How golfers can want to win a major too much

Winning golf majors is difficult. Winning majors that you really want is even harder.

Just ask Phil Mickelson. He enjoyed tremendous success at The Masters, and also won The Open and the US PGA Championship. He even claimed the US PGA after turning 50 to become its oldest ever winner. It was an incredible achievement, arguably his finest. 

But the US Open was a different kettle of fish. He finished second in his national open no fewer than SIX times, suffering multiple heartbreaks. 

The thing he will take to his grave is the knowledge that he threw away several golden chances of taking the title and joining that elite band of golfers who have landed the Career Grand Slam. 

There is no doubt that he should have won but there was something that always prevented him from crossing the finishing line.

Lee Trevino won The Open, US Open and US PGA but convinced himself that he could never win at Augusta.

He said after the 1969 Masters: "Don't talk to me about The Masters. I'm never going to play there again. They can invite me all they want, but I'm not going back. It's just not my type of course."

Trevino said that he felt uncomfortable with the atmosphere at Augusta National and that he disliked the course because his style of play, where he liked to fade low shots left to right, was not suited to the course.

He turned down invitations in 1970, 1971 and 1974, when he was in his prime. And in 1972, he stored his shoes and other items in the boot of his car, rather than use the locker room facilities in the clubhouse. Trevino complained that had he not qualified as a player, the club would not have let him onto the grounds except through the kitchen. 

But he later described his boycott of the Masters as "the greatest mistake I've made in my career" and called Augusta National "the eighth wonder of the world." Trevino was the greatest shotmaker I have ever seen and there is not the slightest doubt in my mind that had he ever gone to The Masters with the right attitude then of course he would have picked up a green jacket. But it wasn’t to be.

Arnold Palmer transformed professional golf with his swashbuckling style of play. He won The Masters four times, the US Open once and The Open twice. His nemesis was the US PGA, where he finished second on three occasions. And the harder he tried the more unlikely it became. Like Mickelson, he ended his career without ever completing the Grand Slam.

It took Rory McIlroy 11 years to finally win The Masters and complete the Career Grand Slam. Many believed he would never do it. And lo and behold, after finally winning in 2025 he only went and did it again in 2026.

Jordan Spieth seemed destined to land all four majors after winning The Masters, The Open and the US Open early in his career. Will he ever win the US PGA? The jury is still out but the smart money says "no". 

Scottie Scheffler will head into next week’s US Open knowing that victory at Shinnecock Hills will see him join that elite club. 

All eyes will be on the world number one and he will once again find out the size of the task he faces. He will not be able to get away from it because that is all the media will want to talk to him about. 

I would never bet against him joining McIlroy but, equally, I would not be surprised if he ends his career without doing so.

And Nelly Korda has finally found the answer to her prayers, winning the US Women’s Open at the 12th time of asking.

Before the tournament started she admitted that she wanted to win the US Women’s Open more than any other golf tournament. She came into this year’s tournament in superb form and started the week as a hot favourite. 

She finished tied second in 2025 but, in truth, her record in this tournament had been pretty average and once again she got off to a poor start.

This is how she described it: "I just felt like I was grinding to make safe pars. It wasn't a great day. I have honestly no idea where this came from."

But Korda did eventually find a way, climbing the leaderboard in round two with a 67 and then took a share of the 54-hole lead with another 67 that included three birdies in her final five holes.

She said: "I think last year I really, really wanted it, and the more you want it sometimes, the more you stiffen up and you get a little bit more nervous.

"I play my best golf when I'm happy, free Nelly, and I'm kind of joking around out there."

After 12 attempts she is finally a US Women’s Open champion. Korda made a crucial birdie on the 17th hole as she posted a two-under-par 69 to finish eight under at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles to win by a single shot. It is the fourth major win of the 27-year-old's career and her second consecutive victory of the season, having reclaimed the Chevron Championship title in April.

England’s Charley Hull finished a stroke off the pace. It is the fifth time she has been runner-up in a major and she is the one who now knows just how incredibly hard it is to win a major.