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The 6 Best Golfers to Never Win a Major

The 6 Best Golfers to Never Win a Major

The Greatest Golf Players to Never Win a Major

Winning a major is a huge achievement for any golfer - but some of the best golfers have still not got one under their belt.

Here are the 6 best golfers to NEVER win a major!

golfer Rickie Fowler

Rickie Fowler, one of the best golfers to never win a major

Justin Rose once said:

“Winning your first major is a massive hurdle. Having won one myself—and that was a little while ago—my mentality was that winning one enabled me to win more.”

It’s simple logic, although slightly flawed given that the Englishman hasn’t won any since his breakthrough.

Rose may still be waiting for the follow-up, but at least he has one in the bank. There are some great players who, for one reason or another, are still on zero when it comes to lifting the big four.

Some can take it on the chin but for others, it’s a weight that hangs heavy…

1. Colin Montgomerie

Career Highlight Stats

  • 31 wins on the European Tour

  • Eight Order of Merits

  • Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame

The big Scot won 31 times on the European tour, securing no less than eight Order of Merits and was a winning player on six Ryder Cup teams.

When he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame for his achievements, Monty put on a brave face:

"I've never, ever stood up and made a winner's speech and said I was unlucky. Never. I never will.”

Strangely, he failed to win a playoff in seven attempts on the European tour.

This may have come back to haunt him when he lost the 1994 U.S. Open and the 1995 PGA Championship in extra holes to Ernie Els and Steve Elkington respectively.

The one that got away was the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot when Montgomerie came up short against Geoff Ogilvy after a double bogey at the 18th.

"It's the first time I've really messed up," he said. "My other chances (to win a Major) other people have done well, this is the first time I've really messed up."

2. Lee Westwood

Career Highlight Stats

  • Nine top-three finishes in the Majors - but no win

  • Briefly replaced Tiger Woods at the top of the world rankings

  • Won 44 times on the pro circuit

The Englishman has a very impressive record of nine top-three finishes in the majors.

Approaching 50 years of age, he was still competitive in the big ones before Covid, with a top-four finish at the Open.

Unfortunately, he is also the man who holds the dubious record of playing in the most majors (91) without winning any of them.

Westwood’s best chance probably came at Augusta in 2010 when he began the third round a shot ahead of Phil Mickelson.

That was in the middle of a blitz period where ‘Westy’ finished second twice and tied third four times in the big four between 2008-12.

In the middle of that run, the Worksop-born golfer briefly replaced Tiger Woods at the top of the world rankings. Westwood has won 44 times on the pro circuit as a consolation prize.

3. Rickie Fowler

Career Highlight Stats

  • An impressive run at Royal Sandwich in 2011

  • Four top-five finishes in all four events in 2014

  • Won five times on the PGA Tour

With his long hair, Leo DiCaprio looks and distinctive garb (including an orange cap) Rickie Fowler was supposed to be America’s new kid on the block.

He made an impressive run at a windswept Royal Sandwich as a 22-year-old in 2011.

He followed this up impressively with four top-five finishes in all four in 2014. He was only the third player, along with Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, to have finished in the top five in all four in one calendar year.

Unfortunately, he was the first one not to have won a big one in that same category.

Fowler has won only five times on the PGA tour, hardly a reflection of his prodigious ability. He’s 34 now. It might never happen.

4. Xander Schauffele

Career Highlight Stats

  • 10 top-10 finishes: two runners-up and three third-placed spots

  • Tied for the lead at the 2019 Masters

  • Won the gold medal at the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021

The Californian has been sniffing around the majors for about five years now.

In 23 attempts, Schauffele has 10 top-10 finishes with two runners-up spots and three third-placed efforts.

He almost spoilt the fairytale for Tiger Woods at the 2019 Masters when the 29-year-old was tied for the lead with just a handful of holes left.

He is not a choker, having won the gold medal at the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021 and the 2017 Tour Championship, holding off Justin Thomas.

5. Paul Casey

Career Highlight Stats

  • Five top-10 finishes at the Masters from 2004-2017

  • 21 pro tour wins

  • Third in the 2022 Players Championship

Paul Casey is now in his mid-forties but that hasn’t stopped him from competing at the highest level in recent years.

In 2020, he was exceptionally close to claiming the USPGA Championship until Collin Morikawa chipped in at the 14th and drove the par four 16th to beat the Englishman and Dustin Johnson by a shot.

Casey has also enjoyed five top-10 finishes at the Masters from 2004 to 2017, a sequence which included three consecutive finishes of sixth, fourth and sixth.

He has 21 pro tour wins and was also placed third in the 2022 Players Championship behind Open winner Cameron Smith and fifth in 2021 when the event offered the highest purse of any tournament in golf.

6. Luke Donald

Career Highlight Stats

  • Finished third place at the Masters in 2005

  • His best major years were between 2011-12

  • Won the US Open, the Open and the PGA between 2011 and 2014

The new European Ryder Cup captain has had a glittering career on the course without ever backing it up with a big trophy.

Donald had the reputation of a plodder which is a bit of an insult for someone who was number one in the world for an aggregate of more than 50 weeks.

The initial excitement stemmed from his third-place finish in his very first appearance at the Masters in 2005.

Ultimately, his best major years were between 2011-12 when he was placed in the top ten three times (at the Masters, the Open and the USPGA) while battling for the number one spot with Rory McIlroy.

While the Northern Irishman claimed The US Open, the Open and the PGA between 2011 and 2014, Donald would never grace the business end of a major ever again, especially after changing his swing in an attempt to gain more distance.

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