Bold Predictions for the 2022 PGA Tour Season, Including Major Winners

Time for some 2022 PGA Tour predictions.

Despite COVID, the past year was pretty amazing in the world of golf. Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship (in case you were one of the 7 people on Planet Earth he didn’t personally tell).

Team USA took the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in a rout. We had the first Asian winner of the Masters, making Hideki Matsuyama a demigod in golf-crazy Japan.

Colin Morikawa added another Major at The Open, taking him to the halfway mark of the career Grand Slam. And big Jon Rahm won the first of what everyone believes will be multiple Majors, when he took the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

It will be a tough season to top. But allow me to make some predictions based on what I see happening in 2022. In no particular order:

–Justin Thomas will capture another Major. I’m not sure which one – his game suits virtually any course in the world – but JT is just too good to be stuck at one Major.

At 28 years old, JT is entering what has traditionally been the prime of a golfer’s career. The next five years should see him add a couple more Majors.

–Jordan Spieth will win at least one event this year. He emerged from a 3.5 year downturn when he won the Valero Texas Open last April and followed it up with a T-3 at the Masters and a solo 2nd at The Open. That’s a trend I like. He’s becoming more of a technician with his swing, a sign of maturing as a player who still has that fire burning inside.

Like Thomas, Spieth is entering that career Golden Hour in his late 20s when good players tend to take another step forward matching early career successes with experience on Tour. The golf world would love a Spieth resurgence, so he’ll have lots of fans to buoy his spirits.

–Jon Rahm may have broken the dam with his U.S. Open win. He is arguably the most complete player on Tour. Long off the tee, a powerful iron player, and a hint of Spanish wizardry around the green, makes him a threat to win any tournament he plays. If he adds another Major this year, no one will be surprised.

–Collin Morikawa isn’t the longest off the tee. His putting has typically been his Achilles heel. But his irons…my goodness. He is the best iron player in the world. I won’t accept any other nominations.

Word is that Morikawa has beefed up a little in the off season. If he adds 10 yards to his average driving distance and can just putt in the top 75 in Total Putting (he was 117 last season) he will win multiple events. If his putter catches fire at any single tournament, look out. He’s almost impossible to beat when he’s rolling it well.

–Brooks Koepka will remain an enigma. The talent and killer instinct is there in spades. The body is the thing that’s been keeping him down.

He is a threat to win every time out. I feel certain he’ll have a week this year where he blitzes the field at an event and we all wonder why he doesn’t win every week. I think this is the year we find out if Koepka will be a perennial Major contender for the next 5-10 years, or if his body just isn’t up to the task.

–Dustin Johnson is 37 years old. If that doesn’t make you feel old, I don’t know what will. Typically, this is when the window starts to close a hair on Major winners. Yes, there are exceptions – Phil at the PGA, Jack in ‘86 at the Masters, and a handful of other Major winners in their 40’s. But those are outliers. That’s especially true today with the young talent on Tour in today’s game.

Dustin is a great athlete and looks like a guy that might stay in the mix for another 5-10 years. I think he will. Look for him to win at least once this year, but Southern Hills, Brookline, and St. Andrew’s don’t look like courses that fit him well. The Masters may be his best chance in 2022 to contend for a Major.

-Speaking of make-or-break years, may I present Rory McIlroy. We all love Rory. The game is better when he is in the mix at Majors. He’s daring, incredibly talented, and his joy of the game always shines through.

I will be honest and tell you I have no idea what Rory will look like this year. He could win a Major or miss 10 cuts. I just know I’ll be watching.

-Bryson DeChambeau. That’s the prediction – Bryson DeChambeau. I don’t know what it will be, but he’ll do something jaw-dropping, amazing, stupid, childish, and sweet this year. Yes, he’ll do all of those things. I don’t have any idea what those things will be, but the golf world will continue to be fascinated with him.

-Finally, Xander Schauffele. I got to interview him this past year and I instantly became a fan. I’m a columnist, not a journalist, so I can play favorites.

Xander is one of those players that gets an A- in every class. He does everything really well, but there’s not one part of his game that blows you away. Speaking to him, I realized his special skill is the mental game. At the Tour level, it’s usually the mental game the separates the best from the rest of the pack.

Xander has the game to win Majors. I think after a brilliant Ryder Cup performance (and epic celebration) Xander knows he belongs among the best in the game. Sometimes, that’s the last piece of the puzzle.

Unlike DJ, I love Xander’s game at Southern Hills, Brookline, St. Andrews, and even Augusta. All four require patience and steadiness. None of these are bombers paradises. Xander fits that bill. I look for him to win a Major this year.

I don’t think Xander is a top 4 player yet, but the best players don’t always win the Majors. Xander can match anyone in the world on a given day. He, like JT and Spieth, is entering that career sweet spot and he’s poised to take another step forward.

That’s it. Happy New Year to all. May your handicap drop this year, may the cart girl always hit you twice on each nine, and may the fairway rise to meet you.