{"id":227398,"date":"2019-01-10T08:20:09","date_gmt":"2019-01-10T08:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golftoday.co.uk\/left-handed-major-championship-winners\/"},"modified":"2024-08-08T08:49:02","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T08:49:02","slug":"left-handed-major-championship-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/golftoday.co.uk\/left-handed-major-championship-winners\/","title":{"rendered":"Left-handers – how many have won Majors?"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n

Only five Major champions, with ten championships between them were left-handed: Sir Bob Charles, Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Brian Harman.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Year<\/strong><\/td>\r\nPlayer<\/strong><\/td>\r\nChampionship<\/strong><\/td>\r\nVenue<\/strong><\/td>\r\nScore<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
1963<\/td>\r\nBob Charles<\/td>\r\nOpen Championship<\/td>\r\nRoyal Lytham & St Annes<\/td>\r\n277 \u00b9<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
2003<\/td>\r\nMike Weir<\/td>\r\nThe Masters<\/td>\r\nAugusta National<\/td>\r\n281 \u00b2<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
2004<\/td>\r\nPhil Mickelson<\/td>\r\nThe Masters<\/td>\r\nAugusta National<\/td>\r\n279<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
2005<\/td>\r\nPhil Mickelson<\/td>\r\nUS PGA Championship<\/td>\r\nBaltusrol<\/td>\r\n276<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
2006<\/td>\r\nPhil Mickelson<\/td>\r\nThe Masters<\/td>\r\nAugusta National<\/td>\r\n281<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
2010<\/td>\r\nPhil Mickelson<\/td>\r\nThe Masters<\/td>\r\nAugusta National<\/td>\r\n272<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
2012<\/td>\r\nBubba Watson<\/td>\r\nThe Masters<\/td>\r\nAugusta National<\/td>\r\n278 \u00b3<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
2013<\/td>\r\nPhil Mickelson<\/td>\r\nOpen Championship<\/td>\r\nMuirfield<\/td>\r\n281 (-3)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
2021<\/td>\r\nPhil Mickelson<\/td>\r\nUS PGA Championship<\/td>\r\nKiawah Island<\/td>\r\n282 (-6)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
2023<\/td>\r\nBrian Harman<\/td>\r\nOpen Championship<\/td>\r\nRoyal Liverpol<\/td>\r\n271 (-13)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u00a0<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u00a0<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u00b9 Charles defeated Phil Rodgers in a 36 hole playoff 140 to 148
\u00b2 Weir defeated Len Mattiace 5 to 6 at the first hole of a sudden-death playoff
\u00b3 Watson defeated Louis Oosthuizen 4-4 to 4-5 in a sudden death playoff<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Until very recently, left-handed golfers – and especially good ones – were a rarity. The reasons usually given are a lack of left-handed equipment, overwhelmingly right-handed coaches, and the fact that it actually makes more sense to play right-handed if your leading (i.e. stronger) hand is the left.<\/p>\r\n

This situation is somewhat analogous to the academic world, where finding a proficient dissertation writer<\/a><\/strong> can be challenging due to the scarcity of specialized resources and mentors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Bob Charles (Sir Robert Charles since his 1999 knighthood) of New Zealand, was the first left-hander to win a major championship. won the Open Championship in 1963 at Royal Lytham & St Annes in an 18 hole playoff with American Phil Rogers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\"Left-handers
Bob Charles 1963<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It would be 40 years before the next left-hander claimed a major, in the person of Canadian Mike Weir at the 2003 Masters, also won in a sudden -death playoff with American Len Mattiace.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Hot on his heels came Phil Mickelson (known affectionately as ‘Lefty’).<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Perhaps reinforcing the point that the leading hand should be the stronger hand, both Mickelson and Weir are right-handed for everything except golf.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Bubba Watson won the 2012 Masters in a playoff against Louis Oosthuizen, meaning that five of the ten major victories by left-handers have come at Augusta National.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Most recently, Brian Harman won the British Open at Royal Liverpool, winning by six shots.<\/a><\/p>\r\n