Which Big Names Will Be Disappointed With Their 2026 Major Seasons?

Bryson DeChambeau waves to the fans after his second round at the 2026 Open. — (Image credit: Getty Images)

And just like that, the men’s Major season is over. It does not feel like all that long ago that excitement was at fever pitch for the Masters and now here we are, staring down the barrel of an eight-and-a-half month wait for the next Green Jacket showdown.

As ever, the four showpiece events in the men’s game provided plenty of drama. Rory McIlroy successfully defended his Masters crown in April, beating World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by a shot.

England’s Aaron Rai then produced a back-nine masterclass to claim a surprise PGA Championship victory at Aronimink.

The US Open gave us another repeat winner in Wyndham Clark, who just about held off Sam Burns to win his national title for a second time.

And then The Open at Royal Birkdale brought the curtain down in style, as Ryan Fox birdied the 72nd hole to lift the Claret Jug and earn the title of Champion Golfer of the Year.

But for all the success stories, there will be several players left disappointed by their efforts in the game’s four showpiece events. We run through some of them here.

Scottie Scheffler

Masters: 2nd
PGA: T14th
US Open: T4th
The Open: T4th

First up, Scheffler. Across the four Majors accumulatively, nobody bettered the American’s 20-under total, once again highlighting his incredible consistency. In only one of the Majors in 2026 – the PGA Championship – did he finish outside the top five and even then, he still recorded a T14.

But the bar is set far higher for Scheffler than any other player, save maybe McIlroy, so when he goes a season without a Major win, that should be classed as a disappointment.

Bryson DeChambeau

Masters: MC
PGA: MC
US Open: MC
The Open: T14

Box-office Bryson DeChambeau struggled in the 2026 Majors. He missed the cut at the first three, meaning the pressure was on at Birkdale to avoid the unwanted clean sweep.

Despite supposedly having “zero clue” about links strategy according to Sir Nick Faldo, the American performed well and, but for a two-stroke penalty late on Friday, would have been in the final group on Saturday. He bounced back to give himself a chance going into Sunday, but a two-over 72 to close left him in a tie for 14th.

An improvement, then, but still a fairly dismal Major season.

Matt Fitzpatrick

Masters: T18
PGA: T14
US Open: 22
The Open: MC

After a tough 2025, Matt Fitzpatrick has returned to form in a big way in 2026. With a new coach in Mark Blackburn and a new shot shape, the former US Open winner has appeared better than ever this year.

Now the World No. 4 and with two PGA Tour wins under his belt this year, as well as four more top-five finishes, much was expected of him in the Majors. A best finish of T14 at the PGA Championship can be considered a poor return, then, considering his remarkable form.

Hopes were particularly high for him at The Open, where he started as one of the favorites, but he struggled to a disappointing missed cut.

Jon Rahm

Masters: T38
PGA: T2
US Open: MC
The Open: T46

Alongside Scheffler and McIlroy, Jon Rahm was once considered the third member of the game’s elite trio. The three players that stood head and shoulders above the rest. But since his move to LIV Golf at the end of 2023, the Spaniard has failed to add to his Major tally.

After a T38 at Augusta National, he finished in a tie for second at the PGA Championship this year, his best Major finish since the 2023 Open. Something to perhaps build on, but he followed that by missing the cut at the US Open and then playing the weekend in four-over at Birkdale to go from in the hunt to finishing 10 back in a tie for 46th.

Jordan Spieth

Masters: T12
PGA: T18
US Open: T56
The Open: MC

A return to his best has arguably never looked further away for Jordan Spieth after a Major season that got progressively worse. A T12 at Augusta sparked some hope but that was the best of a pretty bad bunch.

It all came to a horrifying crescendo at the scene of his last Major triumph. It was hoped that memories of Birkdale in 2017 might revive Spieth, but what transpired only highlighted how far he has fallen.

Despite insisting in the build-up to the final Major of 2026 that he was playing better golf than his results suggested, rounds of 73 and 77 saw him miss the cut by nine shots and beat just five players over the first two days.

Sam Burns

Masters: T7
PGA: T26
US Open: 2
The Open: 3

On the face of it, the American enjoyed a strong run in the four Majors. So much so, in fact, that he matched Scheffler’s 20-under accumulative total. But when you look closer, it could be argued he should have taken one of his chances.

Burns started the final round at the Masters a shot behind leaders McIlroy and Cameron Young before faltering. He then finished a shot back of Clark at the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, his putt at the final hole agonizingly burning the edge of the cup without dropping.

And he then led through three rounds at The Open before failing to deliver with the Claret Jug there to be won. An early birdie on Sunday extended his advantage but that was soon followed by three consecutive bogeys and a run of 12 straight pars to close in a two-over round of 72 that left him two shots short of the winning number.

Viktor Hovland

Masters: T18
PGA: MC
US Open: MC
The Open: MC

After his latest spell of tinkering, Viktor Hovland does feel closer to becoming the player he once was. The Travelers Championship victory last month was proof of that. But he has endured a wretched run in the Majors.

A T18 at the Masters offered some positivity, but that would be the only time Hovland would make the cut in a Major in 2026. Let’s hope the Norwegian can figure things out for 2027 as the game is far better when he’s a contender.

Justin Thomas

Masters: T41
PGA: T4
US Open: T17
The Open: T65

Justin Thomas has become a bit of a non-factor in Majors. He has two of them to his name and is a former World No. 1 but he does not seem to carry the same sort of threat as he once did.

He has missed seven of the last 16 cuts in Majors and has recorded just two top-10 finishes since his 2022 PGA Championship triumph. One of them came at this year’s PGA, but that result was accompanied by a T41, a T17 and a T65 at the Masters, US Open and Open respectively.

Shane Lowry

Masters: T30
PGA: T44
US Open: MC
The Open: T28

Making the 2026 Majors more disappointing for Shane Lowry was the fact he had a couple of chances to record stronger finishes or even put himself in the hunt for victories.

At the Masters, he started the final round two shots outside of the lead as he looked to claim a first Green Jacket. However, it quickly unravelled in an eight-over 80 that left him in a tie for 30th.

A T44 and a missed cut followed at the PGA Championship and US Open respectively, before he faded to a T28 after making a strong start at The Open.

JJ Spaun

Masters: MC
PGA: MC
US Open: MC
The Open: T40

JJ Spaun found the going tough just making the weekend at Majors in 2026. Last year’s surprise US Open winner missed the cut at the Masters, the PGA Championship and the US Open.

He did make the cut at The Open, but he was never in the mix, eventually finishing in a tie for 40th. His US Open exemption is still in its infancy, so he has plenty time to turn it around.

Robert MacIntyre

Masters: MC
PGA: MC
US Open: T39
The Open: T28

A fan favorite, Robert MacIntyre won’t look back at the Majors in 2026 with much fondness. The one positive for the Scot is that he got better as the year went on, so perhaps there is some momentum there he can carry forward.

MacIntyre missed the cut at the Masters and then again at the PGA Championship, before he walked away with a T39 at the US Open. Disappointingly, at four-under, MacIntyre was in good shape heading into the weekend at The Open, but back-to-back 71s left him in a tie for 28th and well off the pace.

Patrick Cantlay

Masters: T12
PGA: T35
US Open: MC
The Open: T28

Like Thomas, Patrick Cantlay is not the force he once was. He’s now not recorded a top-10 in a Major in 2025 or 2026.

A tie for 12th at the Masters was as good as it got for the American this year, and that was followed by a T35, a missed cut and a T28.