What are the four golf majors?

In the world of professional men’s golf, no tournaments are more prestigious or important than the four majors. Much like tennis has its Grand Slam events, golf’s majors are the headline shows in the sport’s calendar. Winning a major is a career-changing moment for golfers.

These four tournaments offer the ultimate test for the best male players in the world and PGA Play explains each of them.

The Four Men’s Golf Majors Explained

The Masters

The Masters is the first men’s major of the calendar year and is held at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA. It is the only men’s major that is held at the same course each year, which only increases its magical feel. Augusta National has an aura unlike any other golf venue.

There is great secrecy around the place with no spectators allowed to take phones onto the grounds. 

The winner of the Masters receives the iconic green jacket, which has grown to become one of the most iconic prizes in sport. They also get to choose the menu for the following year’s Champion's Dinner. The dinner is a meeting of past Masters Champions and is considered one of the great traditions in golf. Because it is the first major of the season, the Masters sets the tone perfectly for the year.

The PGA Championship

The PGA Championship takes place at a rotating line-up of top courses across the United States. Organized by the PGA of America, it is known for the world’s best players being joined by leading club professionals.

Each year the winner receives the Wanamaker Trophy. But that was nearly not the case thanks to five-time winner Walter Hagen, who in 1927, lost the trophy. Fortunately, it was found two years later in the cellar of the company responsible for making Hagen's clubs.

The US Open

The US Open is famed for being the toughest of the majors taking place at landmark golf courses in the United States of America. It is often set up to present players with narrow fairways, punishing rough, and lightning-fast greens. 

The United States Golf Association (USGA) sets up the course specifically to challenge every part of a golfer’s game, and par is always considered a good score. Winning the US Open shows not only immense skill but also mental toughness and is considered the ultimate test of a golfer’s ability. 

There is also a huge financial incentive for players to dig deep as the US Open purse is traditionally higher than all three of the other men's Majors.

The Open

The Open Championship is the last men’s major of the year – and the only one held outside of the United States of America.

First played in 1860, it is the oldest major in golf. The most historic championship in golf moves around a rotation of several of the best links golf courses across the United Kingdom.

Courses like the Home of Golf, the Old Course at St Andrews, bring a unique character to the championship, with unpredictable weather, deep bunkers and rolling fairways creating challenges that cannot be found anywhere else.

The Open connects today’s players with the roots of the game and, depending on who you ask, is the most prestigious tournament in golf.

For fans, the majors are the most exciting in golf. They bring together the strongest fields, the most demanding courses, and the highest stakes. The drama of a Sunday afternoon at Augusta or the unpredictability of links golf at The Open captivates golf fans far more than regular tour events. The majors are where history is made and where unforgettable sporting moments happen.

How Golf Fans Can Follow the Majors

Fans can follow the majors in several ways. Sky Sports broadcasts wall-to-wall coverage for golf fans in Great Britain and Ireland.

Fans are also be able to watch feature groups and select holes on YouTube for free.

The Masters app is widely recognised as one of the best to follow the live real-time leaderboard and shot-to-shot coverage.