When it comes to elite-level men’s golf in the UK, which is our focus here, the pickings in the 21st century are somewhat slimmer than they used to be. Back when stalwarts of the European Tour, such as Seve, Nick Faldo, and before that the likes of Peter Oosterhuis and Tony Jacklin, were at their peak, the European Tour was a lot more, well, European.
It now includes events pretty much all over the globe, including in Australia, South Africa, Dubai, India, Qatar and even Kenya, Mauritius and China. This increasingly global approach has meant that some events in continental Europe have fallen by the wayside, and also that tournaments in the UK have suffered.
That said, there are still some very exciting tournaments of note that are staged regularly in the UK. What’s more, for the time being at least, we have an extra tour to consider, with LIV Golf also hosting an event on these shores.
Open Championship
There can only be one place to start, and that is with the only major championship not played in the USA. The Open Championship is the oldest, and for most UK fans, the biggest and best of the four majors. It was first played all the way back in 1860 and now boasts huge prize money of $17m.
It is held in mid-July and uses a roster of courses on rotation. These include St Andrews, which has held the Open a record 30 times. In total, 14 different courses have been used, with ten on the current rotation. These span Scotland, England and Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
- Scottish courses
- St Andrews, Muirfield, Royal Troon, Carnoustie, Turnberry
- English courses
- Royal St George’s, Royal Liverpool, Royal Lytham & St Annes, Royal Birkdale
- Northern Irish courses
- Royal Portrush
Virtually all of the game’s greats, certainly since around 1950, have won the Open Championship and lifted the famous Claret Jug. Harry Vardon is the man with the most wins at the Open, though his six came between 1896 and 1914, when it was less competitive. Aussie Peter Thomson and US ace Tom Watson both lead the way in terms of “modern” players, with five each.
PGA Championship
To US fans, the PGA Championship is the major that many UK fans call the US PGA Championship. The event we are talking about takes place at Wentworth in Surrey, typically in September, since 2019 at least. This golf tournament has been sponsored by BMW since 2005, the Bavarian car company replacing the Swedish automobile manufacturer Volvo.
Volvo had a long association with the event, dating back to 1988 and spanning most of the European Tour’s best years. Indeed, between 1988 and 1994 alone, European golfing royalty Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and Jose Maria Olazabal all won the “Volvo PGA Championship”.
The tournament dates back considerably further, though, with the first edition having been played in 1955. Over the years, it has been won by Peter Alliss, Bernhard Gallagher, Tony Jacklin and even Arnold Palmer (in 1975, when it was held at Royal St George’s and was known as the Penfold PGA Championship). More recently, Colin Montgomerie, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Billy Horschel are among the excellent players to have won what remains the European Tour’s flagship event, with Wentworth the tour’s HQ.
Scottish Open
The Scottish Open is generally held a week before the (British) Open Championship, and due to this scheduling, it generally attracts a very strong field as players want to prepare for the links challenge that lies ahead. It is also, along with the US event, the John Deere Classic, the last chance players have to try and qualify for the oldest major.
The Scottish Open has received a further boost as it has often formed part of the Rolex Series in recent years. This means it is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events on the tour, further enhancing the calibre of players who make the trip to what, even in July, can be a wet and windy Scotland. Moreover, it has also been co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour since 2022.
Its history is relatively limited, with the first edition of the Scottish Open played in 1972. Neil Coles won that year, with Woosnam, Lee Westwood, Montgomerie, Ernie Els, Martin Kaymer, Justin Rose and McIlroy among those to get their name on the roll of honour since.
Over the years, various courses have hosted this tournament, not all of them links tests. However, since 2019, it has been played at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, providing a classic links test ahead of the Open.
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Another UK event that most certainly provides a links test is this tournament, which uses an unusual format. It is generally held in September or October, and what makes it special is its use of three different courses.
St Andrews, the home of golf, is the key venue, used for two rounds, including the last. Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, both exceptional links courses, are both used for one round, with the cut made after 54 rather than 36 holes. It is also notable for being a pro-am, with the format in that regard similar to that used at the famous Pebble Beach competition.
British Masters
The British Masters dates back to 1946 and, for many years, was known as the Dunlop Masters. Like all of the great events held on these shores, it has been won by some of the game’s very best players. The brilliant South African Bobby Locke won the first tournament, or rather shared the win with Jimmy Adams. Since then, Greg Norman, Lee Trevino, Seve, Woosie, Langer, Sandy Lyle, Faldo, Montgomerie, Rose and Westwood are just some of the players to have won it.
Generally, it is played in August or September, and in recent times, a British star has chosen the venue and hosted the event. Since 2021, however, it has been at the Belfry, with Faldo the host for four tournaments from 2023 onwards.
Scottish Championship
This tournament was intended to be a one-off event created as part of a “UK swing” during the dark days of Covid. It was held in 2020 but was revived in 2025 and 2026, being played at Trump International Golf Links, possibly because “The Donald” wanted a tournament. It is a low-key tournament with limited prestige, and it remains to be seen how long it will last. It is currently scheduled to be played before the British Masters in mid-August.
LIV Golf UK
LIV Golf held its first season in 2022, so it is very much the new kid on the block, not least compared to the 160+ years of history the Open Championship boasts. How long it will last remains to be seen, as it has failed to capture the imagination of the golfing public and has also struggled to attract enough new fans to make itself sustainable.
There had long been rumours about it having financial issues and possibly even going bankrupt, and in April 2026, the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund confirmed that it was withdrawing funding at the end of the 2026 season. As a result, the 2026 tournament, scheduled for July, could prove to be the final LIV Golf UK event.
LIV Golf UK – imaginative name we’re sure you’ll agree – has been held every year since the breakaway tour began. But whether it will exist beyond 2026 remains to be seen. In its short history, it has been won by some of the Saudi-backed tour’s most high-profile players.
Charl Schwartzel won in 2022, with Cameron Smith successful in 2023, before the tour’s biggest name of all, Jon Rahm, won the 2024 event. Chilean Joaquin Niemann won in 2025. The first two editions of the event were staged at Centurion Club in Hertfordshire, with JCB Golf and Country Club hosting the tournament since then.