How many Golf majors are there? Exploring their location and when they’re played

The PGA Championship is approaching and the golf world is back in "Golf majors mode". It is not without reason that these tournaments attract so much attention: they are the most historic and prestigious in the sport.

The tournaments considered "Golf majors" have not always been the same. However, for more than 60 years they have been, in men's golf, the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the British Open. It is said that the legendary Arnold Palmer was the one who gave them the name "majors", but there is no certainty about this.

Winning a major tournament represents several privileges. The winner is considered qualified in his own right to all Golf majors for the next five years. They also qualify for The Players Tournament (considered the "fifth major") for the next three years.

Other advantages are that the winner earns his membership in the PGA Tour (if he does not have it). Additionally, the prize money are considerably higher than that of the regular tournaments.

The Augusta Masters (officially called the Masters Tournament) is the first of the Golf majors of each season. It was founded in 1934 and is played every April at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

It is the only one of the major tournaments that has always been played on the same course, Only former champions and the best golfers in the world are invited to play. The tournament has a prize purse of $18 million for the 2023 edition.

The PGA Championship is the second of the Golf Majors of each season, played in May (previously in August). It was founded in 1916 and has always been considered among Golf majors, both in the amateur era and after the proliferation of professionalism.

This tournament has been played on the main courses in the United States, as it rotates its venue every two or three years. This season, it will be played at the East Course of Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. The prize purse will be $15 million.

The U.S. Open, the third of the Golf Majors of the season, is played in June. It is considered the national golf tournament of the United States, although players from anywhere in the world may participate. It has been played since 1895 and its main characteristic is that it is open to any golfer, professional or amateur. That is, as long as they have a handicap equal to or lower than 1.4.

For qualification, the usual route is to dispute the pass to the event through qualifying tournaments, of which thousands are held each year.The prize purse for the 2023 edition has not yet been made public, but it is expected to be around $12 million.

The British Open is the only one of the Golf majors played outside the United States. It has been played since 1860, making it the oldest of the Golf majors, although it has not always been considered as such. I rotates its venues in courses in England and Scotland.

Because of the rain and wind that characterize the usual weather of the regions in the month in which it is played (July), the British Open is considered one of the toughest tournaments. Its prize purse for the current season has also not been made public, but it is expected to be close to 11.5-million-dollars.

Women's Golf majors

When it comes to women's golf, there are five major tournaments each season. As with the men's Golf majors, each women's tournament has a rich history and has helped define some of the greatest women golfers of all time.

The Chevron Championship is the first major of the LPGA Tour season and is played each April. It was founded in 1972 by actress and singer Dinah Shore, which is why the tournament is unofficially named after her. It has been recognized as part of the Golf majors since 1983.

Since its foundation, it was played at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage California until the 2022 edition. In 2023 it moved to The Club at Carlton Woods in the Woodlands, Texas. It has a prize purse of approximately $5 million.

The U.S. Women's Open is the second major of the season and is played in June. It was founded in 1946 and has been recognized as a major since the classification began to be used.

The U.S. Women's Open shares qualifying characteristics with its men's counterpart. Any golfer, professional or amateur, can qualify through the qualifying tournaments, as long as they have a handicap equal to or lower than 2.4. Its prize purse is around $10 million, the highest on the circuit.

The Women's PGA Championship is the third major of the season. It is also played in June and is the sister version of the men's PGA Championship. This, in fact, is the reason for it to include "PGA" and not "LPGA" in its name.

This major has been played since 1955 and has been played on a rotating basis at the best courses in the United States. In 2022 it will be played at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

The Amundi Evian Championship is the fourth major of the season. It is one of the two played outside the United States, specifically at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Évian-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie, France.

Founded in 1994, it is played in July, as part of the LPGA Tour and the European Ladies Tour. The latter institution does not recognize the three tournaments played on U.S. soil as majors.

The Women's Open is the fifth and last major of the season. It has been played since 1976 on golf courses in the United Kingdom. In 2022, the venue was the Scottish course of Muirfield. Throughout its history, it has been played between July and September, although preferably in August. Its prize purse is about $7.3 million.