PGA Tour Early-Season Report: Who’s Setting the Pace?

We're now seven tournaments into the 2026 PGA Tour season and it hasn't taken long for some compelling storylines to emerge.

A handful of golfers have already elevated their status, others haven't quite met expectations and a few names are quietly positioning themselves for a strong stretch ahead. Let's take a look at who's stood out and who deserves attention going forward.

2026 PGA Tour Winners

Sony Open in Hawaii – Chris Gotterup (-16)

The American Express – Scottie Scheffler (-27)

Farmers Insurance Open – Justin Rose (-23)

WM Phoenix Open – Chris Gotterup (-16)

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – Collin Morikawa (-22)

The Genesis Invitational – Jacob Bridgeman (-18)

The Cognizant Classic – Nico Echavarria (-17)

The 26-year-old Chris Gotterup made his mark early this season, winning the Sony Open to kick off the year and then a few weeks later collecting more hardware at the Waste Management 

Despite already having two trophies in his repertoire, Gotterup sits 12th in Strokes Gained: Total, for the period spanning from the season opener through last week's tournament at The Genesis Invitational.

It only took Scottie one tournament to remind the Tour why he's the world's No. 1, winning The American Express in his first start of the year. Since then, he's fallen off – well, at least by Scheffler standards.

He followed up the win with a T-3 at the WM Phoenix Open, a T-4 at Pebble Beach and a T-12 at The Genesis Invitational.

Slower starts have forced him to dig out of deeper holes than we're accustomed to seeing. Still, it feels like it's only a matter of time before he clicks for all four rounds again.

Collin Morikawa got a much-needed win after a tumultuous 2025 season. The California native defended home turf at Pebble Beach a couple weeks ago, standing atop the leaderboard for the first time since the 2023 ZOZO Championship.

Golfers to Keep an Eye on

Pierceson Coody

There's been a handful of players who have put themselves on notice, but none more than Pierceson Coody. The 26-year-old Texas native has five top-20 finishes through six tournaments. His worst result so far was a T-48 at Pebble Beach, while his highlight was a T-2 at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Coody currently sits 13th in SG: Total and has been outstanding off the tee, ranking eighth in both SG: Off the Tee and SG: Tee to Green.

Jacob Bridgeman 

It took until the 100th playing of the Genesis Invitational to see its first debutant winner, but the victory shouldn't have come as much of a surprise. Leading up to Bridgeman's first career win, he posted finishes of T-4 at the Sony Open, T-13 at The American Express, T-18 at the WM Phoenix Open and T-8 the week prior at Pebble Beach.

Bridgeman ranks fourth in SG: Total, second in SG: Putting and sixth in SG: Approach. Until proven otherwise, the 26-year-old has shown he can consistently hang with the big boys.

Ryan Gerard

Ryan Gerard, along with Shane Lowry, was one of the favorites heading into the Cognizant Classic. Lowry held his own until he choked the trophy away at the Bear Trap, posting consecutive double bogeys for the first time in his career. As for Gerard, after a disastrous opening-round 73, he bounced back over the next three rounds to finish at -7, good for a T-23.

There were many reasons he was the chalk at PGA National, but one of the biggest was his recent form. He began the season with a runner-up finish at the Sony Open, followed by another second-place showing at The American Express. His worst outing was a T-45 at Pebble Beach.

Gerard should continue to warrant respect, and he's someone you'll want to keep monitoring going forward.

Jake Knapp

Jake Knapp isn't necessarily flying under the radar. He's well known and respected by fans and bettors alike. However, I'm mentioning him because despite his profile setting up nicely for several of the courses he's played this year, along with his continuous strong play, it feels like the betting market hasn't fully recognized it.

There's been betting value on Knapp so far, and I'm looking for that to continue. His "worst" start was actually his first of the season – a T-11 finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Since then, he's finished T-8 or better in four straight tournaments.

Seven tournaments into the season, and the market is still adjusting, giving us quality betting opportunities. Some guys are breaking out, some are steady as ever, and a few still aren't getting the respect they probably deserve. This early stretch has already given us plenty to keep an eye on as the schedule really starts to heat up.

With two signature events over the next three weeks – the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week and The Players shortly after – there should be plenty of great action on the links ahead.

Other Golf Content at Betting News

Want to learn more strategy when it comes to betting on the links? Take a look at our golf betting guide:

• How to Bet on Golf: Types of Golf Bets You Can Make at Online Sports Betting Sites

Our sports betting guides also include helpful resources for golf handicapping, like our breakdown on futures bets and live betting.

Still Didn't Get Your Betting Fix?

Follow me on X @dannyburke5 for all my picks, analysis and plenty more. Also be sure to follow Betting News on 'X' and Twitch to catch us on stream! Betting News is also on TikTok! Follow us for more sports picks and news every day and check out our Free Expert Picks for every major sports league.

Check Out All of Our Betting Resources at Betting News