I've been thinking about how bright the future of the PGA tour is right now with incredible young talent and with a new generation of players hitting their prime. I looked through the list of the last 11 year's of major winners. The full list of winners is spoilered below with some thoughts on the less competitive names.
Here's the list of young, competitive, current major winners including Tiger. Ten years from now, who among this group has the wins? The most majors? Who's not on this list, but will be, with multiple wins / majors?
It's a little early to tell for Morikawa, but he appears to have the talent and the mindset to win at least one more, probably two majors and a bunch of tour events. I expect DJ to go on a run now and with two to three more majors, and end up with ~35 wins. Spieth has been not good for a long time. I don't know if he recovers.
Rory will win at Augusta, at least I hope. He needs the lifetime exemption for the Masters. He's the kind of guy who can pull a Langer and break par in his early 60s.
If I had to bet on who wins the most in the next 10 years, I'm going with JT. Not as long as DJ, but a better short game and putter. Competes - rarely mails it in.
Names not on this list? Viktor Hovland? Matthew Wolff?
What does SOSH think?
Ernie, Clarke, Zach Johnson. No chance. Two at 50+ and the game doesn't set up for Zach any more.
Dufner, Walker, McDowell, Bradley, Lowry, Willet, Woodland, Molinari, Stenson. One time wonders, I think.
Oosthuizen, Schwartzel, Rose, Scott. Guys who regularly contend and whose games are solid enough to earn another win.
Sergio and Bubba. Late in their careers (who knew Bubba was 42?), wouldn't be shocked, but seems like a longshot.
Kaymer, Simpson. Kaymer lost his game entirely and is trying to make his way back. Both are only 35, but still feel like this is really unlikely.
Phil. Will probably have tournaments where he puts together 3 rounds and competes, but I'll be stunned if he can keep it on the rails for four days.
Here's the list of young, competitive, current major winners including Tiger. Ten years from now, who among this group has the wins? The most majors? Who's not on this list, but will be, with multiple wins / majors?
Player | Majors (since 2010) | Age | Total Wins PGA [PGA+Euro] |
Collin Morikawa | PGA | 23 | 3 [4] |
Bryson DeChambeau | US | 27 | 7 [9] |
Jordan Spieth | M, PGA, TOC | 27 | 11 [14] |
Justin Thomas | PGA | 27 | 13 [16] |
Brooks Koepka | USx2, PGAx2 | 30 | 7 [13] |
Patrick Reed | M | 30 | 8 [11] |
Rory McIlroy | US, TOC, PGA | 31 | 18 [32] |
Jason Day | PGA | 33 | 12 [15] |
Dustin Johnson | US, M | 36 | 24 [32] |
Tiger Woods | M | 44 | 82 [123] |
It's a little early to tell for Morikawa, but he appears to have the talent and the mindset to win at least one more, probably two majors and a bunch of tour events. I expect DJ to go on a run now and with two to three more majors, and end up with ~35 wins. Spieth has been not good for a long time. I don't know if he recovers.
Rory will win at Augusta, at least I hope. He needs the lifetime exemption for the Masters. He's the kind of guy who can pull a Langer and break par in his early 60s.
If I had to bet on who wins the most in the next 10 years, I'm going with JT. Not as long as DJ, but a better short game and putter. Competes - rarely mails it in.
Names not on this list? Viktor Hovland? Matthew Wolff?
What does SOSH think?
Player | Majors (since 2010) | Age | Total Wins PGA [PGA+Euro] |
Collin Morikawa | PGA | 23 | 3 [4] |
Bryson DeChambeau | US | 27 | 7 [9] |
Jordan Spieth | M, PGA, TOC | 27 | 11 [14] |
Justin Thomas | PGA | 27 | 13 [16] |
Brooks Koepka | USx2, PGAx2 | 30 | 7 [13] |
Patrick Reed | M | 30 | 8 [11] |
Rory McIlroy | US, TOC, PGA | 31 | 18 [32] |
Danny Willett | M | 33 | 1 [4] |
Jason Day | PGA | 33 | 12 [15] |
Shane Lowry | TOC | 33 | 2 [7] |
Keegan Bradley | PGA | 34 | 4 [6] |
Martin Kaymer | PGA, US | 35 | 3 [14] |
Webb Simpson | US | 35 | 7 [8] |
Charl Schwartzel | M | 36 | 2 [13] |
Dustin Johnson | US, M | 36 | 24 [32] |
Gary Woodland | US | 36 | 4 [5] |
Francesco Molinari | TOC | 38 | 3 [9] |
Louis Oosthuizen | TOC | 38 | 1 [10] |
Adam Scott | M | 40 | 14 [25] |
Justin Rose | US | 40 | 10 [21] |
Sergio García | M | 40 | 11 [27] |
Graeme McDowell | US | 41 | 4 [15] |
Jimmy Walker | PGA | 41 | 6 [6] |
Bubba Watson | Mx2 | 42 | 12 [16] |
Jason Dufner | PGA | 43 | 5 [5] |
Henrik Stenson | TOC | 44 | 6 [17] |
Tiger Woods | M | 44 | 82 [123] |
Zach Johnson | TOC | 44 | 12 [14] |
Phil Mickelson | M, TOC | 50 | 44 [54] |
Ernie Els | TOC | 51 | 19 [47] |
Darren Clarke | TOC | 52 | 3 [17] |
Ernie, Clarke, Zach Johnson. No chance. Two at 50+ and the game doesn't set up for Zach any more.
Dufner, Walker, McDowell, Bradley, Lowry, Willet, Woodland, Molinari, Stenson. One time wonders, I think.
Oosthuizen, Schwartzel, Rose, Scott. Guys who regularly contend and whose games are solid enough to earn another win.
Sergio and Bubba. Late in their careers (who knew Bubba was 42?), wouldn't be shocked, but seems like a longshot.
Kaymer, Simpson. Kaymer lost his game entirely and is trying to make his way back. Both are only 35, but still feel like this is really unlikely.
Phil. Will probably have tournaments where he puts together 3 rounds and competes, but I'll be stunned if he can keep it on the rails for four days.