The Most Prestigious Golf Tournaments in the World

Updated on November 8, 2026

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What is the most prestigious golf tournament in the world? The four men's majors: The Open, the U.S. Open, the Masters, and the PGA Championship. In our roundup of six recent selections, The Open and theUS Open lead the way, ahead of the Masters. For women, the five majors include the Evian Championship, held in France. Here are the 19 most prestigious golf tournaments in the world, along with the 2026 winners and prize money, which can be filtered by tour and status.

The 19 Most Prestigious Golf Tournaments, Ranked

The Most Prestigious Golf Tournament in Each Category

Oldest: The Open

First held on October 17, 1860, in Prestwick, Scotland, The Open is the oldest golf tournament still played today, according to Golf Monthly. The winner is crowned “Champion Golfer of the Year” and receives the Claret Jug. In 2026, New Zealander Ryan Fox won it at Royal Birkdale.

Most Iconic: The Masters

The only major held annually on the same course—Augusta National—the Masters has been awarding its famous green jacket since 1949. Jack Nicklaus holds the record with six victories. In 2026, Rory McIlroy won it for the second year in a row.

Biggest Purse: The Tour Championship

As the final event of the FedEx Cup playoffs, the Tour Championship offers the largest prize purse in golf: $40 million, including $10 million for the winner, according to Golf Monthly. Scottie Scheffler won it in 2026.

Richest Women's Major: The KPMG Women's PGA

With a purse of $13 million in 2026, up from $4.5 million in 2021, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship has the largest purse of any women’s major, according to Golf Digest. South Korea’s Haeran Ryu won it this year.

🇫🇷Évian-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie

The Major Played in France: The Evian Championship

Established in 1994 as the Evian Masters and elevated to major status in 2013, it is the only major held in France, in Évian-les-Bains. In 2026, Haeran Ryu won it in a playoff, claiming her second major title in a row.

Biggest Team Event: The Ryder Cup

Established in 1927, the Ryder Cup pits Europe against the United States every two years in a series of 28 matches. In September 2025 at Bethpage Black, Europe won 15–13, marking its first away victory since 2012.

The 4 Men's Majors and 5 Women's Majors in Detail

1. The Open (British Open)

United Kingdom · Men

• Founded 1860
• Status Major
• 2026 venue Royal Birkdale (England)
• 2026 winner Ryan Fox
• 2026 purse $17.75 million

• The oldest golf tournament still in existence: the first edition was held on October 17, 1860, in Prestwick, Scotland, and was won by Willie Park Sr.
• The winner is crowned “Champion Golfer of the Year” and receives the Claret Jug, which was first awarded to Young Tom Morris in 1872.
• Record for most wins: Harry Vardon, 6 titles.
• 2026 purse: $17.75 million, including $3.2 million for the winner.

Sources: Golf Monthly, Wikipedia, GOLF.

2. U.S. Open

United States · Men

• Founded 1895
• Status Major
• 2026 venue Shinnecock Hills (New York)
• 2026 winner Wyndham Clark
• 2026 purse $22.5 million

• Founded in 1895 in Newport, Rhode Island: 36 holes played in a single day, won by the Englishman Horace Rawlins.
• Scheduled for the third week of June and ending on Father's Day; known for its courses that are so difficult that some players have won the tournament while shooting over par.
• 72-hole record: 268 (-16) by Rory McIlroy in 2011.
• 2026 purse: $22.5 million, including $4.5 million for the winner.

Sources: Golf Monthly, Wikipedia, GOLF.

3. The Masters

United States · Men

• Founded 1934
• Status Major
• 2026 venue Augusta National (Georgia)
• 2026 winner Rory McIlroy
• 2026 purse $22.5 million

• Founded in 1934 by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament.
• The only major tournament played every year on the same course, Augusta National.
• The green jacket has been awarded to the winner since 1949 (Sam Snead).
• Record for most wins: Jack Nicklaus, 6 titles (1963–1986). 2026 purse: $22.5 million, including $4.5 million for the winner.

Sources: Wikipedia, GOLF.

4. U.S. Women’s Open

United States · Women

• Founded 1946
• Status Major
• 2026 venue Riviera, Los Angeles (California)
• 2026 winner Nelly Korda
• 2026 purse $12.5 million

• Held since 1946, organized by the USGA.
• 2026 purse: $12.5 million ($5.5 million in 2021).
• Ranked as the best major of 2026 (all categories) by GOLF.com, following Nelly Korda's victory at Riviera.

Sources: Wikipedia, Golf Digest, GOLF.

5. PGA Championship

United States · Men

• Founded 1916
• Status Major
• 2026 venue Aronimink (Pennsylvania)
• 2026 winner Aaron Rai
• 2026 purse $20.5 million

• The first edition was held in 1916 at the Siwanoy Country Club (New York).
• Played as a match play tournament until 1957; played as a stroke play tournament since 1958.
• The winner receives the Wanamaker Trophy, named after the founder of the PGA of America, Rodman Wanamaker.
• A record purse of $20.5 million in 2026 ($19 million in 2025), including $3.69 million for the winner.

Sources: Wikipedia, GOLF.

6. KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

United States · Women

• Founded 1955
• Status Major
• 2026 venue Hazeltine, Minnesota
• 2026 winner Haeran Ryu
• 2026 purse $13 million

• Established in 1955 as the LPGA Championship; organized by the PGA of America in partnership with KPMG since 2015.
• Record for most wins: Mickey Wright, 4 titles (1958, 1960, 1961, 1963).
• 2026 purse: $13 million ($4.5 million in 2021), the highest among women's majors in 2026.

Sources: Wikipedia, Golf Digest.

7. AIG Women’s Open

United Kingdom · Women

• Founded 1976
• Status Major
• 2026 venue Royal Lytham & St. Annes (England)
• 2026 winner Shiho Kuwaki
• 2026 purse $10 million

• Recognized as a major since 2001; organized by the R&A since 2016.
• A record purse of $10 million in 2026, marking the sixth consecutive increase; $1.5 million for the winner—a record in the tournament’s 50-year history.
• 2026: Shiho Kuwaki, a 23-year-old from Japan, won her first LPGA title in a playoff against Esther Henseleit on the second hole.

Sources: Wikipedia, Golf Digest.

The Big Team Events in Detail

10. Ryder Cup

Europe / United States (alternating) · Team event

• Founded 1927
• Status Team events
• 2026 venue Not played in 2026 (2025: Bethpage Black)

• The first official tournament was held in 1927 in Worcester, Massachusetts; the trophy was donated by the English businessman Samuel Ryder.
• Players from continental Europe joined the British and Irish team in 1979.
• 28 match-play matches over three days, between two teams of 12 players each.
• Latest edition: Europe wins 15-13 at Bethpage Black in September 2025, its first away victory since 2012.

Sources: Wikipedia, PGA Tour.

11. Solheim Cup

Europe / United States (alternating) · Team event

• Founded 1990
• Status Team events
• 2026 venue Bernardus Golf (Netherlands)
• 2026 winner Europe (15-13)

• The women's equivalent of the Ryder Cup, established in 1990 in Lake Nona, Florida; named after Karsten Solheim, an American-Norwegian golf club manufacturer.
• 28 matches since 2002: foursomes and four-balls on the first two days, 12 singles on the last day.
• 2026: Anna Nordqvist's European team wins the cup 15–13; Lottie Woad scores the decisive point.
• The next edition will be held in 2028 in Valhalla (Louisville, Kentucky).

Sources: Wikipedia, GolfMagic.

12. Presidents Cup

United States / Rest of the World (excluding Europe) (alternating) · Team event

• Founded 1994
• Status Team events
• 2026 venue Medinah (Illinois)
• 2026 winner United States (17-13)

• Established in 1994: the United States vs. an international team (the rest of the world outside Europe).
• The International team has won only once (1998, Royal Melbourne) and tied once (2003, Fancourt).
• 2026: Trailing 10.5–7.5 before the singles matches, the Americans won 17–13, their 11th consecutive victory.
• The next edition will be held in 2028 in Kingston Heath, Australia.

Sources: Wikipedia, GolfMagic.

13. Walker Cup

Great Britain & Ireland / United States (alternating) · Team event

• Founded 1922
• Status Team events
• 2026 venue Lahinch (Ireland)
• 2026 winner Great Britain & Ireland (13.5–12.5)

• A men's amateur team tournament established in 1922 and named after George Herbert Walker, president of the USGA in 1920.
• Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, and Tiger Woods all played there before winning their major titles.
• 2026 (51st edition): Great Britain & Ireland win 13.5–12.5, their first victory since 2015; the United States still leads 40–10 (1 tie).

Sources: Wikipedia, The RandA.

A Closer Look at the Other Major Tournaments

15. Tour Championship

United States · Men

• Founded 1987
• Status Other big event
• 2026 venue East Lake, Atlanta (Georgia)
• 2026 winner Scottie Scheffler
• 2026 purse $40 million

• Established in 1987; the final event of the FedEx Cup playoffs since 2007.
• Largest prize purse in golf: $40 million starting in 2025, including $10 million for the winner.
• 2026: Scottie Scheffler wins at -16, three strokes ahead of Viktor Hovland, and claims his second FedEx Cup.

Sources: Wikipedia, Golf Monthly, NBC Sports.

17. U.S. Amateur

United States · Men

• Founded 1895
• Status Another major amateur tournament
• 2026 venue Merion (Pennsylvania)
• 2026 winner Jack Whaley

• Founded in 1895 in Newport, a few days after the first U.S. Open, which was won by Charles Blair Macdonald.
• Two days of stroke play, followed by a 64-player match play tournament; the final is played over 36 holes.
• 2026: England's Jack Whaley wins the final 4&3 against Jay Leng Jr., becoming the first Englishman to win the title since Matt Fitzpatrick in 2013.

Sources: Golf Monthly, KSL.

18. The Amateur Championship

United Kingdom · Men

• Founded 1885
• Status Another major amateur tournament
• 2026 venue Royal Liverpool (England)
• 2026 winner Stuart Grehan

• Founded in 1885 in Royal Liverpool; still played in a match-play format; considered a major until the rise of professional golf after 1945.
• 2026 (131st edition): Stuart Grehan, a 33-year-old from Ireland, defeated Matt Moloney 1 up in the 36-hole final; he qualified for The Open and received invitations to the Masters and the U.S. Open.

Sources: Golf Monthly, Sky Sports.

How We Ranked the Golf Tournaments

No media outlet directly ranks the prestige of tournaments. We’ve compiled six recent lists that evaluate the appeal of this year’s majors, prize money, history, and must-see events: GOLF 2026 (majors), Golf Monthly 2026 (purses), Sports Illustrated 2023, Golf Digest 2024, GOLF 2025 (selection) and Golf Monthly 2025 (oldest events). Status takes precedence: major championships, as recognized by the tours, followed by major team events, and then other major tournaments. Within each group, professionals take precedence over amateurs, followed by the tournament cited in the most selections, and then the oldest. The 2026 winners and prize money figures are sourced from the organizers’ websites or major golf media outlets. This ranking is reviewed annually.

Fred's Take on Major Golf Tournaments

For me, nothing beats spending a week at a major in person: the Masters for its course—which you think you know from watching it on TV—The Open for the links and the weather, and the Ryder Cup for the atmosphere, which is unique in golf. And for the French, the Evian Championship is the best opportunity to see the world’s top female players without leaving the country.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Most Prestigious Golf Tournaments