Seven Scenarios That Could Shake Golf to Its Core—And Why We Need Them
After 35 years covering this game, I’ve learned that golf’s greatest strength is also its occasional weakness: unpredictability. We celebrate when 156 different players can theoretically win any given Sunday, but here’s the uncomfortable truth I’ve witnessed from the ropes and the press tent alike—sometimes that wide-open field makes for compelling sport, and sometimes it leaves casual fans scratching their heads wondering who they should actually care about.
That’s precisely why the seven scenarios floating around the golf world right now matter more than you might think. They’re not just feel-good narratives (though some certainly are). They’re the stories that could fundamentally reshape how mainstream audiences view professional golf in 2026 and beyond.
When Controversy Becomes Compelling Theater
Take Brooks Koepka’s potential return to prominence at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. I’ve been coming to TPC Scottsdale since before most people knew where it was, and I can tell you the 16th hole there generates more organic energy than any other sporting venue I’ve covered. It’s pure theater.
What strikes me about Koepka’s situation isn’t just the LIV debate—we’ve all had our fill of that argument. It’s that here’s a five-time major champion who essentially put himself on probation, took substantial financial hits, and now has a genuine chance to prove something. As the source notes, “Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour from LIV has caused much controversy even though it’s come with several stiff financial penalties.”
If he wins at Scottsdale—especially for a hat-trick—the narrative flips entirely. Suddenly it’s not about the Saudi money or the fractured tour landscape. It’s about redemption and skill in front of 150,000 raucous fans. That’s the kind of storyline that travels beyond the golf world.
The Matchup We Crave But Rarely Get
Having watched tour dynamics for three decades, I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve seen genuine, all-in competition between the game’s best players down the stretch in a major. That’s the real problem with modern golf’s depth.
The source captures this perfectly: “One of golf’s great appeals is that so many different players can win. But the downside of that is we very rarely get two great players fighting it out with each other on the back nine of a major.”
Think about it. Scottie Scheffler is playing at a level we rarely see—his 2024 season was historically dominant. Rory McIlroy remains one of the best thinkers in golf, a player who absolutely elevates his game when stakes matter. A back-nine duel between these two in a major? That’s appointment television. That’s the kind of thing that breaks through the noise of Formula One, the NBA, whatever else is competing for eyeballs on a Sunday.
The Women’s Game Needs Its Moment
Charley Hull represents something I find genuinely exciting about women’s professional golf. She’s got the game—elite-level talent—but she’s also got the profile off the course. That’s rare. That matters.
The timing is interesting too. Royal Lytham hosts the British Open for women this summer, and as the article notes, “The 50th edition of the event takes place at Royal Lytham and St Annes later this summer.” Hull has finished runner-up at majors four times, including two of the last three British Opens. She’s knocking on the door.
Here’s what I think: Women’s golf isn’t missing talent or compelling stories. It’s missing breakout moments where mainstream audiences can’t avoid the narrative. A Hull major win wouldn’t just celebrate one player—it would legitimize the entire women’s tour in the eyes of casual fans who only tune in sporadically.
The Eccentric Genius Factor
Bryson DeChambeau is fascinating precisely because he’s unpredictable in ways that have nothing to do with his golf swing. “Perhaps DeChambeau might get more clicks for his YouTube channel by doing something extra crazy like hitting a ball in space or taking on Donald Trump in a special challenge,” the source notes with a wink.
But here’s what strikes me: His recent finishes at Augusta—sixth in 2024, fifth in 2025—suggest he’s genuinely close. A Masters win wouldn’t be a circus. It would be a validation. DeChambeau has the skills; he just needs that major breakthrough, and Augusta is his most logical venue. The American public eats up that kind of character redemption arc.
History and Heritage
The English Open championship drought and Tommy Fleetwood’s fairy-tale potential at Royal Birkdale speaks to something deeper than just win totals. It’s about the emotional connection between player and place. Fleetwood sneaking onto that course as a kid, now ranking third in the world, potentially winning the Claret Jug at home? That’s the stuff that transcends sport.
And then there’s Tiger. I won’t overstate it—Tiger Woods at fifty, potentially leading a major after a return from back surgery? “No-one in golf can move the needle like Tiger Woods,” the source reminds us. That’s not hyperbole. That’s institutional fact based on three decades of observation.
What’s Really at Stake
These seven scenarios aren’t just interesting golf stories. They’re potential antidotes to golf’s ongoing struggle for mainstream relevance. The game doesn’t need more tournaments or more money floating around. It needs moments that transcend the sport itself—narratives that make non-golfers lean in and say, “Wait, what? Tell me more.”
In my experience, golf’s greatest gift isn’t its traditions or its courses. It’s the human drama that plays out against that beautiful backdrop. When we get the right convergence—great player, compelling story, stakes that matter—the sport practically sells itself.
Here’s hoping 2026 delivers at least one of these scenarios. Golf could use it.
