It’s been a good year for the first-time PGA Tour winner.
Of the 46 official PGA Tour events, 17 were won by players who earned their first tour win. Some, like Tommy Fleetwood, have achieved success all over the world. People like Ben Griffin won and kept winning again and again.
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Looking ahead to the 2026 season, here are 10 golfers expected to earn their first PGA Tour win. Players are listed alphabetically.
If you want to look back at who we predicted to win the first championship in 2025 (we did it on 4/10), click here.
Chandler Blanchett
Chandler Blanchett of the United States hits his tee shot on the sixth hole during the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Lease & Finance 2025 at French Lick Golf Resort on October 12, 2025 in French Lick, Indiana.
Blanchett won the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, one of his two wins at KFT in 2025. PGA Tour fans should be familiar with his name.
Luke Clanton
Luke Clanton of the United States chases his shot from the 14th tee during the second round of the Worldwide Technology Championship 2025 at El Cardonal in Diamante on November 7, 2025 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Clanton’s best finish after turning pro was T-29. Although he missed three of the final six appearances of the year, the former Florida State standout still has the talent and ability to do so. He will eventually lift the trophy.
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Max Glaserman
Max Glaserman of the United States looks at the trophy on the first tee before the final round of the 2025 Bay Current Classic at Yokohama Country Club in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Glaserman is ranked 31st in the world and has played in 55 matches on tour with five runner-up finishes. He lost in a playoff this year to fellow first-time winner Aldrich Potgieter of Detroit. Perhaps he will finally break out in 2026.
Nikolai Huygo
Nikolai Hujgaard plays the second fairway in the first round of the Masters Tournament.
In each of his first two seasons on the PGA Tour, Nikolai has two runner-up finishes but has yet to cross the finish line. Maybe he and his brother (spoiler alert) will compete for the first championship.
Rasmus Højgaard
Team Europe’s Rasmus Huygaard speaks at a press conference ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course in Farmingdale, New York.
Rasmus, who has five international wins, entered the Tour last year and took top place with his brother at the Zurich Classic. He also finished T-3 at Sanderson Farms in the fall and joined his first Ryder Cup team.
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marco money
England’s Marco Penge hits his second shot on the 13th hole on day four of the Genesis Scottish Open 2025 at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, on July 13, 2025.
If I were to rank these 10 players, Penji would be number one. He finished second in the Race to Dubai rankings behind Rory McIlroy. He absolutely smashes golf balls. He earns his card and could make a stellar debut on tour if his form continues.
Christopher Reitan
Christopher Reitan of Norway tees off on the first hole during the opening day of the DP World Tour Championship 2025 golf tournament at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, November 13, 2025.
Another player to earn a card in the Race to Dubai, he won the Nedbank Golf Challenge earlier this month and is another European who could make big waves in the US.
Neil Shipley
Neil Shipley of the United States watches while playing the 14th hole of the third round of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Lease & Finance 2025 at French Lick Golf Resort in French Lick, Indiana, on October 11, 2025.
It must be hair, cotton. Feathered and deadly. Neil Shipley gained popularity after finishing runner-up at the 2023 U.S. Amateur. He then performed poorly at the 2024 Masters and the US Open. Now he has a PGA Tour card in hand. Will another victory come soon?
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sam stevens
Sam Stevens hits a shot from the 8th tee during the first round of the 2025 RSM Classic at Sea Island Resort Seaside Course.
Stevens played in 31 tournaments in 2025, appearing in all but six. He had two runner-up finishes and four top-10 finishes. His consistency will soon pay off.
Michael Thorbjornsen
Michael Thorbjornsen looks at his shot from the fourth tee during the final round of the Rocket Classic golf tournament.
With five top-10 finishes and one runner-up finish in 2025, Thorbjornsen is becoming a regular on the first page of the leaderboard. Another player who is attracting attention as he prepares for his first career victory.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Predict the 10 first-time PGA Tour winners in 2026
