The Four Major Championships

H I S T O R Y

T H E E V E N T S T A R T E D I N 1 9 6 0 W H E N A R N O L D P A L M E R P L A Y E D , A N D W O N T H E O P E N C H A M P I O N S H I P .

That year he played in all three US-based Majors and made the cut in each tournament, so he was the first person to complete all Majors within a year. Over time the importance of the Majors became established as the European, Asian, Japanese and Australasian tours expanded. Each year many tournaments are played worldwide, which contribute to the World Golf Rankings. The four Majors are, and will always be the most respected tournaments. Professional golfers and fans of the game rank players by their performance in the Majors.