The thrilling conclusion at Sawgrass last weekend not only crowned a deserving Players champion but also highlighted key contenders to watch in upcoming major tournaments over the next four months.
While Cameron Young’s performance in securing his biggest victory to date was impressive – even with my own earlier prediction of him winning a major in 2026 – it’s his playing partner who has truly captured my attention.
At one point last season, there were understandable concerns about Matt Fitzpatrick’s form and his prospects of making Europe’s Ryder Cup team for the Bethpage event in September. By the PGA Championship in May, he had yet to achieve a top-20 finish that season and had dropped to 85th in the world rankings.
An eighth-place tie at Quail Hollow offered a temporary reprieve for his critics. He then secured a top-10 finish at the Rocket Classic in late June, albeit in a weaker field. As the Ryder Cup approached, the Sheffield native rededicated himself, showcasing why he’s a former US Open champion and a premier European talent.
Achieving top-five finishes at the Scottish Open and subsequently The Open Championship at Royal Portrush demonstrated crucial signs of a return to form. His FedEx Cup journey concluded at the BMW Championship, the second stage of the PGA Tour’s playoffs, after which Fitzpatrick shifted his focus to European events.
Initially hesitant to captain Luke Donald regarding participation in the British Masters at The Belfry and the Omega European Masters in Switzerland, Fitzpatrick ultimately complied with Donald’s request. Strong finishes in these events solidified Donald’s confidence, leading to Fitzpatrick’s selection for his third consecutive Ryder Cup, joining a largely unchanged European squad that defeated America in 2023.
During the first session on Long Island, he and Ludvig Aberg triumphed over Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley in foursomes. Later, despite holding a 5-up lead at one point, Fitzpatrick secured a crucial half-point in his Sunday singles match against Bryson DeChambeau, helping Europe edge across the finish line to claim the trophy on foreign soil.
The year 2025 proved to be a mix of highs and lows for the 31-year-old, a US Open champion from 2022. In March, just five months after marrying his girlfriend, Katherine Gaal (a former Miss New Jersey runner-up), he parted ways with his longtime caddie, Billy Foster. Their shared triumph in Brookline will forever be a highlight.
Fitzpatrick also ended his long-standing partnership with coach Mike Walker, who had guided his development since childhood. Following this, he teamed up with Mark Blackburn, a renowned instructor for numerous PGA Tour players. Fitzpatrick noted that Blackburn was the first coach in 15 years to analyze his swing who wasn’t Walker or the legendary Pete Cowen.
This change finally yielded results in November when Fitzpatrick defeated Rory McIlroy in a playoff to secure his third career DP World Tour Championship title in Dubai. It was unfortunate the season concluded shortly after, but his swing, which now incorporates a distinctive foot movement in 2026 – seemingly designed to prevent an overly inside approach while generating speed – appears revitalized.
He demonstrated exceptional play during the closing stages at TPC Sawgrass, widely considered one of golf’s most demanding and intimidating championship courses, particularly with its challenging final three holes, centered around the iconic par-3 17th.
Fitzpatrick is clearly gaining momentum. While he meticulously records every shot’s outcome in his notepad at each tournament, his confidence now radiates from those very pages. His current form evokes memories of his lead-up to the US Open years ago, where he outplayed Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler to claim his maiden major title.
That year, he had achieved four top-10 finishes by the Masters and was a strong contender for the PGA Championship at Southern Hills. It was then, seeing him at 25/1 odds to win the US Open, that I was astonished – not only was his game peaking, but he was also driving the ball further than ever with a newly acquired swing speed.
His career highlight – and coincidentally my most memorable sports betting moment, of which there are few – came from one of the greatest shots in major history: a precise fairway bunker shot that navigated a grassy lip directly onto the heart of the 18th green.
It feels as though Fitzpatrick has regained that commanding form. While bogeying the final hole at Sawgrass when in contention, as he did on Sunday, can occur, it also underscores Young’s superb display of competitive composure, culminating in a birdie on that iconic island green on the penultimate hole.
In 2025, J.J. Spaun finished runner-up to McIlroy at The Players Championship, then remarkably went on to win the US Open at Oakmont. This achievement was largely overlooked as the golf world celebrated McIlroy’s career Grand Slam victory at the Masters in April.
This time, we won’t underestimate Fitzpatrick. Golf data analysts will further affirm that, based on current metrics and statistics, Fitzpatrick ranks among the world’s elite players, with his short game and approach play particularly standing out.
Now past 30, Fitzpatrick still carries the demeanor of the young, smiling boy who won the US Amateur in 2013, at the very same course where he later triumphed at the US Open. A family member of mine recalls meeting and conversing with his mother, Susan, during the prestigious Carris Trophy held at Royal Cinque Ports a year prior.
Fitzpatrick finished third in that event, three shots behind the winner, Patrick Kelly.
The Carris Trophy, established in 1935, is the English Boys Under-18 Open Amateur Stroke-Play Championship. The same family member encountered the Fitzpatrick family again on Dover’s high street the following day – a noticeable change of scenery from their hometown of Sheffield.
While many hope his compatriot Tommy Fleetwood will soon secure a major victory, we can also anticipate this popular Yorkshireman will be a strong contender at the top of major leaderboards throughout 2026.
I simply have a strong intuition about this.
