2014 and Four Non-New Major Winners? Rare Feat!

[ChrisP]

The fact we've had some pretty great major champions the last few years got me thinking to how many this year are brand new ones......and the answer is 0.

Which got me thinking......how often does it happen that you go through a major season without a first time major winner?

Did some research. If a first-timer doesn't win the PGA, it will be just the 4th time since WWII that a first-time major champion didn't break through in a season. The other 3 instances were 1972, 1980 and 2000 (the year Tiger won 3).

[ChrisP]

To add on to the point, if you don't think the majors the last couple years have been awesome, take a look at the leaderboards of these majors. The big names have been coming to the top which is something new. We went through a long stretch there of Lucas Glovers and Y.E. Yangs and Michael Campbells and Ben Curtis and Shaun Micheels, to name a few.

These have been the top finishers from the past two years of majors....you'll see a few surprises mixed in, but not many:

2014 Open: McIlroy, Garcia, Fowler, Furyk, Scott

2014 USO: Kaymer, Fowler, Compton, Day, D.Johnson, Stenson, Bradley, Koepka

2014 Masters: B.Watson, Spieth, Jiminez, Fowler, Kuchar

2013 PGA: Dufner, Furyk, Stenson, Blixt, Scott

2013 Open: Mickelson, Stenson, Scott, Westwood, Poulter, Woods, Zach J

2013 USO: Rose, Mickelson, Day, Els, Dufner, Mahan

2013 Masters: Scott, Cabrera, Day, Woods, Leishman, Snedeker

2012 PGA: McIlroy, Lynn, Rose, Bradley, Poulter

2012 Open: Els, Scott, Woods, Snedeker, McDowell, Donald

[Golfingdad]

The fact we've had some pretty great major champions the last few years got me thinking to how many this year are brand new ones......and the answer is 0.

Which got me thinking......how often does it happen that you go through a major season without a first time major winner?

Did some research. If a first-timer doesn't win the PGA, it will be just the 4th time since WWII that a first-time major champion didn't break through in a season. The other 3 instances were 1972, 1980 and 2000 (the year Tiger won 3).

Which is pretty ironic when you consider that this year in non-majors seems to be defining itself as the year of the nobody. :)

[ChrisP]

Which is pretty ironic when you consider that this year in non-majors seems to be defining itself as the year of the nobody. :)

Yeah, that's a great point. Even the Players had a star-studded top of the leaderboard with Kaymer, Garcia, Furyk, Rose and Spieth finishing in the top-5. Been a strange year.

[Motley01]

Last time I checked, there has only been 3 majors completed this year. Jumping the gun on the PGA?

[Ernest Jones]

Last time I checked, there has only been 3 majors completed this year. Jumping the gun on the PGA?

Read it again...

[boogielicious]

The LPGA is opposite.  Three majors, three first timers.

[ChrisP]

Last time I checked, there has only been 3 majors completed this year. Jumping the gun on the PGA?

Nope, just saying IF it happens it would be extremely rare. But my other point is just how star-studded the leaderboards have been the last 2 years in majors. This is probably the longest stretch of majors I ever remember without a big cinderella story having a shot to win at the end. Instead, it's been the big names dueling it out now every major....which is great....and also like GolfingDad said, the exact opposite of how the year has gone in non-majors.

[Gunther]

The LPGA is opposite.  Three majors, three first timers.

True dat, but big names in 2 of the 3.

[Wansteadimp]

Nope, just saying IF it happens it would be extremely rare. But my other point is just how star-studded the leaderboards have been the last 2 years in majors. This is probably the longest stretch of majors I ever remember without a big cinderella story having a shot to win at the end. Instead, it's been the big names dueling it out now every major....which is great....and also like GolfingDad said, the exact opposite of how the year has gone in non-majors.

I know he gets a lot of hype but Spieth winning the Masters at his first attempt as a 20 year old would have been a fairly big Cinderella story.

A reminder there have been 3 people to win the Masters at their first go, two of those were in the first 2 years.

[ChrisP]

I know he gets a lot of hype but Spieth winning the Masters at his first attempt as a 20 year old would have been a fairly big Cinderella story.

A reminder there have been 3 people to win the Masters at their first go, two of those were in the first 2 years.

I don't think it would have been a Cinderella story ala Ben Curtis or Shaun Micheel. Jordan Spieth showed in the last year he can play with the big boys. But it would have been a heck of a story for a kid like that to win.