WATCH: Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and other PGA stars name the best active player without a major championship

Winning a major championship is a defining moment in a golfer’s career. Ahead of the fourth major of the year, Xander Schauffele and several other PGA Tour stars named one golfer who is currently performing well but has yet to win a major title.

In a recently released video from the PGA Tour, Collin Morikawa chose Viktor Hovland as the best current player without a major. He said he roots for the seven-time PGA Tour winner because they’ve been friends for a long time.

Two-time major champion Xander Schauffele picked eight-time PGA Tour winner Patrick Cantlay. Meanwhile, two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas jokingly refused to answer the question because he saw it as a trap. Laughing, he said,

“I’m not answering that. That’s a trap.”

Victor Hovland was also featured in the video and like his friend Morikawa, he chose himself. He said,

“I’d like to put myself in that box…”

Watch the full video here:

Notably, the Open Championship, the final major championship of the year, kicks off at Royal Portrush on July 17. It promises to be a star-studded field featuring some of the best golfers in the world such as Grand Slam winner Rory McIlroy and World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler.

Last year, Xander Schauffele won the Open Championship with a two-stroke margin after scoring a 9-under 275. The victory marked his ninth PGA Tour win and second major championship victory. He will be in the field at Royal Portrush this week and will attempt to defend his title.

---

Which golfer has the highest number of major championship titles of all time?

There are four major tournaments in a year— The Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the US Open, and the Open Championship. Golf legend, Jack Nicklaus, holds the record for the most major championship victories, having won 18 titles throughout his career.

Nicklaus has not just won 18 majors, but has won multiple times in all four tournaments. This makes him one of only six golfers who have a career Grand Slam. The other five golfers in this category include Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy.

He has six Masters titles, five PGA Championship titles, four US Open titles, and three Open Championship titles.

The golfer with the second-highest number of major championship titles is PGA Tour legend Tiger Woods. The 82-time PGA Tour winner has won 15 major tournaments. His most recent major victory was at the 2019 Masters Tournament where he dominated with a 13-under. He is also a Grand Slam winner, having won all four majors multiple times.

Here’s a list of the top golfers with the most major championship victories:

• Jack Nicklaus: 18
• Tiger Woods: 15
• Walter Hagen: 11
• Ben Hogan: 9
• Gary Player: 9
• Tom Watson: 8

Edited by Pratham K Sharma