Scheffler’s Historic Milestone, Cink’s Senior Surge, and the LPGA Returns
In this week’s “The Starter,” PGA professional Brendon Elliott, a three-decade industry veteran, gives his thoughts on the week that was in golf for Ror.g. Scottie Scheffler joins Tiger and Jack in an exclusive club with his 20th career win before turning 30. Stewart Cink opens the Champions season with back-to-back victories. Ian Holt finally breaks through in the Bahamas. And the LPGA Tour kicks off 2026 at Lake Nona.
Scheffler’s Historic Start: 20 Wins Before 30
Rust? What Rust?
Scottie Scheffler doesn’t rust.
The world No. 1 opened his 2026 season exactly how he closed 2025: winning golf tournaments. Scheffler cruised to a four-shot victory at The American Express in La Quinta, California, posting 27-under par across three desert courses to claim his 20th career PGA TOUR title.
Think about that number for a second. Twenty wins. All of them are coming in just four years. Scheffler joined Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to reach 20 wins and four major championships before turning 30. Woods got there at 24 years, 5 months, and 19 days. Scheffler did it at 29 years, 7 months, and 4 days.
“To be honest, I had not really thought about that very much,” Scheffler said after his win. “That’s a pretty cool feat to get to.”
The victory also earned Scheffler lifetime membership on TOUR, though given his current trajectory, that feels like the least interesting thing about his career right now.
Elite Wedge Play
What stood out most this week was Scheffler’s wedge play. He led the field with 32 birdies and consistently stuck approach shots inside five feet. On Sunday, he converted eight birdie putts from that range, making the final round feel more like a victory lap than a competition.
“There’s a big difference between hitting a chip to a foot versus five feet,” Scheffler explained. “If I hit it to a foot I’m probably never going to miss that putt. But if you hit it to five feet your percentages go down.”
The math is simple, but executing under pressure is what separates Scheffler from everyone else right now. Since his T-20 at The Players last March, he hasn’t finished worse than T-8 in 17 worldwide starts. That stretch includes seven wins.
The Supporting Cast
Jason Day, Ryan Gerard, Matt McCarty and Andrew Putnam all finished T-2 at 23-under. Day’s closing 64 was the round of the day and gave him his 100th career top-10 finish.
The week’s other compelling story was 18-year-old Blades Brown, who played eight consecutive days of competitive golf between the Korn Ferry Tour event in the Bahamas and The American Express. Brown shot 60 on Friday at the Nicklaus Tournament Course and found himself in the final pairing Sunday with Scheffler and Si Woo Kim.
The teenager struggled to a 74 on Sunday, but the experience was invaluable. “Getting to play with Scottie Scheffler in the final group at 18 years old, I had to pinch myself a couple times,” Brown said. “One of the coolest things I learned today was how underrated Scottie Scheffler’s short game is.”
Brown finished T-18 but gained something more important than a paycheck: a front-row seat to watch the best player in the world do what he does best.
Cink Continues Dominance: Champions Tour Season Opens Strong
Stewart Cink is picking up right where he left off.
The reigning Charles Schwab Cup champion and 2025 Player of the Year opened the 2026 PGA TOUR Champions season with a victory at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Hawaii. Cink’s bogey-free 64 on Sunday gave him a three-shot win at 23-under par.
This marks Cink’s fifth win in just 37 starts on the senior circuit. More impressively, he’s now won back-to-back tournaments dating to the 2025 Charles Schwab Cup Championship in November. He’s the first player to accomplish that feat since Ángel Cabrera won consecutive majors last year.
“It’s been a great start to my career,” the 52-year-old said. “It’s been special.”
Cink led the field in birdies with 24 and tied for the lead in driving distance at 312.2 yards. His combination of length and accuracy continues to overwhelm fields that include some of the game’s all-time greats.
Cabrera finished second at 20-under in his first start at Hualalai. World Golf Hall of Famer Retief Goosen matched Cink’s 64 on Sunday to finish third at 18-under.
Bernhard Langer, 68, shot his age or better for the second straight day and 37th time overall on PGA TOUR Champions. The ageless wonder finished T-9 and remains one of the tour’s most consistent performers.
Korn Ferry Tour: Holt Breaks Through For First Win in the Bahamas
Ian Holt finally broke through.
The 30-year-old converted his first 54-hole lead into his first Korn Ferry Tour victory, closing with a 1-over 71 to win The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic by one shot at 12-under par.
Holt countered five bogeys with six birdies, including a crucial two-putt birdie at the par-5 18th to seal the win. The victory came in his 45th career start on the Korn Ferry Tour.
“It’s something that’s always kind of been eating at me, sitting there not actually having a win,” Holt said.
Holt becomes the third consecutive player to make this event his first Korn Ferry Tour win, following Sudarshan Yellamaraju in 2025 and Aldrich Potgieter in 2024.
Alistair Docherty and Justin Hastings finished T-2 at 11-under. Docherty closed with the low round of the day, a 6-under 66, to match his career-best finish on tour.
The win moves Holt to No. 1 on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour points list and gives him momentum heading into next week’s event.
Reed’s Patient Victory: First DP World Tour Title in Six Years
Staying Steady
Patrick Reed stayed patient and collected his first DP World Tour victory in six years at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Reed led by four shots entering Sunday’s final round at Emirates Golf Club and never let anyone get too close, closing with an even-par 72 for a four-shot win at 14-under par.
“I think the biggest thing this week that was so special is I’ve won on every tour except this one,” Reed said. “Even though online it says I have three wins, one was a Major and two were WGC events. So they are all co-sanctioned events.”
The 35-year-old’s previous DP World Tour win came at the 2020 WGC-Mexico Championship. This victory at a Rolex Series event marks his fourth career title on the tour.
Weathering the Storm
Reed’s front nine was shaky. He made eight pars and one bogey as David Puig briefly cut the lead to one shot. But Reed birdied the 10th and 13th holes while Puig stumbled, and the American cruised home with five straight pars.
Andy Sullivan finished second at 10-under after closing with back-to-back birdies. Julien Guerrier took third at 9-under.
Rory McIlroy’s chances of a record-extending fifth Dubai title never materialized. The Northern Irishman finished T-33, well off the pace in his 2026 debut.
LPGA Season Begins: Tournament of Champions Returns
The LPGA Tour kicks off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Florida, with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
This limited-field event features tournament winners from the past two seasons competing for a $2 million purse. Last year, A Lim Kim responded to a late charge by Nelly Korda with three birdies over her final four holes to win by two shots.
The tournament, which started in 2019, serves as the perfect season opener. The field is strong but not overwhelming, and the Florida weather typically cooperates. It’s a chance for players to shake off the rust and get competitive rounds under their belts before the season ramps up.
Coverage and Momentum
Coverage begins Wednesday with featured groups streaming online, followed by television coverage Thursday through Sunday. Golf Channel and NBC will split broadcast duties throughout the week.
The women’s game continues to grow in popularity and prize money. This season promises more of the same compelling storylines that made 2025 such a success.