Most majors post-Tiger? The list tells a remarkably simple story
I’m watching the US Open from home this week, which means I’m missing out on a lot about the sights and sounds of Shinnecock, arguably America’s greatest golf course and host of a major tournament.
But if there’s an advantage to monitoring from my living room, it’s that it’s easier to focus on other big picture things. While the conversation on the pre-tournament site has included the usual glitzy minutiae of sports — putting greens, putting back golf balls, adjusting the two “tracks” of the tour schedule — I’d like to direct our attention to a different big topic: Who got the most?
The absence of both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson from this year’s majors has clarified this discussion. In professional golf, the concept of a “working” player is less clear-cut than in other sports — 50-year-old Tim Duncan wouldn’t have suddenly joined the Spurs in last week’s NBA Finals, though 50-year-old Woods could well play next year’s Masters — but when we look at the post-Tiger-and-Phil generation, an interesting picture emerges. Check this out:
MOST CAREER MAJORS (players under 50 years old)
6 – Rory McIlroy
5 – Brooks Koepka
4 – Scottie Scheffler
3 – Jordan Spieth
2 – A group of other interesting guys
(Before we go any further, I’d like to issue a formal apology here to Padraig Harrington, who is a three-time major champion and is in the field at this week’s US Open but, at 54, is in the Tiger-and-Phil generation.)
This gives us two things:
– Updated appreciation of how difficult it is to overcome these three and more
again
– The incredibly clean (if oversimplified) power level of this generation’s golfers
McIlroy’s recent Masters win saw him overtake Koepka, which feels fitting given how good he’s been this season. Scheffler’s four titles have all come in the past four years, indicating he has more on his way. And Spieth’s three titles have him dwarfed by the legion of doubles majors – at least for now.
All four arrived at Shinnecock at very different points in their careers. Let’s go through them:
No. 4: Jordan Spieth (three majors)
The Spieth is still the Spieth, one of golf’s most fascinating watches, capable of heroism and tragedy and often both. The good news is that even though his hole-to-hole play isn’t exactly consistent, he’s on a remarkable run of tournament consistency, cracking the top-20s in seven of his last 12 games. The bad news is that he has yet to challenge for a championship this season; none of those top-20s top-10.
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No. 3: Scottie Scheffler (four majors)
Scheffler has won four of his majors in the last four and a half years, including three of his last 10. If he’s technically not at the peak of his power right now, that’s because last year’s peak was too high. But he is still the World No. 1 clear and enters the US Open at the top of the leaderboard; the US Open will also complete his career Grand Slam.
His assessment of his season so far:
“I feel like I’ve been close for most of the year. I feel like I’m not as sharp as I need to be. I think the points in this game are too small. To win a lot of tournaments, you have to be really sharp.”
No. 2: Brooks Koepka (five majors)
Although Koepka’s major record has always made him an overachiever when stacked up against his minor accomplishments (five major wins, four non-major PGA Tour victories), his pattern of rising to the occasion was undeniable; at his peak Koepka was a great professional.
But where does Koepka stand now? He hasn’t finished in the top 10 since the 2023 PGA Championship, his fifth and most recent victory. He’s been terrific in his comeback this year on the PGA Tour, racking up six top-20 finishes in his last nine appearances. But like Spieth, he never struggled to win; his highest finish is T9. And he’s coming off a ulnar nerve injury that forced him to WD last weekend. It’s time to see if the return to Shinnecock brings back the good vibes of his 2018 victory. How do you feel now compared to then?
“I feel good,” he said, showing nothing but confidence. “I think my hitting is a lot better than it was. I had a good week last week. I’m excited for the challenge.”
Number 1: Rory McIlroy (six majors)
McIlroy’s second straight Masters victory puts him, rightly, atop this list. You have been amazingly beautiful again An amazingly consistent professional for almost half of his life. It only feels right that he has more majors than anyone else at that time.
There are many reasons to keep pushing, however. McIlroy talked about wanting to win the US Open at a championship venue like this one. Another win would also break a tie with Mickelson, move him into the top 10 all-time (tied with Jones, Sarazen, Snead, Palmer) and put significant distance between himself and the hard-charging Scheffler. There’s no reason he can’t win another one this year; he is the clear number 2 in the world behind Scheffler.
So what do you do with Shinnecock?
“I think it’s the best tournament test in the country. I think it tests all aspects of the game: driving, playing with the iron, you need to be smart about yourself on the green. It’s a lot of tactics, thinking,” he said. “It’s a great golf course, and I’m looking forward to the test we’re going to give this week.”
Honorable Mentions: Group 2
The list of golfers under 50 with two majors is impressive; there may be flukey-off champs, but it’s very hard to be flukey two– time champion.
Active golfers with two majors:
Xander Schauffele
Jon Rahm
Bryson DeChambeau
Collin Morikawa
Justin Thomas
Dustin Johnson
Father Watson
Martin Kaymer
It’s hard to choose who is most deserving of the third part because, well, check out that list. It is easy to choose who is most deserving of a second; Justin Rose and Adam Scott would be worthy additions to a multi-major roster.
What is the point? The point is that only four of these are released every year. They are all important. And all the rows on the main staircase are difficult to climb – but they get you reasonably close to the top.
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