Best Player Never to Have Won a Major

[Cantankerish]

Some of those guys are so young that they just need opportunity.  When Dechambeau can grow facial hair, we can begin wondering what the holdup is.  Kuchar and Poulter had better get on with it though.

[iacas]

6 hours ago, David L Yskes said:

Kuchar

Meh. Consistent money winner, not often top three.

6 hours ago, David L Yskes said:

Fowler

Over-rated.

6 hours ago, David L Yskes said:

Schauffele

Jonas Blixt

Jon Rahm

Finau

Bryson

Young. All too young to saddle them with that label yet.

6 hours ago, David L Yskes said:

Fleetwood

Over-rated.

6 hours ago, David L Yskes said:

Ian Poulter

Never all that good. Just in the RC.

6 hours ago, David L Yskes said:

Hideki Matsuyama 

Meh.

6 hours ago, David L Yskes said:

lee westwood

The most legit one on your list.

[saevel25]

Steve Stricker has 12 PGA Tour wins and no majors.

Lee Westwood has 24 European Tour wins and no Majors.

If Kenny Perry was still on the PGA Tour, he had 14 wins and no majors.

[skydog]

There isn’t a clear ‘winner’ (loser) for this category out there right now IMO but Rickie gets my vote. Yes he’s probably overrated relative to the attention he gets, but he’s a really solid putter and flights the ball too well to not pick up a British Open or Pebble style US Open at some point. 

[drabby1980]

My vote is for Kuchar.  Looking at his career stats, he has 9 PGA Tour victories, 2 international victories, 3 additional victories, 12 2nd place finishes, 12 3rd place finishes and 104 top ten finishes.  That's a pretty impressive resume.   

[Missouri Swede]

13 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Steve Stricker has 12 PGA Tour wins and no majors.

Does a major on the Champions Tour count? (I vote no.  Sorry, Mr. September.)

Steve Stricker claims first senior major with 6-shot win at 2019 Regions Tradition | Golf Channel

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Steve Stricker ran away with his first senior major, closing with a 4-under 68 for a six-shot victory at the weather-delayed Regions Tradition.

 

[ScouseJohnny]

It is, by definition, relative to the eras in which they played.*

On that basis, I still agree with what @iacas wrote back in 2004: Colin Montgomerie.

*What I mean by this is that Montgomerie was at his peak in the pre-Tiger era/bleeding over into the early days of Tiger, and he wasn't playing in an age, such as today, of a very dense field of remarkable golfers, any one of whom could win a major and we wouldn't be at all surprised. He had more than enough game to win in an era where the likes of Nick Price and Tom Lehman were picking up majors, he just never did.

The question is interesting, though, all these years later. Looking at his results in majors, I was surprised at how spotty his record is. He missed the cut 5 times in the British Open during the 1990s.

Edited May 15, 2019 by ScouseJohnny

[ChrisP]

Schauffele seems to have the best ongoing track record right now in majors play. He's got two runners-up in the last 3 majors and 5 top-10 finishes in the last 8 majors. He seems to be knocking on the door most. Rickie hasn't really contended much in majors. He'll put himself in contention the first 2 or 3 days but then usually fades on Sunday, kinda like Sergio used to do. His best Sunday performance was the '18 Masters when he made a run. Kuchar is just an ATM machine, but outside of the 2017 Open, he hasn't really thrust himself into a late Sunday battle. 

There's no elite player out there right now without a major. Just a lot of solid ones. Same goes with Rahm and Matsuyama. Solid players, but not in that elite category.

As for best players with only one major, I'd rank them: 1. DJ  2. Rose  3. Day  4. Molinari  5. Thomas 

Edited May 15, 2019 by ChrisP

[iacas]

2 hours ago, ChrisP said:

Schauffele seems to have the best ongoing track record right now in majors play.

I dunno. Tiger is 6th, 2nd, 1st. 🙂

[ChrisP]

2 minutes ago, iacas said:

I dunno. Tiger is 6th, 2nd, 1st. 🙂

Haha I meant among the non-major winners. But yes, Tiger’s got the best track overall in the last 3. Molinari and Koepka not bad, either. Not sure I like Tiger’s chances this week, though, but I hope I’m wrong and he’s up there.

[jamo]

I wanted to toss Luke Donald on the list because he had a pretty good run at the beginning of the decade, but his actual career achievements are pretty underwhelming. He actually has more PGA Tour wins than Westwood though. (Westwood smokes Donald on Euro Tour wins.)

Westwood has been pretty close on a couple of majors though, which is something. 

[Vinsk]

I think there’s a difference between ‘best player’ and ‘best record’ without a major. Kuchar is all talk (trash talk apparently). He’s a wimp when it comes down to winning a big event. Westwood probably tops my list.

[ThreePutt]

There was a stretch I was sure that Brandt Snedeker would get one.

[Hardspoon]

Luke Donald was the first that came to mind for me, but I have only been watching/following golf for about 10 years so my perspective is pretty limited.

[DeadMan]

Luke Donald's career really isn't that special. He had a great 2 years in 2011 and 2012, but hasn't really done anything outside of that. 

Looking at this list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_golfers_with_most_PGA_Tour_wins, the highest modern player without a major is actually Steve Stricker. I don't think Stricker was/is a better player than Westwood or Monty, personally. Westwood and Monty both have better records in majors, too. I'd give it to Monty over Westwood, personally.

 

[Hardspoon]

The complete list of men's golfers ranked World No. 1

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Justin Rose is ranked No. 1 in the world.

Westwood and Donald are the only two who have been ranked #1 without a major (unless I missed one; I scanned it quickly).