Men’s Golf Major Winners (2000–2025)

Vijay Singh won the 2000 Masters Tournament.

The last time The Open was played at Carnoustie in 1999, Jean van de Velde stood on the tee of the final hole with a three-shot lead, needing a double-bogey to win. His third shot found the Barry Burn in front of the green. He famously stood in the Burn for a while contemplating his options before taking a penalty drop to go on and triple-bogey the hole. He subsequently lost the playoff. It was one of the worst collapses in golf history. Now, 8 years later, Pádraig Harrington stands on the 72nd tee with a one shot lead. History would repeat itself and Pádraig finds the Barry Burn on the final hole. Not once, but twice! He would double-bogey the hole and record a final round of 67 (-4). Overnight leader Sergio García started the final round 6 strokes clear of Pádraig. After the double-bogey of Pádraig, Sergio now had a one-shot lead on the par-4 72nd hole but found a greenside bunker with his approach shot. He left himself a ten foot putt for par and the title, but the putt lipped out and made bogey, scoring a 73 (+2) for the round. Just as in 1999, the 2007 Open Championship would be decided by a 4 hole play-off. Pádraig went on to win and with a score of 277 (-7) he claimed the tile “Champion golfer of the year”. Rory McIlroy was the low amateur with a score of 289 (+5)

Several rain delays and thunderstorms forced early suspensions of play, resulting in the third round being completed on Sunday morning and the final round beginning later that afternoon. Sergio García and Padraig Harrington were once again – after their 18th hole drama at The Open a few weeks earlier – locked in a head-to-head battle. Both players started the final round at +1, three shots behind 54-hole leader Ben Curtis. Sergio García flew out of the gates with a birdie-eagle start to improve to -2. At the turn, García (now at -3) had a 1 shot lead over Curtis and a 3 shot lead over Harrington. Just as in The Open a few weeks earlier, Harrington produced a stellar back nine and with two holes to play, Harrington, Curtis and García were all tied at 2 under par. When Harrington birdied 17, both García and Curtis could not match it. Curtis bogied 17 and García bogied 18 to fall in a tie for second at -1. Harrington secured the title with a spectacular 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole to claim his first Wanamaker trophy. He finished with a total score of 277 (-3). Notably, the 2008 PGA Championship marked the first time that Tiger Woods missed a major in his professional career, due to a knee injury.

Pádraig Harrington is one of only three players to have successfully defended their title by winning the same major back to back in consecutive years. At the start of the final round, Pádraig Harrington was four over par for the tournament, two strokes behind 53-year-old Greg Norman. Norman had handled the exceptionally high winds better than the rest of the field during the third round and held sole possession of the lead. No player broke par in the third round and for the first time since 1986, the tournament leader was over par (+2). With a back nine of 4 under par, which included an eagle at the 17th hole, Pádraig Harrington secured his second Clared Jug. He would finish the tournament with a a score of 283 (+3), four shots ahead of Ian Poulter. Greg Norman faltered on Sunday, posting a final-round 77 (+7), to fall in a tie for third alongside Henrik Stenson. The low amateur honors went to Chris Wood, who finished with a score of 290 (+10).

When Graeme McDowell won the 2010 U.S. Open, he became the first European to do so in 40 years, following Tony Jacklin’s victory in 1970.

McDowell started the final round three shots behind 54-hole leader Dustin Johnson. However, Johnson quickly fell out of contention after carding a triple-bogey on the second hole and a double-bogey on the third, ultimately shooting an 82.

As scores soared across the field in the final round, a three-way battle emerged between McDowell, Ernie Els, and Grégory Havret. Els’ chances of winning faded after a costly double-bogey on the difficult par-4 10th hole. McDowell ultimately carded a final-round 74, which was just enough to secure a one-stroke victory over Havret.

Low amateur honors were shared between Russell Henley and Scott Langley, who both finished the tournament with a score of 292 (+8).

The 2010 Open Championship marked the 150th anniversary of the tournament’s founding in 1860, and it was fittingly played at the Home of Golf, St Andrews.Rory McIlroy seized the early lead after the first round with a scorching 9-under par 63, leaving Louis Oosthuizen two strokes back at 7-under. However, Friday brought brutal weather; McIlroy struggled to an 80 in 65 km/h winds, effectively taking him out of contention.

Meanwhile, Oosthuizen played immaculate golf across the second, third, and fourth rounds, steadily expanding his advantage. By the start of Sunday’s final round, he held a commanding four-stroke cushion over Paul Casey. A steady final round of 1-under par 71 was more than enough for Oosthuizen to secure a dominant seven-stroke victory over runner-up Lee Westwood. Casey faltered with a 3-over par 75, dropping into a tie for third. With a final score of 272 (-16), Oosthuizen was officially crowned the “Champion Golfer of the Year.” Jin Jeong claimed Low Amateur honors, finishing with a score of 284 (-4).

Rory McIlroy was on top of the leaderboard for the first three rounds of the 2011 Masters, entering Sunday’s final round with a commanding four-stroke lead at 12-under par (-12). His nearest pursuers—Charl Schwartzel, Ángel Cabrera, K.J. Choi, and Jason Day—sat well back at 8-under par (-8).

Schwartzel played in the penultimate group directly ahead of McIlroy. Standing in the first fairway, Rory watched as Schwartzel chipped in for a spectacular opening birdie. Minutes later, a nervous McIlroy carded a bogey on the same hole, instantly cutting his lead to two.

The tone for a dramatic, tension-filled Sunday was officially set. When Schwartzel holed out his second shot for an eagle on the short, par-4 third hole, McIlroy’s once-comfortable four-stroke cushion evaporated entirely.

Though McIlroy briefly reclaimed a one-stroke lead with a birdie on the 7th, the tournament blew wide open on the par-5 8th. When both leaders failed to birdie the hole, it allowed a surging pack—including Ángel Cabrera, Luke Donald, Adam Scott, Jason Day, and Tiger Woods (who electrified the crowd with an eagle on the 8th)—to climb within three shots of the lead.

There is a famous saying that “The Masters doesn’t start until the back nine on Sunday,” and the 2011 tournament embodied that perfectly. Rory’s round completely unraveled at the turn, as he went on a disastrous stretch: Triple bogey, Bogey, Double Bogey on holes 10,11 and 12. Six shots vanished in a span of just three holes. McIlroy’s momentum was broken, and he would post a final-round 80, tumbling out of contention.

While the rest of the field unlocked premium drama, Charl Schwartzel displayed incredible composure. After recording ten consecutive pars from holes 5 through 14, he launched a historic final assault on Augusta National.

Schwartzel birdied the final four holes of the tournament to card a brilliant 66, closing out a two-stroke victory over Jason Day and Adam Scott. Finishing at 14-under par (274), he became just the third South African to wear the Green Jacket, joining Gary Player and Trevor Immelman.

Hideki Matsuyama took home Low Amateur honors, finishing the week as the only amateur to make the cut, with an impressive score of 287 (-1).

Following his dramatic back-nine collapse at the Masters Tournament just months earlier, Rory McIlroy delivered a commanding performance to capture his first major championship title at the U.S. Open. McIlroy led the tournament from start to finish, holding the outright lead after each of the four rounds. He posted all four rounds in the 60s, becoming just the third player in U.S. Open history to achieve that feat. Starting the final round at 14 under par, he held an eight-shot advantage over Y.E. Yang. A composed closing round of two under par secured the victory. McIlroy finished with a total score of 268 (-16), setting a U.S. Open scoring record that still stands, shared with Brooks Koepka. He claimed the championship by eight strokes, the second-largest margin of victory in U.S. Open history, trailing only Tiger Woods’ historic 15-stroke triumph at the U.S. Open. With a score of 284 (E) Patrick Cantlay claimed the low amateur honors.

The 2012 Masters will forever be remembered for two iconic golf shots. The first came early on Sunday, when Louis Oosthuizen ripped a magnificent tee shot down the right side of the fairway on the par-5 second hole. Left with 253 yards to the pin, Oosthuizen launched a spectacular 4-iron into the air. The ball landed perfectly on the front of the green and caught the slope, trickling for what felt like an eternity before dropping into the bottom of the cup. It was a historic double eagle, vaulting Oosthuizen into the solo lead of the Masters and into golf lore. By the start of the back nine, Oosthuizen sat at 9-under par, holding a two-shot cushion over Bubba Watson. However, Watson charged back, erasing the deficit with four birdies and a bogey against Oosthuizen’s two birdies and a bogey. Both players finished regulation tied at 10-under par, forcing a sudden-death playoff. “If I have a swing, I’ve got a shot” had always been Watson’s lifelong mantra, and that self-belief was put to the ultimate test on the second playoff hole (after both players carded pars on the first). Watson pulled his tee shot deep into the woods down the right side of the fairway. He was 155 yards from the hole, completely stymied with no straight line to the flag. In a display of pure imagination, Watson pulled a 52-degree gap wedge and hooked the ball nearly 90 degrees out of the trees, pulling off one of the most remarkable recovery shots in Masters history. The ball settled just 15 feet from the hole. After Oosthuizen missed his par putt following a mediocre chip, Watson safely two-putted to secure the victory, the Green Jacket, and his first major championship. Further down the leaderboard, Patrick Cantlay earned Low Amateur honors, finishing with a score of 295 (+7).

The 2012 PGA Championship at the Kiawah Island Ocean Course was a historic blowout that cemented Rory McIlroy’s status as a global superstar. McIlroy finished with a winning score of 275 (13-under par), claiming his second major title by a staggering eight-stroke margin. This performance shattered the previous PGA Championship record for victory margin, which had been held by Jack Nicklaus since 1980 (7 stroke winning margin). In the third round, McIlroy’s tee shot on the 3rd hole famously became lodged in a dead tree branch. Instead of suffering a major blow to his scorecard, he took an unplayable lie, executed a brilliant recovery shot, and managed to save par—a moment many point to as the turning point that kept his momentum alive.

At the start of the final round, Bubba Watson was tied for the lead with Masters rookie Jordan Spieth at 5-under par. No player had won the Masters in their first appearance since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979, leaving fans wondering if Spieth could write a new chapter of history on this Masters Sunday.

Spieth got off to a blistering start, opening up a two-shot lead after seven holes. However, back-to-back bogeys by Spieth on the 8th and 9th—paired with two birdies from Watson—completely shifted the momentum. By the time they reached the back nine, Watson had seized a two-shot lead.

From there, Bubba’s lead was never in serious danger. He played rock-solid golf all the way to the clubhouse, ultimately winning by three shots over Spieth, who finished at 8-under par. With a total score of 280 (-8), Watson secured his second Green Jacket. Meanwhile, Oliver Goss claimed Low Amateur honors, finishing the week with a score of 298 (+10).

With a score of 283 (-5), Danny Willett won his first major. He finished three strokes ahead of defending champion Jordan Spieth and Lee Westwood. At the start of the final round, Willett was 3 strokes behind the lead of Jordan Spieth (-3). At the start of the back-nine, Willett was trailing Spieth by 5 strokes. After bogeys at the 10th and 11th, Spieth put two balls in the water on the par-3 12th and made quadruple bogey, ruining his chances to succeed himself as champion. Willett, meanwhile, made birdie at 13 and 14 to take the lead. Lee Westwood chipped in for eagle at the 15th to get within one of Willett, but then made bogey on 16 while Willett made birdie. Willett made par on the last two holes to post a round of 67 for a total of 5 under par (-5) to claim the green jacket. With a score of 293 (+5), Bryson DeChambeau was the low amateur.

Before Dustin Johnson finally broke through to win his first major at the 2016 U.S. Open, he accumulated arguably the most gut-wrenching list of near-misses and bizarre heartbreaks in modern golf history. For a six-year stretch, it seemed like the universe was actively inventing new ways to keep him out of the major winner’s circle.

At the 2010 U.S. Open his three shot lead vanished when he made a triple bogey on the second hole followed by a double bogey on the third. He would shoot a final round 82 to finish in a tie for 16th.

At the 2010 PGA Championship, he had a 1 shot lead on the tee of the 72 hole. Inavertedly, he grounded his club in a waste bunker and was assessed a devastating 2 stroke penalty, costing him the victory.

At the 2011 Open Championship, while in contention, he hit his second shot into the par-5 14th out of bounds. The resulting double bogey eliminated his chances to claim his first major title.

Perhaps the cruelest blow of all came a year earlier at the 2015 U.S Open. On the par-5 72nd hole, he laced a magnificent 5-iron second shot to within 12 feet of the pin. If he made the eagle putt, he won the U.S. Open. If he two-putted for birdie, he forced an 18-hole playoff. On the notoriously bumpy, crusty greens, his eagle putt caught a slope and trickled a little over three feet past the cup. Seemingly rushed and shaken, he pushed the comeback birdie putt just wide. In a matter of 45 seconds, he went from potentially winning the tournament to losing it outright.

When DJ finally won the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont, even that was shrouded in drama. The USGA informed him in the middle go the final round that he might face a one-stroke penalty because his ball slightly moved on a green earlier in the day. Despite playing the final holes not knowing what his actual score was, Johnson clutched up, hit one of the greatest 6-irons of his life on 18, and won by enough strokes to render the eventual penalty irrelevant. Dustin Johnson would finish the tournament with a score of 276 (-4), a three stroke victory over Jim Furyk, Shane Lowry and Scott Piercy.

John Rahm won the silver medal honoring the low amateur with a score of 287 (+7).

For years, Sergio García was frequently mentioned in discussions about the best golfer never to win a major championship. That narrative changed when he defeated Justin Rose to capture his first major title. Starting the final round, García and Rose shared the 54-hole lead at seven under par. Over the back nine on Sunday, the two exchanged momentum several times. After García recorded bogeys on holes 10 and 11, Rose moved two shots ahead. A pivotal moment came at the 13th hole. García faced adversity when he was forced to take a penalty drop after a wayward drive, but he salvaged par with an impressive up-and-down while Rose narrowly missed the birdie-putt. García then birdied the 14th hole and eagled the 15th to pull back into a share of the lead. Both players ultimately posted rounds of two-under-par, finishing the tournament tied at nine under. In the first hole of the sudden-death playoff, Rose made bogey while García converted a birdie, securing the victory and becoming a first-time major champion. Stewart Hagestad was the low amateur with a score of 294 (+6).

Patrick Reed began the final round with a 3 stroke lead over McIlroy, a 5 stroke lead over Ricky Fowler and a 9 stroke lead over Jordan Spieth. As good as McIlroy is, this time he was not up to the challenge recording a 2 over par round to take himself out of contention. His attempt to secure the career grand slam will have to wait another day. Meanwhile, Spieth mounted a charge that got everyone’s attention. He would shoot an 8 under par round. Fowler’s challenge got him to with 1 stroke of the Reed’s lead. Reed kept his cool and played a steady round. He converted a 4 foot par-putt at the last hole to hold of the challengers and to win the tournament by 1 stroke. Doug Ghim was the low amateur with a score of 296 (+8).

By winning the 2018 Open Championship at Carnoustie, Francesco Molinari became the first Italian to win a major championship. With a score of 276 (-8) (70-72-65-69), Molinari finished two shots ahead of Kevin Kisner, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele. After the third round, the lead was -9 shared by Kevin Kisner, Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth. Molinari was three shots behind at the start of the final round before he went on and recorded a bogey free 2 under par in the final round. The three overnight leaders were not able to break par allowing Molinari to claim the Claret Jug for the first time. The low amateur was Sam Locke with a score of 293 (+9)

It was only the second time in history that The Open was played at Royal Portrush, after it had hosted The Open in 1951. Rory McIlroy was the pre-tournament favorite but shot an 8-over-par 79 in the first round, which included a quadruple bogey eight on the first hole, a double bogey five on the 16th, and a triple bogey seven on the 18th. Shane Lowry on the other hand shot 67 in both the first and second rounds to share the lead with J. B. Holmes after 36 holes. Shane then proceeded to record a 63 in the third round, breaking the course record in the process. This amazing round of golf would set him up for his first major win. He started the final round 4 shots clear of Tommy Fleetwood, who sat at 12 under par. In averse weather conditions (similarly to his Irish Open victory in 2009 when he was still an amateur), Shane held his composure and recorded a final round of 72 (1 over par). His lead was never in jeopardy during the final round thus allowing him to enjoy the walk up to the 18th green, knowing he had just won the Claret Jug for the first time. His final score was 269 (-15). No amateur made the cut, so the silver medal was not awarded

The Masters is traditionally played in April, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 tournament was rescheduled to November and held without spectators in attendance—a first in Masters history.

This unusual setting did not stop Dustin Johnson from setting a tournament record with a winning score of 20-under par (268), finishing five strokes ahead of runners-up Im Sung-jae and Cameron Smith. Johnson shared the lead for the first two rounds before pulling away from the field with a third-round 7-under par, giving him a four-stroke cushion heading into Sunday.

Cameron Smith managed to reduce the deficit to two strokes at the start of the back nine, but Dustin Johnson quickly rebuilt his lead to five, thanks to three consecutive birdies on holes 13, 14, and 15. This record setting performance earned Dustin Johnson his second major title. Low amateur honors went to Andy Ogletree, who finished with a score of 286 (-2).