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Golfers Who Have Played in The Most Major Championships

By: | Fri 10 Feb 2023


When you consider the legacy of a male professional golfer; ultimately it's the major championships that are most definitive to a career. Tour victories and money list achievements are certainly a reflection of ability, but greatness is established during those four magical weeks of the year.

Winning majors is the apex, but just being part of them is noteworthy too. We have taken a look at the champions who have appeared in the most majors through the generations; some of them spanning over half a century, underlining the unique longevity that golf provides, but also their rich and lasting standing in the game.

Jack Nicklaus

Major Championship Appearances: 164

Major Championships Won: 18

Considering he dominates just about every notable record in the majors, it's only fitting that the Golden Bear has played in more than anyone else. Making his debut at the US Open in 1957, Nicklaus competed in his national championship on 44 consecutive occasions, while he played in the PGA Championship 37 times, and he made a staggering 45 appearances in the Masters. His final major bow unforgettably came at St Andrews in 2005, his 38th Open Championship.

Gary Player

Gary Player

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Major Championship Appearances: 150

Major Championships Won: 9

Few can touch the South African for longevity; his Open debut coming in 1956 at Hoylake, where he finished fourth. Player ultimately entered a record 46 Open Championships through to 2001, when his past champion exemption concluded. He made 29 appearances in the US Open and 23 in the PGA Championship, but it's at the Masters where he made an astonishing 52 starts (effectively a year of his life spent competing at Augusta) between 1957 and 2009, when he said farewell aged 73. 

Tom Watson

Tom Watson

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Major Championship Appearances: 145

Major Championships Won: 8

First appearing at the Masters in 1970, Watson was a near constant presence in golf's biggest championships for decades. Winning on his Open Championship debut in 1975, the American was defined by his record in Britain, which included five victories and a remarkable, agonising runner-up finish in 2009, 34 years after his first triumph. Ultimately, Watson played in 38 Opens, bowing out at St Andrews in 2015, while he closed his major career at Augusta the following April, his 43rd Masters.

Arnold Palmer

Major Championship Appearances: 142

Major Championships Won: 7

A genuine superstar, Palmer made his major debut at the US Open in 1953 and would eventually total up 33 appearances in that championship. Following his famous debut in 1960, which rejuvenated the event, he competed in 23 Open Championships, saying goodbye at St Andrews in 1995, but he is perhaps most connected to the Masters, where he entered the field on 50 consecutive occasions between 1955 and 2004, when he said an emotional goodbye to Arnie's Army at the age of 74.

Raymond Floyd

Major Championship Appearances: 127

Major Championships Won: 4

A winner of majors in three decades, Floyd is perhaps an underrated figure in the modern history of the game, a fierce competitor remaining a threat into his early 50s, before settling into a somewhat ceremonial presence at the Masters, which the 1976 champion played in until 2009, making 45 appearances until he quietly bowed out aged 66, a decision that he didn't announce until the following year.

Sam Snead

Major Championship Appearances: 118

Major Championships Won: 7

One of golf's greatest players, Snead's overall total of appearances would have been higher had it not been for the outbreak of World War Two and the fact that he only competed in five Open Championships - albeit he did win at St Andrews in 1946. Remarkably, he was a contender into his 60s, but clearly had enough by 1983, when he played one last time at Augusta before settling into his role as an Honorary Starter.

Ben Crenshaw

Major Championship Appearances: 117

Major Championships Won: 2

Claiming low-amateur status at the US Open in 1970, this widely respected Texan would enjoy a storied career that was most defined by the Masters, which he won twice; in 1984 and 1995. Taking advantage of his lifetime exemption in Georgia, Crenshaw played in 44 tournaments at Augusta National before saying goodbye in 2015 aged 63.

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Major Championship Appearances: 117

Major Championships Won: 6

The oldest major champion in history, Mickelson has only missed a handful of championships in almost 30 years, and enjoys past winner exemptions into the Masters, PGA Championship, and Open Championship (until he's 60), so the left-hander will likely move further up this list in the future; including at Augusta where he will make a 30th appearance in April.

Gene Sarazen

Major Championship Appearances: 115

Major Championships Won: 7

One of golf's golden age icons, Gene Sarazen's history of major appearances spanned an extraordinary 56 years, but his overall total must be put into perspective when you consider the fact that the Masters didn't exist until 1933, the impact of World War Two, and that he only made the journey across to compete in the Open Championship 17 times. While he may not have been aware of the magnitude of his accomplishment at the time - Sarazen is now seen as golf's first professional grand slam champion.

Bernhard Langer

Bernhard Langer

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Major Championship Appearances: 110

Major Championships Won: 2

Has anyone played better golf for longer than this remarkable German? You could certainly make that argument for Langer, who has just about annually won professional tournaments for the better part of 50 years. Now 65, the two-time Masters champion is set to make his 40th appearance at Augusta National in April - how many more there will be remains to be seen, but it's been an extraordinary career.

Mark O'Meara

Major Championship Appearances: 110

Major Championships Won: 2

This popular American had to wait until the age of 41 for his first major victory, but he made up for lost time by winning another in the same year. O'Meara fittingly said goodbye to the Open Championship in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, where he lifted the Claret Jug in 1998, while his 34th and final appearance at the Masters came in 2018.

Tom Kite

Major Championship Appearances: 109

Major Championships Won: 1

One of the most consistent golfers in PGA Tour history, Kite should have won more than the one major that he did, especially having repeatedly come close at the Masters. However, his longevity was reflected in his total number of appearances, playing in 33 US Opens, and 26 Masters Tournaments - the most by any non-winner of the Green Jacket.

Ernie Els

Ernie Els

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Major Championship Appearances: 106

Major Championships Won: 4

A genuine icon of the modern game, Els won both Opens on two occasions across 18 years, something that will ensure that he can remain part of the Open Championship until he turns 60. Having made 31 starts in golf's oldest major since his debut at Royal Troon in 1989, the last year he will be exempt for is 2030.

Fred Couples

Fred Couples

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Major Championship Appearances: 103

Major Championships Won: 1

It seems like everyone loves Freddie - especially at the Masters, which he won in 1992. His 38th appearance at Augusta will come in April and we reckon that it won't be his last at the age of 63 as he simply loves being part of that tournament and surely a round 40 for starts would be the ideal number to step away with.

Davis Love III

Major Championship Appearances: 101

Major Championships Won: 1

A staple in the top ten of the world rankings for years, Love arguably should have won more than he did, but he has been a participant in the majors for decades. The 1997 PGA champion has appeared in that event 32 times, while the American qualified for an impressive 26 Open Championships between 1987 and 2012.

Nick Faldo

Nick Faldo

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Major Championship Appearances: 100

Major Championships Won: 6

When he said goodbye to the Open Championship at St Andrews in 2015, Faldo made it a perfect 100 in the majors. The Englishman ultimately entered 37 Opens between 1976 and that glorious goodbye at the Home of Golf, though his overall tally could have been higher, but his final bow at the Masters came somewhat prematurely in 2006, with the three-time champion instead dedicating himself towards his commentary for CBS.

Sandy Lyle

Sandy Lyle

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Major Championship Appearances: 100

Major Championships Won: 2

Winner of the Open in 1985 and Masters in 1988, Lyle made his major debut as a 16-year-old at Royal Lytham in 1974. Sadly, following those great heights, the Shropshire Scot's form declined throughout the 1990s, but he benefited from past champion exemptions; playing in a total of 43 Open Championships and (at 65) he will make his last trip as a competitor down Magnolia Lane in April, his 42nd and final Masters Tournament appearance.

Should 60-year-old Vijay Singh compete at the Masters in April, the former world number one will join the others on this list with a hugely impressive 100 major championship appearances.


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