With Brian Harman claiming victory in the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, the men’s 2023 Major season is over with a near nine month wait until the next one at Augusta in 2024.
It’s been a thrilling few months on both sides of the pond at the very top of the men’s professional game. At Augusta in April, Spain’s Jon Rahm became the fourth Spanish player to win The Masters, holding off a late run from 52-year-old Phil Mickelson. At the PGA Championship, Brooks Koepka got back to Major-winning ways and, in Los Angeles for the US Open, Wyndham Clark upset Rory McIlroy to win a first Major title. There was another debut Major win for Brian Harman in The Open Championship at Hoylake.
Here we consider some of the main talking points and the big winners and losers from those four highly entertaining tournaments.
3-1 PGA Tour vs LIV
Wyndham Clark US Open champ
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Although they could all be playing under the same banner again if the proposed PIF and Tour merger goes ahead, there’s been rivalry between the PGA Tour and the LIV players through the course of the season. In the battle for the Majors in 2023, the PGA Tour has come out on top, with PGA Tour members winning three out of the four – Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman. LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship.
And 3-1 USA vs Europe
Koepka won the PGA Championship
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Jon Rahm was the only non-American to win a men’s Major this year. It bodes well for team USA’s chances in the Ryder Cup. In total, over the four Majors in 2023, the USA recorded 23 top-10 finishes compared to just 14 from Europeans. Ominous signs for September.
The Usual Suspects
Jon Rahm – A consistent performer
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There was a selection of top name players whose names repeatedly appeared top, or near the top of leaderboards in the Majors through 2023.
Jon Rahm was winner at The Masters and runner-up at Hoylake, Brooks Koepka won at the PGA Championship and was runner-up at The Masters. Rory McIlroy had a poor showing at Augusta but recorded three top-10s in the PGA, US Open and Open.
Scottie Scheffler was runner-up at the PGA…
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