A major struggle: Golf’s elusive prizes

They are the championships every professional golfer lives for. The majors: comprising of the US masters, The US Open, The British Open and the US PGA. But for two players who head into this week’s US open among the favourites, their coming must bring a degree of angst as well as excitement.

Luke Donald and Lee Westwood are numbers one and three in the world respectively. Their proficiency at swinging a stick against a ball has earned them vast riches. Their trophy cabinets gleam with the gaudy baubles that come with winning events such as the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters. They are brilliant golfers. But neither has a won a major.

The Majors and their status within golf are perhaps the sport’s most unique feature. Tennis has its Grand Slams. But the very good players all win one. Top footballers now nearly always play for clubs that win medals. Great cricketers denied success by playing for poor teams have the consolation offered by their individual statistics.

But very good golfers can end their careers without a major. Colin Montgomerie is the most famous, a cool headed assassin in regular tournaments rendered a temper tantrum waiting to happen by the pressure of the Majors. And what makes it worse is that average golfers can and do place their hands on trophies usually only palmed by the gods.

Take Darren Clarke. The Ulsterman’s victory at the Open last year was one of the stories of 2011, and certainly a reward commensurate with his much fabled talent. But by any indice, Clarke is just not on the same course as Monty, Donald or Westwood.

Todd Hamilton could walk into many golf clubs and not be recognised. The Texan won the British Open in 2004. He has won squat since. His own mother would concede he’s a lesser player than Westwood. But he’s won a major

The history of the concept of Majors in golf is muddled, which perhaps explains why the sport has ended up with a slightly arbitrary way of measuring greatness. Originally the majors were a combination of the British and US opens, and the British and US amateur championships. When this evolved into the current four is unclear – this Wikipedia article is an excellent guide.

Other tournaments have at stages been considered majors. Several have tried to earn the status of a 5th major. And a game that is now truly global may soon grow uncomfortable with a concept grounded in tournaments hosted in the US and the UK.

But for now winning one is what matters. Westwood has come close often and clearly bristles at the questions that confront him every time a major comes around

“The majors should be a thorough test of golf and I like to think I’ve shown my game does rise to the task of being thoroughly tested,” he said this week
“What is my record – seven top threes in the last 15 majors I’ve played? I’m amazed that some people can class that as a failure.”

Whatever he says, few doubt Westwood thinks it is a failure. As one suspects, does Luke Donald. Not winning a major will be their major claim to fame until they do. It’s not really fair. It’s just the way it is.