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How Well Have UK Golfers Performed At Major Tournaments
The four most prestigious events in Men’s professional golf are known as the Major Championships but just how well have the U.K. Golfers performed at:
- The Masters Tournament.
- U.S. Open.
- The Open Championship.
- PGA Championship.
Some major championship moments will live long in the memory.
Sandy Lyle’s up and down from the fairway bunker to win The Masters in 1988, Ian Woosnam crouched down and pumping his fist on the 18th green three years later at Augusta National.
In 1996 Nick Faldo claimed his third green jacket and sixth major championship when Greg Norman blew a six-shot lead.
Jean Van De Velde needed a double bogey down the last in the 128th Open Championship at Carnoustie in 1999 but found the ‘Barry Burn’ and took seven allowing Scotland’s Paul Lawrie, who started ten shots back that Sunday, to win a three-man sudden-death play-off.
Graeme McDowell benefited from a Dustin Johnson collapse at Pebble Beach to win the U.S. Open in 2010 and twelve months later fellow countryman Rory McIlroy lifted the same trophy when he recorded an eight-shot victory at Congressional Country Club to secure his maiden major championship.
28 days later Darren Clarke strode down 18 saluting the Royal St George's crowd as he became the ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’ lifting the Claret Jug to triumph in the 140th Open Championship. Northern Ireland was most definitely the ‘Major Capital of the World’ with three major victories in thirteen months.
Since 2012, there have only been five U.K. major wins
Rory McIlroy has added two PGA Championships and an Open Championship to bring his tally to four and Englishmen Justin Rose and Danny Willett have both become major champions with victories at the 2013 U.S. Open and 2016 Masters Tournament respectively.
Below we cover the Roll of Honour from 1945 to the present day and take a look at how the U.K. golfers have fared in the major championships dating back to 2010.
If you think a UK golfer is due a major win or wish to follow golf tipsters please check out the golf tipping pages.
Majors Roll Of Honour For UK Golfers 1945 - Present
Golfer | The Masters | US Open | The Open | PGA | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nick Faldo (ENG) | 3 | 3 | 6 | ||
Rory Mcllroy (NI) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
Henry Cotton (ENG) | 3 | 3 | |||
Tony Jacklin (ENG) | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
Sandy Lyle (SCO) | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
Fred Daly (NI) | 1 | 1 | |||
Max Faulkner (ENG) | 1 | 1 | |||
Ian Woosnam (WAL) | 1 | 1 | |||
Paul Lawrie (SCO) | 1 | 1 | |||
Graeme McDowell (NI) | 1 | 1 | |||
Darren Clarke (NI) | 1 | 1 | |||
Justin Rose (ENG) | 1 | 1 | |||
Danny Willett (ENG) | 1 | 1 |
UK Majors Top Ten Finishes - 2010 - Present - The Masters
Year | Player | Player | Player | Player | Player |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | None | ||||
2018 | Rory Mcllroy - Tied 5th | ||||
2017 | Justin Rose - Tied 2nd | Paul Casey - 6th | Rory Mcllroy - Tied 7th | ||
2016 | Danny Willett -1st | Lee Westwood - Tied 2nd | Paul Casey - Tied 4th | Matthew Fitzpatrick - Tied 7th | Justin Rose & Rory Mcllroy - Tied 10th |
2015 | Justin Rose - Tied 2nd | Rory Mcllroy - 4th | Paul Casey & Ian Poulter -Tied 6th | ||
2014 | Lee Westwood - 7th | Rory Mcllroy - Tied 8th | |||
2013 | Lee Westwood - Tied 8th | ||||
2012 | Lee Westwood - Tied 3rd | Ian Poulter -7th | Justin Rose - Tied 8th | ||
2011 | Luke Donald - Tied 4th | ||||
2010 | Lee Westwood -2nd | Ian Poulter - Tied 10th |
Summary:
In 2016 Danny Willett became the first British victor at Augusta National in 20 years with a three-shot triumph to claim the coveted green jacket.
The Sheffield native closed with a final round of 67 to finish clear of Jordan Spieth and fellow countryman Lee Westwood.
That runner-up finish for Lee Westwood was the Englishman’s sixth Top 10 in The Masters Tournament and he also finished second to Phil Mickelson back in 2010.
Many will remember the American’s magical shot from the pine straw on the par 5 13th hole, 187 yards to clear Rae’s Creek, a 6-iron that will go down in history.
Rory McIlroy has five Top 10’s at Augusta National, his best performance coming in 2015 when the Northern Irishman finished fourth.
The four-time major winner blew a four-shot lead in 2011 with a final round of 80 and the 31-year-old still chases that elusive Masters win to complete the Career Grand Slam.
Since 2007 Justin Rose has posted five Top 10’s at Augusta National, Paul Casey has recorded the same number dating back to 2004.
Ian Poulter has only missed the cut once in his fourteen appearances, registering three Top 10 finishes in Georgia.
UK Major Top Ten Finishes - 2010 - Present - PGA Championship
Year | Course | Player | Player | Player | Player |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | TPC Harding Park | Paul Casey - Tied 2nd | Justin Rose -9th | ||
2019 | Bethpage Black | Matt Wallace - Tied 3rd | Rory Mcllroy - Tied 8th | ||
2018 | Bellerive Country Club | Tyrrell Hatton - Tied 10th | |||
2017 | Quail Hollow Golf Club | Jordan Smith - Tied 9th | |||
2016 | Baltusrol Golf Club | Tyrrell Hatton & Paul Casey - Tied 10th | |||
2015 | Whistling Straits | Justin Rose - 4th | |||
2014 | Valhalla Golf Club | Rory Mcllroy - 1st | |||
2013 | Oak Hill Country Club | Rory Mcllroy - Tied 8th | |||
2012 | Kiawah Island Golf Resort | Rory Mcllroy - 1st | David Lynn -2nd | Justin Rose & Ian Poulter - Tied 3rd | Jamie Donaldson - Tied 7th |
2011 | Atlanta Athletic Club | Luke Donald & Lee Westwood - Tied 8th | |||
2010 | Whistling Straits | Rory Mcllroy - Tied 3rd |
SUMMARY:
Two of Rory McIlroy’s four major victories have come in the PGA Championship, the Northern Irishman lifting the Wanamaker Trophy in 2012 and 2014.
McIlroy won by eight strokes from Englishman David Lynn at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in 2012 and two years later held off Messrs Mickelson, Stenson, and Fowler to win by one shot at Valhalla Golf Club.
Justin Rose has recorded four Top 10’s in the major championship conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America.
Paul Casey was tied second alongside Dustin Johnson in the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park, the pair finished two shots behind winner Collin Morikawa in San Francisco.
High Wycombe’s Tyrrell Hatton has seven Top 25 finishes in his twenty-one major appearances and after winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, you feel the time is now for the five-time European Tour winner to take the next step up and become a major champion.
Hatton registered Top 10’s at Baltusrol Golf Club and Bellerive Country Club over the last five years and is now amongst the top ten players in the Official World Golf Rankings.
UK Major Top Ten Finishes - 2010 - Present - US Open
Year | Course | Player | Player | Player |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Winged Foot | Rory Mcllroy - Tied 8th | ||
2019 | Pebble Beach | Justin Rose - Tied 3rd | Rory Mcllroy - Tied 9th | |
2018 | Shinnecock Hills | Tommy Fleetwood - 2nd | Tyrrell Hatton - Tied 6th | Justin Rose - Tied 10th |
2017 | Erin Hills | Tommy Fleetwood - 4th | ||
2016 | Oakmount Country Club | None | ||
2015 | Chambers Bay | Rory Mcllroy - Tied 9th | ||
2014 | Pinehurst No 2 | None | ||
2013 | Merion Golf Club | Justin Rose - 1st | Luke Donald - Tied 8th | |
2012 | Olympic Club | Graeme McDowell - Tied 2nd | ||
2011 | Congressional Country Club | Rory Mcllroy - 1st | Lee Westwood - Tied 3rd | |
2010 | Pebble Beach | Graeme McDowell -1st |
SUMMARY:
We have seen three U.K. winners of the U.S. Open since 2010, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy going back to back for Northern Ireland at Pebble Beach and Congressional Country Club in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
Two years later in Pennsylvania, Justin Rose held off Jason Day and Phil Mickelson to claim his maiden major championship by lifting the U.S. Open Trophy at Merion Golf Club.
Tommy Fleetwood posted consecutive Top 5 U.S. Open finishes in 2017 and 2018, the Southport resident carded a Sunday 63 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club to finish one shot behind American Brooks Koepka.
The Englishman is amongst the very best in the game tee-to-green and you feel it’s only a matter of time before the five-time European Tour winner joins the illustrious list of major-championship winners.
Lee Westwood has 25 European Tour wins to his name and the U.S. Open was always a major many believed best suited his precision Ball Striking.
His tee-to-green game coupled with accurate iron play has seen Westwood register 19 Top 10 finishes in major championships, five of these coming at the U.S. Open.
UK Major Top Ten Finishes - 2010 - Present - Open Championship
Year | Course | Player | Player | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Royal Portrush | Tommy Fleetwood -2nd | Lee Westwood - Tied 4th | Tyrrell Hatton & Robert MacIntyre & Danny Willett - Tied 6th |
2018 | Carnoustie | Rory Mcllroy & Justin Rose - Tied 2nd | Eddie Pepperell - Tied 6th | |
2017 | Royal Birkdale | Rory Mcllroy - Tied 4th | Matthew Southgate - Tied 6th | |
2016 | Royal Troon | Tyrrell Hatton & Rory Mcllroy - Tied 5th | Andrew Johnston - 8th | |
2015 | St Andrews | Justin Rose & Danny Willett - Tied 6th | ||
2014 | Royal Liverpool | Rory Mcllroy - 1st | Graeme McDowell - Tied 9th | |
2013 | Muirfield | Ian Poulter & Lee Westwood - Tied 3rd | ||
2012 | Royal Lytham & St Annes | Luke Donald & Graeme McDowell - Tied 5th | Ian Poulter - Tied 9th | |
2011 | Royal St Georges | Darren Clarke - 1st | Simon Dyson - Tied 9th | |
2010 | St Andrews | Lee Westwood -2nd | Rory Mcllroy & Paul Casey - Tied 3rd | Robert Rock - Tied 7th |
SUMMARY:
The Open Championship has seen two U.K. winners since St. Andrews hosted the 139th edition in 2010 with both Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy lifting the Claret Jug.
Darren Clarke finished three shots clear of Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson at Royal St. George’s to became the first Northern Irishman to win The Open since Fred Daly in 1947, a career-defining moment for the man from Dungannon.
Three years later, good friend and fellow countryman Rory McIlroy became the ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’ at Hoylake, a 17 under par total seen him finish two shots clear of Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia at Royal Liverpool.
Major winners Justin Rose and Danny Willett have both posted a couple of Top 10 finishes in The Open Championship since 2015 and Tyrrell Hatton was tied 5th at Royal Troon in 2016 before finishing in a tie for 6th at Royal Portrush in 2019.
That’s five Top 10’s for the Englishman in major championships and his career is trending in the right direction.
47-year-old Lee Westwood has five Top 5 finishes in The Open Championship and the former world number one still has the game to contend for a title he would dearly love to win.
In 2013 Westwood took a two-shot lead into the final round at Muirfield before carding a Sunday 75 to finish four shots behind Phil Mickelson.
The American birdied four of his last six holes to capture the Claret Jug,
This was just a week after winning the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.
43-year-old Mickelson followed in the footsteps of Darren Clarke (2011) and Ernie Els (2012) who both won The Open in their forties, perhaps Lee Westwood’s finest day is yet unknown and he gets that one moment in time.
Conclusion
Now you know which UK golfers have performed well at the Majors you can consider your bets and tips on the forthcoming major championships.
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