Four tournaments stand apart from all others. Winning a major defines a career. Here's everything you need to know about the most important events in golf.
Professional golf has hundreds of tournaments every year across multiple tours. But only four carry the designation of "major championship," and they are universally accepted as the most important events in the sport.
Majors matter because they are the tournaments that define careers. A player who wins 20 PGA Tour events without a major is considered incomplete. A player who wins just one or two majors at the right time — at Augusta, Shinnecock, Carnoustie — earns a legacy that lasts forever.
The four majors are operated by four independent governing bodies. None of them is directly controlled by the PGA Tour, which is why LIV players can still participate if they qualify.
The Masters is arguably the most famous golf tournament in the world. Played every April at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia — a course that is not open to the public and is among the most meticulously maintained in existence — it's the only major played at the same venue every year.
The Masters was founded in 1934 by Bobby Jones, the greatest amateur golfer who ever lived, and Clifford Roberts, a Wall Street banker. Jones designed Augusta National with architect Alister MacKenzie, and the course's fairways, azaleas, and immaculate conditions have become synonymous with the tournament's prestige.
The field is invitation-only — unlike other majors, Augusta National's Masters Committee decides who gets in. Invitations go to past champions, top world rankings, winners of designated tournaments, and players from other qualifying categories. The committee has on occasion extended special invitations to notable players.
The green jacket is the winner's trophy — a green blazer that the defending champion places on the new champion's shoulders in Butler Cabin after the final round. Past champions wear their jackets at the tournament each year.
The PGA Championship is the second major of the year, run by the PGA of America (a separate organization from the PGA Tour — the PGA of America represents club professionals across the country). It was first played in 1916 and is held in May, rotating among prestigious venues.
The Wanamaker Trophy — an enormous silver trophy named after Rodman Wanamaker, who funded the first championship — is presented to the winner.
The PGA Championship typically has the largest field of any major, around 156 players, and the most democratic qualifying criteria. It's the most accessible major for club professionals and aspiring tour players. The top five finishers at the club pro qualifier earn a spot in the field alongside the world's best.
Notable records: Walter Hagen won five PGA Championships between 1921 and 1927. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus each won three. Brooks Koepka became the only player to win back-to-back PGA Championships (2018, 2019) in the modern era, and won again in 2023 while competing on LIV Golf.
The US Open is widely considered the most demanding test in professional golf. The USGA (United States Golf Association) deliberately sets up the host course with punishing conditions: narrow fairways bordered by thick, long rough; fast, firm greens with treacherous pin positions; and course setups designed to make par a formidable achievement.
The US Open has the most open qualifying of any major — any golfer with a handicap of 1.4 or better can enter qualifying. Hundreds of regional qualifiers are held across the country, with successful players advancing to 36-hole sectional qualifiers, and the best of those earning spots in the championship field of 156.
Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania is one of the most storied venues in American golf — it's hosted the US Open more times than any other course. The greens at Oakmont are legendarily fast.
The Open Championship — often called "The British Open" outside the UK, though that term isn't used by its organizers The R&A — is the oldest of the four majors, first played in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland with just eight competitors. It is the oldest golf championship in existence.
The Open rotates among a select list of links courses in the United Kingdom and Ireland: St Andrews (the "Home of Golf"), Royal Birkdale, Muirfield, Royal Troon, Carnoustie, Royal St George's, Royal Liverpool (Hoylake), and Royal Portrush. Links courses are coastal, firm, and heavily influenced by wind — the game of bump-and-run replaces aerial iron play.
The Claret Jug — officially the Golf Champion Trophy — is one of sport's most iconic trophies. The winner's name is engraved on the jug, a tradition dating to 1872.
The Open has historically had a more international flavor than the other three majors, with champions from across Europe, Australia, South Africa, and beyond. Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Greg Norman, and Padraig Harrington are among the celebrated champions.
Winning all four major championships at any point during a career. This has been achieved by only five players in history: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. Jon Rahm needs The Open and the PGA Championship to complete his career Grand Slam.
Winning all four majors in a single calendar year. This has never been done in the modern era (since 1960). Bobby Jones won the equivalent in 1930 (the "Impregnable Quadrilateral" of that era). Tiger Woods held all four titles simultaneously in 2000–01, but across two calendar years — the "Tiger Slam."
| Player | Country | Majors | Masters | PGA | US Open | The Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Nicklaus | USA | 18 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Tiger Woods | USA | 15 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Walter Hagen | USA | 11 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| Ben Hogan | USA | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Gary Player | S. Africa | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Tom Watson | USA | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Arnold Palmer | USA | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Gene Sarazen | USA | 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Sam Snead | USA | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Rory McIlroy | N. Ireland | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Brooks Koepka | USA | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 |