What is Major Championships? Major Championships Explained in 2 minutes
Jesse M. Cox Last Verified
19/04/2026
What are Major Championships?
Although major championships can conceivably relate to any sport that has a number of tournaments, it is usually either golf or tennis that is being referred to. Both these sports have tournaments that are played throughout the year but there are four of the most important and prestigious that are called major championships.
How are Major Championships used in Sports Betting?
In golf betting the four major championships are the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the US Open and the Open Championship. In tennis betting the major championships are also referred to as the Grand Slam and consists of The French Open, the US Open, the Australian Open and the Wimbledon Championships.
Although keen bettors will look for value picks throughout the relevant seasons, the major championships always attract a lot of extra interest and even people that don’t really bet on any other tournaments will have a punt on these. Because of this there are always plenty of betting markets to choose from – alongside a huge amount of media interest.
As championship conditions change from location to location there are certain players that are fancied more depending on which tournament is being played. Research is key to any pick as it is not always the number one in the world that will be the favourite in each competition.
Did You Know...
Jack Nicklaus holds the record for most golf major championship wins with 18. His first major was the 1962 US Open, while his last triumph came 24 years later at the 1986 Masters. Next on the list is Tiger Woods with 14 to his name. Many would say that his best form is behind him (his last major was in 2008) but he may be able to catch up with Nicklaus yet.
