The men's major golf championships, often referred to simply as "the majors", are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf. In The Majors included The Master, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship.
Three of the four majors take place in the United States. Major championship winners receive the maximum possible allocation of 100 points from the Official World Golf Rankings, which are endorsed by all of the main tours, and major championship prize money is official on the three richest regular golf tours, the PGA Tour, European Tour and Japan Golf Tour. The oldest of the majors is The Open Championship, which is usually referred to as the "British Open" outside the United Kingdom.
- Masters Tournament start weekend ending 2nd Sunday in April - hosted as an invitational by and played at Augusta National Golf Club in the U.S. state of Georgia.
The Masters is the only major that is played at the same course every year. The Masters invites the smallest field of the majors, generally under 100 players. Former champions have a lifetime invitation to compete, and also included in the field are the current champions of the major amateur championships, and the previous year's PGA Tour winners. The traditions of Augusta, such as the awarding of a green jacket to the champion.
- U.S. Open start weekend ending with the 3rd Sunday in June - hosted by the USGA and played at various locations in the U.S.
The U.S. Open is famous for being played on difficult courses that have tight fairways, challenging greens, demanding pin positions and thick and high rough, placing a great premium on accuracy, especially with driving and approach play. The U.S. Open is rarely won with a score much under par.
- The Open Championship start weekend containing the 3rd Friday in July - hosted by The R&A, an offshoot of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and always play in the U.K. In the US, this tournament is often called The British Open.
This is typified by courses that, being coastal, tend to be flat and often very windswept, with the fairways cut through very high dune grass and gorse bushes that make up the "rough", and have very deep bunkers.
- PGA Championship start august - hosted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America and played at various locations in the U.S., traditionally played at a parkland club in the United States, and the courses chosen tend to be as difficult as those chosen for the U.S. Open, with several, such as Oakland Hills and Winged Foot, having hosted both.
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