A look at golf’s four majors

Every year, professional golfers have the chance to try and test their skills against some of the world’s best players across four major golfing events.

The tournaments themselves are held between April and July, with many players finding their careers changing forever owing to success at any one of the four majors.

Here, we take a look through the majors that can so often make-or-break a golfer’s career. But before we do, check out the US Masters odds 2019.

The Masters

Held annually at Augusta National Golf Club, The US Masters is the first of golf’s four majors and is played over the course of four days in April. The legendary Jack Nicklaus has the most Masters win with six, and Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer are tied on four wins each in second.

As of 2018, the total prize fund was $11m which make the Masters one of the most prestigious sporting tournaments in the world, not just in golf. The course itself is considered to be one of the toughest on the circuit but try telling that to Tiger.

In 1997, he quite simply blitzed his way through the course on his way to his first green jacket in one of golf’s most iconic moments.

The PGA Championship

Typically held in August, the PGA Championships will be held in May 2019 for the first time and is the second of the four majors to be played. Bellerive County Club plays host to the PGA Championship and previous winners include Rory Mclloroy, Woods, Phil Mickelson, Sam Snead and Nicklaus to name but a few.

Those who win the PGA Championship are automatically invited to the other three majors over the next five years. Last year’s winner Brooks Koepka holds the record for the lowest aggregate score with 264.

The US Open

The US Open is the third of golf’s four majors and has been contested since 1895, making it one of the oldest tournaments in the world. The course is often changed to provide variety to those playing and thus making scoring difficult.

Just like the PGA Championship, Koepka is the reigning champion of the US Open and collected a cool $2.1m for his efforts. Historically, Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus hold the record for the most U.S. Open victories, with four victories each.

The Open Championship

Last but not least, the Open Championship is the last of golf’s majors and is held annually every July. It’s the only major to be played outside of the United States and the current winner is Francesco Molinari.

The 2019 Championship will be held at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, just the second ever time it has been held there. Previous winners include Tom Watson, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Woods and Palmer to name but a few.

In 2016, Swede Henrik Stenson recorded the tournament record aggregate score of 264, which is in fact a record across all four majors with Koepka. He also recorded the best score at the Open, carding -20 in 2016.