Our 2022 Major Championship Predictions

It may still be over two months before the men's major championship seasons gets underway at Augusta National, and although predicting major championship winners months in advance is arguably pointless, we thought 'why not' and have given it a bash anyway.

So, neck on the block time, here's the golfers we've tipped for major championship glory in 2022.

The Masters 2022

When: April 7 - April 10
Where: Augusta National
2021 Champion: Hideki Matsuyama
Shortlist: Rahm, Spieth, Schauffele, Smith, Im

Our 2022 Masters Champion: Jon Rahm

It seems only a matter of time before Jon Rahm is presented with a Green Jacket on Masters Sunday in Butler Cabin, and we can't wait until that day arrives.

After breaking his major duck at last year's U.S. Open, Rahm will be keen to join his compatriots Ballesteros, Olazabal and Garcia in donning one of the rarest and most prestigious garments in global sport.

He's the official best player in the world and has four top 10s at Augusta in each of the last four years. He will likely start Masters week as the firm favourite, and it's hard to argue with that.

For what it's worth, we think he's got a great chance of following up his win at Torrey Pines last year with another scintillating performance this April on the hallowed fairways of Augusta National.

PGA Championship 2022

When: May 19 - May 22
Where: Southern Hills C.C.
2021 Champion: Phil Mickelson
Shortlist: Hovland, Morikawa, Thomas, Smith, Wolff

Our 2022 PGA Champion: Viktor Hovland

There's generally a maiden major champion each year, and we think 2022 could be Viktor Hovland's time to shine.

Now ranked 7th in the world, Hovland won twice at the tail end of last year - three times in 2021 overall. Although yet to post a single top-10, he has given a good account of himself in his major championship starts to date.

The 2022 PGA Championship takes place at Southern Hills in Oklahoma, where Hovland went to college and continues to live.

We hope that familiarity - and the fact that he's got serious game - will help the young Norweigan bag a major title early on in his career.

U.S. Open 2022

When: June 16 - June 19
Where: The Country Club in Brookline
2021 Champion: Jon Rahm
Shortlist: Morikawa, Schauffele, Rahm, Koepka, Burns

Our 2022 U.S. Open Champion: Collin Morikawa

It would have been so easy to flag up Collin Morikawa as our man for all four major championships in 2022, such has been his recent level of play. He is simply a complete ball-striking machine!

Last year he followed up a second major championship title by becoming the first American to land the European Tour's Race to Dubai crown.

Now with two legs of his career grand slam already achieved, he will add a third if our 2022 U.S. Open prediction comes to pass. 🙏

150th Open Championship

When: July 14 - July 17
Where: St Andrews  
2021 Champion: Collin Morikawa
Shortlist: Spieth, Morikawa, Cantlay, Oosthuizen, McIlroy

Our 2022 Champion Golfer of the Year: Jordan Spieth

Of all the men's majors, trying to select the winner of the Open Championship this early is far from advisable.  Throw in a bit of rough weather and a bad draw for one or two of the favourites and immediately the form book could go out of the window altogether.

Now, with our disclaimer firmly in place, on with the early selection.

We're pinning our hopes on 2017 champion Jordan Spieth at this year's historic 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.

After enduring a period dogged by head-scratching swing problems, Spieth managed to post a strong 2021 and went so close at Royal St George's.

Just a couple of years ago we were questioning whether the former world number one would ever contend in regular Tour events again; now the discussion has flipped on its head and we're wondering when a fourth major title will arrive.

We're predicting it will be at some point this year.

Now that we've selected our four major champions for 2022, you know who to steer clear of when you're picking your own. 😜