Top 10 Golfers for One And Done Pools in 2026
We rank the top 10 golfers who should play a big role in your 2026 One and Done season pool picks.
by Jason Lisk - Dec 31, 2025
Tommy Fleetwood finally broke through and got his first win on the PGA Tour, will he add more in 2026?
Here are our Top 10 golfers for the 2026 PGA One and Done season, running from January through the FedEx Playoff events in August.
One important note up front. We are not including LIV golfers such as Jon Rahm or Bryson DeChambeau. While they remain major factors in the Majors, they are not available to pick at most PGA Tour events. For Golf One and Done Picks purposes, availability across the full schedule matters, so we focused on golfers who can realistically be in contention throughout the entire calendar.
To build this list, we combined current form, our Strokes Gained power ratings, and historical performance over the past five years in the events that carry the most weight. That includes the Majors, Signature Events, and the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
The goal isn’t to rank raw talent in a vacuum. It’s to identify golfers who consistently show up in the tournaments that actually swing One and Done pools, season after season.
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No. 1 – Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler has been the best golfer in the world over the past five seasons, and the event-level numbers don’t really leave much room to argue otherwise. There isn’t a single course or tournament in this group where he’s struggled for a sustained period, with elite Strokes Gained production across majors, Signature Events, and playoff venues alike.
- Best Results: His best results have come at the Memorial, where he’s posted massive per-round gains and converted them into two wins and multiple additional top finishes, underscoring how well his game translates to Muirfield Village.
- Not as Good Results: The U.S. Open stands out as a major he hasn’t won yet, but the data makes clear that it’s not due to poor performance — his average SG there remains elite across a full five-year sample. Pebble Beach is the lone event without a top-three finish, but that’s largely a function of opportunity rather than fit, as Scheffler has only played the event since it was elevated to Signature status and has a much smaller round sample there.
- Where Scheffler Usually Sits Out: The one Signature Event that Scheffler has not played historically is the Truist (previously Wells Fargo) Championship, though we will see if that changes in 2026, since he won the PGA Championship on the same Quail Hollow course last year.
Overall, the takeaway is simple: regardless of venue or event type, Scheffler’s baseline performance level is so high that he’s a pretty good pick anywhere, so it’s just a matter of “you can only use him once” when deciding where that should be.
Scottie Scheffler, SG Last Five Years
| Event | Avg SG / Rd | Rounds | Total SG | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 3.7 | 20 | 73.4 | 1 |
| The Memorial | 4.3 | 16 | 69.0 | 1 |
| U.S. Open | 3.0 | 20 | 60.9 | 2 |
| BMW Championship | 3.0 | 20 | 59.6 | 1 |
| PGA Championship | 3.1 | 18 | 56.5 | 1 |
| The Open Championship | 2.8 | 20 | 56.4 | 1 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | 3.5 | 16 | 56.4 | 1 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | 3.0 | 18 | 53.2 | 1 |
| Travelers Championship | 2.6 | 20 | 52.7 | 1 |
| Genesis Invitational | 2.5 | 20 | 50.3 | 3 |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | 2.4 | 18 | 42.8 | 3 |
| RBC Heritage | 2.9 | 12 | 34.9 | 1 |
| Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 2.7 | 8 | 22.0 | 6 |
Not sure where to use your top golfers? We break down the most valuable events of the season here: 2026 PGA Tournaments Ranked by Prize Money
No. 2 – Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy’s event profile over the past five seasons is a bit more course and circumstance-dependent than Scheffler’s, even though his peak results remain elite. Some of his biggest wins have come at venues where his overall consistency is more uneven, reflecting a game that can spike dramatically when conditions suit him.
The U.S. Open is a perfect example of this. McIlroy has played the championship extremely well on average across a full five-year sample, even though he hasn’t converted that performance into a recent win.
Where Rory Usually Sits Out: RBC Heritage is not an event to count on for Rory, as he has played the week after the Masters only once in recent years, limiting both opportunity and sample size there.
Rory McIlroy, SG Last Five Years
| Event | Avg SG / Rd | Rounds | Total SG | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | 3.5 | 20 | 69.8 | 2 |
| Truist / Wells Fargo | 3.1 | 20 | 61.0 | 1 |
| BMW Championship | 2.9 | 20 | 57.7 | 4 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | 2.4 | 20 | 48.9 | 2 |
| PGA Championship | 2.2 | 20 | 44.1 | 7 |
| The Open Championship | 2.3 | 18 | 40.8 | 3 |
| The Memorial | 2.2 | 16 | 35.8 | 7 |
| Masters Tournament | 2.2 | 16 | 34.6 | 1 |
| Travelers Championship | 2.7 | 12 | 32.2 | 6 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | 1.6 | 16 | 24.8 | 1 |
| Genesis Invitational | 1.2 | 18 | 21.6 | 10 |
| Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 2.0 | 8 | 16.2 | 1 |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | 1.0 | 14 | 13.8 | 3 |
| RBC Heritage | 0.9 | 4 | 3.5 | 33 |
No. 3 – Tommy Fleetwood
Tommy Fleetwood finally shed the “best player without a PGA TOUR win” label with his breakthrough victory at the TOUR Championship last August, and he enters 2026 near the very top of the global rankings.
His event profile shows a player whose strongest results tend to cluster at high-end, demanding venues, with particularly strong relative performance at playoff events and The Open Championship.
The main question: do you deploy Fleetwood early while his form is peaking, or preserve him for later in the season when the fields tighten, and his historical strengths have translated most consistently into elite finishes?
Tommy Fleetwood, SG Last Five Years
| Event | Avg SG / Rd | Rounds | Total SG | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truist / Wells Fargo | 2.5 | 16 | 39.9 | 4 |
| The Open Championship | 2 | 18 | 35.8 | 4 |
| Masters Tournament | 1.8 | 20 | 35.4 | 3 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | 1.9 | 18 | 34.2 | 14 |
| PGA Championship | 1.9 | 18 | 34 | 5 |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | 2.1 | 16 | 33.5 | 3 |
| BMW Championship | 2.7 | 12 | 32.6 | 4 |
| RBC Heritage | 1.6 | 18 | 29.1 | 7 |
| Genesis Invitational | 2.2 | 12 | 26.8 | 5 |
| Travelers Championship | 1.8 | 14 | 25.5 | 2 |
| U.S. Open | 1.5 | 16 | 23.6 | 5 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | 1.3 | 18 | 23.4 | 10 |
| The Memorial | 1.9 | 8 | 15 | 16 |
| Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 1.2 | 8 | 9.4 | 22 |
Editor’s Note: Want to turn this research into Golf One and Done success? Take it a step further by reading our Top 5 Golf One and Done Tips for winning your pool.
No. 4 – Xander Schauffele
Xander Schauffele’s recent results have been shaped in part by injury interruptions, but his underlying event profile suggests a strong rebound case heading into 2026.
When healthy, his best work has consistently come on the game’s biggest stages, with elite Strokes Gained numbers across the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and PGA Championship, reinforcing his reputation as one of the most reliable major performers of his generation.
He’s also been particularly strong at Quail Hollow (Truist/Wells Fargo), a venue that rewards the same combination of driving and iron play that shows up in his major success.
Xander Schauffele, SG Last Five Years
| Event | Avg SG / Rd | Rounds | Total SG | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | 2.8 | 20 | 56.8 | 7 |
| The Open Championship | 2.8 | 20 | 56.4 | 1 |
| Truist / Wells Fargo | 3.2 | 16 | 50.9 | 2 |
| PGA Championship | 2.6 | 18 | 47.0 | 1 |
| Masters Tournament | 2.5 | 18 | 44.4 | 3 |
| The Memorial | 2.1 | 20 | 42.7 | 8 |
| BMW Championship | 1.9 | 20 | 37.7 | 3 |
| Genesis Invitational | 2.2 | 16 | 35.5 | 4 |
| Travelers Championship | 2.0 | 16 | 32.2 | 1 |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | 1.4 | 20 | 28.5 | 2 |
| RBC Heritage | 2.1 | 12 | 24.9 | 4 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | 1.0 | 16 | 15.5 | 2 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | 0.9 | 12 | 10.3 | 25 |
| Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 0.0 | 4 | 0.1 | 54 |
No. 5 – Viktor Hovland
Viktor Hovland checks in our Top 10 list of 2026
Viktor Hovland’s ceiling was on full display during his breakout run in 2023, when he won both The Memorial and the BMW Championship, appearing poised to take the next step into true superstar status. That momentum stalled as he began tinkering with his swing mechanics, leading to an uneven year and a half that included three straight missed cuts early last season.
The turning point came with a win at the Valspar Championship, which put Hovland back on track and restored some confidence in his underlying game. A third-place finish at the U.S. Open, followed by strong showings throughout the FedEx Cup Playoffs, suggests the recovery is real and that Hovland may once again be trending toward the reliable, high-end weekly contender he looked like two years ago.
Viktor Hovland, SG Last Five Years
| Event | Avg SG / Rd | Rounds | Total SG | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PGA Championship | 2.8 | 20 | 55.1 | 2 |
| BMW Championship | 2.4 | 20 | 48.7 | 1 |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | 1.9 | 20 | 37.5 | 2 |
| Genesis Invitational | 2.1 | 18 | 37.2 | 2 |
| The Memorial | 1.6 | 20 | 32.7 | 1 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | 1.8 | 18 | 31.8 | 2 |
| Masters Tournament | 1.7 | 18 | 30.9 | 7 |
| The Open Championship | 1.5 | 18 | 26.8 | 4 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | 1.4 | 16 | 23.1 | 3 |
| U.S. Open | 1.6 | 14 | 22.3 | 3 |
| Travelers Championship | 1.8 | 12 | 21.7 | 3 |
| Truist / Wells Fargo | 1.3 | 16 | 20.9 | 3 |
| Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 1.1 | 12 | 12.6 | 13 |
| RBC Heritage | 0.8 | 8 | 6.5 | 13 |
No. 6 – Ludvig Aberg
Ludvig Åberg, now 26, has only two full PGA TOUR seasons under his belt, which naturally leaves him with a much smaller sample size than the established stars. He flashed his elite upside early with a win at The Genesis Invitational, but the middle portion of the season was uneven, including missed cuts at THE PLAYERS Championship, the PGA Championship, and the U.S. Open.
Even so, the underlying indicators are extremely encouraging: Åberg has already proven he can compete on the toughest setups, with strong performances at Augusta National, a win at Torrey Pines South when Genesis was relocated there, and solid results at The Memorial.
The combination of elite ceiling and volatility makes him one of the most interesting One and Done decisions on the board — getting the timing right on Åberg could provide a significant edge.
Ludvig Aberg, SG Last Five Years
| Event | Avg SG / Rd | Rounds | Total SG | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 3.6 | 8 | 28.8 | 2 |
| BMW Championship | 3.3 | 8 | 26.5 | 2 |
| Genesis Invitational | 2.7 | 8 | 21.6 | 1 |
| The Memorial | 2.5 | 8 | 20.0 | 5 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | 1.4 | 12 | 17.3 | 22 |
| Travelers Championship | 1.3 | 12 | 15.1 | 24 |
| U.S. Open | 2.1 | 6 | 12.8 | 12 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | 2.0 | 6 | 11.9 | 8 |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | 1.5 | 8 | 11.8 | 9 |
| RBC Heritage | 1.0 | 8 | 8.0 | 10 |
| Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 1.2 | 6 | 7.2 | 2 |
| The Open Championship | 0.9 | 6 | 5.7 | 23 |
| PGA Championship | -0.1 | 4 | -0.3 | missed cut |
| Truist / Wells Fargo | -0.4 | 4 | -1.7 | 60 |
Editor’s Note: Playing multiple entries? You’ll want to check out our dedicated guide on Multi-Pick Strategy for Golf One and Done Pools.
No. 7 – Russell Henley
Russell Henley spent much of his career with a reputation as a steady, high-floor player who struggled to break through at the biggest events — until last year changed that narrative. His win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational marked the biggest victory of his career, and it came during a season in which he repeatedly put himself in contention, including a runner-up finish at the Travelers Championship.
At 36, Henley remains somewhat course-dependent, particularly when length becomes a major factor. Last season, that split was stark: he averaged a 35th-place finish at courses measuring 7,500 yards or longer, compared to an average finish of 12th at shorter venues, where he posted top-10 finishes in nine of 12 starts.
Notably, he also struggled in the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, a course that comes in just under 7,500 yards.
He also plays a more selective schedule, appearing mainly at shorter non-Signature stops like the Sony Open and Cognizant Classic, but he still profiles as a viable option at specific Signature Events. Notably, the two shortest Signature Event courses — Travelers and Pebble Beach — both produced top-five finishes for Henley last year, making him a strong candidate to deploy selectively rather than broadly.
Russell Henley, SG Last Five Years
| Event | Avg SG / Rd | Rounds | Total SG | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | 2.5 | 18 | 45 | 7 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | 2.5 | 16 | 40.4 | 1 |
| RBC Heritage | 1.9 | 18 | 34.4 | 8 |
| Travelers Championship | 1.8 | 16 | 28.6 | 2 |
| The Open Championship | 1.6 | 16 | 26.2 | 5 |
| BMW Championship | 1.3 | 20 | 25.7 | 8 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | 1.6 | 16 | 25.4 | 13 |
| The Memorial | 1.7 | 14 | 23.4 | 5 |
| Masters Tournament | 1.6 | 14 | 22.6 | 4 |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | 1.6 | 14 | 22.2 | 6 |
| Genesis Invitational | 0.9 | 18 | 15.8 | 24 |
| Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 1.6 | 8 | 12.8 | 5 |
| Truist / Wells Fargo | 0.6 | 16 | 8.8 | 10 |
| PGA Championship | 0.1 | 16 | 1.9 | 23 |
No. 8 – Patrick Cantlay
Patrick Cantlay remains one of the most reliable high-end performers on the PGA TOUR, even as his win column has been quiet since 2022. While he struggled in the majors last season — missing the cut in the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open Championship — his profile at elite events still remains exceptionally strong.
Over the past five years, Cantlay has posted +2.5 Strokes Gained or better at six different top-tier events, a level of sustained excellence matched only by Scottie Scheffler. His Genesis Invitational résumé stands out in particular, with top-five finishes in each of the last three years, and he’s been similarly consistent at RBC Heritage, where he’s finished top three in five of eight starts, even though a win there has so far eluded him.
Patrick Cantay, SG Last Five Years
| Event | Avg SG / Rd | Rounds | Total SG | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis Invitational | 2.7 | 20 | 54.3 | 3 |
| BMW Championship | 2.7 | 20 | 53.7 | 1 |
| Travelers Championship | 2.5 | 20 | 49.7 | 4 |
| U.S. Open | 2.6 | 18 | 47.4 | 3 |
| The Memorial | 2.5 | 18 | 45.5 | 1 |
| RBC Heritage | 2.5 | 18 | 44.1 | 2 |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | 2.0 | 20 | 39.5 | 2 |
| Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 2.2 | 16 | 35.3 | 3 |
| Truist / Wells Fargo | 1.7 | 14 | 23.4 | 4 |
| The Open Championship | 1.3 | 16 | 21.5 | 8 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | 1.6 | 12 | 19.3 | 4 |
| Masters Tournament | 1.0 | 18 | 18.5 | 14 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | 0.9 | 16 | 14.5 | 12 |
| PGA Championship | 0.9 | 16 | 14.4 | 9 |
No. 9 – Robert MacIntyre
Robert MacIntyre announced himself as a true force in the summer of 2024, capturing both the Canadian Open and the Scottish Open and firmly establishing that his game can travel across different course styles. While he has yet to break through with a Signature Event or major championship win, his play last season made it clear the arrow is pointing sharply upward, with MacIntyre entering 2026 ranked No. 7 in our golfer ratings.
He nearly completed a dramatic comeback at the U.S. Open, finishing second after a blistering final round, and later held the 54-hole lead at the BMW Championship before faltering on Sunday against Scottie Scheffler.
At just 29 years old, MacIntyre looks like one of the most likely candidates in this group to convert strong contention into a defining career victory in the year ahead.
Robert Macintyre, SG Last 5 Years
| Event | Avg SG / Rd | Rounds | Total SG | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | 1.4 | 20 | 27.4 | 7 |
| BMW Championship | 3.4 | 7 | 24.0 | 2 |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | 1.9 | 12 | 22.4 | 7 |
| U.S. Open | 2.1 | 10 | 20.6 | 2 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | 2.1 | 8 | 16.8 | 11 |
| Travelers Championship | 1.8 | 8 | 14.3 | 16 |
| Masters Tournament | 1.2 | 10 | 12.5 | 12 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | 1.1 | 8 | 8.6 | 9 |
| PGA Championship | 0.4 | 18 | 7.0 | 8 |
| The Memorial | 1.7 | 4 | 6.9 | 20 |
| Genesis Invitational | 0.8 | 6 | 4.6 | 15 |
| Truist / Wells Fargo | 0.8 | 4 | 3.3 | 34 |
| Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 0.8 | 4 | 3.1 | 40 |
| RBC Heritage | -0.6 | 8 | -5.1 | 59 |
No. 10 – J.J. Spaun
J.J. Spaun had the surprise breakout season of 2025
J.J. Spaun has become one of the best stories in professional golf, a longtime journeyman who suddenly found another gear and turned it into sustained elite performance.
From the start of 2018 through mid-June of 2024, Spaun recorded just 11 career top-10 finishes, most of them coming in smaller-purse or fall events. Over the past year and a half alone, he’s nearly matched that total, adding 12 more top-10s as his game took a dramatic leap forward.
That surge was punctuated by a surprise U.S. Open victory, but it wasn’t an isolated result — Spaun also finished second place three different times last season, losing a playoff to Rory McIlroy at THE PLAYERS Championship, finishing runner-up at the Cognizant, and falling in another playoff at the FedEx St. Jude Championship to Justin Rose.
Based on his form over the last 18 months, Spaun now sits inside our Top 10 golfer rankings and profiles as a legitimate One-and-Done option while this late-career breakout holds.
J.J. Spaun, SG Last Five Years
| Event | Avg SG / Rd | Rounds | Total SG | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | 2.3 | 12 | 27.1 | 2 |
| Truist / Wells Fargo | 1.5 | 12 | 18.6 | 17 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | 1.1 | 12 | 12.7 | 2 |
| U.S. Open | 2.1 | 6 | 12.5 | 1 |
| BMW Championship | 1.4 | 8 | 11.6 | 23 |
| The Open Championship | 1.9 | 4 | 7.8 | 23 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | 0.6 | 10 | 6.2 | 31 |
| Masters Tournament | 0.7 | 8 | 5.6 | 23 |
| The Memorial | 0.9 | 6 | 5.6 | 30 |
| Travelers Championship | 0.3 | 12 | 3.7 | 14 |
| Genesis Invitational | 0.3 | 12 | 3.6 | 33 |
| PGA Championship | 0.4 | 8 | 3.2 | 37 |
| Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 0.2 | 14 | 2.5 | 16 |
| RBC Heritage | -0.2 | 8 | -1.9 | 42 |
Honorable Mention: Top Golfers for One and Done Pools (2026)
It was a close call to make it into our Top 10. Others who just missed the cut:
- Ben Griffin: has risen to No. 4 in our Golfer SG ratings based on continued strong performances in the fall, but has limited history of success in bigger events so far.
- Matt Fitzpatrick: just narrowly missed out and sits right inside the Top 10 after a strong close last year, but was beaten out narrowly by both MacIntyre and Spaun.
- Cameron Young: ranks just outside the Top 15 in our overall rankings, but coming off a strong close to the 2025 season.
- Sam Burns: consistently in the mix and just outside the top 10 in our rankings, but has not performed as well at the majors yet to boost him into this group.
- Collin Morikawa: has the reputation and historical results, but his 2025 form left something to be desired, and enters 2026 outside our Top 20 in golfer rankings.
- Hideki Matsuyama: certainly has the high peak to be used in Signature Events, but he sandwiched a win at The Sentry to open last year, and a win at the Hero World Challenge in December, with zero other Top 10 finishes in 2025, and as a result sits just outside our Top 20 overall.
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