The Grand Golf Championships, commonly known as “the majors,” are the sport’s most prestigious annual tournaments. The best players from around the world flock to the majors, while the best players in golf history are often judged primarily by their number of major championship wins.
origins
The four main places in the tournament were originally occupied by the Open Championship (or British Open), the British Amateur, the US Open and the US Amateur.
However, over the years, the term “major championships” has come to encompass the Masters, the US Open, the Open Championship, and the US PGA Championship.
While there is some debate as to the exact timing of the switch to naming these four particular tournaments the majors, many point to Arnold Palmer’s 1960 season, when after winning the Masters and US Open, he said that if he could win the Open. Championship and the PGA Championship, he would have ‘a grand slam of his own’ to rival the exploits of Bobby Jones in 1930.
The greatest british
The Open Championship is often referred to as the British Open outside of the UK. Before the 1960s, few American players participated due to overseas travel times – the Open Championship was not considered a major in the US until Palmer began competing in the UK in that decade.
The other three majors are held in the US: The Masters is played at the Augusta National Golf Club every year, while the other three courses rotate. The Open Championship, however, is always played on a links field.
Career prospects
Each of the majors has a different story and each is run by a different golf organization, but their status is recognized around the world. Top winners receive the maximum allocation of 50 points from the Official World Golf Ranking, which is supported by all major courses.
The main championship prize money is official on the PGA Tour, the European Tour, and the Japan Golf Tour.
While the jackpots in the majors aren’t the biggest in professional golf, winning one of these tournaments is a huge boost to a player’s career. Leading players are likely to receive big sponsorship bonuses and better contracts, while unknowns will sign up right away.
Players receive qualification waivers for their local tours, while the PGA Tour grants a five-year waiver to all major winners.
The majors are played in the following order:
1. Weekend of the second Sunday in April – the Masters: hosted by invitation by Augusta National Golf Club
2. Third Sunday of June Weekend – US Open: Hosted by the USGA and played at various locations in the US.
3. Weekend of the third Friday of July – The Open Championship: organized by the R&A and played at various links courses in the UK.
4. August (fourth weekend after the Open Championship) – PGA Championship: Hosted by the Professional Golfers Association of America and played at various locations in the US.
