Miles Bennett
Golf majors are the most prestigious and challenging tournaments in golf. There are four globally recognised major championships: The Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship (also known as the British Open). Each tournament is held annually at varying locations and invites the top golfers to compete for glory and a place in golfing history. The Masters Tournament, hosted by Augusta National Golf Club, is the season's first major and the only one played at the same course each year. The PGA Championship is hosted by the PGA of America, while the U.S. Open is organised by the United States Golf Association (USGA). These tournaments are known for their rigorous challenges and rich traditions, attracting the best golfers worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of major golf championships | 4 |
| Date of Masters Tournament | April |
| Host of Masters Tournament | Augusta National Golf Club |
| Date of PGA Championship | May |
| Host of PGA Championship | Various locations in the U.S. |
| Date of U.S. Open | June |
| Host of U.S. Open | Various locations in the U.S. |
| Number of players in Masters | Generally under 100 |
| Number of majors with fixed venues | 3 |
| Toughest major | U.S. Open |
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What You'll Learn
The Masters Tournament
The Masters was first staged in 1934 as the "Augusta National Invitation Tournament", adopting its current name in 1939. Amateur golf champion Bobby Jones and investment banker Clifford Roberts founded the tournament, with Jones acquiring the land and co-designing the course with architect Alister MacKenzie. The Augusta National course first opened in 1933 and has been modified several times since.
The Masters is an invitational tournament, with a smaller field of players compared to the other majors, typically under 100 golfers. Former champions are invited to compete and are presented with a green jacket, which they must return to the clubhouse the following year. The Champions Dinner is another tradition, held the Tuesday before the tournament and open only to past champions and certain board members of the Augusta National Golf Club.
The Masters has been dominated by some of golf's biggest names, including Jack Nicklaus, who has the most wins with six between 1963 and 1986, and Tiger Woods, who won five between 1997 and 2019.
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The PGA Championship
The tournament was established in 1916 and is traditionally played at a parkland club in the United States. Since 2019, it has been the year's second major, taking place in May on the weekend before Memorial Day. Before this, it was played in mid-August on the third weekend before Labor Day weekend. The PGA Championship is an official money event on the PGA Tour, European Tour, and Japan Golf Tour, with a purse of $11 million in 2018.
The courses chosen for the PGA Championship tend to be as difficult as those chosen for the U.S. Open, with several clubs having hosted both, such as Baltusrol Golf Club, Medinah Country Club, and Winged Foot Golf Club. The PGA of America enters into a profit-sharing agreement with the host club, except in 2014 when the tournament was held at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, a club that the PGA of America fully owned at the time.
Winners of the PGA Championship are automatically invited to play in the other three majors and The Players Championship for the next five years, and are eligible for the PGA Championship for life. They also earn a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and a seven-year membership on the DP World Tour. The Wanamaker Trophy is awarded to the winner of the PGA Championship.
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The U.S. Open
Winning the U.S. Open brings significant privileges and career benefits for golfers. Champions are automatically qualified to compete in the other three majors (The Masters, The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship) for the next five years. They also receive invitations to The Players Championship and exemptions from qualifying for future U.S. Opens. The U.S. Open victory can secure a golfer's place in history, solidifying their legacy in the sport.
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The Open Championship
The first Open Championship was held at Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland, and has since been played at other prestigious venues such as Royal Portrush, Royal Birkdale, and Royal Troon. The tournament initially featured three rounds of a twelve-hole links course, but it later expanded to four rounds of 18 holes. The format was standardised in 1926 to be played over three days, with 18 holes on the first two days and 36 holes on the final day.
The winner of The Open Championship is crowned ""The Champion Golfer of the Year" and receives the Claret Jug as a trophy. The reigning champion from the 2024 Open at Royal Troon Golf Club is American Xander Schauffele, who scored 275. The tournament is organised by The R&A, and since the PGA Championship's move to May in 2019, The Open has been the fourth and final major tournament of the year, typically taking place in mid-July.
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The Players Championship
The tournament usually includes the top 50 players in the world rankings. It is not an official event on other tours and is not one of the four major championships in golf. However, it has been promoted as a major by the PGA Tour, which has dubbed it the "fifth major". It is often regarded as the next most prestigious tournament in golf after the four majors, due to characteristics such as its high-class field, challenging course conditions, and large purse.
The final round of The Players Championship usually falls on the second Sunday of May, which is Mother's Day in the United States. To mark this, most players wear pink. In 2017, it was announced that the tournament would be moved to March beginning in 2019.
Notable winners of The Players Championship include Rory McIlroy, who became the eighth man to win multiple Players Championships, Sergio Garcia, and Adam Scott.
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Frequently asked questions
The golf majors are the most prestigious tournaments in golf. There are four major championships: The Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship (also known as the British Open).
Since 2019, the Masters Tournament has taken place in April, the PGA Championship in May, and the U.S. Open in June. The Open Championship is the oldest of the four tournaments, having first been played in 1860, and is played at various times throughout the year.
The Masters Tournament is held at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. The PGA Championship is played at various locations in the U.S. The U.S. Open also travels to different iconic golf courses across America. The Open Championship is played on iconic links courses across the UK.
The majors are open to professional and amateur golfers. The Masters Tournament invites under 100 players, generally the top 50 golfers in the world, and former champions of the tournament. The PGA Championship invites 20 club professionals who are non-tour regulars and all winners of PGA Tour events in the previous year. The U.S. Open is open to any amateur or professional golfer who can qualify through rigorous local and sectional qualifying rounds.
