Which Golfers Have Played In The Most Majors?

For some pros, even one Major appearance represents a huge career milestone, while for others, it would be a shock if we didn’t see them teeing up in each of the big men’s or women’s events each season.

However, while many players accumulate a healthy number of Major appearances through the years, there are a select few who stand out with the most starts in the big events. Several have even gone beyond 100 – here are the details.

Most Men’s Major Appearances

It’s well known that the leading men’s Major winner is Jack Nicklaus with 18, but what’s not as celebrated is the fact that he’s also made more appearances at the big events than anyone else. The Golden Bear first appeared in a Major in 1957, when he missed the cut in the US Open at the age of 17.

By the time he made his farewell Major appearance at the 2005 Open, famously propping his left leg on the arch of the Swilcan Bridge at the Old Course, St Andrews and waving to the crowd before making birdie on the 18^th of his second and final round, he had amassed 164 Major appearances.

Another player from the same era is second on the list of men with the most Major appearances, South African legend Gary Player. He played in 150 Majors between the 1956 Open, where he finished fourth, and the 2009 Masters at Augusta National. Along the way, he won nine of them.

Tom Watson is third with 145 Major appearances between 1970 and 2016. The first came with a missed cut at the Masters in 1970 before, eight Major victories later, at the 2016 edition, and by then aged 66, he bowed out. Perhaps as remarkable as each of Watson’s victories over that remarkable span was runner-up at the 2009 Open - achieved when he was 59.

Arnold Palmer is immediately beneath Watson, having played in 142 Majors between the 1953 US Open and 2004 Masters, winning seven. Raymond Floyd completes the top five, with 127 Major appearances between 1963 and 2009, taking one of the titles four times along the way.

Currently, there are 18 male golfers who have reached at least 100 Major appearances. One is Bernhard Langer, who will make his 112^th and final Major appearance at the 2025 Masters. Another expected to tee it up on that occasion is Fred Couples, who will play in a Major for the 106^th time.

Another active player with over 100 Major appearances is Phil Mickelson, who stands sixth on the list with 126 ahead of the 2025 Majors. His Major debut came in the 1990 US Open, when he took low amateur honors after finishing T29. That remains the only Major title to elude him, although he’s collected six wins elsewhere.

Most Women’s Major Appearances

The women’s Major schedule hasn’t always been as consistent as the men’s, particularly during the late 1960s and 1970s, there were often only two played a year – the LPGA Championship and the US Women’s Open. However, nowadays there are more chances for women to accumulate Major appearances following the addition of a fifth, the Amundi Evian Championship, in 2013.

Despite the more inconsistent volume of women’s Majors through the years, several players have surpassed 100 appearances in the tournaments, including Juli Inkster with 137.

Her maiden appearance came in the 1978 US Women’s Open, where she finished T23. Seven titles later, she made her final Major appearance at the 2020 AIG Women’s Open.

Laura Davies is another player with well over 100 Major appearances. She made her Major debut in 1996, and bowed out at the 2023 AIG Women's Open at Walton Heath - 133 appearances later.

It could have been 134, too, but she opted against playing in the 2024 edition at the Old Course despite having one year of her exemption remaining, saying: "I'm just not playing enough golf now to warrant a spot in the field."

Cristie Kerr is another standout name to reach over 100 women’s Major appearances. She achieved 109 between the 1995 US Women’s Open and 2024 Women’s PGA Championship, winning two.

Betsy King finished her Major career on 106 starts. The first came in 1976, and she made an impressive introduction, finishing T8 at the US Women’s Open. After a six-year gap without a Major appearance, she competed in the 2011 AIG Women’s Open to bring an end to her career in the showpiece events, after which she could look back on six Major titles.

Angela Stanford, who retired in 2024, made 103 Major apperaances between 2000 and her final year, with one win, the 2018 Amundi Evian Championship.

Three behind her is seven-time Major winner Karrie Webb with exactly 100 appearances in the big events, with her most recent coming at the 2019 AIG Women's Open.

An honorable mention also goes to Patty Berg, who fell just three short of 100 Major appearances during her run between 1937 and 1979.

Which Golfers Have Played In The Most Consecutive Majors?

The men’s golfer with the most Major appearances is also the holder of the most consecutive starts. Jack Nicklaus achieved the record in a run of 146 consecutive Major appearances. The astonishing tally began at the 1962 Masters and finally ended after the 1998 US Open.

The longest active consecutive run of Major appearances in the men’s game is held by Adam Scott, although he still has a long way to go to match Nicklaus. He made his 93^rd consecutive appearance at the 2024 Open, where he finished T10, after beginning his run at the 2001 edition of the same tournament.

In the women’s game, Angela Stanford holds the record of consecutive appearances with 98. However, there was some disappointment as she failed to join Nicklaus as only the second player to reach three figures when she was denied an exemption to the 2024 US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club, which would have enabled her to keep her run going.

Behind Stanford on the list in the women’s game is Cristie Kerr, with 96, followed by Betsy King with 73.