It’s been an incredible year for American golfers at the men’s major championships thus far. Well, three Americans in particular, that is.
Scottie Scheffler added a second green jacket in April, Xander Schauffele won a maiden major in May, and Bryson DeChambeau captured a second U.S. Open in June. Now a win by any of them—or any of their fellow U.S. golfer—in the year’s final major this week would accomplish something that hasn’t been done by the red, white, and blue in more than four decades.
Thanks to stats guru Justin Ray for pulling up the somewhat surprising nugget that American golfers haven’t swept the four majors in a year since 1982. Which is more than a decade before either Scheffler, Schauffele or DeChambeau were even born.
American players have won each of the first three men's majors of 2024.
There has not been an American season sweep in the majors in a year where all four were played since 1982 (Tom Watson twice, Craig Stadler and Raymond Floyd).
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) July 16, 2024
That’s a pretty crazy stat. And as Ray noted after, history might be on the Americans’ side considering Tom Watson’s win at the Open Championship that year came at Royal Troon, the site of this week’s tournament.
However, it should be noted that the Open wasn’t the final major on the calendar back then. Raymond Floyd actually completed that year’s U.S. sweep by winning the PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
Raymond Floyd smiles with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 1982 PGA Championship – Bettman
That made it six consecutive majors won by U.S. golfers at the time, a streak that was ended the following year when Seve Ballesteros won the Masters. The current American streak of six straight wins started after another Spaniard, Jon Rahm, won the Masters last year.
The Americans certainly have a good shot to keep the streak going this week. Scheffler, the World No. 1, is the solid betting favourite entering this week. And the Americans have four (2021 Open winner Collin Morikawa in addition to Scheffler, Schauffele and DeChambeau) of the top six favourites.
Main Image: Jared C. Tilton
