 30-1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 40-1 | 33-1 | 40-1 | 50-1 |
| Cameron Smith | 40-1 | 50-1 | 66-1 | 100-1 |
| Justin Rose | 40-1 | 50-1 | 100-1 | 100-1 |
| Tony Finau | 40-1 | 66-1 | 66-1 | 70-1 |
| Tom Kim | 40-1 | 100-1 | 100-1 | — |
| Aaron Rai | 40-1 | 125-1 | 100-1 | 110-1 |
| Joaquín Niemann | 50-1 | 33-1 | 33-1 | 40-1 |
| Sahith Theegala | 50-1 | 80-1 | 100-1 | 100-1 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | 50-1 | 100-1 | 80-1 | 100-1 |
| Min Woo Lee | 66-1 | 50-1 | 80-1 | 70-1 |
| Sungjae Im | 66-1 | 66-1 | 66-1 | 100-1 |
| Dustin Johnson | 66-1 | 100-1 | 100-1 | 110-1 |
| Adam Scott | 66-1 | 100-1 | 125-1 | 70-1 |
| Daniel Berger | 66-1 | 125-1 | 60-1 | 100-1 |
| Sam Burns | 66-1 | 125-1 | 80-1 | 50-1 |
| Cameron Young | 66-1 | 125-1 | 80-1 | 70-1 |
| Sepp Straka | 70-1 | 66-1 | 50-1 | 40-1 |
| Corey Conners | 80-1 | 50-1 | 50-1 | 55-1 |
| Jason Day | 80-1 | 50-1 | 66-1 | 70-1 |
| Akshay Bhatia | 80-1 | 60-1 | 100-1 | 110-1 |
| Wyndham Clark | 80-1 | 80-1 | 80-1 | 100-1 |
| Max Homa | 80-1 | 80-1 | 80-1 | 110-1 |
| Keegan Bradley | 80-1 | 100-1 | 100-1 | 100-1 |
| Billy Horschel | 80-1 | 125-1 | — | — |
| Brian Harman | 80-1 | 150-1 | 100-1 | 175-1 |
| Ryan Fox | 80-1 | — | 150-1 | 100-1 |
| Alex Noren | 80-1 | — | — | 100-1 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | 80-1 | — | — | — |
| Will Zalatoris | 100-1 | 50-1 | 80-1 | 70-1 |
| Sergio Garcia | 100-1 | 80-1 | 150-1 | — |
| Byeong Hun An | 100-1 | 150-1 | 150-1 | 175-1 |
| Nicolai Højgaard | 100-1 | 150-1 | 200-1 | — |
| Si Woo Kim | 100-1 | — | 80-1 | 110-1 |
| Davis Thompson | 110-1 | 100-1 | 125-1 | — |
| Harris English | 125-1 | 150-1 | 100-1 | 100-1 |
| Rasmus Højgaard | 125-1 | 150-1 | 150-1 | 150-1 |
| Rickie Fowler | 125-1 | — | 150-1 | 110-1 |
| Dean Burmester | 125-1 | — | 150-1 | — |
| Nico Echavarria | 125-1 | — | — | — |
| Christiaan Bezuidenhout | 125-1 | — | — | — |
| Thriston Lawrence | 125-1 | — | — | — |
| Tom McKibbin | 150-1 | — | — | 200-1 |
| Matthieu Pavon | 150-1 | — | — | — |
| Victor Perez | 150-1 | — | — | — |
| Abraham Ancer | 150-1 | — | — | — |
| Maverick McNealy | 175-1 | 125-1 | 80-1 | 70-1 |
| Denny McCarthy | 200-1 | 150-1 | 100-1 | 150-1 |
| Tiger Woods | 200-1 | — | 200-1 | — |
| Tom Hoge | 200-1 | — | — | 200-1 |
| Matt Wallace | 200-1 | — | — | — |
| Matthew Jordan | 200-1 | — | — | — |
| Matteo Manassero | 200-1 | — | — | — |
| Thorbjørn Olesen | 250-1 | — | 200-1 | — |
While the numbers clearly favor Scheffler and McIlroy as the most likely contenders for future major titles, golf, bless its unpredictable heart, rarely follows the script perfectly. The challenges posed by historic courses like Royal Portrush, Augusta National, Aronimink, and Shinnecock Hills, coupled with the immense pressure of major championship Sundays, mean that any player on this list – or perhaps someone not even mentioned – could potentially rise to the occasion. The next four majors promise plenty of drama, regardless of what the betting sheets might suggest today.
