Men's major golf championships

The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships,[1] and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf. In order of play date, they are:

Jack Nicklaus, winner of a record 18 majors.

Importance

Alongside the biennial Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup team competitions, the majors are golf's marquee events. Elite players from all over the world participate in them, and the reputations of the greatest players in golf history are largely based on the number and variety of major championship victories they accumulate. The top prizes are not actually the largest in golf, being surpassed by The Players Championship, three of the four World Golf Championships events (the HSBC Champions, promoted to WGC status in 2009, has a top prize comparable to that of the majors), and some other invitational events. However, winning a major boosts a player's career far more than winning any other tournament. If he is already a leading player, he will probably receive large bonuses from his sponsors and may be able to negotiate better contracts. If he is an unknown, he will immediately be signed up. Perhaps more importantly, he will receive an exemption from the need to annually re-qualify for a tour card on his home tour, thus giving a tournament golfer some security in an unstable profession. Currently, the PGA Tour gives a five-year exemption to all major winners, while the European Tour gives a ten-year exemption.

Three of the four majors take place in the United States. The Masters is played at the same course, Augusta National Golf Club, every year, while the other three rotate courses (the Open Championship, however, is always played on a links course). Each of the majors has a distinct history, and they are run by four different golf organizations, but their special status is recognized worldwide. Major championship winners receive the maximum possible allocation of 100 points from the Official World Golf Ranking, which is endorsed by all of the main tours, and major championship prize money is official on the three richest regular (i.e. under-50) golf tours, the PGA Tour, European Tour and Japan Golf Tour.

Although the majors are considered prestigious due to their history and traditions, there are still other non-"major" tournaments which prominently feature top players competing for purses meeting or exceeding those of the four traditional majors, such as the World Golf Championships, the European Tour's DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, and the PGA Tour's Players Championship. As The Players has the largest prize fund of any golf event, and is promoted as the tour's flagship tournament, it is frequently considered to be an unofficial "fifth major" by players and critics. After the announcement that the Evian Masters would be recognized as the fifth women's major by the LPGA Tour, players shared objections to the concept of having a fifth men's major, owing to the long-standing traditions that the existing four have established.[2][3]

History

The majors originally consisted of two British tournaments, The Open Championship and The Amateur Championship, and two American tournaments, the U.S. Open and the U.S. Amateur. With the introduction of the Masters Tournament in 1934, and the rise of professional golf in the late 1940s and 1950s, the term "major championships" eventually came to describe the Masters, the U.S. Open, the Open Championship, and the PGA Championship. It is difficult to determine when the definition changed to include the current four tournaments, although many trace it to Arnold Palmer's 1960 season. After winning the Masters and the U.S. Open to start the season, he remarked that if he could win the Open Championship and PGA Championship to finish the season, he would complete "a grand slam of his own" to rival Bobby Jones's 1930 feat. Until that time, many U.S. players such as Byron Nelson also considered the Western Open and the North and South Open as two of golf's "majors,"[4] and the British PGA Matchplay Championship was as important to British and Commonwealth professionals as the PGA Championship was to Americans.

During the 1950s, the short-lived World Championship of Golf was viewed as a "major" by its competitors, as its first prize was worth almost ten times any other event in the game, and it was the first event whose finale was televised live on U.S. television. The oldest of the majors is The Open Championship, commonly referred to as the "British Open" outside the United Kingdom. Dominated by American champions in the 1920s and 1930s, the comparative explosion in the riches available on the U.S. Tour from the 1940s onwards meant that the lengthy overseas trip needed to qualify and compete in the event became increasingly prohibitive for the leading American professionals. Their regular participation dwindled after the war years. Ben Hogan entered just once in 1953 and won, but never returned. Sam Snead won in 1946 but lost money on the trip (first prize was $600) and did not return until 1962.

Golf writer Dan Jenkins – often seen as the world authority on majors since he's attended more (200+) than anyone else – has noted that "the pros didn't talk much about majors back then. I think it was Herbert Warren Wind who starting using the term. He said golfers had to be judged by the major tournaments they won, but it's not like there was any set number of major tournaments."[5]

In 1960, Arnold Palmer entered The Open Championship in an attempt to emulate Hogan's 1953 feat of winning on his first visit. Though a runner-up by a stroke in his first attempt, Palmer returned and won the next two in 1961 and 1962. Scheduling difficulties persisted with the PGA Championship, but more Americans began competing in the 1960s, restoring the event's prestige (and with it the prize money that once again made it an attractive prospect to other American pros). The advent of transatlantic jet travel helped to boost American participation in The Open. A discussion between Palmer and Pittsburgh golf writer Bob Drum led to the concept of the modern Grand Slam of Golf.[6]

Television coverage

United States

As none of the majors fall under the direct jurisdiction of tours, broadcast rights for these events are negotiated separately with each sanctioning body. All four majors have been broadcast at some point by one of the "big three" networks—all of whom are currently or have previously been PGA Tour broadcast partners. In 2015, CBS was the only big three network that held third and fourth round rights to one or more majors, as the remainder, along with early round coverage of all four, were held either by Fox or cable networks.

The Masters has been televised by CBS since 1956. Beginning in 1966, ABC obtained the broadcast rights for the other three majors and held them for a quarter century. The PGA Championship moved to CBS in 1991 and the U.S. Open returned to NBC in 1995.[7][8]

ABC retained The Open Championship as its sole major, but moved its live coverage on the weekend to sister cable network ESPN in 2010. In June 2015, it was announced that NBC and Golf Channel would acquire rights to the Open Championship under a 12-year deal.[9] While the NBC deal was to take effect in 2017, ESPN elected to opt out of its final year of Open rights, allowing NBC's contract to instead begin in 2016.[10]

The Masters operates under one-year contracts; CBS has been the main TV partner every year since 1956, with ESPN televising the first and second rounds beginning in 2008, replacing USA Network, which had shown the event since the early 1980s. As of 2015, Fox Sports holds broadcast rights to the U.S. Open and other USGA events, replacing NBC and ESPN, with Fox Sports 1 as the primary pay TV outlet.[11] CBS and Turner Sports hold rights to the PGA Championship, with TNT handling early round and weekend morning coverage, and CBS airing weekend afternoon coverage. Their respective contracts with the PGA of America run through 2019.[12][13]

United Kingdom & Ireland

In the United Kingdom, the BBC used to be the exclusive TV home of the Masters Tournament and the Open Championship, however from 2011 onwards Sky Sports has exclusive coverage of the first two days of the Masters, with the weekend rounds shared with the BBC. The U.S. Open, and PGA Championship are shown exclusively on Sky Sports. Beginning in 2016, Sky Sports also becomes the exclusive broadcaster of the Open Championship; the BBC elected to forego the final year of its contract.[10]

Distinctive characteristics of majors

Because each major was developed and is run by a different organization, they each have different characteristics that set them apart. These involve the character of the courses used, the composition of the field, and other idiosyncrasies.

Major championship winners

Win number out of total wins is shown in parentheses for golfers with more than one major championship.

Year Masters Tournament[14] U.S. Open[15] The Open Championship[16] PGA Championship[17]
2016 England Danny Willett June 16–19, Oakmont Country Club July 14–17, Royal Troon Golf Club July 28–31, Baltusrol Golf Club
2015 United States Jordan Spieth (1/2) United States Jordan Spieth (2/2) United States Zach Johnson (2/2) Australia Jason Day
2014 United States Bubba Watson (2/2) Germany Martin Kaymer (2/2) Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy (3/4) Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy (4/4)
2013 Australia Adam Scott England Justin Rose United States Phil Mickelson (5/5) United States Jason Dufner
2012 United States Bubba Watson (1/2) United States Webb Simpson South Africa Ernie Els (4/4) Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy (2/4)
2011 South Africa Charl Schwartzel Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy (1/4) Northern Ireland Darren Clarke United States Keegan Bradley
2010 United States Phil Mickelson (4/5) Northern Ireland Graeme McDowell South Africa Louis Oosthuizen Germany Martin Kaymer (1/2)
2009 Argentina Ángel Cabrera (2/2) United States Lucas Glover United States Stewart Cink South Korea Yang Yong-eun
2008 South Africa Trevor Immelman United States Tiger Woods (14/14) Republic of Ireland Pádraig Harrington (2/3) Republic of Ireland Pádraig Harrington (3/3)
2007 United States Zach Johnson (1/2) Argentina Ángel Cabrera (1/2) Republic of Ireland Pádraig Harrington (1/3) United States Tiger Woods (13/14)
2006 United States Phil Mickelson (3/5) Australia Geoff Ogilvy United States Tiger Woods (11/14) United States Tiger Woods (12/14)
2005 United States Tiger Woods (9/14) New Zealand Michael Campbell United States Tiger Woods (10/14) United States Phil Mickelson (2/5)
2004 United States Phil Mickelson (1/5) South Africa Retief Goosen (2/2) United States Todd Hamilton Fiji Vijay Singh (3/3)
2003 Canada Mike Weir United States Jim Furyk United States Ben Curtis United States Shaun Micheel
2002 United States Tiger Woods (7/14) United States Tiger Woods (8/14) South Africa Ernie Els (3/4) United States Rich Beem
2001 United States Tiger Woods (6/14) South Africa Retief Goosen (1/2) United States David Duval United States David Toms
2000 Fiji Vijay Singh (2/3) United States Tiger Woods (3/14) United States Tiger Woods (4/14) United States Tiger Woods (5/14)
1999 Spain José María Olazábal (2/2) United States Payne Stewart (3/3) Scotland Paul Lawrie United States Tiger Woods (2/14)
1998 United States Mark O'Meara (1/2) United States Lee Janzen (2/2) United States Mark O'Meara (2/2) Fiji Vijay Singh (1/3)
1997 United States Tiger Woods (1/14) South Africa Ernie Els (2/4) United States Justin Leonard United States Davis Love III
1996 England Nick Faldo (6/6) United States Steve Jones United States Tom Lehman United States Mark Brooks
1995 United States Ben Crenshaw (2/2) United States Corey Pavin United States John Daly (2/2) Australia Steve Elkington
1994 Spain José María Olazábal (1/2) South Africa Ernie Els (1/4) Zimbabwe Nick Price (2/3) Zimbabwe Nick Price (3/3)
1993 Germany Bernhard Langer (2/2) United States Lee Janzen (1/2) Australia Greg Norman (2/2) United States Paul Azinger
1992 United States Fred Couples United States Tom Kite England Nick Faldo (5/6) Zimbabwe Nick Price (1/3)
1991 Wales Ian Woosnam United States Payne Stewart (2/3) Australia Ian Baker-Finch United States John Daly (1/2)
1990 England Nick Faldo (3/6) United States Hale Irwin (3/3) England Nick Faldo (4/6) Australia Wayne Grady
1989 England Nick Faldo (2/6) United States Curtis Strange (2/2) United States Mark Calcavecchia United States Payne Stewart (1/3)
1988 Scotland Sandy Lyle (2/2) United States Curtis Strange (1/2) Spain Seve Ballesteros (5/5) United States Jeff Sluman
1987 United States Larry Mize United States Scott Simpson England Nick Faldo (1/6) United States Larry Nelson (3/3)
1986 United States Jack Nicklaus (18/18) United States Raymond Floyd (4/4) Australia Greg Norman (1/2) United States Bob Tway
1985 Germany Bernhard Langer (1/2) United States Andy North (2/2) Scotland Sandy Lyle (1/2) United States Hubert Green (2/2)
1984 United States Ben Crenshaw (1/2) United States Fuzzy Zoeller (2/2) Spain Seve Ballesteros (4/5) United States Lee Trevino (6/6)
1983 Spain Seve Ballesteros (3/5) United States Larry Nelson (2/3) United States Tom Watson (8/8) United States Hal Sutton
1982 United States Craig Stadler United States Tom Watson (6/8) United States Tom Watson (7/8) United States Raymond Floyd (3/4)
1981 United States Tom Watson (5/8) Australia David Graham (2/2) United States Bill Rogers United States Larry Nelson (1/3)
1980 Spain Seve Ballesteros (2/5) United States Jack Nicklaus (16/18) United States Tom Watson (4/8) United States Jack Nicklaus (17/18)
1979 United States Fuzzy Zoeller (1/2) United States Hale Irwin (2/3) Spain Seve Ballesteros (1/5) Australia David Graham (1/2)
1978 South Africa Gary Player (9/9) United States Andy North (1/2) United States Jack Nicklaus (15/18) United States John Mahaffey
1977 United States Tom Watson (2/8) United States Hubert Green (1/2) United States Tom Watson (3/8) United States Lanny Wadkins
1976 United States Raymond Floyd (2/4) United States Jerry Pate United States Johnny Miller (2/2) United States Dave Stockton (2/2)
1975 United States Jack Nicklaus (13/18) United States Lou Graham United States Tom Watson (1/8) United States Jack Nicklaus (14/18)
1974 South Africa Gary Player (7/9) United States Hale Irwin (1/3) South Africa Gary Player (8/9) United States Lee Trevino (5/6)
1973 United States Tommy Aaron United States Johnny Miller (1/2) United States Tom Weiskopf United States Jack Nicklaus (12/18)
1972 United States Jack Nicklaus (10/18) United States Jack Nicklaus (11/18) United States Lee Trevino (4/6) South Africa Gary Player (6/9)
1971 United States Charles Coody United States Lee Trevino (2/6) United States Lee Trevino (3/6) United States Jack Nicklaus (9/18)
1970 United States Billy Casper (3/3) England Tony Jacklin (2/2) United States Jack Nicklaus (8/18) United States Dave Stockton (1/2)
1969 United States George Archer United States Orville Moody England Tony Jacklin (1/2) United States Raymond Floyd (1/4)
1968 United States Bob Goalby United States Lee Trevino (1/6) South Africa Gary Player (5/9) United States Julius Boros (3/3)
1967 United States Gay Brewer United States Jack Nicklaus (7/18) Argentina Roberto DeVicenzo United States Don January
1966 United States Jack Nicklaus (5/18) United States Billy Casper (2/3) United States Jack Nicklaus (6/18) United States Al Geiberger
1965 United States Jack Nicklaus (4/18) South Africa Gary Player (4/9) Australia Peter Thomson (5/5) United States Dave Marr
1964 United States Arnold Palmer (7/7) United States Ken Venturi United States Tony Lema United States Bobby Nichols
1963 United States Jack Nicklaus (2/18) United States Julius Boros (2/3) New Zealand Bob Charles United States Jack Nicklaus (3/18)
1962 United States Arnold Palmer (5/7) United States Jack Nicklaus (1/18) United States Arnold Palmer (6/7) South Africa Gary Player (3/9)
1961 South Africa Gary Player (2/9) United States Gene Littler United States Arnold Palmer (4/7) United States Jerry Barber
1960 United States Arnold Palmer (2/7) United States Arnold Palmer (3/7) Australia Kel Nagle United States Jay Hebert
1959 United States Art Wall, Jr. United States Billy Casper (1/3) South Africa Gary Player (1/9) United States Bob Rosburg
1958 United States Arnold Palmer (1/7) United States Tommy Bolt Australia Peter Thomson (4/5) United States Dow Finsterwald
1957 United States Doug Ford (2/2) United States Dick Mayer South Africa Bobby Locke (4/4) United States Lionel Hebert
1956 United States Jack Burke, Jr. (1/2) United States Cary Middlecoff (3/3) Australia Peter Thomson (3/5) United States Jack Burke, Jr. (2/2)
1955 United States Cary Middlecoff (2/3) United States Jack Fleck Australia Peter Thomson (2/5) United States Doug Ford (1/2)
1954 United States Sam Snead (7/7) United States Ed Furgol Australia Peter Thomson (1/5) United States Chick Harbert
1953 United States Ben Hogan (7/9) United States Ben Hogan (8/9) United States Ben Hogan (9/9) United States Walter Burkemo
1952 United States Sam Snead (6/7) United States Julius Boros (1/3) South Africa Bobby Locke (3/4) United States Jim Turnesa
1951 United States Ben Hogan (5/9) United States Ben Hogan (6/9) England Max Faulkner United States Sam Snead (5/7)
1950 United States Jimmy Demaret (3/3) United States Ben Hogan (4/9) South Africa Bobby Locke (2/4) United States Chandler Harper
1949 United States Sam Snead (3/7) United States Cary Middlecoff (1/3) South Africa Bobby Locke (1/4) United States Sam Snead (4/7)
1948 United States Claude Harmon United States Ben Hogan (3/9) England Henry Cotton (3/3) United States Ben Hogan (2/9)
1947 United States Jimmy Demaret (2/3) United States Lew Worsham Northern Ireland Fred Daly Australia Jim Ferrier
1946 United States Herman Keiser United States Lloyd Mangrum United States Sam Snead (2/7) United States Ben Hogan (1/9)
1945 Not held due to World War II Not held due to World War II Not held due to World War II United States Byron Nelson (5/5)
1944 United States Bob Hamilton
1943 Not held due to World War II
1942 United States Byron Nelson (4/5) United States Sam Snead (1/7)
1941 United States Craig Wood (1/2) United States Craig Wood (2/2) United States Vic Ghezzi
1940 United States Jimmy Demaret (1/3) United States Lawson Little United States Byron Nelson (3/5)
1939 United States Ralph Guldahl (3/3) United States Byron Nelson (2/5) England Dick Burton United States Henry Picard (2/2)
1938 United States Henry Picard (1/2) United States Ralph Guldahl (2/3) England Reg Whitcombe United States Paul Runyan (2/2)
1937 United States Byron Nelson (1/5) United States Ralph Guldahl (1/3) England Henry Cotton (2/3) United States Denny Shute (3/3)
1936 United States Horton Smith (2/2) United States Tony Manero England Alf Padgham United States Denny Shute (2/3)
1935 United States Gene Sarazen (7/7) United States Sam Parks, Jr. England Alf Perry United States Johnny Revolta
1934 United States Horton Smith (1/2) United States Olin Dutra (2/2) England Henry Cotton (1/3) United States Paul Runyan (1/2)
1933 Not yet founded United States Johnny Goodman United States Denny Shute (1/3) United States Gene Sarazen (6/7)
1932 United States Gene Sarazen (5/7) United States Gene Sarazen (4/7) United States Olin Dutra (1/2)
1931 United States Billy Burke ScotlandUnited States Tommy Armour (3/3) United States Tom Creavy
1930 United States Bobby Jones (7/7) United States Bobby Jones (6/7) ScotlandUnited States Tommy Armour (2/3)
1929 United States Bobby Jones (5/7) United States Walter Hagen (11/11) United States Leo Diegel (2/2)
1928 United States Johnny Farrell United States Walter Hagen (10/11) United States Leo Diegel (1/2)
1927 ScotlandUnited States Tommy Armour (1/3) United States Bobby Jones (4/7) United States Walter Hagen (9/11)
1926 United States Bobby Jones (3/7) United States Bobby Jones (2/7) United States Walter Hagen (8/11)
1925 Scotland Willie MacFarlane England Jim Barnes (4/4) United States Walter Hagen (7/11)
1924 England Cyril Walker United States Walter Hagen (5/11) United States Walter Hagen (6/11)
1923 United States Bobby Jones (1/7) England Arthur Havers United States Gene Sarazen (3/7)
1922 United States Gene Sarazen (1/7) United States Walter Hagen (4/11) United States Gene Sarazen (2/7)
1921 England Jim Barnes (3/4) ScotlandUnited States Jock Hutchison (2/2) United States Walter Hagen (3/11)
1920 Jersey Ted Ray (2/2) Scotland George Duncan Scotland United States Jock Hutchison (1/2)
1919 United States Walter Hagen (2/11) Not held due to World War I England Jim Barnes (2/4)
1918 Not held due to World War I Not held due to World War I
1917
1916 United States Chick Evans England Jim Barnes (1/4)
1915 United States Jerome Travers Not yet founded
1914 United States Walter Hagen (1/11) Jersey Harry Vardon (7/7)
1913 United States Francis Ouimet England John Henry Taylor (5/5)
1912 United States John McDermott (2/2) Jersey Ted Ray (1/2)
1911 United States John McDermott (1/2) Jersey Harry Vardon (6/7)
1910 Scotland Alex Smith (2/2) Scotland James Braid (5/5)
1909 England George Sargent England John Henry Taylor (4/5)
1908 Scotland Fred McLeod Scotland James Braid (4/5)
1907 Scotland Alec Ross France Arnaud Massy
1906 Scotland Alex Smith (1/2) Scotland James Braid (3/5)
1905 Scotland Willie Anderson (4/4) Scotland James Braid (2/5)
1904 Scotland Willie Anderson (3/4) Scotland Jack White
1903 Scotland Willie Anderson (2/4) Jersey Harry Vardon (5/7)
1902 Scotland Laurie Auchterlonie Scotland Sandy Herd
1901 Scotland Willie Anderson (1/4) Scotland James Braid (1/5)
1900 Jersey Harry Vardon (4/7) England John Henry Taylor (3/5)
1899 Scotland Willie Smith Jersey Harry Vardon (3/7)
1898 Scotland Fred Herd Jersey Harry Vardon (2/7)
1897 England Joe Lloyd England Harold Hilton (2/2)
1896 Scotland James Foulis Jersey Harry Vardon (1/7)
1895 England Horace Rawlins England John Henry Taylor (2/5)
1894 Not yet founded England John Henry Taylor (1/5)
1893 Scotland Willie Auchterlonie
1892 England Harold Hilton (1/2)
1891 Scotland Hugh Kirkaldy
1890 England John Ball, Jnr
1889 Scotland Willie Park, Jr. (2/2)
1888 Scotland Jack Burns
1887 Scotland Willie Park, Jr. (1/2)
1886 Scotland David Brown
1885 Scotland Bob Martin (2/2)
1884 Scotland Jack Simpson
1883 Scotland Willie Fernie
1882 Scotland Bob Ferguson (3/3)
1881 Scotland Bob Ferguson (2/3)
1880 Scotland Bob Ferguson (1/3)
1879 Scotland Jamie Anderson (3/3)
1878 Scotland Jamie Anderson (2/3)
1877 Scotland Jamie Anderson (1/3)
1876 Scotland Bob Martin (1/2)
1875 Scotland Willie Park, Sr. (4/4)
1874 Scotland Mungo Park
1873 Scotland Tom Kidd
1872 Scotland Young Tom Morris (4/4)
1871 Not played
1870 Scotland Young Tom Morris (3/4)
1869 Scotland Young Tom Morris (2/4)
1868 Scotland Young Tom Morris (1/4)
1867 Scotland Old Tom Morris (4/4)
1866 Scotland Willie Park, Sr. (3/4)
1865 Scotland Andrew Strath
1864 Scotland Old Tom Morris (3/4)
1863 Scotland Willie Park, Sr. (2/4)
1862 Scotland Old Tom Morris (2/4)
1861 Scotland Old Tom Morris (1/4)
1860 Scotland Willie Park, Sr. (1/4)

Major champions by nationality

The table below shows the number of major championships won by golfers from various countries. Tallies are also shown for major wins by golfers from Europe and from the "Rest of the World" (RoW), i.e. the world excluding Europe and the United States. The United States plays Europe in the Ryder Cup and an International Team representing the Rest of the World in the Presidents Cup. The table is complete through to the 2016 Masters Tournament. Since the establishment of The Masters in 1934, an American has won at least one major every year, with the exception of 1994.

DecadeTotalARGAUSCANENGFIJFRAGERJERKORNZLNIRIRESCORSAESPUSAWALZIMEURRoW
Total436 317 135 3 1 4 9 1 2 7 35522 7262 1 3 122 52
2010s 25 - 2 - 2 - - 2 - - - 6 - - 3 - 10 - - 10 5
2000s 40 2 1 1 - 2 - - - 1 1 - 3 - 4 - 25 - - 312
1990s 40 - 4 - 4 1 - 1 - - - - - 1 2 2 21 1 3 910
1980s 40 - 2 - 2 - - 1 - - - - - 2 - 4 29 - - 9 2
1970s 40 - 1 - 1 - - - - - - - - - 4 1 33 - - 2 5
1960s 40 1 2 - 1 - - - - - 1 - - - 4 - 31 - - 1 8
1950s 40 - 4 - 1 - - - - - - - - - 4 - 31 - - 1 8
1940s 26 - 1 - 1 - - - - - - 1 - - 1 - 22 - - 2 2
1930s 36 - - - 6 - - - - - - - - - - - 30 - - 6 -
1920s 30 - - - 4 - - - 1 - - - - 2 - - 23 - - 7 -
1910s 15 - - - 3 - - - 3 - - - - 2 - - 7 - - 8 -
1900s 20 - - - 3 - 1 - 2 - - - -14 - - - - -20 -
1890s 15 - - - 7 - - - 3 - - - - 5 - - - - -15 -
1880s 10 - - - - - - - - - - - -10 - - - - -10 -
1870s 9 - - - - - - - - - - - - 9 - - - - - 9 -
1860s 10 - - - - - - - - - - - -10 - - - - -10 -

Scoring records

Scoring records - aggregate

The aggregate scoring records for each major are tabulated below. Green indicates an outright record and yellow indicates a shared record.

DateTournamentPlayerCountryRoundsScoreTo par
Jul 18, 1993The Open ChampionshipGreg Norman Australia66-68-69-64267−13
Apr 13, 1997Masters TournamentTiger Woods United States70-66-65-69270−18
Aug 19, 2001PGA ChampionshipDavid Toms United States66-65-65-69265−15
Jun 19, 2011U.S. OpenRory McIlroy Northern Ireland65-66-68-69268−16
Apr 12, 2015Masters TournamentJordan Spieth United States64-66-70-70270−18

Scoring records - to par

The scoring records to par for each major are tabulated below. Green indicates an outright record and yellow indicates a shared record.

DateTournamentPlayerCountryRoundsScoreTo parFinish
Apr 13, 1997Masters TournamentTiger Woods United States70-66-65-69270−18Won
Jul 23, 2000The Open ChampionshipTiger Woods United States67-66-67-69269−19Won
Jun 19, 2011U.S. OpenRory McIlroy Northern Ireland65-66-68-69268−16Won
Apr 12, 2015Masters TournamentJordan Spieth United States64-66-70-70270−18Won
Aug 16, 2015PGA ChampionshipJason Day Australia68-67-66-67268−20Won

Single round records

The single round scoring record for all four majors is 63.[18] This has occurred 27 times by 25 golfers between 1973 and 2015. Greg Norman and Vijay Singh are the only golfers to record two rounds of 63 in the majors. Johnny Miller was the first golfer to shoot 63 in a major and remains the only golfer to shoot 63 in the final round to win a major. The most recent golfer to shoot 63 in a major is Hiroshi Iwata in the 2015 PGA Championship.

#PlayerCountryMajorDateRndTo parFinish
1 Johnny Miller  United States U.S. Open Jun 17, 1973 4 −8 1
2 Bruce Crampton  Australia PGA Championship Aug 8, 1975 2 −7 2
3 Mark Hayes  United States The Open Championship Jul 7, 1977 2 −7 T9
4 Tom Weiskopf  United States U.S. Open Jun 12, 1980 1 −7 37
5 Jack Nicklaus  United States U.S. Open Jun 12, 1980 1 −7 1
6 Isao Aoki  Japan The Open Championship Jul 19, 1980 3 −8 T12
7 Raymond Floyd  United States PGA Championship Aug 5, 1982 1 −7 1
8 Gary Player  South Africa PGA Championship Aug 17, 1984 2 −9 T2
9 Nick Price  Zimbabwe Masters Tournament Apr 12, 1986 3 −9 5
10 Greg Norman  Australia The Open Championship Jul 18, 1986 2 −7 1
11 Paul Broadhurst  England The Open Championship Jul 21, 1990 3 −9 T12
12 Jodie Mudd  United States The Open Championship Jul 21, 1991 4 −7 T5
13 Nick Faldo  England The Open Championship Jul 16, 1993 2 −7 2
14 Payne Stewart  United States The Open Championship Jul 18, 1993 4 −7 12
15 Vijay Singh  Fiji PGA Championship Aug 13, 1993 2 −8 4
16 Michael Bradley  United States PGA Championship Aug 10, 1995 1 −8 T54
17 Brad Faxon  United States PGA Championship Aug 13, 1995 4 −8 5
18 Greg Norman  Australia Masters Tournament Apr 11, 1996 1 −9 2
19 José María Olazábal  Spain PGA Championship Aug 19, 2000 3 −9 T4
20 Mark O'Meara  United States PGA Championship Aug 17, 2001 2 −7 T22
21 Vijay Singh  Fiji U.S. Open Jun 13, 2003 2 −7 T20
22 Thomas Bjørn  Denmark PGA Championship Aug 13, 2005 3 −7 T2
23 Tiger Woods  United States PGA Championship Aug 10, 2007 2 −7 1
24 Rory McIlroy  Northern Ireland The Open Championship Jul 15, 2010 1 −9 T3
25 Steve Stricker  United States PGA Championship Aug 11, 2011 1 −7 T12
26 Jason Dufner  United States PGA Championship Aug 9, 2013 2 −7 1
27 Hiroshi Iwata  Japan PGA Championship Aug 14, 2015 2 −9 T21

'Player of the Year' in major championships

There is no official award presented to the player with the best overall record in the four majors, although the PGA's Player of the Year system favors performances in the major championships. Since 1984, world ranking points have been assigned to finishes in the majors, which has allowed a calculation of which player has earned the most ranking points in majors in a season – in almost every year since, one of the year's major winners has either won two of them, or has been the only player to win one and record a high finish in another (like Lucas Glover in 2009, David Duval in 2001 or Justin Leonard in 1997), enough to finish top of such a merit table in those years. The single exception was Nick Faldo in 1988, whose finishes of 2nd, 3rd and 4th earned him more world ranking points than any of that year's champions achieved during the season.

Tables are occasionally constructed for interest showing the overall scoring records for those players who have completed all 288 holes in the majors during a season. In the 1970s, Jack Nicklaus led such a table in 1970–73, 1975 and 1979, with Gary Player leading in 1974, Raymond Floyd in 1976, and Tom Watson in 1977 and 1978. In the 1980s a notable leader was in 1987, when Ben Crenshaw was top of this compilation after finishing 4th, 4th, 4th and 7th in the four majors. In total Crenshaw took 1,140 strokes, only 12 more than the sum total of the four respective champions' scores of 1,128. Recent 'winners' of this accolade are Pádraig Harrington in 2008, Ross Fisher in 2009, Phil Mickelson in 2010, Charl Schwartzel in 2011, and Adam Scott in 2012. In 2013 Scott and fellow Australian Jason Day tied for this accolade with a cumulative score of +2. Rickie Fowler led in 2014 with −32 after top-five finishes in all four tournaments, while in 2015 Jordan Spieth led the standings by achieving the lowest all-time cumulative score in a year of −54, one shot better than the cumulative score of Tiger Woods in 2000.

Consecutive victories at a major championship

Nationality Player Major # Years
 Scotland Tom Morris, Jr. The Open Championship 4 1868, 1869, 1870, 1872[a]
 United States Walter Hagen PGA Championship 4 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927
 Scotland Jamie Anderson The Open Championship 3 1877, 1878, 1879
 Scotland Bob Ferguson The Open Championship 3 1880, 1881, 1882
 Scotland Willie Anderson U.S. Open 3 1903, 1904, 1905
 Australia Peter Thomson The Open Championship 3 1954, 1955, 1956
 Scotland Tom Morris, Sr. The Open Championship 2 1861, 1862
 Jersey Harry Vardon The Open Championship 2 1898, 1899
 Scotland James Braid The Open Championship 2 1905, 1906
 England John Henry Taylor The Open Championship 2 1894, 1895
 United States John McDermott U.S. Open 2 1911, 1912
 England Jim Barnes PGA Championship 2 1916, 1919[a]
 United States Gene Sarazen PGA Championship 2 1922, 1923
 United States Bobby Jones The Open Championship 2 1926, 1927
 United States Walter Hagen The Open Championship 2 1928, 1929
 United States Leo Diegel PGA Championship 2 1928, 1929
 United States Bobby Jones U.S. Open 2 1929, 1930
 United States Denny Shute PGA Championship 2 1936, 1937
 United States Ralph Guldahl U.S. Open 2 1937, 1938
 South Africa Bobby Locke The Open Championship 2 1949, 1950
 United States Ben Hogan U.S. Open 2 1950, 1951
 United States Arnold Palmer The Open Championship 2 1961, 1962
 United States Jack Nicklaus Masters Tournament 2 1965, 1966
 United States Lee Trevino The Open Championship 2 1971, 1972
 United States Tom Watson The Open Championship 2 1982, 1983
 United States Curtis Strange U.S. Open 2 1988, 1989
 England Nick Faldo Masters Tournament 2 1989, 1990
 United States Tiger Woods PGA Championship 2 1999, 2000
 United States Tiger Woods Masters Tournament 2 2001, 2002
 United States Tiger Woods The Open Championship 2 2005, 2006
 United States Tiger Woods PGA Championship (2) 2 2006, 2007
 Ireland Pádraig Harrington The Open Championship 2 2007, 2008

a These are consecutive because no tournaments were played in between at The Open Championship in 1871 or at the PGA Championship in 1917 and 1918.

Wire-to-wire major victories

Players who have led or been tied for the lead after each round of a major.

  • Outright leader after every round
Nationality Player Year Major
 JerseyTed Ray1912Open
 United StatesWalter Hagen1914U.S.
 EnglandJim Barnes1921
 United StatesBobby Jones1927Open
Gene Sarazen1932
 EnglandHenry Cotton1934
 United StatesCraig Wood1941Masters
Ben Hogan1953U.S.
Arnold Palmer1960Masters
Bobby Nichols1964PGA
 EnglandTony Jacklin1970U.S.
 United StatesJack Nicklaus1972Masters
Tom Weiskopf1973Open
Raymond Floyd1976Masters
1982PGA
Hal Sutton1983
Tiger Woods2000U.S.
2002
2005Open
 Northern IrelandRory McIlroy2011U.S.
 GermanyMartin Kaymer2014
 Northern IrelandRory McIlroyOpen
 United StatesJordan Spieth2015Masters

  • Tied for the lead at the end of least one round
Nationality Player Year Major
 ScotlandWillie Anderson1903U.S.
Alex Smith1906
 United StatesChick Evans1916
Tommy Bolt1958
Arnold Palmer1964Masters
Raymond Floyd1969PGA
Jack Nicklaus1972U.S.
Hubert Green1977
 SpainSeve Ballesteros1980Masters
 United StatesJack NicklausU.S.
Payne Stewart1991
Tiger Woods2000PGA
 South AfricaRetief Goosen2001U.S.
Trevor Immelman2008Masters

Top ten finishes in all four modern majors in one season

It was rare, before the early 1960s, for the leading players from around the world to have the opportunity to compete in all four of the 'modern' majors in one season, because of the different qualifying criteria used in each at the time, the costs of traveling to compete (in an era when tournament prize money was very low, and only the champion himself would earn the chance of ongoing endorsements), and on occasion even the conflicting scheduling of the Open and PGA Championships. In 1937, the U.S. Ryder Cup side all competed in The Open Championship, but of those who finished in the top ten of that event, only Ed Dudley could claim a "top ten" finish in all four of the majors in 1937, if his defeat in the last-16 round of that year's PGA Championship (then at matchplay) was considered a "joint 9th" position.

Following 1960, when Arnold Palmer's narrowly failed bid to add the Open Championship to his Masters and U.S. Open titles (and thus emulate Hogan's 1953 "triple crown") helped to establish the concept of the modern professional "Grand Slam", it has become commonplace for the leading players to be invited to, and indeed compete in, all four majors each year. Even so, those who have recorded top-ten finishes in all four, in a single year, remains a small and select group.

Three majors won in calendar year that the top ten was completed  #
Two majors won in calendar year that the top ten was completed  
One major won in calendar year that the top ten was completed  
No majors won in calendar year that the top ten was completed  ^
Never won a regular tour major championship in his career  *
Nationality Player Year Wins Major championship results Lowest
placing
Masters U.S. Open Open Ch. PGA Ch.
 United States Ed Dudley  * 1937 0 3rd5th 6th R16 R16
 United States Arnold Palmer  1960 2 11 2nd T7T7
 South Africa Gary Player  ^ 19630 T5 T8 T7 T8 T8
 United States Arnold Palmer (2)  ^ 1966 0 T4 2nd T8 T6 T8
 United States Doug Sanders  * 1966 0 T4 T8 T2 T6 T8
 United States Miller Barber  * 1969 0 7th T6 10th T5 10th
 United States Jack Nicklaus  1971 1 T22nd T5 1 T5
 United States Jack Nicklaus (2)  1973 1 T3 T4 4th 1 T4
 United States Jack Nicklaus (3)  ^ 1974 0 T4 T10 3rd 2nd T10
 South Africa Gary Player (2)  1974 2 1 T8 1 7th T8
 United States Hale Irwin  ^ 1975 0 T4 T3 T9 T5 T9
 United States Jack Nicklaus (4)  1975 2 1 T7 T3 1 T7
 United States Tom Watson  1975 1 T8 T9 1 9th T9
 United States Jack Nicklaus (5)  ^ 1977 0 2nd T10 2nd 3rd T10
 United States Tom Watson (2)  1977 2 1 T7 1 T6 T7
 United States Tom Watson (3)  1982 2 T5 1 1 T9 T9
 United States Ben Crenshaw  ^ 1987 0 T4 T4 T4 T7 T7
 United States Tiger Woods  # 2000 3 5th 1 1 1 5th
 Spain Sergio García  * 2002 0 8th 4th T8 10th 10th
 South Africa Ernie Els  ^ 2004 0 2nd T9 2nd T4 T9
 United States Phil Mickelson  2004 1 1 2nd 3rd T6 T6
 Fiji Vijay Singh  ^ 2005 0 T5 T6 T5 T10 T10
 United States Tiger Woods (2)  2005 2 1 2nd 1 T4 T4
 United States Rickie Fowler  * 2014 0 T5 T2 T2 T3 T5
 United States Jordan Spieth  2015 2 11 T4 2nd T4

On 13 of the 25 occasions the feat has been achieved, the player in question did not win a major that year – indeed, three of the players (Dudley, Sanders and Barber) failed to win a major championship in their careers (although Barber would go on to win five senior majors), and García and Fowler have also yet to win one (as of the end of the 2015 season).

Multiple majors victories in a calendar year

Four

Three

Two

Masters and U.S. Open

Masters and Open Championship

Masters and PGA Championship

U.S. Open and Open Championship

U.S. Open and PGA Championship

Open Championship and PGA Championship

Consecutive major victories (including over multiple years)

Four

Three

Two

Note: The order in which the majors were contested was inconsistent between 1895 and 1953. Since 1954, the majors have been played in their modern order (Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, PGA), except 1971, when the PGA was played prior to the Masters.

Runners-up finishes in major championships

For the purposes of this section a runner-up is defined as someone who either (i) tied for the lead after 72 holes (or 36 holes in the case of the early championships) but lost the playoff or (ii) finished alone or in a tie for second place. In a few instances players have been involved in a playoff for the win or for second place prize money and have ended up taking the third prize (e.g. 1870 Open Championship, 1966 Masters Tournament). These players are still regarded as being runners-up. For match play PGA Championships up to 1957 the runner-up is the losing finalist.

Along with his record 18 major victories, Jack Nicklaus also holds the record for most runner-up finishes in major championships, with 19, including a record 7 at the Open Championship. Arnold Palmer had 10 second places, including three in the major he never won, the PGA Championship. After the 2015 Masters, Phil Mickelson also has 10 runner-up finishes, which includes a record 6 runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open, the one major he has never won. There have been three golfers with 8 runner-up finishes – Sam Snead, Tom Watson, and Greg Norman. Norman shares the distinction of having lost playoffs in each of the four majors with Craig Wood (who lost the 1934 PGA final – at match play – on the second extra hole).

Players with most runners-up finishes but no major victories

a Crampton was second to Jack Nicklaus on each occasion.

See also

References

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  2. Crouse, Karen (May 7, 2013). "Men's Fifth Major May Remain Mythical". The New York Times. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  3. Burke, Monte (May 9, 2012). "The Players Championship Is Not The "5th Major," But It's Still A Great Tournament". Forbes. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  4. Cronin, Tim. "Nelson's Magnificent Seven" (PDF). Chicago District Golf Association. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  5. Newport, John Paul (July 15, 2009). "What Makes the Majors Major". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  6. Harig, Bob (April 7, 2008). "Golf's professional Grand Slam has developed over time". ESPN. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
  7. "NBC gets U.S. Open golf". The New York Times. June 2, 1994. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  8. Stewart, Larry (July 21, 1995). "ABC getting a major chance with British Open coverage". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  9. Ourand, John; Lombardo, John (June 8, 2015). "NBC, Golf Channel ending ABC/ESPN British Open reign". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  10. 1 2 Ourand, John (October 12, 2015). "NBC getting British Open a year early". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  11. "Timing of USGA-Fox announcement rankles many". Golf Channel. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  12. "PGA of America, CBS Sports agree to long-term extension on broadcast rights". PGA of America. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  13. "PGA of America and Turner Sports Extend and Expand Media Agreements Through 2019" (Press release). Retrieved May 8, 2015.
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  17. "Past Winners of the PGA Championship". PGA of America. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  18. Fields, Bill (June 15, 2009). "The Magic Number". Golf World. pp. 52–59. Retrieved August 7, 2009.

External links

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