What is a golf major AND why are they important?

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Ah yes, The Masters, widely considered to be a landslide for the most popular golf event. For many people, it’s golf’s only major professional tournament. However, there are actually 3 other golf majors in each PGA season. In today’s blog, I’ll be discussing each of the four majors and what makes them special.

What is a golf major?

Simply put, “Majors” are considered the most prestigious golf tournaments each year. Over the golf season there are tournaments nearly every weekend where professional golfers compete for titles, ranking points, and prize money. However, there are only 4 majors each year.

They are: The Masters, The U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship.

The Masters

Golf’s major season kicks off every April with one of the most iconic events in sports, The Masters. This tournament is famous for its venue, prize, and history of the event. Every great in competitive golf history most likely has a green jacket. Every year at the end of April, Augusta National hosts the Masters. The signature holes at Augusta are hard to identify because, it’s the most famous venue in the golfing space. Amen Corner, is a collection of holes 12,13, and 14 that are iconic in the golf space.

The inaugural Masters tournament was held in 1934, and the champion was Horton Smith. After over 75 years, The Masters remains of the most iconic events in all of sports.

The PGA Championship

The second major in the golf season is the PGA Championship. Since 2019, the PGA Championship is held the weekend before Memorial Day. Unlike the Masters, the PGA Championship plays at a variety of venues that switch every year. In 2023, the tournament was held at Oak Hill in Rochester, New York. Previously, it’s been held at Kiawah Island, Harding Park, Whistling Straights, and many more. The PGA of America decides the venue many years in advance so that the courses have ample time to make the course in it’s most pristine condition possible.

The inaugural event was in 1916, and the champion was Jim Barnes. Orignally, it was a match play event, however it was changed to stroke play in 1958. Even after a format change, the PGA Championship remains one of the most exciting golf events of the year for fans and competitors alike.

The U.S Open

The U.S. Open is held every year on the third Sunday in June, or Father’s Day. It signifies the back end of the major golf season. The event venue changes every year, but the venues are picked well in advance. In 2024, the event is going to be held at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. The U.S Open is different than other major championships because it allows for anyone in the United States to qualify at different events throughout the year.

The USGA allows for anyone with a 1.4 handicap index or lower to qualify for the US Open each year. That means, if amateurs qualify and play well at qualifying events, then they can play along with some of the greatest in the game. It also allows for lower ranked tour players to qualify at regional events along with amateurs.

Allowing amateurs to qualify brings more life into the US Open then other major championships because it has the feel of a “normal man’s” chance to become legend. In 2008, Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate played one of the greatest playoffs in professional golf history.

The Open Championship

The final major in the golf season is The Open Championship (it’s also called the British Open much to the chagrin of Europeans who, for whatever reason, hate it.). The Open is signified by the Claret Jug, one of the most iconic trophies in sports. The Open is held at a rotating list of venues . The most famous is The Old Course at St. Andrews. This course is special because legend has it that God came down and shaped the fairways and rocks into the golf course. It’s truly a bucket list course for any golfer.

Who has the most major championship wins?

Winning a major championship helps solidify any competitive golfer’s legacy. Jack Nicklaus holds the most, with 18 major wins between 1962 and 1986. Nicklaus is considered one of the most dominant golfers of all times.

Following Nicklaus is Tiger Woods with 15 major wins between 1997 and 2019. Tiger holds many PGA records. Woods also won every major championship between 2000 and 2001, which has now been dubbed a “Tiger Slam”.

Overall, majors bring us to the highest level of golf. They mean very much to those who play it, and they let those who watch it become invested in ways that other tournaments simply can’t.

Next week, we’ll discuss golf around the world and how it looks for different people.

-GBS-