A Sport Older Than Most Nations
Golf was played in Scotland as early as the 15th century and was banned by King James II in 1457 because it was distracting men from archery practice. The Old Course at St Andrews has hosted golfers since the 1500s. The Open Championship — the oldest of the four men's majors — was first played in 1860 at Prestwick.
The four men's majors today are The Masters (Augusta, April), the PGA Championship (May), the U.S. Open (June), and The Open Championship (July). On the women's side, the five LPGA majors are the Chevron Championship, U.S. Women's Open, KPMG Women's PGA, Evian Championship, and AIG Women's Open. Knowing the modern major calendar is the foundation of golf trivia.
Major Champions and GOATs
Jack Nicklaus won 18 major championships — the standard everyone chases. Tiger Woods has 15, including a remarkable comeback win at the 2019 Masters. Walter Hagen (11) and Ben Hogan (9) round out the top of the men's list. Annika Sörenstam holds the modern women's record at 10 majors, with Mickey Wright (13) and Patty Berg (15) ahead of her overall.
The Ryder Cup — held every two years between the U.S. and Europe — generates its own pile of trivia, from the Battle of Brookline in 1999 to the Miracle at Medinah in 2012. The Presidents Cup, FedEx Cup, and Race to Dubai all add depth to the questions we ask.
How Our Golf Quiz Works
Five questions, three difficulty levels. Easy: Tiger, Nicklaus, recent Masters winners, famous courses. Medium: specific major winners by year, career stats, Ryder Cup history. Hard: pre-WWII champions, course architects, the Old Tom Morris era, and the LIV vs PGA Tour rift.
We cover both men's and women's golf, plus the Champions Tour (formerly the Senior PGA Tour) and the Korn Ferry Tour. Course questions are a staple — Augusta's 11–13 stretch known as Amen Corner, Pebble Beach's seventh hole, St Andrews' Road Hole, and Pinehurst No. 2's turtleback greens all come up.
How to Get Better at Golf Trivia
Memorize the men's major winners for the last 20 years — that's 80 names, but many repeat. Learn the all-time major leaders and where each great player sits. Know the Masters winners specifically — the green jacket is one of the most recognizable trivia hooks in sport.
Then learn the courses by major. The Masters is always at Augusta. The U.S. Open rotates. The Open rotates among a fixed set of links courses (Old Course, Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool, Carnoustie, etc.). The PGA Championship rotates among inland American courses. Quiz writers will pair a year with a course, and knowing the rotation makes those questions instant.