Winning a major championship is the pinnacle of golf, but some players pull off shocking victories that no one saw coming.
Whether they were longshots, journeymen, or complete unknowns, these golfers stunned the world by winning on golf’s biggest stage. Here are 10 golfers who came out of nowhere to win a major.
10. Shaun Micheel – 2003 PGA Championship
Before his improbable win at Oak Hill, Micheel had never won on the PGA Tour and wasn’t on anyone’s radar. But he played steady golf all week and sealed the victory with a stunning 7-iron to a few inches on the 72nd hole, shocking the golf world.
9. Ben Curtis – 2003 Open Championship
Curtis was ranked 396th in the world and making his first-ever major start when he teed it up at Royal St. George’s. Somehow, he held his nerve to win, making him one of the most unlikely major champions in history.
8. Y.E. Yang – 2009 PGA Championship
No one had ever beaten Tiger Woods when he held the 54-hole lead in a major—until Yang did it. He outdueled Tiger on Sunday, delivering a stunning chip-in eagle and an iconic fist pump to complete one of the greatest upsets in golf history.
7. Michael Campbell – 2005 U.S. Open
Campbell had to qualify just to get into the tournament, and few gave him any chance of contending at Pinehurst. But while everyone else crumbled, he held strong and outlasted Tiger Woods to win his first and only major.
6. Rich Beem – 2002 PGA Championship
Beem was best known for selling cell phones before his golf career took off, making his major win all the more surprising. He fended off Tiger Woods in the final round, showing nerves of steel to secure an unexpected victory.
5. Lucas Glover – 2009 U.S. Open
Glover had only one career PGA Tour win before arriving at a rain-soaked Bethpage Black, and few thought he would hold up under major championship pressure. But he stayed steady while others faltered, earning a career-defining victory.
4. Todd Hamilton – 2004 Open Championship
A 38-year-old journeyman with little success on the PGA Tour, Hamilton stunned everyone by taking down Ernie Els in a playoff. His clutch putting and ability to stay calm in the moment turned him into one of golf’s most unexpected champions.
3. Orville Moody – 1969 U.S. Open
Moody was a military veteran and a relatively unknown golfer when he won the U.S. Open without ever having won a PGA Tour event. His improbable victory remains one of the greatest Cinderella stories in major championship history.
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2. Francesco Molinari – 2018 Open Championship
Molinari had never won on U.S. soil and was mostly an afterthought when he arrived at Carnoustie. But with a flawless final round, he outplayed Tiger Woods and the rest of the field to win his first major in stunning fashion.
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1. Jack Fleck – 1955 U.S. Open
Fleck was a complete unknown when he shocked the world by defeating Ben Hogan in an 18-hole playoff at the U.S. Open. His victory remains one of the most surprising major championship wins in golf history.
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