The first major in golf played every calendar year is The Masters Tournament. This article breaks down not only the anser to this question, but also the order, unique character, and history of all four of men's professional golf's major championships.
In men's professional golf, there are four tournaments that stand above all others. These are known as the "majors." Winning just one can define a player's career, and winning multiple puts them in the company of legends. For golf fans, these four events serve as the anchor points of the entire season, each one offering a distinct flavor, history, and test of skill. While they are all prestigious, they are not the same. Understanding what makes each one special is part of the fun of following the game.
The four majors, in the order they are played each year, are:
Let’s take a look at each one, starting with that famous week in April.
When the azaleas are in bloom and the sound of birds chirping filters through the broadcast, every golfer knows it’s time for The Masters. Held every a ayear in the second week of April, it is the first major on the golf calendar and for many, the official start of the golf season.
Unlike the other three majors, The Masters is played at the same venue every single year: Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. This gives the tournament a unique sense of familiarity and mystique. Fans and players know every hole, from the risk-reward par-5s on the back nine to the treacherous stretch known as "Amen Corner."
The traditions are legendary:
From a coaching standpoint, Augusta National is the ultimate "second-shot" golf course. Power is an advantage, yes, but the real test is in a player’s precision with their iron shots. The greens are famously fast and have massive undulations. Missing a target by just a few feet can mean the difference between a simple birdie putt and a nearly impossible two-putt for par.
To win at Augusta, a player needs immense creativity. It's not just about hitting one type of shot, it's about being able to flight the ball high and soft into one green and then hit a low, drawing approach into another. The player who has full command of their shot-making and remains patient through the inevitable ups and downs is usually the one who slips on that jacket Sunday afternoon.
Next up, in May, is the PGA Championship. While it may sometimes fly under the radar compared to the other three, it consistently features one of the strongest fields in professional golf. The PGA of America hosts this event at various premier courses across the United States.
Originally, the PGA Championship was the final major of the year, held in August and known by the tagline "Glory's Last Shot." In 2019, it was moved to May. This gave it a more prominent place in the schedule and a distinct identity as the second act of the major season.
A few features that stand out:
Winning a PGA Championship requires an all-around great game. These courses are typically long and demanding, but without the extreme quirkiness you might find at an Open Championship or the punishing nature of a U.S. Open. You can’t fake it at a PGA Championship. Your long game needs to be sharp, your short game needs to be clean, and your putting has to be reliable. It’s a complete examination of a modern tour pro’s skill set.
Come June, the mood of the golf world shifts. It's time for the U.S. Open, the national championship of the United States Golf Association (USGA). If The Masters is about beauty and precision, the U.S. Open is about survival.
The USGA's philosophy is straightforward: identify the best player by presenting the most difficult, complete examination of golf possible. They accomplish this by creating notoriously challenging conditions:
The U.S. Open is arguably the biggest mental and strategic challenge in golf. The player who wins is often the one with the best course management and the strongest mind. As a coach, I'd tell a player that this is the one week where you throw your ego away. You don’t fire at every flag. You play to the center of the greens, you accept that you will make bogeys, and you move on to the next hole without carrying emotional baggage.
Discipline is everything. Patience is paramount. The U.S. Open champion is a grinder who has an excellent game plan and the mental fortitude to stick to it for 72 agonizing holes.
The final major of the year, held in July, is also the oldest. The Open Championship, often called the "British Open" by fans in America, dates back to 1860. It represents the origins of the sport.
This tournament is pure, unadulterated golf as it was first imagined. It’s played over a "rota" or rotation of classic seaside links courses across the United Kingdom. Links golf is a completely different style of play.
From a coaching viewpoint, The Open is all about adaptability and imagination. There's no single "right" way to play a shot. A player might have a 150-yard approach and could choose anything from a wedge to a 6-iron, depending on the wind and the ground conditions. Learning to use the contours and play a running shot is an art form that isn't always central to the modern game, but it's essential here.
More than any other tournament, The Open exposes players who rely on just one type of shot. The winner needs a deep well of shots at their disposal and the imagination to see the possibilities that the unique links landscape offers.
The major season in golf takes us on a tour of four distinct challenges, starting every April with The Masters. From the manicured perfection of Augusta to the professional test of the PGA, the brutal examination of the U.S. Open, and the historic, imaginative test of The Open, each tournament contributes its own chapter to the story of the golf year.
Understanding the unique character of each major can make watching them that much more enjoyable. It’s the same type of deep knowledge we aim to provide with Caddie AI. When you're facing a tough lie or are unsure of the right strategy for a particular hole, I can give you the kind of expert insight you need, right when you need it. By analyzing the situation, I help you make smarter decisions on the course, just like the pros do at the majors.
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