Your Votes Please: The 2024 Majors

A weekend recap before poll questions about players, shots, courses, hole-of-the-year, leading organizations, media presentations, 2025 events and Ryder Cup pay.

A weekend recap before the 2024 majors survey:

• Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit captured the Grant Thornton Invitational by two over Tom Kim and Jeeno Thitikul. Despite both attending UCLA, the duo had never met until this week. Rounds of 58-66-65 allowed the first-time participants to lead wire-to-wire. Defending champions Jason Day and Lydia Ko finished six strokes back.

• In an interview with Golf Channel’s Rich Lerner, IGF head Anthony Scanlon confirms that the IOC continues considera mixed team event for the 2028 Olympic Games.

• Shaun Norris won his second DP World Tour title with a final round 67 to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship by a stroke. Norris began the final round at Leopard Creek six back before passing eventual runner-ups Marcus Kinhult, Van Velzen, and England's John Parry.

• SI’s Bob Harig reports that 12 former U.S. Ryder Cup Captains “sent and signed” a letter to the PGA of America voicing opposition to pay other than the charitable contribution in place since 1999. The letter was sent after the Captains learned about the still-unconfirmed-but-also-not-denied Telegraph report from last month about a plan to pay each 2025 American team member a $400,000 fee. There are 17 living former U.S. captains.

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A terrific year in majors deserves one last bit of reflection before we move on to 2025’s excellent championship lineup.

This wildly unscientific survey relying on the smartest readers in golf is really an excuse to savor is the best performances. I have provided a small number of anecdotes before the vote. So, if nothing else, you’ll get to move some brain cells around jogging those memories of April and May that seem they occurred like 12 years ago.

Also, feel free to comment below about 2024 in the comments below.

Polls close in three days and the survey will be followed by a voting roundup.

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Major of the year. Scheffler wins his second in three years and in another Masters decided early into the Amen Corner proceedings. Schauffele fends off DeChambeau with a final hole birdie at Valhalla. DeChambeau’s long bunker save prevents a McIlroy triumph. And Schauffele adds to the list of American winners at Troon with his second 2024 major after a final round 65.

Major of the year (women). Korda maintains her win streak at the Chevron, Saso wins a second U.S. Open at Lancaster, Yang survives the trees of Salhalee, Furue wins in France after contending in the U.S. Women’s Open, and Ko thrives on a rainy Sunday to hold off Korda and Shin in St Andrews.

Major player of the year (men). The numbers that matter:

• Scheffler: Win-T8-T41-T7

• Schauffele: 8th-Win-T7-Win

• DeChambeau: T6-2-1-MC

Major player of the year (women). The Annika major award went to Korda (1-MC-MC-T26-T2) on points, but she did have a shocking U.S. Women’s Open MC to give others like Furue (T50-T6-T19-1-T37), Saso (T30-1-68-MC-MC), Yang (T46, MC-1-T63-T37) and Ko (T17-MC-T46-T39-1) a shot at the title.

Now, a few categories mixing the majors and the women’s big four five.

Major Shot Of The Year. This might be the year’s toughest category. The committee watched thousands of shots and regretted trimming possibilities like Scheffler’s Sunday approach to ANGC’s 14th. The final list features two shots from women, two Xander’s, and a Bryson. Video evidence of these epic shots can be watched thanks to the YouTube-friendliness of golf’s leading organizations.

Nelly Korda, 17th hole, Chevron Championship:

Xander Schauffele’s second shot at Valhalla’s 18th hole fairway bunker, setting up his winning birdie.

Bryson DeChambeau’s long bunker shot at Pinehurst’s 18th:

Xander Schauffele’s 173-yard final round approach to Royal Troon’s par 4 11th:

Lydia Ko’s approach to the Road hole in the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews:

Best golf hole performance of 2024. This is a slight pivot from past polls focusing on the best finishing hole. That group was fairly unremarkable this year, so we have five nominees offering a mix of fun and folly: Valhalla’s finisher, Lancaster’s devilish downhill par 3 12th that induced the Korda debacle, Pinehurst’s drive-and-pitch 3rd as lead representative for No. 2’s terrific trio of par 4s once thought to be a dying breed, the wee Postage Stamp at Royal Troon which perplexed players again, and the Road hole where the women produced incredible long iron and fairway wood approaches.

Best performance, non-winner. The men’s 2024 majors gave us some terrific duels with a plethora of you-just-hate-it runner-up finishes. Aberg finished four back in his first Masters after dunking his approach into the 11th-hole pond but still delivered a remarkable debut performance. DeChambeau did everything possible to win the PGA at Valhalla, as did McIlroy in losing the U.S. Open. Justin Rose kept Schauffele on his game until the closing holes in a valiant late-career bid at The Open.

Best course setup of 2024? Augusta National played pretty tough, where Scheffler finished 11-under-par, and the setup was similar to past years. Valhalla never firmed up after pre-tournament rain but gave us another wild ending. Pinehurst greened up since last time but came off better visually with deft management of some un-Ross-like greens at U.S. Open speeds. Troon saw non-prevailing high winds requiring the R&A to rethink setup plans for the usual wind direction.

Best women’s major setup of 2024? Year two at The Woodlands produced better setup touches and a fantastic finish. Lancaster was shown off in old-school USGA style with elements of danger (12th) and fun (16th). Sahallee presented as well as a course in a forest can play. I have no idea on the Evian because I was traveling. Besides, Quad stands for four majors, not five. And The Old Course put on a pretty special show despite lousy weather.

Major org of the year. Augusta National, as led by Fred Ridley, enjoyed a full return to normalcy with several successful initiatives and the continued success of its surrounding events. The PGA of America, which saw the final year of Seth Waugh’s run leading the organization, hosted at Valhalla and Sahallee. Mike Whan and the USGA enjoyed memorable visits to Pinehurst and Lancaster, while outgoing CEO Martin Slumbers and the R&A had unforgettable weeks at Troon, St Andrews and Sunningdale.

Media presentation of the year. The Quad’s international readers are free to pass on the question since I only listed the American broadcasters. But wherever or however you watch, feel free to vote on the best overall presentation by a major by considering the television, streaming and official website/app.

Women’s most exciting 2025 venue. This one won’t go down as the most beloved set given the epic years ahead, but we will get to see how the women manage Erin Hills, how upcoming PGA and Ryder Cup host PGA Frisco handles its first major, and how Royal Porthcawl is played with proper distances commensurate with the design.

Major venue of 2025. There will be interest in Augusta National post-Helene, even more intrigue surrounding how Oakmont will fare after U.S. Amateur players played down adjoining fairways, and with a quick turnaround since Portrush hosted, there will be interest in what’s changed and what’s remained the same. Oh, and Quail Hollow is back this May when it normally hosts a Tour event.

2025’s most exciting event. I only have five poll options and, well, I know how the Quadrilaterarchinistasphere leans.

Ryder Cup remuneration. You didn’t think I’d avoid a Ryder Cup pay question, did you? I realize that a global audience will have many takes for different reasons, so work with these options if you can…

Thanks for participating and stay tuned for a results roundup later this week.