Rating the Recent Majors
1985
<< BRITISH OPEN: Sandy Lyle becomes the first Scot to win the Open since 1931, beating Payne Stewart at Royal St. George's.__MASTERS:__After rounds of 80-65, Curtis Strange finds water at the 13th and 15th on Sunday and loses to Bernhard Langer.__U.S. OPEN:__Andy North wins by a shot over Dave Barr, Denis Watson and T.C. Chen, who has a double-chip 8 at Oakland Hills.__PGA:__Hubert Green shoots a final-round 72 to beat defending champion Lee Trevino by two strokes at Cherry Hills.
1986
<< MASTERS: A 65 at age 46 gives Jack Nicklaus his sixth green jacket, by a stroke over Greg Norman and Tom Kite.U.S. OPEN: At age 43, Raymond Floyd shoots a 66 at Shinnecock Hills, becoming the oldest winner of the Open at that time.BRITISH OPEN: Greg Norman shoots a second-round 63 at Turnberry and earns his first major title, winning by five strokes.__PGA:__Bob Tway holes out from a greenside bunker at the 72nd hole to beat Greg Norman by two strokes at Inverness. Dan Jenkins' 1986 Masters Report
1987
<< MASTERS: Larry Mize beats Greg Norman with a birdie chip from 140 feet in a playoff that includes Seve Ballesteros.__U.S. OPEN:__Scott Simpson birdies 14, 15 and 16 to defeat Tom Watson by a stroke at the Olympic Club, playing at 6,714 yards, par 70.BRITISH OPEN: Nick Faldo makes 18 pars in the final round at Muirfield and wins the first of his six major championships.PGA: Larry Nelson beats Lanny Wadkins with a par on the first playoff hole in brutal heat at PGA National.
1988
<< U.S. OPEN: Curtis Strange's sand save at the 72nd hole gets him into a playoff that he wins over Nick Faldo at The Country Club.MASTERS: Sandy Lyle wins by making a 10-footer for birdie at the 72nd hole after a 7-iron from a fairway bunker.BRITISH OPEN: Seve Ballesteros' final-round 65 beats Nick Price by two strokes at Royal Lytham and St. Annes for his last major victory.PGA: Jeff Sluman's final-round 65 overtakes Paul Azinger for a three-stroke victory at Oak Tree.
1989
<< MASTERS: Nick Faldo's 25-foot birdie putt at the second playoff hole wins it after Scott Hoch misses from two feet on the first.__U.S. OPEN:__Curtis Strange becomes the first back-to-back Open champion since Ben Hogan, winning by a shot at Oak Hill.BRITISH OPEN: Greg Norman has a final-round 64 at Royal Troon but loses to Mark Calcavecchia in a playoff that includes Wayne Grady.PGA: Payne Stewart birdies four of the last five holes to win at Kemper Lakes; Mike Reid plays the last three in three over par.
1990
<< U.S. OPEN: Hale Irwin makes a 45-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole and beats Mike Donald in a 19-hole playoff at Medinah.MASTERS: Nick Faldo wins on the second playoff hole after Raymond Floyd hits his approach into the water at the 11th.BRITISH OPEN: Nick Faldo's 18-under-par 270 total at St. Andrews beats Payne Stewart and Mark McNulty by five.PGA: Wayne Grady's final-round 71 at Shoal Creek is enough to win by three strokes over Fred Couples, who bogeys 13, 14, 15 and 16.
1991
<< PGA: John Daly, the ninth alternate, stuns the golf world and beats Bruce Lietzke by three at Crooked Stick.MASTERS: Ian Woosnam's six-foot par putt beats Jose Maria Olazabal by a shot. Tom Watson doubles the 72nd and is two back.U.S. OPEN: Payne Stewart defeats Scott Simpson in a playoff at Hazeltine for the first of his two Open victories.BRITISH OPEN: Ian Baker-Finch finishes 64-66 -- including a 29 on Sunday's outward nine -- to win by two at Royal Birkdale.
1992
<< MASTERS: Fred Couples' tee shot at the par-3 12th hangs up on the slope rather than sliding into the water, and he wins by two.U.S. OPEN: Under brutally windy final-round conditions at Pebble Beach, Tom Kite defeats Jeff Sluman by two strokes.BRITISH OPEN: Nick Faldo rallies from a two-stroke deficit with four to play at Muirfield, winning by one after John Cook's closing bogey.PGA: Nick Price birdies 16 and 17 to beat John Cook, Nick Faldo, Jim Gallagher Jr. and Gene Sauers by three at Bellerive.
1993
<< BRITISH OPEN: Greg Norman closes with a 64 and a major record of 267 to beat Nick Faldo by two at Royal St. George's.MASTERS: Bernhard Langer wins by four over Chip Beck, who is criticized for laying up at the par-5 15th.U.S. OPEN: Lee Janzen wins the first of his two Open titles, defeating Payne Stewart by two strokes at Baltusrol.PGA: Paul Azinger wins when Greg Norman's par putt from four feet rims out on the second playoff hole at Inverness.
1994
<< U.S. OPEN: In withering heat at Oakmont, Ernie Els beats Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie in a playoff.MASTERS: An eagle at the 15th is the decisive moment for Jose Maria Olazabal, who beats Tom Lehman by two strokes.BRITISH OPEN: Nick Price eagles the 71st hole and finishes with a 66 to beat Jesper Parnevik by a stroke at Turnberry.PGA: Nick Price breaks a 30-year-old PGA Championship scoring record and wins by six over Corey Pavin at Southern Hills.
1995
<< MASTERS: Winner Ben Crenshaw gets a hug from caddie Carl Jackson after mentor Harvey Penick dies the week before.U.S. OPEN: Corey Pavin overtakes Greg Norman, highlighted by a 4-wood approach to the 72nd green at Shinnecock Hills.BRITISH OPEN: John Daly wins after Costantino Rocca's flub and 60-foot putt from the Valley of Sin forces a playoff at St. Andrews.__PGA:__Steve Elkington shoots a final-round 64 at Riviera and makes a 25-foot birdie putt to win a playoff with Colin Montgomerie.
1996
<< MASTERS: Greg Norman loses a six-stroke lead with a final-round 78, losing by five to Nick Faldo, who finishes with a 67.__U.S. OPEN:__Steve Jones wins by a stroke over Tom Lehman and Davis Love III, who three-putts the 72nd at Oakland Hills.BRITISH OPEN: Tom Lehman shoots a third-round 64 and holds off Ernie Els and Mark McCumber to win by two at Royal Lytham.PGA: Mark Brooks birdies the par-5 18th in regulation and in a playoff to beat Kenny Perry at Valhalla.
1997
<< MASTERS: At 21, Tiger Woods plays the opening nine in 40 but wins by a record 12 strokes at 18-under-par 270.__U.S. OPEN:__Ernie Els wins his second U.S. Open, defeating Colin Montgomerie by a stroke at Congressional.BRITISH OPEN: Justin Leonard's final-round 65 overtakes Jesper Parnevik and Darren Clarke and wins by three strokes at Royal Troon.__PGA:__A rainbow emerges as Davis Love III completes a final-round 66 to win by five strokes at Winged Foot.Dan Jenkins' 1997 Masters ReportSlideshow: Tiger Wins 97 Masters
1998
<< MASTERS: Mark O'Meara birdies three of the final four holes, including the 72nd, to beat Fred Couples and David Duval by one.U.S. OPEN: Lee Janzen earns his second U.S. Open title, winning by a stroke over Payne Stewart at Olympic.BRITISH OPEN: Mark O'Meara defeats Brian Watts in a playoff at Royal Birkdale; Tiger Woods misses the playoff by a stroke.__PGA:__Vijay Singh earns his first major title, shooting a final-round 68 to beat Steve Stricker by two strokes at Sahalee.
1999
<< U.S. OPEN: Payne Stewart's 20-foot putt on the 72nd at Pinehurst beats Phil Mickelson, who becomes a dad the next day.MASTERS: Jose Maria Olazabal birdies the 13th and 16th to beat Davis Love III by two strokes and Greg Norman by three.v BRITISH OPEN: After Jean Van de Velde's triple bogey at Carnoustie's 72nd hole, he and Justin Leonard lose a playoff to Paul Lawrie.PGA: Tiger Woods holds off 19-year-old Sergio Garcia and his scissors-kick par from the base of a tree at Medinah.
2000
<< U.S. OPEN: Winning a U.S. Open by 15 strokes? Tiger Woods does it at Pebble Beach to start a dominant stretch in the majors.MASTERS: Vijay Singh saves bogey after hitting into the water at the 11th hole and beats Ernie Els by three strokes.BRITISH OPEN: Tiger Woods avoids hitting into a single bunker at the Old Course at St. Andrews and wins by eight strokes.PGA: Tiger Woods makes a tricky birdie putt at the 72nd hole and then beats Bob May in a playoff at Valhalla.Dan Jenkins' 2000 PGA Championship ReportSlideshow: Tiger Wins PGA Championship
2001
<< MASTERS: Tiger Woods wins his fourth consecutive major, shooting a final-round 68 to beat David Duval by two.U.S. OPEN: Retief Goosen misses a two-footer to three-putt the 72nd hole but beats Mark Brooks in a playoff at Southern Hills.BRITISH OPEN: David Duval, once the No. 1 player in the world, shoots a final-round 67 at Royal Lytham to beat Niclas Fasth by three.__PGA:__David Toms lays up at the 72nd hole but saves par to beat Phil Mickelson by a shot at Atlanta Athletic Club.Dan Jenkins' 2001 Masters ReportSlideshow: Tiger Wins 2001 Masters
2002
<< U.S. OPEN: Tiger Woods wins his seventh major in his last 11 attempts, beating Phil Mickelson by three at Bethpage.MASTERS: The top contenders fall one by one before Tiger Woods' 71 beats Retief Goosen by three and Phil Mickelson by four. BRITISH OPEN: Ernie Els defeats Thomas Levet, Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington in a playoff at Muirfield.PGA: Rich Beem's final-round 68 holds off Tiger Woods (67) for a one-stroke victory at Hazeltine.Dan Jenkins' 2002 Masters ReportSlideshow: Tiger Wins 2002 Masters
2003
<< BRITISH OPEN: Ben Curtis, ranked 396th in the world, wins by one at Royal St. George's over Vijay Singh and Thomas Bjorn.__MASTERS:__Mike Weir wins with a bogey on the first playoff hole against Len Mattiace, who shoots a final-round 65.U.S. OPEN: Jim Furyk breaks through to earn his first major title, beating Stephen Leaney by three strokes at Olympia Fields.PGA: Shaun Micheel hits a 7-iron approach to within two inches at the 72nd hole for a two-stroke victory at Oak Hill.
2004
<< MASTERS: Phil Mickelson wins his first pro major championship with an 18-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole.U.S. OPEN: Retief Goosen wins by two over Phil Mickelson, who has a three-putt double bogey on the 71st hole at Shinnecock Hills.BRITISH OPEN: Todd Hamilton stuns Ernie Els in a playoff at Royal Troon; Phil Mickelson misses the playoff by a stroke.PGA: Vijay Singh shoots a final-round 76 but beats Chris DiMarco and Justin Leonard in a playoff at Whistling Straits.
2005
<< MASTERS: After chipping in at the 16th hole, Tiger Woods makes a 15-foot birdie putt to beat Chris DiMarco in a playoff.U.S. OPEN: Michael Campbell becomes New Zealand's first U.S. Open winner, beating Tiger Woods by two at Pinehurst.BRITISH OPEN: Tiger Woods dominates for the second time at St. Andrews, defeating Colin Montgomerie by five strokes.PGA: Phil Mickelson birdies the par-5 72nd hole for a one-stroke victory over Steve Elkington and Thomas Bjorn at Baltusrol.Dan Jenkins' 2005 Masters ReportSlideshow: Tiger Wins 2005 Masters
2006
<< U.S. OPEN: Phil Mickelson double bogeys the 72nd hole, giving Geoff Ogilvy the victory at Winged Foot.MASTERS: Phil Mickelson wins his second consecutive major, shooting a final-round 69 to beat Tim Clark by two strokes.BRITISH OPEN: Tiger Woods uses his driver once at Hoylake, beating Chris DiMarco for his first major win after the death of his father.PGA: Tiger Woods shoots an 18-under-par 270 to beat Shaun Micheel by five strokes at Medinah.
2007
<< BRITISH OPEN: Padraig Harrington double bogeys the 72nd hole but beats Sergio Garcia in a playoff at Carnoustie..MASTERS: Zach Johnson's one-over-par 289 beats Retief Goosen, Rory Sabbatini and Tiger Woods by two strokes..U.S. OPEN: Angel Cabrera becomes Argentina's first U.S. Open winner, by a shot over Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods at Oakmont..PGA: Tiger Woods shoots a second-round 63 and finishes with a 69 to beat Woody Austin by two strokes at Southern Hills.
2008
<< U.S. OPEN: Tiger Woods overcomes a knee injury to win a 19-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines.__MASTERS:__Trevor Immelman of South Africa shoots a final-round 75 but wins by three strokes over Tiger Woods.BRITISH OPEN: Greg Norman leads by two strokes after three rounds, but Padraig Harrington rallies to win at Royal Birkdale.PGA: Padraig Harrington wins his third major in his last six attempts, beating Sergio Garcia and Ben Curtis at Oakland Hills.Dan Jenkins' 2008 U.S. Open ReportSlideshow: Tiger Wins 2008 U.S. Open