Who Could Be Golf's Next First Time Major Champion

The second major of the season is here in the PGA Championship, and there's a lot of names heavily tipped for the title. Could Rory McIlroy carry on winning? Or will Xander Schauffele defend his title. Or could it be someone else's turn to bask in the major glory? We all remember McIlroy's impressive US Open victory in 2011 after being on the tour for just a few years, or Scottie Scheffler's victory at Augusta in 2022. But who could be the next golfer to win their first major title? Here’s some of our favourites.

Ludvig Aberg

If I was a betting man, I'd feel fairly safe sticking a large sum of money on the youngster from Sweden to be the next in line for the debut major title. With an early win in the season at the Genesis Invitational, Aberg is looking set for a strong year. Finishing in a bitter second place at Augusta last season, and 7th place this year, the increased pressure of the majors will not prevent the Swede from succeeding.

Tommy Fleetwood

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

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The 34-year-old from Southport, currently ranked 13th in the world, is yet to get his first victory on the PGA Tour - let alone his major title. However, he has as a good a chance as the rest of this list. A T4 finish in the recent Truist Championship and a 7th place finish the week before in the RBC Heritage, could the Englishman secure his first PGA Tour victory in the form of a major? - and secure his Ryder Cup spot in the doing.

Patrick Cantlay

The experienced American already has a great deal of tour wins under belt, alongside a plethora of top 10 finishes. However, he is yet to do the business on a major weekend. Currently ranked 14th in the world, Cantlay has shown bright sparks so far this season, having made three top 10 finishes. Could it be Cantlay who joins the major winners group next?

Viktor Hovland

Currently sat 11th in the world rankings, the Norwegian has had nothing short of an interesting start to the season. After missing the cut three starts in a row, it was clear that Hovland was having some issues with his game. Until out of the blue he turned up to the Valspar Championship and walked home with the trophy. The European did follow it by admitting he still desired more from his game, but could he have his game ready for the biggest weekends of the season?

Tyrrell Hatton

Hatton is another name who seems to have been in waiting for their first major for some time now. The LIV golfer has proved his talent on the big stages of the majors many times. Quail Hollow is a course that resonates with his game and his iron proficiency, notably securing a third-place finish there at the Wells Fargo Championship in 2023. The US Open at Oakmont will also suit his game quite heavily, giving him the chance to finally secure his first ever major title.

Russell Henley

Over the past few years Henley has made a steady move up the world rankings, to where he sits 8th in the world at the time of writing. Winning the highly regarded Arnold Palmer Invitational early in the season, it is clear that Henley is on form and has the ability to be a major champion, but could the pressure be preventing him? A disappointing missed cut at the Masters suggests possibly, but with three more majors to play this season there is still plenty of time for the American to claim a coveted major victory.

These are our top names for who could be the next first-time major champion. There is proving to be a lot of talented players hitting top form this season, so none of these victories will come easy for our group. Who do you think could be the next to claim their first major victory?

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