When round three of this week's U.S. Open takes place at Shinnecock Hills, it will be 10 years to the day since Tiger Woods last triumphed in a major.
Woods famously defied injury to claim his 14th major title in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, defeating Rocco Mediate in a Monday play-off.
At that point, golf's biggest star appeared highly likely to surpass Jack Nicklaus' record haul of 18 majors, only for a combination of personal issues, injuries and a loss of form to derail his efforts in subsequent years.
We take a look at the players who have enjoyed major success since Woods - so dominant for the decade that preceded his Torrey Pines triumph - last tasted glory.
RORY LEADS THE WAY
Woods secured golf's biggest prizes at an astonishingly prolific rate between 1997 and 2008, but the 39 majors since his last triumph have been shared between 30 players.
Of those, none have managed more major wins in the last decade than four-time champion Rory McIlroy.
The Northern Irishman broke his duck at the 2011 U.S. Open and added two US PGA Championship titles to his haul either side of an Open Championship victory in 2014.
MULTIPLE WINNERS IN SHORT SUPPLY
McIlroy is one of only six men to have won more than one major since Tiger's 2008 U.S. Open victory.
Jordan Spieth's three titles have all been earned since 2015, while Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson followed up breakthrough victories in 2010 and 2012 respectively with further triumphs in 2014.
Padraig Harrington and Phil Mickelson both had majors to their name prior to 2008, but have each triumphed twice since then. Harrington won the two majors that followed Woods' success at Torrey Pines, winning The Open and US PGA Championship in 2008.
SURPRISE PACKAGES AND DROUGHT-BREAKING WINS
There has been no shortage of shock major-winners in the last 10 years.
Y. E. Yang famously held off Woods to win the 2009 US PGA, ending Tiger's 14-for-14 streak when leading after 54 holes of a major.
Lucas Glover was another unexpected champion that year, taking the U.S. Open crown from Woods at Bethpage Black, while the likes of Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson and Danny Willett have also claimed surprise victories.
Recent majors have brought success for several men who had to endure lengthy waits for glory. Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia have all triumphed in the last two years to remove their names from the debate over the best player never to have won a major.
Comments
SHARE