Beyond the Big Four: Ranking ALL the Golf Majors You Can’t Miss

Man, the golf major season. Feels like it blows by in a heartbeat, right? April rolls around, boom, Masters. Then May, BAM, PGA. June, Open. July, another Open. And then… poof. Gone. That’s the narrative. Four majors and you’re done. But here’s the damn truth: that’s a ridiculously narrow way to look at it. Way too narrow. Because there are more majors out there than you might think. And some of them? Absolutely killer. We’re talking about the whole damn lot, ranked not by who’s famous or where it’s held, but by that pure, unadulterated tingly excellence. The stuff that makes you lean in. The stuff that actually matters.

Think about it. You’ve got the usual suspects, sure. The ones everyone talks about. But there’s a whole universe of golf’s biggest stages, and frankly, some of them deliver way more than you’d expect. We’re not just talking about the guys. We’re talking about the women, the seniors, even the amateurs. Because when it comes down to it, a major is a major. It’s about the pressure. It’s about the history. It’s about who buckles and who rises.

The Real Deal: Our Top Three So Far

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of all 13, let’s talk about the ones that have really grabbed us this year. Forget the hype. Forget the usual suspects for a second. These are the events that delivered pure, unadulterated golf magic. The kind that makes you forget everything else.

At number one, it’s the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera. Why? Simple. The course itself has this incredible pedigree. And Nelly Korda? Winning it? That’s not just a win; that’s history. Her history. The whole package. Just brilliant.

Coming in at number two, the PGA Championship at Aronimink. Now, the Rory-Scheffler-Cam vibe is cool and all, but this win? Aaron Rai. Humble dude. A real correction to the usual narrative. It was a damn good tournament, and his win felt right. Like golf giving you a nod.

And rounding out the top three, the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham. Shiho Kuwaki. Last lady standing after a playoff. Two completely different golfers duking it out as the sun set over England. It was insane. And it proved, yet again, how damn hard it is to close out a golf tournament. Pure drama. Pure excellence.

Thirteen Majors? You Gotta Be Kidding Me.

Okay, so that’s three. But we’re talking about a total of 13 majors this year. Thirteen. Yeah, you heard me. And any year that ends in an even number, you get 13. It’s not just the four you always hear about. You’ve got the U.S. Women’s Open and the AIG Women’s Open, the PGA Championship, and the U.S. Amateur (for the men, this year at Merion, and it’s a damn good one). Then you’ve got the heavy hitters: the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship. And it doesn’t stop there. We’re talking the Senior PGA Championship, the U.S. Senior Open, the Senior British Open. Plus the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the Chevron Championship, and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Next year? With the Ryder Cup in Ireland, we’ll be looking at 14. Fourteen!

Is this list subjective? Hell yeah, it is. Who cares? This is about what makes golf great. And you know what else? The Tradition. Some call it a senior major. We don’t. Why? Because winners of majors get bragging rights that last a lifetime. When you win a major, the emotion is overwhelming. For the winner, for the fans. If you love golf, you’re glued to that Augusta National Women’s Amateur finale. It’s one of the best days of the golfing year, hands down. You ever watched the Tradition? Honestly, if you’re related to Steve Stricker, who’s won it three times, don’t even answer that. It’s just not the same.

So, without further ado, and keeping a spot open for the U.S. Amateur to stake its claim, here’s our ranking of the year’s majors, starting with a quick recap of the top dogs.

The Full Breakdown: From Top to Bottom

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty. This is where we break down all 13. It’s subjective, sure, but it’s based on what truly makes a major championship memorable. The drama, the stories, the sheer quality of golf played.

• No. 1. U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera. Queen Korda reigns supreme. This one had it all: a historic course and a dominant winner. Pure class.
• No. 2. PGA Championship at Aronimink. Aaron Rai, the humble champion. A win that felt like a breath of fresh air. Solid golf, solid story.
• No. 3. AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham. Shiho Kuwaki’s dramatic playoff win. Proved that closing in golf is harder than rocket science. Insane Sunday golf.
• No. 4. The Masters. Rory McIlroy. Back-to-back at Augusta. After all those years of near misses, this felt… weird. Almost too easy? But a win is a win, and this was huge. Did Scottie miss by that much? Will Rory ever look stressed? Questions linger.
• No. 5. U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club. Padraig Harrington. Paddy in full effect. At the course that shaped Jack Nicklaus. You love to see it.
• No. 6. Chevron Championship. Nelly Korda again. Reclaiming her spot as arguably the most dominant golfer out there, male or female. At 27, she’s already on track for Mount Rushmore. Mickey, Kathy, Annika… is Nelly next? The next decade will tell.
• No. 7. The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Ryan Fox. Golf’s oldest and grandest event. A fantastic course, a fun winner with a no-nonsense pace of play. A lesson for everyone.
• No. 8. Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Maria Jose Marin. Colombia’s finest. A final-round 68 with “pixie dust,” including a miracle shot on 12. Her English is as good as her golf. This win lit up dreams across South America. Powerful stuff.
• No. 9. U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Wyndham Clark. Another U.S. Open, another majestic venue. Shinnecock always delivers. The course was a bit too wide open for some, and the crowd… let’s just say some spectators were classless boors. Clark didn’t exactly inspire a lovefest, but it was still a U.S. Open at Shinnecock. That’s a lot.
• No. 10. KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine. Haeran Ryu. The Korean sensation. Minnesota golf fans embraced her like royalty. You can’t deny the passion for golf in states like Minnesota and Wisconsin.
• No. 11. Senior British Open at Gleneagles. Jerry Kelly. At 59, he secured a spot in next year’s Open Championship at St. Andrews. A legend in his own right.
• No. 12. Senior PGA Championship. Stewart Cink. A dominant win by six shots. Big trophy, big winner, big margin. Straightforward.

The Final Frontier: The U.S. Amateur

And then there’s the one major still to play: the U.S. Amateur. This year, it’s at Merion, and it’s always a barnburner. You’ve got 312 players battling for 64 spots in the stroke-play qualifier. Then it’s straight knockout golf. 64 down to 32, 16, eight, four, two, and finally, one champion. It’s a marathon. It’s a test of everything. And honestly, it has the potential to shake up this entire ranking. Will it claim the top spot? Only time, and a lot of damn good golf, will tell. It’s the kind of event that reminds you why golf is so damn compelling. The raw talent, the pressure cooker atmosphere, the dream of becoming a major champion. It’s all there.

So, next time someone talks about the four majors, give them a look. Because golf’s major season is a much richer, more exciting landscape than they might think. There’s always another great tournament waiting to be discovered. You just have to know where to look. For more on the intricacies of golf’s biggest events, check out resources on the U.S. Amateur Championship .