The 10 Biggest Winning Margins in Major Championship History

Winning a major championship by a comfortable margin is rare enough. Winning one by double digits is almost unheard of. Here are the largest margins of victory in major championship history:

• 15 strokes – Tiger Woods, 2000 US Open, Pebble Beach (−12, 272)
• 13 strokes – Old Tom Morris, 1862 Open Championship, Prestwick
• 12 strokes – Tiger Woods, 1997 Masters, Augusta National (−18, 270)
• 11 strokes – Old Tom Morris, 1861 Open Championship, Prestwick
• 9 strokes – Jack Nicklaus, 1965 Masters, Augusta National (−17, 271)
• 8 strokes – Rory McIlroy, 2011 US Open, Congressional (−16, 268)
• 8 strokes – Rory McIlroy, 2012 PGA Championship, Kiawah Island (−13, 275)
• 8 strokes – Tiger Woods, 2006 Open Championship, Royal Liverpool (−18, 270)
• 8 strokes – J.H. Taylor, 1900 Open Championship, St Andrews
• 7 strokes – Multiple winners including Tiger Woods (2000 Open) and Bobby Jones

Tiger Woods at the 2000 US Open: The Greatest Performance Ever?

Tiger Woods's 2000 US Open victory at Pebble Beach is widely considered the single greatest performance in major championship history. He finished at 12-under-par 272, while the rest of the field struggled to break par on the iconic coastal course. Ernie Els and Miguel Ángel Jiménez tied for second at three-over-par — a stunning 15 shots behind Woods. Tiger led by six strokes after the first round, 10 after the second, and never looked back. His ball-striking that week was virtually flawless, and his course management on one of golf's most treacherous layouts was masterful.

The 1997 Masters: Tiger's Announcement

Before Pebble Beach, Woods had already recorded one of the largest winning margins ever at the 1997 Masters. At just 21 years old, Tiger obliterated Augusta National's scoring record with an 18-under-par total of 270, winning by 12 strokes over Tom Kite. That performance announced Woods as a generational talent and foreshadowed the dominance that was to come. He became the youngest Masters champion and the first African-American to win the tournament, making it one of the most significant victories in golf history on multiple levels.

Old Tom Morris: The Original Record Holder

Before Tiger, the largest margins of victory belonged to Old Tom Morris in the early days of The Open Championship. Morris won the 1862 Open by 13 strokes and the 1861 edition by 11 strokes at Prestwick. While these margins are enormous, the context is important — the fields were much smaller, the format different, and the competition pool far more limited than in the modern era. Still, Morris's dominance in his era was every bit as impressive relative to his peers.

Rory McIlroy's Dominant Wins

Why Blowout Wins Are So Rare

Major championships are specifically designed to test the world's best golfers, with course setups that tighten scoring and create pressure. The fact that winning margins are typically one to three strokes makes these double-digit victories all the more remarkable. They require not only a player at the peak of their powers but often a combination of ideal conditions and a course that suits their particular strengths. That Tiger Woods appears three times in the top 10 is a testament to his unparalleled ability to separate himself from the field when everything clicked.