The four major championships in golf are the Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and The Open. They matter because they carry the most history, the strongest fields and the longest-lasting rewards in the men's game, and golfers are measured by how many they win. The Open began in 1860 and is the oldest, and the Masters began in 1934 and is the youngest. In 2026 the winners were Rory McIlroy, Aaron Rai, Wyndham Clark and Ryan Fox.
If you've ever wondered why a single week in April or July counts for so much more than a regular tour event, this guide covers it: how each major began, what winning one is worth, who has won all four, and how the 2026 season played out. (This guide covers the men's four majors. Women's golf has its own major championships.)
The four majors at a glance
| Major | When | First played | Where | 2026 winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | April | 1934 | Augusta National, Georgia (always) | Rory McIlroy |
| PGA Championship | May | 1916 | Rotates. 2026: Aronimink, Pennsylvania | Aaron Rai |
| U.S. Open | June | 1895 | Rotates. 2026: Shinnecock Hills, New York | Wyndham Clark |
| The Open | July | 1860 | Rotates through UK links courses. 2026: Royal Birkdale | Ryan Fox |
In recent years they've been played in that order, which is why the Masters opens the major season and The Open (often called the British Open) closes it.
A short history of the four majors
The Open (1860). The oldest tournament in golf was first played on October 17, 1860, at Prestwick in Scotland. Winners receive the Claret Jug.
The U.S. Open (1895). The first U.S. Open was played on October 4, 1895, at Newport, Rhode Island. It's run by the USGA and moves to a different course each year.
The PGA Championship (1916). First held in October 1916 at Siwanoy Country Club in New York. The winner receives the Wanamaker Trophy, which was donated that same year. It is the only major that is essentially for professionals only.
The Masters (1934). Bobby Jones co-founded Augusta National and the tournament began there in March 1934 as the "Augusta National Invitational". It was renamed "The Masters" in 1939. It's the only major played at the same course every year, which is why Augusta feels so familiar to fans. The green jacket began as a members-only garment in 1937. Sam Snead was the first champion to receive one, in 1949.
Notice that the Masters is the youngest of the four by decades, yet it's every bit as big as the rest. A major doesn't get its status from age alone. It comes from the quality of the field, the history built up over the years, and the way fans and players treat it.
Why the four were the ones that stuck
No single rulebook crowns a "major". The label grew out of tradition and prestige, and it has shifted over time. In Bobby Jones's era, the big four were the U.S. and British Opens plus the U.S. and British Amateurs. Jones won all four in 1930, a feat that is still described as the original Grand Slam. He couldn't play the PGA Championship as an amateur, and the Masters didn't exist yet.
Over time, the Masters evolved into one of golf's four major championships, and the modern list of four (Masters, PGA, U.S. Open, The Open) is the one we use today.
Why the majors matter so much
This is the part of the question most guides skip. There are four reasons winning one changes a career.
1. They follow you for years. Winning a major earns you more than a trophy:
- A Masters champion is invited back for life.
- A PGA Championship champion is exempt into that tournament for the rest of their career, and gets five-year invitations to the other three majors.
- A U.S. Open champion gets a 10-year exemption.
- An Open champion can play The Open until age 55 (older winners from before 2024 until 60), plus five-year invitations to the other majors.
2. They define a legacy. When golfers are compared across eras, the count of major wins is the number people reach for first.
3. The fields are the strongest. The best players in the world turn up, on courses set up to test every part of their game, so a win means something.
4. The margins are tiny. In 2026, the Masters and the U.S. Open were each decided by a single stroke. That's the thing about majors: one swing on one hole can decide a career.
The career Grand Slam: golf's rarest club
A career Grand Slam means winning all four majors at some point in a career. Only six men have done it:
| Golfer | Completed |
|---|---|
| Gene Sarazen | 1935 |
| Ben Hogan | 1953 |
| Gary Player | 1965 |
| Jack Nicklaus | 1966 |
| Tiger Woods | 2000 |
| Rory McIlroy | 2025 |
McIlroy was the sixth, completing it by winning the 2025 Masters in a playoff. His 2026 win was a different kind of milestone. He became the fourth golfer to win the Masters back-to-back, after Jack Nicklaus (1965–66), Nick Faldo (1989–90) and Tiger Woods (2001–02).
Winning all four in a single calendar year is a different thing, and no man has done it in the modern era. Tiger Woods came the closest: he held all four titles at once, from the 2000 U.S. Open through the 2001 Masters, an achievement known as the "Tiger Slam". It didn't count as a calendar-year Grand Slam because it spread across two seasons.
The 2026 majors, one by one
The Masters (April 9–12). Rory McIlroy won at 12 under par (276), one stroke ahead of Scottie Scheffler. It was his second title in a row.
The PGA Championship (May 14–17). Aaron Rai won the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
The U.S. Open (June 18–21). Wyndham Clark led from start to finish at Shinnecock Hills and won at 4 under par (276), one stroke ahead of Sam Burns.
The Open (July 16–19). Ryan Fox won the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale, becoming the second New Zealander to win it, after Bob Charles in 1963.
Can an everyday golfer play in a major?
Almost. You can't walk in, but the U.S. Open and The Open both allow amateurs with a handicap of 0.4 or better to enter qualifying. That means you'd need to play to a scratch level, and then win through local and sectional qualifying against a big field.
The PGA Championship is the exception. It's essentially a professionals-only event. The Masters is by invitation.
If you've read our guide to what counts as a mid-handicap golfer, you'll know how far that gap is. A mid-handicapper has a 10 to 20 index. Only about 2 percent of male golfers who keep a handicap are at scratch or better (USGA data reported by GOLF.com).
What the majors can teach your own game
You aren't going to play Augusta this year, but the way winners play has lessons you can use.
Majors are decided by tiny margins, and the margin is often a tee shot. A drive that finds the fairway instead of the rough turns a hard approach into an easy one, and that's as true at your Saturday game as at Shinnecock Hills. Our guide to why you're not breaking 90 shows how a single wild tee shot can ripple through a whole round.
One thing within your control is whether your driver shaft suits your swing. Tour players have their equipment fit to their swing, but most amateurs play whatever shaft came in the box. Check where you sit on our Driver Shaft Flex Chart, or take the Shaft Selector Quiz for a starting recommendation in about a minute. A low-torque carbon fiber shaft, like our Jupiter One driver shaft, is built to tighten dispersion without changing your swing.
Questions, answered
What are the four major championships in golf? The Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and The Open (also called the British Open). They're played in that order from April to July.
Which major is the oldest? The Open. It was first played in 1860 at Prestwick, Scotland. The U.S. Open began in 1895, the PGA Championship in 1916 and the Masters in 1934.
Why is the Masters special? It's the only major played at the same course every year. Augusta National has hosted it since 1934, and winners are invited back for life and receive the famous green jacket.
What is the career Grand Slam in golf? Winning all four majors at some point in a career. Six men have done it: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Has anyone won all four majors in one year? Not in the modern era. Bobby Jones won the U.S. and British Opens and the U.S. and British Amateurs in 1930, which was the Grand Slam of his time. Tiger Woods held all four modern titles at once across 2000 and 2001, but not in a single calendar year.
Who won the 2026 golf majors? Rory McIlroy (Masters), Aaron Rai (PGA Championship), Wyndham Clark (U.S. Open) and Ryan Fox (The Open).
Can amateurs play in the majors? Yes, in some. The U.S. Open and The Open allow amateurs with a handicap of 0.4 or better to try to qualify. The PGA Championship is essentially for professionals only.
Keep building your setup
- Take the Shaft Selector Quiz to see whether your current shaft matches your swing.
- Read the Driver Shaft Flex Chart guide to compare your swing speed against real ranges.
- Learn about our carbon fiber shafts to see how low-torque construction works.
- Read Why You're Not Breaking 90 if your tee shots are costing you strokes.
The bottom line
The four majors are the Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and The Open, and they matter because of the history, the fields and what winning does for a career. Only six men have won all four, and 2026 showed how small the margins can be: two of the four were decided by a single stroke. You can't borrow a tour player's talent, but you can make sure your driver shaft isn't costing you shots before you ever swing.