Highly prized by professional golfers is winning a “major” championship. In the past, top amateur players also earned their place in golfing folklore bagging one of the “big four”: The Open Championship (est. 1860), US Open (1895), PGA Championship (of the PGA of America) (1916), and the Masters Tournament (1934).

The World Golf Championships (WGC) are four annual events for professional golfers sanctioned by the main international tours. These lucrative official money events comprise: the Match Play (est 1999), Championship (1999), Invitational (1999) and Champions (2009). Title sponsors have varied over the years, as is the case with most other professional golf tournaments.

In the men’s amateur category we track the four amateur “majors”: the Amateur Championship (est 1885), US Amateur (1895), European Amateur (1986) and Asia-Pacific Amateur (2009). For the best known players, we also record wins in the British and US Boys Championships, and the US Public Links.

The LPGA's five “majors”, co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour, include: the US Women’s Open (est 1946), US Women’s PGA (1955), ANA Inspiration (1983, formerly the Dinah Shore), British Women’s Open (2001) and The Evian (2013). Three other events were formerly considered women’s “majors”: Western Open (1930-67), Titleholders (1937-66 and 1972), and the Canadian Women’s Open (1979-2000, mainly played as the Du Maurier).

In the women’s amateur category we track results in the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship (est 1893) and the US Women’s Amateur Championship (1895). For the best known players, we also record their wins in the British and US Girls Championships, and the US Public Links championship.