2019 is a big year for golf. With Europe’s elite players looking to build on the 2018 Ryder Cup success in Paris, we could see Europeans thrive at the four major events.
Starting with the Masters and ending with The Open Championship, golf’s biggest tournaments will take place over a three-month period.
The PGA Championship, more often than not the final major of the calendar year, has now moved forward to June and that makes The Open Championship golf’s fourth and final major event this year.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the four major competitions ahead of what could be a huge year for golf fans across the world.
The Masters
The inaugural Masters tournament was held back in 1934 and it has been an ever-present event on the Augusta National calendar for 83 of the last 85 years.
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus has won this event six times, making him the most successful player in Masters history. As the first major of the year, the Masters sets the tone for the next three major events.
The 2019 US Masters prize fund was $11.5 million, making it one of the most lucrative golf competitions on the planet.
With a rich history and heritage surrounding the event, the Masters is one of the most anticipated golf tournaments on the calendar and it is the event that everybody wants to win.
Tiger Woods made history in 2019 as he claimed his fifth Green Jacket. Woods has now won 15 majors in his illustrious career and golf romantics will be backing the 43-year-old to shock us all again next year.
The early Masters odds show Woods at 9/1 to retain his major title in 2020 – though new kid on the block Brooks Koepka may have something to say about that.
PGA Championship
Younger golf fans will be familiar with the PGA Championship; this has been Tiger Woods’ playground over the last 20 years.
The inaugural PGA Championship took place in 1916, with the legendary Jim Barnes notching the first of his four major titles. Over the last 101 editions of the competition, golf fans have witnessed some incredible moments…
Again, Jack Nicklaus has the most PGA Championship wins with five but he is not out in front on his own this time.
Walter Hagen won five PGA Championship events in the 1920s and he will go down in history as one of the greats at this tournament. As mentioned above, Woods has been dominant in the modern era with four triumphs, most recently in 2007.
However, Brooks Koepka has really made his mark on golf’s major tournaments over the last couple of years and he has won the last two editions of the PGA Championship.
Will Koepka claim the $11 million prize money in 2020? According to 888sport’s PGA Championship odds, he is priced at 8/1 to record his third successive win at the event…
US Open
The second oldest of golf’s four major tournaments, the US Open is arguably the biggest test of a player’s credentials.
However, the best golfer at the competition is rewarded with the largest major prize money purse in the sport. The 2019 winner was awarded $12.5 million, which is tied for the largest purse in all of the PGA Tour events.
Not for the first time, Jack Nicklaus makes the list as the joint-most successful player in the history of this event.
Some of the greatest golf courses in US Open history have made the best players around look daft and predicting the winner is often difficult. Tiger Woods will be looking to draw level with Nicklaus on four US Open wins next year…
Gary Woodland was crowned 2019 US Open champion after a superb tournament. Prior to the 2018 PGA Championship, Woodland had never finished inside the top 10 of a golf major but he is maturing into a competent and consistent player.
However, betting sites may think that his 2019 triumph was an anomaly, with 888sport going 50/1 for a repeat in 2020.
Open Championship
First held back in 1860, The Open Championship is one of golf’s oldest and most prestigious tournaments. As the only major to be played outside of the United States, this event tends to be incredibly popular with European golf fans.
And with the host venue changing on an annual basis, The Open Championship caters for followers across the United Kingdom.
The Open Championship prize money on offer in 2018 was an estimated $10.5 million. Prior to 2016, the purse was always stated in pounds sterling but organisers agreed to change the agreed prize money to US dollars.
Harry Vardon is the most successful player in tournament history with six victories, with Tom Watson winning five Open Championship events in more recent times.
At the time of writing, Rory McIlroy is the 9/1 favourite to win the 2019 Open Championship and the four-time major winner will be quietly confident of getting the job done.
888sport is the place to be for the latest golf betting news, with odds on this year’s Open Championship and much more.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
