The 2026 majors: four winners and four very different weeks
A repeat at Augusta, a first major for an Englishman at Aronimink, a wire-to-wire win at Shinnecock and a finish at Birkdale that turned in six holes. The season is done, so here is the whole of it in one place.
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Gear tip
Four winners, four completely different setups
It is worth noticing that these four weeks were won on four courses demanding four different things. Augusta rewards a high draw. Shinnecock rewards keeping the ball under the wind. Birkdale rewards a golfer who can hit it low on purpose.
No single driver, ball or set of irons is optimal for all of that, which is the honest answer to why touring professionals change equipment between events and you should not read too much into any one week.
The club that suits the course you actually play every week beats the club that won last Sunday.
Deal roundup
Major weeks move prices, briefly
Retailers run promotions around the majors, and they are real but shallow. Expect ten or fifteen per cent on current stock, not the deep reductions that come in November.
The exception is putters. Putter promotions during major weeks are consistently better than the club promotions, probably because a putter is the one thing a viewer feels able to change on impulse. If a milled putter has been on your list, these are decent weeks to look.
Trending in golf
The Masters, Augusta National, 9 to 12 April
Rory McIlroy won on 12 under par, one clear of Scottie Scheffler, and became only the fourth man to win back-to-back at Augusta, after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.
The PGA Championship, Aronimink, 14 to 17 May
Aaron Rai won his first major on 9 under, three ahead of Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley. He is the first Englishman to lift the Wanamaker Trophy since Jim Barnes in 1919.
The US Open, Shinnecock Hills, 18 to 21 June
Wyndham Clark led from the first day to the last on 4 under, one ahead of Sam Burns. It was the first wire-to-wire US Open win since Martin Kaymer in 2014, and Clark's second.
The Open, Royal Birkdale, 16 to 19 July
Ryan Fox of New Zealand won the 154th Open on 10 under, one ahead of Cameron Young, after making four birdies in his last six holes and holing from twelve feet on the final green.
And afterwards
Scottie Scheffler closed the season by winning the Tour Championship at East Lake by three shots for his second FedExCup, his third win of the year and the twenty-second of his career. On the women's side Nelly Korda took two majors, Haeran Ryu took two more, and Shiho Kuwaki won the AIG Women's Open at Royal Lytham in a play-off.
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What we would actually buy
Three putters, since major weeks are when putters are actually worth buying. The Ai-One is last year's model and the best value of the three.
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Odyssey
Ai-One
$300 to $400, reduced
Last year's modelLast year's Odyssey flagship, now discounted because Ai-Dual replaced it. The insert technology is barely a generation behind and a putter does not wear out. This is the best value on the whole page.
TaylorMade
TP Reserve TR-M33
About $300, down from $400
Last year's modelA fully milled stainless steel putter at a quarter off simply because it launched in 2023. Milled steel does not go stale and nothing about this putter is worse than it was on the day it came out.
Ping
PLD Milled SE DZB
About $499
Milled from a solid block of carbon steel with a deliberately aged finish, and the first Ping blade to get the top-rail sightline. If you have always putted with a plain blade and want one good one to keep, this is it.