America's one-Major wonders

We pick out 10 Americans to hoist a solitary Major in their careers

Hard to believe Tom Weiskopf won just one Major. But he did, along with all these Americans
(Image credit: Getty Images)

There have been many one-Major wonders. Here are 10 such Americans - some were surprising victors; for others, the surprise was that they one just once…

Francis Ouimet

The former caddie and amateur came out of nowhere to pip much-fancied Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in a play-off for the 1913 US Open at Brookline, Massachusetts.

Franics Ouimet preparing for the 1926 Walker Cup on the roof of the Savoy Hotel in London

Franics Ouimet preparing for the 1926 Walker Cup on the roof of the Savoy Hotel in London

John Revolta

The 1935 USPGA was one of 26 pro wins for this Missouri-born pro, but there is no truth in the rumour that he had Olivia Newton John on the bag…

Tommy Bolt

Golf’s club-thrower extraordinaire and temper-tantrum maestro managed to bottle it all up well enough for once in his life to clinch the 1958 US Open.

Bob Goalby

The uncle of Jay Haas was the beneficiary of Robert de Vicenzo’s famous scorecard gaffe in the 1968 Masters. Goalby was unfairly castigated by some, who forgot that he may well have gone on to win the play-off that would have ensued but for Tommy Aaron’s pencil malfunction.

1968 Masters champion, Bob Goalby, in Senior Tour action in 1993

1968 Masters champion, Bob Goalby, in Senior Tour action in 1993

Tom Weiskopf

Surely the most surprising of our one-Major wonders. It's hard to believe that the 1973 Open at Troon was Weiskopf’s sole Major return, his feisty temperament perhaps preventing further Major success. Runner-up four times in the Masters.

Hard to believe Tom Weiskopf won just one Major. But he did, along with all these Americans

Hard to believe Tom Weiskopf won just one Major. But he did, along with all these Americans

Larry Mize

The purple-clad Georgian dancing merrily around Augusta’s 11th in 1987 after chipping in to defeat Greg Norman is one of golf’s most indelible images – especially for the luckless Aussie.

The extraordinary moment Larry Mize's chip dropped in to pinch the 1987 Masters from under Greg Norman's nose

The extraordinary moment Larry Mize's chip dropped to pinch the 1987 Masters from Greg Norman

Tom Kite

Jack Nicklaus had already awarded the 1992 US Open to Monty in the commentary booth before the bespectacled one set about his wind-defying final round that included an extraordinary chip in on Pebble Beach’s 7th.

This Tom Kite chip went in at pace on Pebble Beach's 7th en route to US Open victory in 1992

This Tom Kite chip went in at pace on Pebble Beach's 7th en route to US Open victory in 1992

David Duval

One minute Double D was hitting the world number one spot, playing sublime golf and making a great victory speech at Lytham in 2001, the next he was virtually gone for ever.

Lytham 2001: Double D emerges from behind the shades to deliver a great Open winner's speech

Lytham 2001: Double D emerges from behind the shades to deliver a great Open winner's speech

Shaun Micheel

Almost holed a 7-iron to win the 2003 USPGA. Hasn’t done much since save for finishing 2nd in the same event three years later – his only other Major top 20.

Micheel won the 2003 USPGA in style by almost holing his final approach

Micheel won the 2003 USPGA in style by almost holing his final approach

Ben Curtis

“Ben who?” we all said at Royal St George’s in 2003. Has since won three more times in the States, and played in the 2008 Ryder Cup after almost adding the USPGA to his Major tally that year.

Perhaps the most surprising Open winner of all - completely unheralded Ben Curtis at Royal St George's in 2003

Perhaps the most surprising Open winner of all - completely unheralded Ben Curtis at Royal St George's in 2003

 

 

 

Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf

Jeremy is currently playing...

Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Srixon ZX, EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 S 50g shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3- to 8-iron: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Irons 9-iron and PW: Honma TWorld TW747Vx, Nippon NS Pro regular shaft

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Kramski HPP 325

Ball: Any premium ball I can find in a charity shop or similar (or out on the course!)