Winners, losers, questions from the PGA Tour’s West Coast Swing

My heart remains at Riviera Country Club, but my body is in the middle seat on the way home. There’s no better time to reflect on the PGA Tour’s West Coast Swing: the good, the bad, the rumors, the mysterious.

Here are some winners, losers and questions from the opening stages of the 2026 PGA Tour season.

WINNER: The 26 year olds

Chris Gotterup won two of the first four events on this year’s calendar (given unusual circumstances, we’re treating the Sony as a half-member of this year’s West Coast Swing), played his best when things got their most chaotic at the WM Phoenix Open and established himself as a fan favorite, a proven winner and perhaps the best player on Tour aged 26 or younger.

His current competition for that highly unofficial title includes the man who just won at Riviera; Jacob Brugmanlike Gotterup, is 26. And while Gotterup took the weekend off (he missed the Genesis recording), Bridgeman knocked everyone out for three days and stuck around on Sunday to establish that he, too, has what it takes.

LOSER: Hawaii x PGA Tour

Is the PGA Tour returning to Hawaii? Next year? Ever? It skipped Kapalua this year under controversial circumstances. The Sony sponsorship just ended. As the powers that be continue to reconsider the Tour’s optimal schedule, Hawaii remains a logistical challenge without a “major market.” How high will Rolapp and Co. value continuity, tradition and nostalgia? We’ll see.

QUESTION: Where are the 25 year olds?

Speaking of age, it’s shocking to scroll through your preferred version of the world rankings and be surprised at the lack of young stars. The 26 year olds may be having a moment, but we’re still waiting for the next young wave to emerge. There is no reason to despair: Akshay Bhatia (24), the Hojgaard twins (also 24) and the Michaels (Brennan And Thorbjornseneach 24) could all be on the verge of a breakthrough. But now that Tom Kim is in a bit of trouble, it feels like we’re looking for Who’s Next. (Shoutout also to Knives Brownwho stole the show for much of the week in Palm Springs.)

WINNER: The 45 year olds

Okay, I promise this entire list isn’t about age. Let’s start with some hypocrisy: I wish if we talked about it Justin Rose And Adam Scott that we would concentrate fewer at their age. But it’s a neat way to combine two particularly impressive West Coast shows; Rose’s big win at Torrey Pines is worth extra points, of course, but Scott’s Sunday 63 to finish fourth at Riviera was nothing to scoff at either. These guys are remarkably similar ages, have had remarkably similar careers, and are currently performing at remarkably similar levels. Let’s get them on a notable leaderboard at the Masters.

LOSER: The Scandinavians

While athletes from Norway and Sweden dominated the Winter Olympics, their PGA Tour counterparts had a slightly tougher time on the West Coast. Victor Hovland And Ludvig Aberg are among the Tour’s brightest talents and fan favorites, but neither has had its best time this year.

Hovland had a strong start at the WM Phoenix Open (T10), but less so at Pebble Beach (T58) and Riviera (T41), where the talk is more on training aids then his scores.

And Aberg fell seriously ill for the second time in a row at the West Coast Swing – but if there is any good news, it is that he appears to be on an upward trend. The choice of WD-MC-T37-T20 means he’s on his way to a Masters victory, I guess?

(In other Scandinavian news, Alex Noren went MC-MC in Palm Springs and San Diego, but his T12 in Riviera was also encouraging. And representing Denmark, the Hojgaard twins have each shown encouraging signs; Nicolai finished T3 at the WM and was one hole away from the battle for victory.)

QUESTION: Will Tiger Woods play the Masters?

Tiger Forest hinted that he might try. Then he hinted that he would try it a second time. I don’t know if he shallbut I think he told us the truth: if he can, he will.

LOSER: Scottie Scheffler’s Thursday

Scottie Scheffler first Thursday of the season was a 63 at the American Express. So it’s particularly shocking that he’s only No. 116 on Tour in Round 1 with an average score. And it was strange to see him in last place when play was stopped last Thursday. Still …

WINNER: Scottie Scheffler’s Other Days

Considering he was in last place on Friday morning and had to make a seven-foot curler on 18 to stay within the cut line, Scheffler’s T12 was another remarkable display of skill and determination. Sure, it broke his streak of 18 consecutive Tour top 10s. But it only reinforced the idea that if you play enough rounds of golf, Scheffler will eventually rise to the top. Four tournaments later, this is what his scoring average looks like per round:

Round 1: 70.50 (116th)

Round 2: 65.75 (2nd)

Round 3: 67.00 (7th)

Round 4: 64.50 (2nd)

(If you were wondering who could beat that 64.5: Will Zalatoris played a fourth round this year and shot 64.)

QUESTION: What the heck is going on with Scheffler on Thursday?

My best guess is still some version of “nothing, really; this was just a weird blip on the radar.” After all, last year he led the Tour on the first lap and has had some funky starts in strange circumstances. Let’s wait for a larger sample size before we panic here.

WINNER: California Children

I’m thinking of two in particular: Collin Morikawawho won for the first time in too long at Pebble Beach, and Jake Handsomewho just quietly put together the best stretch of golf of his life. Knapp has not finished worse than T11 in five starts this year. Morikawa’s win was meaningful on several levels: because of how long ago it was, because of where it took place, because of everything that was involved, because he and his wife are having a baby on the way. It’s good to see West Coast kids eating up the West Coast Swing. And then of course there was a Californian sensation in the winner’s circle…

LOSER: Anthony Kim’s haters and doubters

I write this ironically; I think Anthony Kim‘s victory showed how many people have been by his side all along, looking for something special. But he used a chip on his shoulder to get this far, and his shot at the haters showed that he will continue to build on that. It’s especially worth recognizing that one of golf’s biggest moments happened this month at LIV Golf, with a unique comeback story that capped off with an electric finish to a story that had been a decade in the making.

QUESTION: What’s next for Jon Rahm, LIV and the DP World Tour?

The big picture: This is one of the most compelling questions of pro golf going forward; LIV and the DP World Tour still seem to be in an uneasy coexistence and I’m curious to see how that will resolve. For now, the DPWT has reached a temporary truce with some of its LIV members, allowing them to play on both circuits and remain eligible for the Ryder Cup. But why not Jon Rahm one of the players who took that deal, and is there a chance in the world that he doesn’t play in the European Ryder Cup team next year?

WINNER: CBS Golf Coverage

These courses look great in person, they look great on television, and CBS continues to innovate to amplify their coverage.

Even the little things go a long way.

LOSER: Soggy conditions

There has been a lot of discussion about moving these major West Coast stops to later in the PGA Tour schedule. A cold, soggy pebble beach followed by a cold, soggy Riviera made the whole thing that much more appealing, with fans shivering on the rope lines and golf balls plugging into the greens. Two perfect weekend days wrapped up the Genesis in style, and wet and windy can be entertaining on Pebble, but they still lacked some of the firm, fast character it has at its best.

QUESTION: So are we doing the August West Coast thing?

I leave California even more confused than I arrived. On paper, it seems smart to have the best courses in the biggest spots on the PGA Tour calendar; what could be cooler than Pebble and Riviera as playoff locations? But there are problems with both sites at that time of year. Pebble has a car show and a full tee sheet and it’s not close enough to a population center to draw a playoff-worthy crowd. In LA, locals suggested that the golf crowd would be out of town by August and that the current spot on the calendar is actually optimal for people to actually attend.

If I were in charge, my top priority would be to move the playoff events out of the hellish August humidity of Atlanta and Memphis. I don’t need them in California, though: Boston, Chicago and Seattle are on their way, as are a dozen other medium to large cities with ideal summer days. I’m curious to see where they land, though.

And what the West Coast Swing will look like next year, and the year after that, and when we’ll gaze upon golf’s glorious coastlines again.

We’ll see you in Florida.

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