Jun 19, 2016; Oakmont, PA, USA; Dustin Johnson walks past the 18th hole leaderboard to the green with playing partner Lee Westwood during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
With the 2016 PGA Tour season now officially over, let’s take a look back at the year’s majors.
With the 2017 season set to kick off this week at the Safeway Open, the 2016 PGA Tour season is officially in the books. Before moving on, however, let’s take a look back at each of the year’s four majors. Despite expectations that some of the world’s biggest established stars would add to their respective major totals this year, all four majors saw first-time winners.
Apr 10, 2016; Augusta, GA, USA; Danny Willett celebrates in the green jacket after winning the 2016 The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
2016 Masters: Danny Willett outdueled Jordan Spieth to capture his first major
It appeared to be a forgone conclusion that Jordan Spieth would repeat as Masters champion, but things didn’t quite turn out that way. The Texan led the event after round one and maintained that advantage until the final nine holes of the tournament. Spieth made the turn on Sunday with a five-stroke lead, and what transpired next stands as one of the biggest collapses in major championship history.
On the par 3 12th hole, Spieth dumped his tee shot into the creek positioned in front of the green before taking his ball to the drop zone. In another unexpected twist, Spieth watched in horror as his second shot found the creek too. He went on to make quadruple bogey, squandering his lead.
Englishman Danny Willett took advantage of Spieth’s collapse to bring home the green jacket. His win came as the result of a steady first three rounds and a stellar Sunday. Willett shot a two-under 70 in the first round but gave back those strokes back on Friday by shooting a two-over 74. He steadied the ship on moving day by shooting another two-under 70. Tied for fifth heading into the final round, he shot a five-under 67, which included three birdies on the back nine, to secure the Masters and his first major championship, along with his PGA Tour card.
Jun 19, 2016; Oakmont, PA, USA; Dustin Johnson poses for a photo with the championship trophy after winning the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
2016 U.S. Open: Dustin Johnson overcame a penalty stroke in the final round to win his first major
With the rainy weather switching up the schedule quite a bit, the year’s second major was staged over an interesting four days. The delays started almost immediately, and with all the starts and stops, some players didn’t complete their third rounds until Sunday morning. However, the same golfers seemed to occupy the top spots on the leaderboard after each day.
29-year-old Andrew Landry, playing in his first major, led the way after the first round, holding just a one-stroke advantage over Dustin Johnson. The two switched spots after the second round, however, and this time it was DJ at the top of the leaderboard with a one-stroke lead over Landry.
A new face occupied the pole position after the third round. Shane Lowry rose to the top with a five-under 65 to take a commanding lead heading into the final 18. At seven-under for the week, he held a four-stroke advantage over DJ and Landry in second place.
Landry struggled in the final round and plummeted out of the top 10, while Lowry gave up his lead by shooting a six-over 76 to drop into a tie for second. That left room for DJ to rise to the top of the leaderboard again. Despite incurring a controversial one-stroke penalty when his ball moved while he set up for a putt, he closed out a one-under 69 as the sun was setting to capture the U.S. Open and his first major.
Jul 17, 2016; Troon, Ayrshire, SCT; Henrik Stenson (SWE) holds the Claret jug after the final round of the 145th Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Troon Golf Club – Old Course. Mandatory Credit: Ian Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
2016 Open Championship: Henrik Stenson outdueled Phil Mickelson to win the Claret Jug
Despite his top world ranking and a host of other accomplishments, including winning the FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai in the same year, Henrik Stenson still hadn’t won major until this one. Royal Troon played host to the 2016 Open Championship, and it sure was thrilling.
After the first round, 42-time PGA Tour winner Phil Mickelson held the outright lead at eight-under, three strokes ahead Martin Kaymer and Patrick Reed in a tie for second. Stenson was a full five strokes behind Mickelson after a three-under 68 to start the tournament.
The second round brought much better fortune for Stenson. He shot a six-under 65 to climb into second place, just one stroke behind Mickelson, who cooled off with a two-under 69. From there, it started to become a battle between just those two. After the third round, Stenson had opened up a one-stroke lead over Mickelson, who was five shots clear of the next-closest competitor.
The final round was truly a battle, as both Stenson and Mickelson played incredible golf. After all was said and done, the chasing pack ended up 11 strokes behind second place. In the end, Lefty couldn’t match Stenson but still played very well, finishing with a six-under 65. Stenson came up even bigger, making four birdies over the final five holes to close with an eight-under 63 and win the Claret Jug.
Jul 31, 2016; Springfield, NJ, USA; Jimmy Walker holds up the Wanamaker trophy during the Sunday round of the 2016 PGA Championship golf tournament at Baltusrol GC – Lower Course. Mandatory Credit: Eric Sucar-USA TODAY Sports
2016 PGA Championship: Jimmy Walker went wire-to-wire for the win
With the Olympic Games changing up the schedule, there were just two weeks between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship at Baltusrol. Although the quick turnaround may have affected some, Jimmy Walker, who was atop the leaderboard after all four rounds, seemed impervious.
Walker had the lead to himself after the first round. His five-under 65 was good enough for a one-stroke cushion over three golfers: Ross Fisher, Emiliano Grillo and Martin Kaymer, all of whom shot 66.
Walker got some company after the second round, as Robert Streb streaked up the leaderboard with a seven-under 63. After Walker shot a 66, the two were tied at the top, two strokes ahead of third place.
After the third round, Walker was alone atop the leaderboard once again, but this time there was a more experienced player nipping at his heels. Defending champion Jason Day fired a Saturday 67 to put the pressure on Walker. Walker responded to the pressure and matched Day’s 67 in the final round, claiming the one-stroke win.
PGA Tour fans: what was your favorite major moment from 2016? Let us know in the comments, and keep it here at Pro Golf Now for more PGA Tour updates.
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