The Open 2022: Major stats ahead of this week's championship

Andy Swales
11 July 2022
3.0 min read

The Old Course at St Andrews stages The Open for a 30th time

The 150th Open Championship takes place this week at St Andrews

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Will the winner of this week's Open be another golfer under the age of 30, and so continue the recent trend in majors? Words and stats compiled by Andy Swales ...

"Remarkably, as many as 11 of the top-13 players in the World Ranking (as of 11/7/22) are under the age of 30. The two exceptions are Rory McIlroy (33 years, two months) and Patick Cantlay who turned 30 earlier this year."

The average, as well as median, age for major championship winners is 32, according to the Professional Golfers' Association of America. And this covers 160 years of major tournament golf.

While great players such as Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods won bucket-loads of majors in their 20s, this early success has generally been offset by those whose one or two titles were achieved after the age of 30.

Nicklaus won seven before entering decade number four, while Woods captured 10. Meanwhile Padraig Harrington, a winner of three major titles, had to wait until a few weeks before his 36th birthday to secure the first of his trio of triumphs.

Currently, we are experiencing a trend where the number of players winning a major title before the age of 30 has increased significantly.

The latest member of this elite group is Matt Fitzpatrick who, at 27, clinched a one-stroke victory at the US Open last month.

Since the start of the current decade, eight of the 10 majors have been won by golfers yet to celebrate their 30th birthdays - including each of the last five.

This is how it looks:

Major Champions Since January 1st, 2020

Yrs-Mths
23-6: Collin Morikawa (PGA `20)
27-0: Bryson DeChambeau (USO `20)
36-4: Dustin Johnson (Mas `20)
29-1: Hideki Matsuyama (Mas `21)
50-11: Phil Mickelson (PGA `21)
26-7: Jon Rahm (USO `21)
24-5: Collin Morikawa (BO `21)
25-9: Scottie Scheffler (Mas `22)
29-1: Justin Thomas(PGA `22)
27-9: Matt Fitzpatrick (USO `22)

And to extend back even further this is taking hold - for the time being at least - because 22 (66.67%) of the 33 major winners since June 1st, 2014, were still in their 20s.

Remarkably, as many as 11 of the top-13 players in the World Ranking (as of 11/7/22) are under the age of 30.

The two exceptions are Rory McIlroy (33 years, two months) and Patick Cantlay who turned 30 earlier this year.

Latest betting for this week's Open Championship

Major Stroke Averages

Lowest 15 In Major Championships (Since January 1st, 2020)
Average .... (Rounds)
70.03: Scottie Scheffler (34)
70.34: Collin Morikawa (38)
70.40: Jon Rahm (40)
70.52: Will Zalatoris (27)
70.56: Dustin Johnson (34)
70.58: Xander Schauffele (36)
70.61: Paul Casey (28)
70.63: Rory McIlroy (38)
70.71: Louis Oosthuizen (35)
70.87: Justin Thomas (38)
70.94: Hideki Matsuyama (36)
70.95: Dylan Frittelli (20)
71.00: Brooks Koepka (32)
71.14: Cameron Smith (36)
71.17: Tony Finau (36)
Min. No. of Rounds = 16
Only those entered this week are included in table

Major Consistency Chart

Most Times Within Eight Shots of Winner In Majors (Since July-1st-2017)
10: Brooks Koepka
10: Jon Rahm
10: Jordan Spieth
9: Tony Finau
9: Dustin Johnson
9: Rory McIlroy
9: Xander Schauffele
8: Patrick Reed
7: Louis Oosthuizen
7: Justin Rose
6: Patrick Cantlay
6: Collin Morikawa
6: Scottie Scheffler
6: Webb Simpson
6: Justin Thomas
Only those entered this week are included in table

Latest betting for a top-10 finish at St Andrews

Twitter: Golf Stats Alive

Key: B (The Open), U (US Open), P (PGA Championship), M (The Masters)

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Last 10 Majors

Position

1–5
6–15
16–25

Player	22U	22P	22M	21B	21U	21P	21M	20M	20U	20P
Scottie Scheffler	2	MC	1	8	7	8	18	19		4
Rory McIlroy	5	8	2	46	7	49	MC	5	8	33
Jon Rahm	12	48	27	3	1	8	5	7	23	13
Patrick Cantlay	14	MC	39	MC	15	23	MC	17	43	43
Collin Morikawa	5	55	5	1	4	8	18	44	MC	1
Xander Schauffele	14	13	MC	26	7	MC	3	17	5	10
Justin Thomas	37	1	8	40	19	MC	21	4	8	37
Cameron Smith	MC	13	3	33	MC	59	10	2	38	43
Viktor Hovland	MC	41	27	12	Wd	30	21		13	33
Sam Burns	27	20	MC	76	MC	Wd
Matthew Fitzpatrick	1	5	14	26	55	23	34	46	MC	MC
Jordan Spieth	37	34	MC	2	19	30	3	46	MC	71
Will Zalatoris	2	2	6	Wd	MC	8	2		6
Hideki Matsuyama	4	60	14		26	23	1	13	17	22
Billy Horschel	MC	68	43	53	MC	23	50	38	38	43
Tony Finau	MC	30	35	15	MC	8	10	38	8	4
Joaquin Niemann	47	23	35	59	31	30	40		23	MC
Dustin Johnson	24	MC	12	8	19	MC	MC	1	6	2
Max Homa	47	13	48	40	MC	MC	MC	MC	MC	MC
Brooks Koepka	55	55	MC	6	4	2	MC	7		29
Abraham Ancer		9	MC	59	MC	8	26	13	56	43
Louis Oosthuizen	MC	60	Wd	3	2	2	26	23	3	33
Sung Jae Im	MC		8		35	17	MC	2	22	MC
Shane Lowry	MC	23	3	12	65	4	21	25	43	66
Kevin Kisner	MC	MC	44	73	55	MC	MC	MC	MC	19
Paul Casey				15	7	4	26	38	17	2
Tyrrell Hatton	56	13	52	MC	MC	38	18	MC	MC	MC
Corey Conners	MC	MC	6	15	MC	17	8	10	MC	MC
Harris English	61			46	3	64	21		4	19
Cameron Young	MC	3	MC		MC
Bryson DeChambeau	56		MC	33	26	38	46	34	1	4
Kevin Na	MC	23	14		MC	MC	12	13	MC	MC
Jason Kokrak	MC	60	14	26	MC	49	49	MC	17	MC
Tommy Fleetwood	MC	5	14	33	50	MC	46	19	MC	29
Thomas Pieters	27	71	MC			MC			23
Seamus Power	12	9	27
Harold Varner	MC	48	23	MC		49				29
Talor Gooch	MC	20	14	33		44				MC
Joo-Hyung Kim	23	MC								MC
Patrick Reed	49	34	35	MC	19	17	8	10	13	13
Kyoung-Hoon Lee	37	41	MC		MC	MC
Keegan Bradley	7	48		MC		17			MC	MC
Adam Scott	14	MC	48	46	35	MC	54	34	38	22
Tom Hoge	MC	9	39		46	64				58
Aaron Wise	27	23				17
Ryan Fox	MC	54		67					MC
Guillermo Mito Pereira	MC	3
Cameron Tringale	14	41		26		MC				Dq
Justin Rose	37	13	MC	46	MC	8	7	23	MC	9
Lucas Herbert	MC	13	MC	MC		71			31	MC
Brian Harman	43	34	MC	19	19	MC	12		38	58
Sebastian Munoz	14	55		MC	MC	MC	40	19	59	MC
Marc Leishman	14	34	30	MC	64	MC	5	13	MC	MC
Russell Henley	MC	60	30	MC	13	71				37
Keith Mitchell		34		MC						43
Sepp Straka	MC	78	30							66
Chris Kirk		5		MC		MC
JT Poston					40	MC		MC	MC	75
Christiaan Bezuidenhout		MC	44	53	31	30	40	38	55	MC
Luke List	MC	41	MC							51
Kurt Kitayama	MC			MC		MC			MC	51
Sahith Theegala					MC
Webb Simpson	MC	20	35	19	MC	30	12	10	8	37
Adrian Meronk					MC
Si-Woo Kim	MC	60	39		40	MC	12	34	MC	13
Adri Arnaus	MC	30
Sergio Garcia	MC	MC	23	19	19	MC	MC		MC	MC
Min Woo Lee	27	MC	14	MC
Mackenzie Hughes	24	MC	50	6	15	MC	40		MC	58
Pablo Larrazabal		MC
KazukiHiga
Richard Bland	43	MC		67	50
Erik Van Rooyen	MC	MC	MC	MC	MC	MC		Wd	23	51
Shaun Norris	MC	71		MC					MC	MC
Sam Horsfield	MC	MC		67		49
Shugo Imahira								44	61
Phil Mickelson	MC			MC	62	1	21	55	MC	71
Lee Westwood		MC	14	59	46	71	MC	38	13
Gary Woodland	10	34	MC	MC	50	38	40	MC	MC	58
Dean Burmester		MC		40		59
Takumi Kanaya		MC	MC	MC		MC			MC
Stewart Cink	MC	23	MC	MC	57	30	12
Scott Vincent
Ian Poulter		MC		26	40	30	26	25	MC	22
Victor Perez	MC			MC	MC	MC	MC	46	MC	22
Robert MacIntyre		77	23	8	35	49	12		56	66
Bernd Wiesberger		30		59	MC	MC	40	58	43	43
Nicolai Hojgaard		MC
Chan Kim	MC	MC		53	MC	23			MC	MC
Justin Harding		71		19				MC	MC
Sadom Kaewkanjana		MC
Jordan Smith					MC
Yuto Katsuragawa
Emiliano Grillo				12		38				66
Garrick Higgo		MC	MC	MC	MC	64
Laurie Canter		48
Thriston Lawrence
Brad Kennedy				MC	MC
Hao Tong Li				MC						17
Sihwan Kim
Danny Willett			12	33		64	MC	25	MC	MC
Tiger Woods		Wd	47					38	MC	37
Dylan Frittelli				5	46	MC	MC	5		33
Guido Migliozzi	14		MC	MC	4
Jamie Donaldson
Henrik Stenson		MC		MC	MC	64	38	MC	MC	MC
Alexander Bjork
Thomas Detry				MC	MC	MC			49
Francesco Molinari	MC	55	MC	MC	13		52	MC
John Catlin				MC		MC
Trey Mullinax
Padraig Harrington		MC	MC	72		4
Marcus Armitage				53	MC
Jason Scrivener				MC		23
Brandon Wu									MC
Anthony Quayle
Mink Yu Kim
Fabrizio Zanotti
Wyndham Clark	MC				MC	75				MC
Jediah Morgan	MC
Keita Nakajima	MC		MC
Zach Johnson		MC	MC		MC	MC	MC	51	8	MC
Richard Mansell	MC			74
Matthew Jordan
Ming Yu Cho
Dimitrios Papadatos
Zander Lombard
David Law
Ben Campbell
Marco Penge
Justin De Los Santos
Jamie Rutherford
Ashley Chesters
Jorge Fernandez-Valdes
Lars Van Meijel
John Parry
Matthew Griffin
Oliver Farr
David Carey
Matt Ford
Jack Floydd
Robert Dinwiddie
Paul Lawrie
Ernie Els				MC
Darren Clarke				MC
John Daly		MC				MC
Sam Bairstow				MC
Filippo Celli
Stephen Dodd
Aaron Jarvis			MC
David Duval
Ronan Mullarney
Aldrich Potgieter
Mark Calcavecchia
Barclay Brown
Alex Wrigley