Post-Masters… Best Golfer to Have Won Just One Major?

After finally ending the anguish and winning his first major, Sergio García joked, “I don’t know if I’ll be the best player to have only won one major. But I can live with that.”

So, if not Sergio (and many will be expecting him to at least win a second one now that the monkey has been removed from his back), who?

The list is long (some no longer playing or with us – others still active and young enough to add to their tally) but top players over the years with just one major title include: Fred Couples, Adam Scott, Ian Woosnam, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson, Tom Kite, Gene Littler, Graeme McDowell, Geoff Ogilvy, Corey Pavin, Justin Rose, Bob Charles, Roberto DeVicenzo, David Duval, Tom Lehman, Louis Oosthuizen, Henrik Stenson, Paul Azinger, Jason Day, Davis Love III, Lanny Wadkins – not to mention the Costa del Sol’s own Michael Campbell (2005 US Open).

A total of 217 different men have won majors so far, and of these 81 have added at least a second title.

Interestingly, the last six majors have had first-time winners: Day, Danny Willett, Johnson, Stenson, Jimmy Walker and now García. So will that trend continue at the next stop, the US Open at Erin Hills (Wisconsin) from 15 to 18 June? And that also still leaves the eternal question: who remains as the best golfer never to have raised a Grand Slam trophy?

Now competing on the senior tours, Colin Montgomerie’s time has passed. Of players still active on the main tours, 43-year-old Lee Westwood has competed in the most majors without a win (76), second behind 63-year-old Jay Haas (87); while 39-year-old Luke Donald has played in 53. García was 37 when he broke through in his 74th start on Sunday.

Three of the current top-10 ranked players in the world are winless in majors: Hideki Matsuyama (fourth), Rickie Fowler (ninth) and Justin Thomas (10th). And six of the next 10: Alex Noren (12th), Jon Rahm (13th but still in his rookie season as a pro), Patrick Reed (14th), Paul Casey (15th), Tyrrell Hatton (16th) and Matt Kuchar (17th). Then, in the rest of the top-50, there are: Branden Grace (22nd), Brooks Koepka (23rd), Brandt Snedeker (25th), Thomas Peters (26th) and Marc Leishman (31st).

All possible champions – although some more likely than others – but the majors have produced many surprise winners in their long history.