Major Championship Winners in Golf Part 1 (1860 - 1949)

The PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association [of America]) holds four major golf championships every year, commonly referred to as the “Major Championships,” or the “Majors.” These four annual tournaments are the most prestigious in professional golf.

The first men’s major golf tournament, “The Open,” was held in 1860, and thirty-five years later the second major tournament, “The U.S. Open,” made its debut. The third and fourth championships, “The PGA” and “The Masters” became official major tournaments in 1916 and 1934.

In 1917, The U.S. Open and the PGA were not held due to World War I, and all four majors suspended one or more tournaments in the years 1940 through 1945, because of World War II.

This list covers the major championship winners in golf from 1860 through 1949. To see a list of winners from 1950 through 2011, see Major Championship Winners in Golf Part 2.

Major Championship Winners in Golf (1860 – 1949)

1949:

Masters: Sam Snead The U.S. Open: Cary Middlecoff The Open: Bobby Locke PGA: Sam Snead

1948

Masters: Claude Harmon  The U.S. Open: Ben Hogan The Open: Henry Cotton PGA: Ben Hogan  

1947 

Masters: Jimmy Demaret The U.S. Open: Lew Worsham  The Open: Fred Daly  PGA: Jim Ferrier

1946

Masters: Herman Keiser The U.S. Open: Lloyd Mangrum  The Open: Sam Snead PGA: Ben Hogan

1945

The Masters, U.S. Open, and The Open were not held due to World War II  PGA: Byron Nelson  

1944 

Masters: Bob Hamilton The U.S. Open, The Open, and the PGA tournaments were not held due to World War II

1943

No Majors held due to World War II

1942 

Masters: Byron Nelson The U.S. Open and the Open were not held due to World War II PGA: Sam Snead

1941

Masters: Craig Wood The U.S. Open: Craig Wood The Open was not held due to World War II PGA: Vic Ghezzi

1940

Masters: Jimmy Demaret The U.S. Open: Lawson Little The Open was not held due to World War II PGA: Byron Nelson  

1939

Masters: Ralph Guldahl The U.S. Open: Byron Nelson The Open: Dick Burton  PGA: Henry Picard  

1938

Masters: Henry Picard The U.S. Open: Ralph Guldahl The Open: Reg Whitcombe  PGA: Paul Runyan  

1937

Masters: Byron Nelson The U.S. Open: Ralph Guldahl The Open: Henry Cotton PGA: Denny Shute  

1936

Masters: Horton Smith The U.S. Open: Tony Manero  The Open: Alf Padgham  PGA: Denny Shute

1935

Masters: Gene Sarazen The U.S. Open: Sam Parks, Jr. The Open: Alf Perry  PGA: Johnny Revolta

1934

Masters: Horton Smith The U.S. Open: Olin Dutra The Open: Henry Cotton PGA: Paul Runyan  

1933

The U.S. Open: Johnny Goodman  The Open: Denny Shute PGA: Gene Sarazen  

1932 

The U.S. Open: Gene Sarazen The Open: Gene Sarazen PGA: Olin Dutra  

1931 

The U.S. Open: Billy Burke  The Open: Tommy Armour PGA: Tom Creavy

1930 

The U.S. Open: Bobby Jones The Open: Bobby Jones PGA: Tommy Armour

1929 

The U.S. Open: Bobby Jones The Open: Walter Hagen PGA: Leo Diegel  

1928 

The U.S. Open: Johnny Farrell  The Open: Walter Hagen PGA: Leo Diegel  

1927 

The U.S. Open: Tommy Armour The Open: Bobby Jones PGA: Walter Hagen  

1926 

The U.S. Open: Bobby Jones The Open: Bobby Jones PGA: Walter Hagen  

1925 

The U.S. Open: Willie MacFarlane  The Open: Jim Barnes PGA: Walter Hagen  

1924 

The U.S. Open: Cyril Walker  The Open: Walter Hagen PGA: Walter Hagen  

1923 

The U.S. Open: Bobby Jones The Open: Arthur Havers  PGA: Gene Sarazen  

1922 

The U.S. Open: Gene Sarazen The Open: Walter Hagen PGA: Gene Sarazen

1921 

The U.S. Open: Jim Barnes The Open: Jock Hutchison PGA: Walter Hagen

1920 

The U.S. Open: Ted Ray The Open: George Duncan  PGA: Jock Hutchison

1919 

The U.S. Open: Walter Hagen The Open: Not held due to World War I  PGA: Jim Barnes  

1918

No Majors were held due to World War I

1917

No Majors were held due to World War I

1916 

The U.S. Open: Chick Evans The Open: Jim Barnes

1915 

The U.S. Open: Jerome Travers The Open: Not held due to World War 1

1914 

The U.S. Open: Walter Hagen The Open: Harry Vardon  

1913 

The U.S. Open: Francis Ouimet  The Open: John Henry Taylor  

1912 

The U.S. Open: John McDermott The Open: Ted Ray  

1911 

The U.S. Open: John McDermott The Open: Harry Vardon  

1910 

The U.S. Open: Alex Smith The Open: James Braid  

1909 

The U.S. Open: George Sargent   The Open: John Henry Taylor  

1908 

The U.S. Open: Fred McLeod  The Open: James Braid  

1907 

The U.S. Open: Alec Ross The Open: Arnaud Massy

1906 

The U.S. Open: Alex Smith The Open: James Braid  

1905 

The U.S. Open: Willie Anderson The Open: James Braid  

1904 

The U.S. Open: Willie Anderson The Open: Jack White

1903 

The U.S. Open: Willie Anderson The Open: Harry Vardon  

1902 

The U.S. Open: Laurie Auchterlonie  The Open: Sandy Herd

1901 

The U.S. Open: Willie Anderson The Open: James Braid

1900 

The U.S. Open: Harry Vardon The Open: John Henry Taylor

1899 

The U.S. Open: Willie Smith  The Open: Harry Vardon

1898 

The U.S. Open: Fred Herd  The Open: Harry Vardon

1897 

The U.S. Open: Joe Lloyd  The Open: Harold Hilton

1896 

The U.S. Open: James Foulis The Open: Harry Vardon

1895 

The U.S. Open: Horace Rawlins  The Open: John Henry Taylor

1894

The Open: John Henry Taylor

1893 

The Open: Willie Auchterlonie

1892 

The Open: Harold Hilton  

1891 

The Open: Hugh Kirkaldy

1890 

The Open: John Ball, Jnr

1889 

The Open: Willie Park, Jr.

1888 

The Open: Jack Burns

1887 

The Open: Willie Park, Jr.

1886 

The Open: David Brown

1885 

The Open: Bob Martin

1884 

The Open: Jack Simpson

1883 

The Open: Willie Fernie

1882 

The Open: Bob Ferguson

1881 

The Open: Bob Ferguson

1880 

The Open: Bob Ferguson

1879 

The Open: Jamie Anderson

1878 

The Open: Jamie Anderson

1877 

The Open: Jamie Anderson

1876 

The Open: Bob Martin  

1875 

The Open: Willie Park, Sr.

1874 

The Open: Mungo Park

1873 

The Open: Tom Kidd

1872 

The Open: Young Tom Morris  

1871

The Open was not held due to World War 1

1870 

The Open: Young Tom Morris

1869 

The Open: Young Tom Morris

1868 

The Open: Young Tom Morris

1867 

The Open: Old Tom Morris

1866 

The Open: Willie Park, Sr.

1865 

The Open: Andrew Strath

1864

The Open: Old Tom Morris

1863 

The Open: Willie Park, Sr.

1862 

The Open: Old Tom Morris

1861 

The Open: Old Tom Morris

1860 

The Open: Willie Park, Sr.

For more information on golf, see the following articles:

Golf ~ A Four Letter Word Ben Hogan's Five Lessons The Modern Fundamentals of Golf Top Ten Female Golfers on the LPGA Career Money List