Golf’s Major Championships
Golf’s Major Championships, commonly known as ‘the majors’, are the most prestigious annual tournaments in the sport. The top players from all over the world flock to the majors, while the greatest players in golf history are often primarily judged on their number of major championship victories.
Origins
The four major tournament slots were originally taken 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 over the exact timing of the switch to naming these four particular tournaments as the majors, many point to Arnold Palmer’s 1960 season, when after winning the Masters and the US Open, he said that if he could win the Open Championship and PGA Championship, he would have ‘a grand slam of his own’ to rival Bobby Jones’ exploits in 1930.
The British Major
The Open Championship is often referred to as the British Open outside the United Kingdom. Before the 1960s, few American players took part due to the 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 all take place in the US: the Masters is played at Augusta National Golf Club every year, while the other three rotate courses. The Open Championship, however, is always played on a links course.
Career Prospects
Each of the majors has a distinct history, and they are each run by a different golfing organisation, but their status is recognised worldwide. Major winners receive the maximum allocation of 50 points from the Official World Golf Rankings, which are endorsed by all of the main tours.
Major championship prize money is official on the PGA Tour, European Tour and Japan Golf Tour.
While prizes at the majors are not the largest in professional golf, victor at one of these tournaments is a huge boost to a player’s career. Leading players are likely to receive large sponsor bonuses and better contracts, while unknowns will immediately be signed up.
Players receive qualification exemptions for their home tours, while the PGA Tour gives a five-year exemption to all major winners.
The majors are played in the following order:
1. Weekend of the second Sunday in April – the Masters: hosted as an invitational by Augusta National Golf Club
2. Weekend of the third Sunday in June -US Open: hosted by the USGA and played at various locations in the US.
3. Weekend of the third Friday in July – The Open Championship: hosted by the R&A and played on 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.