For a while it belonged to Phil Mickelson, and then Sergio Garcia. These days it is a toss-up between Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood. The moniker of ‘Best Player Never To Win A Major’ is one of the hardest burdens to bear for professionals, writes BRENDAN BARRATT.
When Xander Schauffele lifted the Wanamaker Trophy in May, he joined a select group of golfers – the Major club. He also removed himself from the unwanted list of the ‘best players never to have won a Major’.
Here are the top active players who remain on that list.
Viktor Hovland
The Norwegian (26) is a six-time winner on the PGA Tour and has two wins in Europe. While he’s not been at his best this year, he was unstoppable in 2023, where he won the Memorial, the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship. Now with four top 10s at Majors, including finishing as runner-up at this year’s PGA Championship, it must surely only be a matter of time before the smiling assassin claims his Major breakthrough.
Patrick Cantlay
He may not be the most likeable player on the planet but there is no doubting Cantlay’s pedigree. An eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, including three Playoff events and two Memorials, it seems the next logical step in his career is a Major title. He’s come close – five top 10s at Majors – and his third-place finish at the 2019 PGA Championship and this year’s US Open prove he is comfortable in the mix on a Major Sunday.
Tony Finau
Finau has been a consistent performer at Majors for the past decade, racking up 11 top 10s, including five top fives. The American has everything needed to win a big one and, at age 34, is in the prime of his career. Most importantly, he’s become a regular winner on Tour, so his confidence should be right up there.
Rickie Fowler
It’s impossible to exclude Fowler from this list, even if his game has been off the boil over the past few years. In 2014, the American was in the mix at all four Majors, finishing in the top five at each, but sadly failed to get over the line. He’s finished as runner-up at The Masters in 2018, the US Open in 2014 and The PGA Championship in 2014 and currently has 13 top 10s at Majors, including a tie for fifth at last year’s US Open. There’s still time for Fowler to become a Major champion, and few would begrudge him if he did.
Matt Kuchar
Now reaching the twilight of an outstanding career, it seems the only thing missing from Kuchar’s résumé is a Major. The American has won all around the world, including nine times on the PGA Tour. He’s also racked up 12 top 10s at Majors, including finishing runner-up to Jordan Spieth at the 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale. Kuchar is 46 now and likely eyeing some senior Majors when the time comes. No doubt he will rack up plenty.
Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood has twice finished as a Major runner-up – to Brooks Koepka at the 2018 US Open and to Shane Lowry at the 2019 Open Championship. The Englishman is not a prolific winner, but seems to always be in contention, a fact backed up by his record of eight top 10s at Major championships. Being one of the best ball strikers in golf, Fleetwood’s game seems well suited to the taxing Major set-ups.
Paul Casey
Now 47, Casey may be closing in on the Senior Tour, but there is no doubt that he is one of the best players never to have claimed a Major. Once ranked as high as third in the world, the Englishman has 12 top 10s at Majors and was still getting himself into contention as recently as 2021, before injury and a decision to defect to LIV Golf brought an end to that.
Lee Westwood
While Westwood is still able to hold his own on the LIV Golf Tour, he’s now 51 years old and unlikely to get into the Majors, never mind have a run at one. However, 19 top 10s at Major championships highlights a remarkable career, which also includes 22 weeks as the world’s No 1-ranked golfer. Westy has three runner-ups and six third-place finishes and, with a bit of luck, could have ended his career with a handful of Majors.
Past Players
- Colin Montgomerie (31 DP World Tour wins, seven consecutive Order of Merit titles)
- Doug Sanders (20 PGA Tour wins, four runner-ups at Majors)
- Steve Stricker (13 top 10s at Majors)
- Ian Poulter (eight top 10s at Majors)
- Luke Donald (former world No 1)
- Mark McNulty (83 consecutive weeks in the top 10 in the World Ranking)
- Harry Cooper (won 30 times on the PGA Tour)
- Macdonald Smith (won 25 times on the PGA Tour)
– This article first appeared in the August 2024 issue of Compleat Golfer magazine.
