Gemini Correctly Predicted McIlroy's Masters Victory... So I Asked It Who Would Win In 2026

The scope of AI has grown exponentially in recent years, but one of the more useful functions I have found is asking it to predict a winner at golf's Major tournaments.

I want to caveat this by saying that I didn't use AI at all to assist in creating my Masters betting tips, or my predictions at any other golf tournament, but I do like to test out the engine to see what it comes up with after I've cemented my picks for the men's Majors.

For a bit of fun, I asked AI to predict the winner of the Masters in 2025 and it correctly selected Rory McIlroy to take the Green Jacket and complete the Career Grand Slam - highlighting its ability to make a reasonably well-thought out prediction.

I also asked AI to predict the winner of the Open Championship in the most recent of the four men's majors, but after handicapping it (by saying it couldn't pick eventual winner Scottie Scheffler) it still managed to find a top-10 finish with Robert MacIntyre.

In the fast evolving AI-world we live in, I wanted to give Google Gemini yet another chance to showcase its impressive ability to analyse the various measures that go into predicting the outcome of a golf tournament.

So, with access to an incredibly vast pool of digital information, I asked AI to perform a thorough analysis of everything it knows about the Masters and give me one name that will take home the Green Jacket...

I Asked AI To Predict The Winner Of The Masters 2026

It's worth pointing out that, like any AI search, my query needed some refinement.

I wanted to impress on Google Gemini that I wanted the analysis to be thorough, looking at all possible angles and utilising all the information it had at its disposal to find a well-researched, well-reasoned prediction for who would win the Masters.

Interestingly, when the time came to get Gemini's final response, I didn't disagree with the rationale.

The selection for the 2026 edition of the Masters was none other than Players Championship winner Cameron Young. According to the AI engine, there is plenty to like about his chances.

"Given the events of the 2026 spring (PGA Tour) season, the most logical and statistically backed winner for this year's Masters is Cameron Young.

"Young arrives at Augusta as the 2026 Players Champion. He won at TPC Sawgrass in March with a clinical performance (-13), proving he can navigate a high-stress, positional golf course under the most intense pressure in the game.

"He has been a bridesmaid in Majors before. The narrative 'vibe' is that he has finally learned how to close, as evidenced by his dominant win at The Players.

"Young’s demeanor has shifted from frustrated to focused, carrying the same 'silent threat' vibe that Dustin Johnson had before his 2020 victory."

Cameron Young winning the Masters would continue a very interesting trend that has developed over the past two seasons.

Both Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler won the Players Championship directly before donning the Green Jacket at the Masters a few weeks later, so that's a big tick in his box.

Young also models particularly well from a statistical standpoint, with no real weak areas in his game.

His ability to hit tee shots with a great blend of distance and accuracy, play approach shots well from outside 175 yards and scramble effectively make him a very strong contender.

With two top-10s at Augusta National Golf Club already in his four starts, there really is a lot to like about his chances and I think AI might just have produced another great tip for this year's Masters Tournament.