Masters/PGA vs US Open/The Open - Which Half Of The Men's Major Season Is Better?
Are we approaching the better half of the men's Major season? Our tour experts have their say...
'Inside The Ropes' is the chance for Golf Monthly's expert team to share its honest thoughts on the biggest subjects in the game. This week, an office debate sees us pit the two halves of the men's Major season up against each other.
We're halfway through the 2026 men's Major season, so that got us thinking - which half is better?
The Masters opens up the Major season following a nine-month wait and is considered by many to be the best of the bunch. It has the incredible traditions, the amazing course and plenty of memorable and historic moments.
The PGA Championship follows just five weeks later, and it is often thought of as the weakest of the four, despite having the strongest field.
The brutally difficult US Open comes next in June before the oldest Major, The Open, concludes the season in July on the world renowned British links courses. Thanks to its history and standing in the game, many believe The Open to be the best, too.
So, which half is better? That's the question I asked our tour experts in this week's Inside The Ropes, and I'd love to hear your views in the comments.
I think it's the US Open/The Open Championship and it's not even close.
As far as I see it, there are three Majors up on a pedestal and the other sits below – not a long way, but enough to make it comfortably the least prestigious.
Justin Thomas has won two PGAs, but I don't view that as anywhere near as impressive as someone like a Greg Norman, who has two Open titles to his name, or Bryson DeChambeau, who has two US Opens.
I'm not going as far as to say two PGAs equals one Masters, Open or US Open, but I would say three PGAs equals two of the others.
The Masters is my favorite Major, but the PGA just doesn't carry Major gravitas in my eyes, especially as it's sandwiched between Signature events in a very busy part of the season.
I much preferred it when it was 'glory's last shot' and the final Major of the calendar year, which gave it some identity.
I love the US Open – it's my second-favorite Major – and the Open Championship is the game's most historic tournament. Sorry PGA, you've really let the side down here.
According to actual scientific studies, humans are more likely to avoid the worst of four options (PGA Championship) in a question like this, making the two Open Championships the more statistically-likely choice.
However, if you said I could only watch two Majors for the rest of my life, I'd pick The Masters and the PGA Championship because The Masters is the pinnacle of the sport and the PGA Championship gives the everyman a shot at glory.
I love talking to people about golf and The Masters is the only one most people watch, if they pay any attention at all to golf. And then I love an underdog story.
You can certainly have them in the Opens, but the year's second men's Major currently sets itself up perfectly to encourage them. Take Michael Block's recent heroics as the latest example.
I also don't think the PGA Championship is as bad as people like to make out, so it's hardly a disappointing teammate to The Masters. Still, my hope is that plenty changes in the PGA Championship moving forward which would elevate its status much closer to the Opens.
Plus, the excitement for the first two Majors has arguably subsided somewhat by this point in the year, so that's another point to the opening pair.
Ultimately, it's a really tough choice, but I want that combination of consistency and variety that only the first two Majors bring.
Hands down, I would pick the second half.
I love The Masters as much as the next person, but not watching the Open Championship would be terrible.
I love the challenge that links golf poses, but I also appreciate the tough test of a US Open.
Watching the best players in the world squirm over four rounds is a bit of a guilty pleasure, I suppose, and the US Open is the only Major that consistently provides that.
The PGA Championship is weak as a Major, in my opinion, so it sort of makes this decision easy.
Without an identity of its own, I could happily just catch the back nine of the PGA Championship each year and not feel too disappointed to have missed the rest.
If you swapped the PGA Championship out for The Players Championship that would make it a tougher decision, but I'd still go with the final two Majors of the season!
It’s a tricky one this – I love all the Majors but in my own personal ranking I go Masters, Open, US Open, PGA so this is 1 and 4 vs 2 and 3!
The PGA’s definitely improving, I don’t think it’s helped by the schedule but it can be helped by the type of course it’s staged on, in a similar way to the US Open really as there’s hardly a bad course on the Open rota so that's always a good one.
So it’s all about the flow of the season for me, we wait so long for the Masters to roll around and there’s often a bit of a comedown after Augusta which the PGA can get sucked into, and just that June-July time of year seems to be when we get into the meat of the season.
We’ve got an iconic, and controversial, golf course in Shinnecock Hills this year and watching them battle it out in a tough US Open, then into the build-up for The Open and the switch to some wonderful links golf is a pairing I’d have to put them ahead of the first two Majors of the year.
Wow, that was quite conclusive then... I guess we have the best half of the Major season to look forward to?
The Masters is the best of the four men's Majors for me but Baz is right, the PGA has let the side down...but it isn't that bad, right?
The 2026 PGA at Aronimink was brilliant and the championship often produces entertaining finishes. It just doesn't have the feel or stature of the US Open or The Open, though.
The US Open is a brilliant championship and The Open is The Open, and they're undoubtedly numbers two and three for me.
But I find it hard to live in a world where The Masters doesn't exist and it is by far my number one Major so I'll side with Jonny and go for the first half.
So, that's a 3/5 victory for the second half. We have a fantastic next couple of months to look forward to.
Do you agree with the team? Join the conversation in the comments section below.