Golf history is a weird, fickle thing. One day you’re the king of the world, and the next, you’re hacking it out of the tall fescue at Oakmont wishing you’d taken up tennis. Honestly, looking back at the golf major winners list from this past year, it feels like we’ve lived through a decade’s worth of drama in just four weekends.
The 2025 season wasn't just another year on the calendar. It was the year the "McIlroy Curse" finally broke, Scottie Scheffler turned into a literal winning machine, and a guy most casual fans wouldn't recognize at a grocery store almost stole the U.S. Open trophy. If you’re trying to keep track of who holds the hardware as we head into 2026, the list has shifted in some pretty massive ways.
The Grand Slam is Finally Real
Let’s talk about Rory. For eleven years, the guy couldn't buy a major. He was the "nearly man," the guy who would shoot a 66 on Friday and a 78 on Sunday. But the 2025 Masters changed everything. It wasn't even a blowout; he had to survive a sudden-death playoff against Justin Rose.
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When that final putt dropped, Rory McIlroy didn't just win a green jacket. He became the sixth man in the history of the sport to complete the career Grand Slam. He's now in the same breath as Tiger, Jack, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Gene Sarazen. That win at Augusta National basically cemented his legacy, and it’s probably the most significant addition to the golf major winners list in the modern era.
Scottie Scheffler’s Absurd Dominance
If Rory provided the heart, Scottie Scheffler provided the hammer. The man is a robot. He won the PGA Championship in May after nearly losing a five-shot lead to Jon Rahm, and then he just... kept winning.
By the time the Open Championship rolled around at Royal Portrush in July, the field felt like they were playing for second place. Scottie won the Claret Jug by four shots, finishing 17-under-par.
- Masters Winner: Rory McIlroy (Playoff)
- PGA Championship Winner: Scottie Scheffler
- U.S. Open Winner: J.J. Spaun
- The Open Winner: Scottie Scheffler
Wait, J.J. Spaun? Yeah. That happened.
The Oakmont Chaos: J.J. Spaun’s Miracle
The U.S. Open at Oakmont was, frankly, a car crash in slow motion. The conditions were brutal. Rain, thick rough, and greens that felt like glass. Most of the "big names" fell apart.
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J.J. Spaun started his final round with five bogeys in the first six holes. You’d think he was done, right? Nope. He settled down, found a rhythm, and sank a 64-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win his first major. He finished at 1-under for the whole week. That’s how hard the course was playing. Robert MacIntyre finished two shots back, but Spaun’s name is the one that gets etched into history now.
All-Time Major Win Leaders (As of 2026)
Even with Scottie and Rory adding to their tallies, the top of the mountain hasn't changed. Jack is still the GOAT in terms of raw numbers, and Tiger is still chasing the ghost.
- Jack Nicklaus: 18
- Tiger Woods: 15
- Walter Hagen: 11
- Ben Hogan / Gary Player: 9
- Tom Watson: 8
- Arnold Palmer / Gene Sarazen / Sam Snead / Bobby Jones / Harry Vardon: 7
It’s wild to think that despite Scottie Scheffler’s "Tiger-esque" run in 2025—where he won six times on tour and grabbed two majors—he’s still only at four total majors. It really puts into perspective how insane Jack and Tiger's careers actually were. You have to be perfect for twenty years to get to where they are.
What’s Coming in 2026?
We are sitting on the edge of a very interesting season. Scottie Scheffler is only a U.S. Open away from his own career Grand Slam. If he keeps this pace up, we might be talking about him as a top-10 player of all time by the end of the decade.
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Rory, meanwhile, is playing like the weight of the world has been lifted off his shoulders. He’s starting his 2026 season over in Dubai, looking for redemption after some close calls there in the past.
Honestly, the "best active golfer" debate is basically a two-horse race right now. Xander Schauffele is still lurking—he had a huge 2024 with two majors—but 2025 belonged to the Rory and Scottie show.
Why the List Matters
The golf major winners list isn't just a spreadsheet. It’s the only metric the greats care about. You can win twenty "normal" tournaments, but if you don't have a major, there’s always an asterisk next to your name. Just ask guys like Rickie Fowler or Tommy Fleetwood, who are still fighting to get on this list.
If you’re looking to stay ahead of the game this year, keep an eye on the schedule. The 2026 majors are going to be at some iconic venues, and the pressure on Scheffler to complete the slam at the U.S. Open is going to be deafening.
Actionable Next Steps:
Keep a close watch on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as the season starts in Hawaii and Dubai. The momentum from 2025 is clearly with Scheffler, but history shows that defending major titles is exponentially harder than winning the first one. If you're following the quest for the Grand Slam, mark your calendar for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot this June—it’s the only trophy missing from Scottie’s cabinet.