Which PGA Tour Player Had The Lowest Handicap In 2026?

Matt Fitzpatrick, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy — Scheffler vs McIlroy vs Fitzpatrick: Who would have finished 2026 with the lowest Handicap Index?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Nothing quite makes you appreciate just how good the best players in the world are like putting every round into a spreadsheet.

Professional tour players rarely need to keep track of their handicaps anymore, unlike everyday golfers striving to reach single digits or achieve scratch status.

However, we thought it would be interesting to see which of these three players, who won six individual tournaments between them last season on the PGA Tour, would have finished 2026 with the lowest handicap index.

Call it the official (maybe unofficial, as we haven't run the numbers on everyone) ‘Golf Monthly Low Handicap Of The Year Award’.

First, some housekeeping. To do this analysis, we gathered every scorecard for these three golfers across all individual PGA Tour events, from The American Express in January 2026 to the Tour Championship in August 2026.

We excluded non-co-sanctioned events, including scores from DP World Tour tournaments, and we did not include the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which is played in a team format.

We've also been unable to use the scores from The Masters, as Augusta National Golf Club does not have a course rating and Slope rating in the World Handicap System.

So, drumroll please… who ended the year with the lowest Handicap Index?

McIlroy &amp; Scheffler shaking hands — Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August

Was it World No.1 Scottie Scheffler, who, despite not winning a Major Championship, still added three more victories to his CV and claimed his second FedExCup title?

Scheffler also won over $63 million in prize money.

Could it be Rory McIlroy? The Northern Irishman, of course, made a triumphant return to glory at Augusta - although, as mentioned, none of the scores from Augusta National have been included.

Although he didn't capture any further victories, he delivered a consistent run across his 14 appearances, recording six top-10 finishes and making every cut - with his only early departure being a withdrawal following two rounds at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Matt Fitzpatrick with the RBC Heritage trophy in April

Or was it Matt Fitzpatrick? The Englishman rediscovered his best form this year. In fact, you could say he’s gone up a level.

He registered three victories, although we've taken out his Zurich Classic of New Orleans with his brother, Alex, because we can’t have that third-round 57 messing with the stats. Sorry, Matt.

We’ve paid close attention to where every round has taken place, with several tournaments being played on different courses, such as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

In other words, course rating and slope have been taken into account.

Before we reveal the results, a big thank you to the USGA for running the numbers - this would not have been possible without your expert statisticians.

If you live in the US and don’t have a Handicap Index, visit getahandicap.usga.org to learn more.

Right, in reverse order…

Matt Fitzpatrick +8.0

Matt Fitzpatrick East Lake swinging his driver — Fitzpatrick in action at the season-ending Tour Championship

Fitzpatrick's golf has been scintillating at times this year.

A three-time winner on the PGA Tour, including that victory alongside his brother Alex in Louisiana in April, he also won the French Open in September on the DP World Tour (as mentioned, we've not counted that one here).

His first 20 rounds of the year would have given him a handicap of 6.9. His last 20, which included a low round of 64 at TPC River Highlands and a high round of 73 at East Lake, would have seen him finish his campaign at +8.0.

Not bad.

Rory McIlroy +8.7

Rory McIlroy in action at the 2026 BMW PGA Championship. — Rory McIlroy recorded six top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour in 2026

McIlroy's sole victory on the PGA Tour came at Augusta National, although, as mentioned, these scores are not reflected in the six-time Major winner's Handicap Index.

Even so, +8.7 is more than impressive. His low round of the year came at East Lake, a 63 at the Tour Championship in the third round.

His worst round of the PGA Tour season came at Quail Hollow (75), a course where he's actually enjoyed great success in the past.

Scottie Scheffler +9.2

Scottie Scheffler wins the American Express and holds the trophy — Scottie Scheffler got off to a winning start at The American Express

Scheffler's pals are entitled to insist the World No.1 plays off +9.2 in 'friendly' matches.

We've long since run out of superlatives for the player who looks destined to finish his career with Tiger-like figures.

The one honor Tiger never received, though, was the ‘Golf Monthly Low Handicap Of The Year Award’.

Well done, Scottie, your certificate is in the post.

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Michael has been with Golf Monthly since 2008. A multimedia journalist, he has also worked for The Football Association, where he created content to support the England football team, The FA Cup, London 2012, Wembley Stadium, and the FA Women's Super League. As content editor at Foremost Golf, Michael worked closely with golf's biggest brands and has developed an in-depth knowledge of the equipment side of the industry. He's a regular contributor, covering equipment, travel, instruction, and feature content. Michael has interviewed many of the game's biggest stars and has attended and reported on numerous Major Championships and Ryder Cups around the world. A single figure golfer (just), he's a member of Formby Golf Club in Merseyside, one of the 35 Top 100 courses he’s ticked off to date.