Single major or Tour Wins

[Arthur Wedge]

On social media the TUGR account was talking about players that have won a number of times and comparing the careers to players that have won one major and not as many tour events

Westwood and Leonard was used to compare

So given the choice what would you take

The career of Justin Leonard or the one of Lee Westwood

So one majors in this case The Open or 40 plus tour wins

 

[SteveW86]

you'd probably have to take the Ryder Cup into account when looking at this? Scenario specific and I dont know what Leonard's record is in the RC, but it is what sits at the top of Westwoods career I'd have thought.

 

[BrianM]

Major for me, they will always have plenty of money without winning normal tour events.

 

[BrianM]

Look at Colin Montgomerie, how many European wins and Order of Merits, but he’s probably remembered more for not winning a Major.

 

[Imurg]

I think the obvious person to ask is Monty...........
Personally......I'll take the Major....

 

[Orikoru]

Majors are the pinnacle. When someone describes Justin Rose for example, do they say 25-time event winner? No, they typically just say 'major winner'. You only get the number of event wins brought up if you haven't won a major. Majors always come first.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Majors are the big one, they are the measurement. Fairly or not, that is how it is.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

you'd probably have to take the Ryder Cup into account when looking at this? Scenario specific and I dont know what Leonard's record is in the RC, but it is what sits at the top of Westwoods career I'd have thought.

Leonard’s record isn’t too bad there as well

Played in 3 and won two

 

[PaulMdj]

Really depends how you look at it, to be remembered it’s a Major, but I don’t think a Golfer’s career should be summed up in such a way.

Many Golfers have had fantastic successful careers without winning a Major and, imo, it is wrong to some how use the lack of a Major as defining their career.

 

[crdb]

I'd be choosing Westwood, he was ranked number 1 in the world for a good while

 

[Slab]

I thought I'd choose the major hands down, but I'm reconsidering now

There's somewhat of a financial parity to both these guys in their winnings so its the one-off experience of winning a Major V's the number of times you get to experience that 'winning feeling' and we know in golf even the very very best will lose far more often than they win

Still mulling it...

 

[Springveldt]

I'd take 40 tour wins over 1 major but that's just me.

 

[Orikoru]

It's not like Leonard was rubbish though, I'm not sure why he's the example. He also won the Players plus ten other PGA events. He top-tenned in the Masters twice and the PGA six times.

The usual example for this is Todd Hamilton isn't it? Perhaps in that case I'd rather be Westwood than Hamilton.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Major win. It is the benchmark used. I'd then look at things like RC records as well as tour wins but ultimately players are remembered as major winners or not. Monty and Westwood the best examples

 

[Slab]

I think between those two I'm swayed slightly to take Westwood achievements as 'my career'

The clincher was, for every time Leonard can be introduced as a former Open winner, Westwood can be introduced as former world No1 (& all the other accolades)

 

[rksquire]

Leonard won PGA events too, so that clinches it for me - career event wins AND a Major.

 

[bobmac]

I know which one the bank manager would prefer

 

[Arthur Wedge]

I think between those two I'm swayed slightly to take Westwood achievements as 'my career'

The clincher was, for every time Leonard can be introduced as a former Open winner, Westwood can be introduced as former world No1 (& all the other accolades)

So is being world number one seen higher than winning The Open or any major ?

Now if it was for a significant period then maybe but a couple of months ?

 

[PaulMdj]

So is being world number one seen higher than winning The Open or any major ?

Now if it was for a significant period then maybe but a couple of months ?

Why is it we always use Westwood or Monty? Do Yanks have this same discussion about any of their Golfers that won plenty on Tour but never a Major?

 

[crdb]

So is being world number one seen higher than winning The Open or any major ?

Now if it was for a significant period then maybe but a couple of months ?

Better golfer for 4 days or for 2 months is another way you could look at it