The Four Golf Majors

Looking at the biggest competitions in golf, there is no doubt that the four golf majors stand head and shoulders above the rest, and are rivaled only by the biannual Ryder Cup, which is a very different beast. These golfing majors are the most prestigious and desired of competitions that every golfer wants to win, because a victory serves as the guarantee of being written into the annals of golf history.

Of these majors, three are played in the USA, with the Open Championship being the exception, which is always played in the UK. Here's a look at what each of the four golf majors is, and how it fits into the golfing calendar.

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The Masters

The Masters is the only one of the major tournaments that is played at the same course every year, and is the first major of the year which always takes place at the Augusta National golf club. The tournament always takes place in the first four weeks of April, and is well-known for its fast and challenging greens, which the course designers are always trying to ensure remain a healthy challenge.

The Masters is particularly keen to promote the inclusion of amateur players, with amateurs who have won the most prestigious amateur tournaments worldwide being invited. But the winner who has won The Masters most often is the ultimate pro, Jack Nicklaus, racking up six victories between 1963 and 1986, who is also the winner of the most combined victories from the four golf majors. The current champion is South African Charl Schwartzel.

The US Open

The second of the four golf majors is the US Open which is held at courses around the USA in June. The US Open insists that the course is made particularly difficult for the players, with a below par score being a particular achievement, and with a great benefit to be gained from good driving, with rough being cut quite long.

There are four golfers who have won the tournament four times: Willie Anderson between 1901 and 1905, Bobby Jones between 1923 and 1930, Ben Hogan between 1948 and 1953, and most recently, the great Jack Nicklaus between 1962 and 1980. The current champion is Rory McIlroy, who smashed many records in the 2011 US Open, completing four rounds of golf in 268 shots, at sixteen under par.

The Open Championship

The Open Championship is the only one of the four golf majors held in the UK every year, and rotates around nine golf clubs in the country being played on the third Friday in July every year. The Old Course at St Andrews hosts the Open Championship every five years, with the other eight courses hosting the event once every ten years.

Englishman Harry Vardon has won more Open Championships than any other golfers, with six victories between 1896 and 1914. The current champion is South African Louis Oosthuizen.

The PGA Championship

The last of the four golf majors every year is the PGA Championship, which is always played the fourth weekend after the Open Championship. This is the last of the four golf majors every year, and is played at one of the great American golf courses, moving from course to course every year.

Americans Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus have both won the PGA Championship five times each, with the current champion being German Martin Kaymer.

The Four Golf Majors

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