GOLF'S MAJOR SEASON COMPRESSED INTO 100 DAYS

Golf's four major championships are completed within a span of barely 100 days each year, according to reporting from the sport. The 2026 major season runs from the Masters in late spring through the Open Championship in mid-summer, leaving approximately nine months before the cycle begins again. Rory McIlroy observed that the schedule appears to accelerate annually. Scottie Scheffler noted the compressed timeframe, stating that major tournaments occur in quick succession.

The tight calendar results from several scheduling changes affecting professional golf. The PGA Championship moved from August to May in 2019, partly to allow the PGA Tour to conclude its playoffs before the National Football League season begins. The relocation also enables the PGA Championship to utilise additional venues, including a new flagship course in Frisco, Texas, which would present difficulties if the tournament remained in August. The Players Championship's shift from May to March creates agronomic advantages for that course during the cooler months.

Players rarely publicly address factors beyond their control, though McIlroy represents an exception to this convention. Scheffler acknowledged the rapid turnaround between majors but indicated that scheduling decisions fall outside his sphere of influence. The compressed schedule means that by the time golf's major season concludes, other significant sporting events—including college football national championships, American football Super Bowls and Winter Olympics—have already occurred.