Worst Player to win a Major?

[Ivyguy]

Webb Simpson.

 

Mother of god.

[stinger_gc]

Michael Campbell for sure.

[Jwin323]

Worst Human to win a major - Phil Mickelson.

 

Tiger. I've met them both and played with Tiger when he was an Am. He is Lord God King of the Word not allowedholes.

[playa]

I don't know how I can rank anyone. I've got a couple of Jr. tournaments, a club championship,county championship and a few pro-ams from when I was a golf professional. I'm not qualified.

Way to make me feel like a complet a hole and ignoramus. I guess I'd better qualify my earlier Faldo comments by saying I just don't like him for stealing my hero Norman's green jacket. I am not even remotely qualifed to give an opinion of golf ability of Faldo, except to say his record is one of the best of the last 40 years outside you know who.

[tannyhoban]

I don't know how I can rank anyone. I've got a couple of Jr. tournaments, a club championship,county championship and a few pro-ams from when I was a golf professional. I'm not qualified.

 

OMG. Ok, put Mr. Humblebrag down for no opinion, he's not worthy.

[EKELLY]

Worst Human to win a major - Phil Mickelson.

 

Tiger. I've met them both and played with Tiger when he was an Am. He is Lord God King of the Word not allowedholes.

I can't say on here what the members at Bay Hill used to call Greg Norman, but it was widespread through the club. I walked by him numerous times, and that fag wouldn't even make eye contact.........Total tool........

[EKELLY]

Of course the real question is how Padrig Harrington has 3 majors. :)

Totally deserved, and could have more but for those swing changes at the height of his powers.

 

They were deserved? I don't recall them being exactly routes. Serg makes that putt that lips out and that's one less, for sure at least.

This, that, the other, and coulda, shoulda, woulda.......Paddy's got the hardware......

[Jwin323]

Worst Human to win a major - Phil Mickelson.

 

Tiger. I've met them both and played with Tiger when he was an Am. He is Lord God King of the Word not allowedholes.

I can't say on here what the members at Bay Hill used to call Greg Norman, but it was widespread through the club. I walked by him numerous times, and that fag wouldn't even make eye contact.........Total tool........

 

Forged4ever posted something similar a while back. Never met Norman, sounds like a real gem.

[playa]

Worst Human to win a major - Phil Mickelson.

 

Tiger. I've met them both and played with Tiger when he was an Am. He is Lord God King of the Word not allowedholes.

I can't say on here what the members at Bay Hill used to call Greg Norman, but it was widespread through the club. I walked by him numerous times, and that fag wouldn't even make eye contact.........Total tool........

 

Forged4ever posted something similar a while back. Never met Norman, sounds like a real gem.

He is my hero as a golfer, but have heard some stuff about him as a person. Apparently as his career progressed, he found new friends that met his new elevated stature i.e. he is a social climber and a snob.

[jeepman]

It's Todd Hamilton isn't it? Surely? He didn't top 10 in another major apart from his win. Didn't make it on tour until well into his 30s as well I'm pretty sure

 

Among recent guys, I'd say Micheel. Hamilton won the Honda the same year as the Open. He also won quite a few events in Japan.

I'd be happy with any of their careers, even the guys who've never won a major! Todd Hamilton who has 17 professional wins was the non-Japanese born career money leader on the Japan Tour, PGA Tour rookie of the year, and won his first PGA Tour event, the Honda along with beating EE in a playoff for the Open. I'd say that's pretty good.

 

I always thought Hamilton too until I did a little research a few months ago. Obviously the above Honda win in the same year factors in, but he was ranked #38 in the OWGR going into the Open Championship. That would be the same as Justin Thomas winning this year, and he would be ranked ahead of Lee Westwood, Jimmy Walker, Martin Kaymer, & Ryan Moore. None of those would be an utter surprise to win a major.

 

I'm voting for Shaun Micheel. That 7-iron on 18 Sunday was the last time he hit a good shot. Although Jack Fleck, Larry Mize and Paul Lawrie aren't too far behind.

[Shilgy]

It's Todd Hamilton isn't it? Surely? He didn't top 10 in another major apart from his win. Didn't make it on tour until well into his 30s as well I'm pretty sure

 

Among recent guys, I'd say Micheel. Hamilton won the Honda the same year as the Open. He also won quite a few events in Japan.

I'd be happy with any of their careers, even the guys who've never won a major! Todd Hamilton who has 17 professional wins was the non-Japanese born career money leader on the Japan Tour, PGA Tour rookie of the year, and won his first PGA Tour event, the Honda along with beating EE in a playoff for the Open. I'd say that's pretty good.

 

I always thought Hamilton too until I did a little research a few months ago. Obviously the above Honda win in the same year factors in, but he was ranked #38 in the OWGR going into the Open Championship. That would be the same as Justin Thomas winning this year, and he would be ranked ahead of Lee Westwood, Jimmy Walker, Martin Kaymer, & Ryan Moore. None of those would be an utter surprise to win a major.

 

I'm voting for Shaun Micheel. That 7-iron on 18 Sunday was the last time he hit a good shot. Although Jack Fleck, Larry Mize and Paul Lawrie aren't too far behind.

Mize won three other times on the PGA tour, Lawrie won seven other times on the Euro tour. Fleck won a couple other events.

No one that won a major is bad but the only guys in the conversation should be the likes of Micheel and Moody that did not win any other PGA tour events-or Euro tour if that is their home tour.

[dpatti]

This just shows how many great players are out there and how its such a thin line between Major winner and never a winner on the PGA tour.

 

I sure as hell wouldn't care if my title was "Worst player to win a major."

[Joe85]

Of course the real question is how Padrig Harrington has 3 majors. :)

Totally deserved, and could have more but for those swing changes at the height of his powers.

 

They were deserved? I don't recall them being exactly routes. Serg makes that putt that lips out and that's one less, for sure at least.

This, that, the other, and coulda, shoulda, woulda.......Paddy's got the hardware......

 

 

No...Paddy was (and still is, to some degree) a phenomenal player. There were a few times he played the Masters that he started and finished strong there - I thought he had it in the bag the one year he led after the first round.

[playa]

Of course the real question is how Padrig Harrington has 3 majors. :)

Totally deserved, and could have more but for those swing changes at the height of his powers.

 

They were deserved? I don't recall them being exactly routes. Serg makes that putt that lips out and that's one less, for sure at least.

This, that, the other, and coulda, shoulda, woulda.......Paddy's got the hardware......

 

 

No...Paddy was (and still is, to some degree) a phenomenal player. There were a few times he played the Masters that he started and finished strong there - I thought he had it in the bag the one year he led after the first round.

Unless you're Tiger Woods and you're sitting on a 54 hole lead, a major is never in the bag.

[Vespar]

Has anyone mentioned Ian Baker-Finch, kind of one hit wonder, 2 pga tour wins, 1/2 dozen european tour events, no top 10s in any other major

[CaptainRook]

Hahahaha this post kills me... Is there such thing as a bad player that has won a major? Didn't they have to get in the field first? Then make the the cut? Then finish it off on Sunday? It doesn't make much sense. There is no such thing as a "worst" player to win a major.

[anth]

Has anyone mentioned Ian Baker-Finch, kind of one hit wonder, 2 pga tour wins, 1/2 dozen european tour events, no top 10s in any other major

 

Research is your friend.

 

3 top 10s in the Masters, 3 top 10s in the Open including his win.

 

Runner up in the 92 players, ranked in the OWGR Top 10 briefly. 18 wins globally.

 

No doubt his decline was epic, but worse player to ever win a major? Not even close.

[slimeone]

Has anyone mentioned Ian Baker-Finch, kind of one hit wonder, 2 pga tour wins, 1/2 dozen european tour events, no top 10s in any other major

To be fair he used to be a great player but was struck down by the terminal yips which destroyed him.

[Ross Rogers]

Ii have to go with Shaun Micheel. Sorry Shaun

[Jwin323]

Hahahaha this post kills me... Is there such thing as a bad player that has won a major? Didn't they have to get in the field first? Then make the the cut? Then finish it off on Sunday? It doesn't make much sense. There is no such thing as a "worst" player to win a major.

 

Who said anything about being bad? No one. Worst is a RELATIVE term. Even in a group of elites, someone is going to be the best and someone is going to be the worst. Not bad by any means, just the worst of a particular group.

[JD3]

Paul lawrie

[grm24]

There is no such thing as a "worst" player to win a major.

Exactly. 99.9% of people here would trade places and love the be in that conversation.

[Dave230]

 

Harrington used to be known as the guy who got 2nd places, which is easy to forget now. He had 30, yes 30, runner-ups by the end of 2006 before he won his first major. They were mainly in European Tour events but also in events like the Players Championship. He also was leading a premier European Tour event by four or five shots won year, might have been the British Masters, and forgot to sign his scorecard and got disqualified.

 

Winning three majors may have seemed like it came all of a sudden but in truth it was just around the corner. Harrington had a lot of setbacks before the wins.

 

You are missing the point. You play 50 majors and 200 normal events. What are the odds that you would have as many majors and regular event wins? As far as racking up 2nd,3rds, nope he was rarely in contention in PGA tour. If you look at other Eurotour stars (say a lee westwood), you see a lot of top 10s due to the lack of depth.

 

I shouldn't even entertain this because Harrington shouldn't be anywhere near this thread but he didn't play on the PGA Tour and when he started playing it more seriously he won twice fairly quickly. How can you say that 30 2nd places, major, top international events top 5s is not biding your time before a win? Harrington brought his game to the big stage because of a flair for tough courses. It would be like if Rickie Fowler won the next two majors saying that he was lucky because he didn't have enough PGA Tour wins.

 

Here's another one for you, Harrington was the only player with a better stroke average playing with Tiger than Tiger during Woods' peak years. But yeah he didn't win enough John Deere Classics...

[avrag]

Michael Campbell for sure.

 

No.

For all the reasons given in this and numerous other threads.

[egr2teup]

Instead of seeing him as the "worst player to win a major", I view it as the biggest surprise. Therefore, I'm going with Ben Curtis.

 

Won a major in his rookie year, while ranked 354th in the OWGR's, Iirc.

 

To my knowledge, no one has ever won a major while ranked lower.

[whr]

There's no such thing as the 'worst player to win a major.'

[smeech8000]

Instead of seeing him as the "worst player to win a major", I view it as the biggest surprise. Therefore, I'm going with Ben Curtis.

 

Won a major in his rookie year, while ranked 354th in the OWGR's, Iirc.

 

To my knowledge, no one has ever won a major while ranked lower.

I would agree, however this thread is taking into account each winner's post-major performance as well. On that merit, I think Micheel wins going away - only Tour win was the '03 PGA (OWGR 169th going in), and his only other professional W's were one Asian Tour title ('98) and another on the Web.com ('99). Given how much he struggled early on in his career, he was very fortunate to have broken through on the big Tour, and unfortunately we don't know what it could have been as medical issues basically derailed his career within a couple years after that.

 

IMO, biggest "surprise" would definitely go to Ouimet. :derisive:

 

 

There's no such thing as the 'worst player to win a major.'

Yes there is, because "worst" is a relative superlative. Meaning if you line up ALL the players who have ever won a major, one of those players will have the least impressive record compared to the rest of the group. The fact that OP chose "worst" as opposed to "least impressive" may make the concept sound harsh, but it is still a valid question.

[egr2teup]

Instead of seeing him as the "worst player to win a major", I view it as the biggest surprise. Therefore, I'm going with Ben Curtis.

 

Won a major in his rookie year, while ranked 354th in the OWGR's, Iirc.

 

To my knowledge, no one has ever won a major while ranked lower.

I would agree, however this thread is taking into account each winner's post-major performance as well. On that merit, I think Micheel wins going away - only Tour win was the '03 PGA (OWGR 169th going in), and his only other professional W's were one Asian Tour title ('98) and another on the Web.com ('99). Given how much he struggled early on in his career, he was very fortunate to have broken through on the big Tour, and unfortunately we don't know what it could have been as medical issues basically derailed his career within a couple years after that.

 

IMO, biggest "surprise" would definitely go to Ouimet. :derisive:

 

 

But, that wasn't mentioned in the OP. If it was mentioned later, I missed it.

[smeech8000]

Instead of seeing him as the "worst player to win a major", I view it as the biggest surprise. Therefore, I'm going with Ben Curtis.

 

Won a major in his rookie year, while ranked 354th in the OWGR's, Iirc.

 

To my knowledge, no one has ever won a major while ranked lower.

I would agree, however this thread is taking into account each winner's post-major performance as well. On that merit, I think Micheel wins going away - only Tour win was the '03 PGA (OWGR 169th going in), and his only other professional W's were one Asian Tour title ('98) and another on the Web.com ('99). Given how much he struggled early on in his career, he was very fortunate to have broken through on the big Tour, and unfortunately we don't know what it could have been as medical issues basically derailed his career within a couple years after that.

 

IMO, biggest "surprise" would definitely go to Ouimet. :derisive:

 

But, that wasn't mentioned in the OP. If it was mentioned later, I missed it.

 

No, you're right it wasn't specified there or anywhere else by the OP; I guess that is the direction the thread has taken... you mean you didn't read all the other 230+ replies before posting??? :taunt:

[HighSpeedScene]

If Shaun Micheel was a member, he would post that it is Shaun Micheel