Men’s Major Golf Championships

The Major Championships simply referred to as “The Majors” are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in men’s professional golf.  The Majors originally consisted of The Open Championship, The British Amateur or The Amateur Championship, The US Open and The US Amateur.  With the rise of professional golf in the mid-20th Century, The Masters and The PGA Championship gained preeminence over the two amateur championships.  The term “Major Championships” eventually came to describe The Masters, The US Open, The Open and The PGA Championship.  Collectively, these four events form the grand slam of golf.  Each of the majors is run by different golf organizations but their statuses are recognized worldwide.

The Masters is one of the four major golf championships in men’s professional golf and the first to take place each year on the weekend ending second Sunday in April.  It is played at the same course, the Augusta National Golf Club, a private golf club in Augusta, Georgia USA.  The Masters champion is awarded with cash prizes and the much-coveted distinctive green jacket, the official coat worn by members of the Augusta National while on the club grounds.  The winner is also automatically invited to play in the other three major championships for the next five years and a lifetime invitation to The Masters.  The winner also receives membership on the PGA Tour for the next five seasons and The Players Championship for five years.

The US Open is the annual men’s golf championship hosted by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and played at various locations in the US.  It is scheduled on the weekend ending with the third Sunday in June.  It is open to any professional or amateur with a current USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 1.4.  Golf players may obtain a place by being exempted or by competing successfully in qualifying events.

The Open, often referred to as The British Open outside the UK, is the world’s oldest golf championship.  Each year, the championship is hosted by one of several prominent golf clubs in the UK but the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A) administers The Open regardless of its site.  It is always played on a links course on one of nine historical courses in the UK.  The Open is held on the weekend of the third Friday in July.

The PGA Championship is a yearly golf tournament staged by the Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA).  It is the golf season’s final major played on the fourth weekend after The Open Championship.  It is usually hosted by one of a small group of elite golf clubs in the US.  The PGA Championship was created to provide a high profile tournament for professional golfers.  It is the only major championship which does not invite leading amateurs to compete and the only tournament which reserves a big number of places, 25 out of 150, for club professionals.