2026 First-Time Major Winner Odds
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Every year since 2014, at least one golfer has won their first major. The streak is almost certain to continue in 2026 — and with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy dominating the outright boards, the most interesting betting question isn't who wins the majors. It's who finally breaks through to become a first-time major winner in 2026.
With that in mind, the team at Bookies.com ranked the top 20 candidates across all four 2026 majors — Masters (Apr 9–12, Augusta National), PGA Championship (May 14–17, Aronimink GC), US Open (Jun 18–21, Shinnecock Hills), and The Open Championship (Jul 16–19, Royal Birkdale).
Who Will Break Through as First-Time Major Winner in 2026?
Between the Masters next week and the Open Championship in mid-July, we’re sure to see at least one first-time Major champion, with so many talented contenders for the honor and such a wide variety of courses hosting one of the four biggest tournaments in golf.
Whether it’s a course that hasn’t hosted a men’s Major since 1962 (Aronimink) or one that’s been a U.S. Open mainstay (Shinnecock Hills), golfers will have to adapt and match the specific quirks of each course to survive the 72-hole gauntlet that is golf at its highest level.
Our board includes up-and-coming talent like Ludvig Åberg and Cameron Young, two-time Major runner-up Tommy Fleetwood and the always affable Tyrrell Hatton, all of whom could take home their first career victories in one of the sport’s four biggest events.
First-Time Major Winner Odds
Who breaks through in 2026? Every player below is still chasing their first major championship.
Masters
Apr 9–12
Augusta National
PGA Champ.
May 14–17
Aronimink GC
US Open
Jun 18–21
Shinnecock Hills
The Open
Jul 16–19
Royal Birkdale
Bookies.com editorial odds reflect likelihood of winning any of the 4 majors in 2026 — not a live sportsbook line. Tap any row to expand per-major DraftKings / BetMGM outright odds.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
Runner-up at Augusta on debut (2024), T7 in 2025. Only 26 years old with elite ball-striking that translates to every major setup. If the law of averages catches up with any player this season, it's Åberg.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
The best player in the world without a major. T3 at Augusta in 2024, T2 at The Open in 2019, T2 at the US Open in 2018. Won his first PGA Tour event (Tour Championship) in 2025. Royal Birkdale is his best shot — a links course practically in his backyard.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
PGA Tour winner, Ryder Cup debut in 2025, six major top-10s. His length and putting are tailor-made for Augusta and Shinnecock. T6 at the Masters in 2023, runner-up in his Open debut at St Andrews. The résumé says a major is coming.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
Top-10s at all four majors, three Dunhill Links titles — and still no major. Royal Birkdale is his ceiling opportunity: elite links golfer with the short game to win in any conditions at a course he knows intimately. Volatile LIV form in 2026 is the only real concern.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
Former FedEx Cup champion with major top-5s already banked. T5 at Augusta in 2023. Missed some cuts in early 2026 but the raw talent is undeniable. Royal Birkdale's driving accuracy premium suits his profile — one hot week changes everything.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
T2 at the 2025 US Open, T7 at The Open at Portrush. A left-hander built for links golf who was T6 at Birkdale as an amateur in 2019. Multiple Ryder Cup appearances show he elevates under pressure. Royal Birkdale is the spot.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
Leads the PGA Tour in SG:Approach in 2026. Top-10 finishes at both The Open and US Open in consecutive years. Won a Signature Event at Bay Hill. The statistical résumé is quietly building into that of a major champion — and these odds wildly undervalue him.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
Three PGA Tour wins in 2025 — only Scheffler and McIlroy matched that on Tour. Made his Ryder Cup debut at Bethpage. Steady ball-striking and elite short game are built for major week pressure.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
Only the third player since WWII to win four PGA Tour events before his Masters debut. Arrives at 2026 with elite momentum — top-5 in four of five recent starts. Augusta rookie, but no ordinary one.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
Once led the Masters deep into Sunday. Has made 27 of 31 major cuts and accumulated 16 top-25s across all four events. A grinding, patient approach is exactly what major setups reward. If his putting comes alive for a week, the ceiling is legitimately high.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
Hot early-2026 form with multiple top-5s. His ball-striking profile suits Augusta and Aronimink equally. At the prices available across all four events he represents one of the best season-long value plays on the board.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
Leads the PGA Tour in SG:Tee-to-Green in 2026 — the single best predictor of major week success. Elite ball-striking, Augusta experience (T12 in 2022). The market consistently underprices what the numbers say about him.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
Won the Arnold Palmer in 2026 at just 24 years old for his third PGA Tour title. T14 at Augusta in 2024. Plays bold, aggressive golf that can take over a major when everything clicks.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
The best LIV golfer in 2025 by a wide margin — five wins including events in the UK and Singapore. Elite ball-striking that fits links conditions at Birkdale. The concern is always LIV form not translating, but the talent is undeniable.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
Multiple PGA Tour wins and a quietly strong major history — T13 at Augusta in 2022, consistent cuts across all four events. Aronimink's setup rewards driving accuracy and precise iron play, both Burns strengths.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
T16 at Augusta in 2024. Ranked second in FedEx Cup standings earlier this season. Elite grinding iron play — exactly what Shinnecock Hills will demand at the US Open.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
Three top-10s in his last five Masters appearances including T4 in 2021. Elite driving accuracy and iron play are tailor-made for Augusta's fairways. Savvy bettors locked in early at 80-1 for the 2026 Masters — the Augusta value is real.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
T16 at Augusta in his 2024 debut. Seven consecutive major cuts made. A Scandinavian links golfer built for Birkdale-type conditions. Quietly assembling a major résumé that could peak at The Open this summer.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
One of the most consistent major performers with zero wins — T5 at the 2020 Masters, multiple top-20s across all four events. Elite putting on bentgrass greens is a genuine Augusta edge.
Outright Odds by Major (DraftKings / BetMGM)
Runner-up at the Masters, US Open, and PGA Championship — three major near-misses, zero wins. When healthy is one of the most dangerous major-week players in the world. Shinnecock Hills' precision test fits his elite iron play perfectly.
Key Context
Annual streak: There has been at least one first-time major winner every year since 2014. The 2026 season is highly likely to extend it.
Royal Birkdale: Returns for the first time since Spieth's 2017 win. Fleetwood, Hatton, and MacIntyre are purpose-built for this test.
Zero wins, all talent: Every player on this list has never won a major. Åberg and Fleetwood are the consensus most overdue — but history shows the breakthrough often comes from an unexpected name.
Editorial odds note: The headline odds reflect Bookies.com projections for winning any of the 4 majors in 2026 — not available at any sportsbook. Per-major outright lines from DraftKings and BetMGM are shown inside each expanded card.
The Favorites for First-Time Major Winner 2026
Ludvig Åberg (+350): The 26-year-old Swede already has a runner-up in the Masters (in 2024) to his name, on top of a T12 finish in the 2024 U.S. Open, which begs the question of when the Texas Tech alum will break through on the sport’s biggest stage. If Åberg is able to capture that elusive first Major win, he’ll join countryman Henrik Stenson as the only Swedish male golfers to do so, with Stenson breaking through during the 2016 Open Championship. For now, we’re giving Åberg +350 odds of bringing home that first Major championship this year, with the 26-year-old currently holding the sixth best Masters betting odds overall, at +1600, behind Scottie Scheffler (+550), Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm (+1000 each), Rory McIlroy (+1100) and Xander Schauffele (+1500). Right now, the only question is when Åberg finally breaks through and wins that elusive first Major championship, with Augusta National potentially being the place where history happens for the rising star.
Tommy Fleetwood (+400): Nobody on our odds board has been more snakebitten in Majors than the Englishman. Between Fleetwood’s couple of Majors runner-up finishes at the 2019 Open Championship and 2018 U.S. Open and the consistency he’s shown in the biggest events on tour, with three top 10 finishes at the Masters and Open Championship and top five finishes in the other two, it’s high time for the 35-year-old from Southport to bring home the hardware. Our best guess is that Fleetwood wins that elusive first Major at Royal Birkdale in mid-July, with FanDuel Sportsbook giving him the third-best odds of any golfer (+1400) to do so, behind Scheffler (+500) and McIlroy (+850), while our in-house odds have the PGA and European Tour veteran at +400 to win a Major of some variety this year. Fleetwood is also in action this week at the Valero Texas Open.
Cameron Young (+450): The 2021-22 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year winner has been close on several occasions in some of the sport’s biggest events, with the 28-year-old from New York posting top 10 finishes in each of the four Majors, including a runner-up at the 2022 Open Championship held at St. Andrews and a T3 at the 2022 PGA Championship. This year, Young’s best Majors odds on Fanatics Sportsbook come at The Masters, where he’s listed at +2500, just ahead of where the U.S. sports betting operator has him finishing at Shinnecock Hills and Royal Birkdale (+3000 apiece). Given Young’s success across the board in Major play, it’s only a matter of time until he finishes atop the field at one, with four cracks at doing that this year, which is why we’re giving him +450 odds of doing just that in 2026.
Tyrrell Hatton (+550): The Englishman has flirted with winning at several Majors over the years, with top-10 finishes at all four and three Dunhill Links titles to his name. Given how oddsmakers at Caesars Sportsbook are giving Hatton +800 odds of winning a Major in 2026 (ranking in a tie with Joaquin Niemann, Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay for 13th overall), it seems like our +550 odds for the eight-time winner on the European Tour (and one-time winner on the PGA and LIV circuits) might be selling the 34-year-old from High Wycombe short a bit. Still, given Hatton’s success on links courses, it seems natural to think that he’ll thrive at Royal Birkdale, potentially bumping off his previous career best finish at the Open Championship (T5 at Royal Troon in 2016) when the tournament wraps on July 19.
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Other First-Time Major Contenders
Viktor Hovland (+650): The Norwegian-born golfer became the first person born there to win a PGA Tour event when he captured the Puerto Rico Open in 2020 and the first to win on the European Tour when he won the 2021 BMW International Open. While Hovland has seven PGA Tour wins to his name, including the Tour Championship in 2023, he’s yet to bring home a Major title. That’s not to say the Oslo native hasn’t come close, though, as he has a runner-up finish to his name at the 2023 PGA Championship, as well as a third place finish at the U.S. Open in 2025 and a T4 at the 2022 Open Championship. Given how well Hovland can drive the ball when he’s on, it seems like his best bet is at Royal Birkdale, which boasts a 7,156-yard setup in 2026, with FanDuel Sportsbook listing the 28-year-old at +2500 to do just that come this July.
Robert MacIntyre (+700): The Scottish golfer has six wins to his name, including two PGA Tour victories at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open and Genesis Scottish Open. Still, MacIntyre’s still on the prowl for that first Major win, with last year’s runner-up finish at Oakmont being the closest he’s come to reaching such a mark. Sadly for MacIntyre, he found himself on the wrong end of a two-shot margin to American J.J. Spaun, who joined the first-time Major winner club by posting a one-under par score of 279 in the event. This year, oddsmakers from BetMGM give MacIntyre the best shot at winning The Masters later this month, at +2500, while Royal Birkdale could be the one for him, with the Scottish-born golfer holding +2800 odds of doing just that come July, while the PGA Championship and U.S. Open look like distant opportunities, with matching +5000 odds right now.
Russell Henley/Ben Griffin (+900 each): Our first-time Major winner odds board happens to have a two-way tie at +900 between two up-and-coming Americans, in Russell Henley and Ben Griffin. Henley has five PGA Tour victories to his name, with a T4 finish at The Masters in 2023 and a fifth place finish at the 2024 Open Championship. Griffin, meanwhile, won three times on the PGA Tour just last season, earning his first appearance at The Masters next week and his early-career major best being last year’s T8 at the PGA Championship, which he followed with a T10 at the U.S. Open last year. Both have been playing quality golf this season, with Henley ranking 10th and Griffin 16th in the latest batch of World Golf Rankings, as both men look to add a first Major title to their golfing résumés this season. On Caesars Sportsbooks’ Major winner odds board, Griffin (+900) and Henley (+1000) are right next to each other, ranking 17th and 18th overall by that metric.
Chris Gotterup (+950): Rounding out our list of first-time Major contenders is a man that turned pro in 2022 out of Rutgers before winning four PGA Tour events (including two this season), in Chris Gotterup. The 26-year-old from Maryland took home the Sony Open and Waste Management Phoenix Open crowns earlier this year, joining his victories at the 2024 Myrtle Beach Open and 2025 Genesis Scottish Open, while setting the bar for what’s to come. Sadly for Gotterup, his Major finishes haven’t been as pretty, with last year’s third-place finish at the Open Championship being his lone top-10 to date, with T23 and T43 finishes at the U.S. Open being his other high-water mark. Still, given how well Gotterup has played this season, we’re giving him +950 odds of joining the first-time Major winner club in 2026. Based on the 2026 Major champions betting odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, it seems like our ranking might not be too far astray, with Gotterup’s odds ranging from +2700 at the PGA Championship to +5000 at The Masters, with +3300 odds at The Open Championship and +4500 at the U.S. Open this season.
Who Else Could Win A Major?
Si Woo Kim (+1200): The 30-year-old South Korean already has four PGA Tour wins on top of a T8 at the PGA Championship in 2025. This year, Kim holds odds ranging from +5500 (The Masters) to +12500 (the U.S. Open) on FanDuel Sportsbook’s Major championship odds boards, though we’re a bit higher on his odds of winning one of the four (at least) this year, listing him at +1200 in 2026.
Corey Conners (+2000): Conners, who was the low amateur at The Masters in 2015, has since taken home two PGA Tour victories, and ahs been somewhat of a top 10 machine at The Masters. This year, FanDuel Sportsbook gives the 34-year-old his best odds of winning a Major at either the PGA Championship or Open Championship, with dueling +5000 odds of capturing either title. On our odds board, Conners holds +2000 odds of winning one of the four Majors, joining countryman Mike Weir as the only man to do so in the country’s rich golfing history.
Nicolai Højgaard (+2100): The 25-year-old Danish golfer has three European Tour victories to his name since turning pro in 2019, though he’s yet to post a top-10 in a Major. To date, Højgaard’s best finish was a T14 at the Open Championship last year, though we’re giving him +2100 odds of winning one of the four in 2026. On FanDuel Sportsbook, Højgaard’s best odds are at The Masters or the Open Championship, where he’s listed at +8000 on each, while his PGA Championship odds (+20000) are even lower.
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What To Watch For in 2026
At the end of the day, there will be at least one first-time Major champion in 2026, based on the number of them that we’ve witnessed in recent seasons and the glut of talented players that are in the hunt for their first titles this year.
As you can see from the widget that Bookies.com put together above, there are plenty of potential first-time Major winners in 2026, with each of the candidates above having their Major championship odds listed from DraftKings or BetMGM, in addition to course fit scores across four categories.
As a reminder, the odds above are Bookies.com editorial odds representing season-long probabilities across all four Major championships and are not a live sportsbook line.
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