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The Decades Best Players in Majors: Does Brooks Koepka Top the List?

By Bill Felber

FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK - MAY 19: Brooks Koepka of the United States poses with the Wanamaker Trophy during the Trophy Presentation Ceremony after winning the final round of the 2019 PGA Championship at the Bethpage Black course on May 19, 2019 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK - MAY 19: Brooks Koepka of the United States poses with the Wanamaker Trophy during the Trophy Presentation Ceremony after winning the final round of the 2019 PGA Championship at the Bethpage Black course on May 19, 2019 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images) /
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Henrik Stenson with Phil Mickelson at the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon on July 17, 2016 in Troon, Scotland. Both are among the 10 best major tournament performers of the decade. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Henrik Stenson with Phil Mickelson at the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon on July 17, 2016 in Troon, Scotland. Both are among the 10 best major tournament performers of the decade. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

As we wrap up the decade, we will be taking a look at some of the best to do it in different categories. For this article, we will be focusing on the players who performed the best in the majors events. Where will someone like Brooks Koepka end up?

During the 2010s, a Tour pro’s professional reputation was largely constructed exactly where it always has been … at the majors. From Brooks Koepka to Phil Mickelson to Rory McIlroy, and all those in between.

True, the FedEx Cup playoffs and WGC events consistently drew imposing fields and paid large financial rewards. But the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA remained what they have been for nearly a century… the touchstones of golfing greatness.

That also makes success in them the most important measuring sticks of a player’s greatness during the decade.

This rating measures the relative success of Tour professionals based on their performance in the 40 major championships played since April 2010. Those 40, by the way, were won by 29 different players, with only Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy winning as many as four.

Our formula for assessing the 10 best major players of the 2010s has three elements.

  • The first element is wins: A player earns one point for each major title he won during the decade.
  • The second element is top-five finishes: One-half point for each non-winning finish of t-5 or higher.
  • The final element is dominance: A player earns points equal to the standard deviation of his average finish in all the majors in which he participated during the decade. Because golf is a game where low score wins, we’ll reverse the polarity of the standard deviation, converting all negative (good) scores to positive.

To be considered for placement among the decade’s top major competitors, a pro must have made the cut in a minimum of 10 majors. If that sounds like a severe limitation, it’s not: A total of 95 players met or exceeded that standard.

As an illustration of how the formula works, here are the numbers for the decade’s No. 11 major player, Rickie Fowler:

  • Wins: 0.
  • Top 5s: 6 = 3.0 pts.
  • Average standard deviation: +0.02 (reversed to -0.02)
  • Total: 2.98

Having established the method, here are the decade’s top 10 major players.

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