GOLF.com: Tiger and Phil's Major Absence Puts Golf History in Sharp Relief at Royal Lytham

The First Major Season Without Tiger or Phil Since 1994

The 2026 major season made history for a somber reason: neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson appeared in a single major championship — the first such occurrence since 1994. At Royal Birkdale, five-time Open champion Tom Watson attended as a Global Ambassador for the R&A, but the absence of golf's two biggest modern icons cast a long shadow over the summer.

Michael Bamberger of GOLF.com hopes that both players might eventually return to the game's biggest stages, not as competitors, but as ambassadors in the tradition of Watson, Ernie Els, and Annika Sorenstam.

Lytham: Where Annika Made History

The Women's Open Championship heads to Royal Lytham & St. Annes, where Annika Sorenstam completed her career Grand Slam in 2003. Bamberger, who covered that championship firsthand, recalls Annika's signature precision — including once asking a playing partner to mark her ball from 130-plus yards away before playing her approach shot.

Annika famously spent her final Sunday doing laundry and watching Saving Private Ryan before driving to the course to win by a single shot over Se-Ri Pak.

Nelly Korda's Moment at Lytham

The reigning U.S. Women's Open champion Nelly Korda now has the opportunity to write her own chapter at the same venue. With Lydia Ko, Charley Hull, and Jeeno Thitikul also in the mix, Lytham's links are set for a compelling finish.

Senior Spotlight: Jerry Kelly Wins at 59

At the Senior British Open at Gleneagles' King's Course, Jerry Kelly claimed victory at age 59 — a remarkable achievement that Bamberger argues should carry more Hall of Fame weight than it currently does.

Strokeslab Editorial View

The generational pivot in professional golf is accelerating. As Scheffler, Schauffele, and McIlroy build their legacies, tracking their Strokes Gained trajectories across major championships will tell the defining data story of this new era.