Tuesday 8 August 2017 14:12, UK
Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els will play in their 100th major at this week's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
Mickelson and Els have both enjoyed hugely fruitful careers but reaching the landmark will underline their longevity and dedication to the sport.
Notable stars of the game who have failed to reach 100 majors include Seve Ballesteros, Lee Trevino and Greg Norman.
For Mickelson and Els to reach the milestone at the same time is mere coincidence but makes the achievement more fitting as their careers have run in parallel - both are 47-years-old and they have nine major titles between them - Mickelson with five and Els with four. We take a look at their incredibly impressive careers.
"Lefty" has won five majors during his career to date and is one shy of completing the career grand slam. Should he be unable to achieve that feat, he will look back on his record six runner-up finishes at the US Open with even greater regret.
2004 - Masters: Mickelson finally relieved the "majors monkey" off his back in his thirteenth year on the PGA Tour and the same year four-time champion Arnold Palmer made his final bow around Augusta.
The back nine saw the two players in focus, Mickelson and Els, battle it out for the Green Jacket. Both players traded eagles and birdies down the stretch in a compelling final round.
An 18-foot birdie under the spotlight by Mickelson at the 18th saw him pip Els who had been waiting in the clubhouse with the lead of eight-under after a final round 67.
2013 - The Open: The American doubted that he would ever win The Open during his career but everything came to fruition at Muirfield despite him starting the final round a full five strokes behind leader Lee Westwood.
A final round 66 which included four birdies in the final six holes saw Mickelson pull away from his challengers as the likes of Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott and Lee Westwood were unable to build any momentum through their rounds.
Mickelson described Sunday's six-under score as "one of the best rounds of his career" and showed his ability around the links despite having previously struggled to impress, recording a mere two finishes in the top-10 in 19 attempts.
1999 - US Open: Mickelson's runner-up finish was his first in a major and came at Pinehurst. Payne Stewart, the eventual winner, took a one shot lead at the 17th on Sunday.
Stewart, who would pass away only a few months later, showed great determination and composure on the 18th green when he holed a testing 15-footer to edge his compatriot.
Mickelson would never have believed then he would go on to finish second on a further five separate occasions in this tournament: 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009 and most recently 2013.
2013 - US Open: Justin Rose's victory at Merion remains the "toughest" pill for Mickelson to swallow. Mickelson appeared in confident fashion and in control of the golf course over the opening three round, taking a one shot lead into Sunday.
Two disappointing three-putts at the third and fifth sent him backwards but he recovered to regain the lead by the 10th only for Rose to rise to the occasion down the stretch.
Bogeys at the 13th and 15th dented the American's chances even further while a bogey at the 18th, when chasing a birdie, sealed his runner-up fate.
Els, who turned professional in 1989, has secured four major titles to his name - winning twice each at the US Open and The Open but could so easily have achieved more with a little more fortune on his side.
1994 - US Open: "Big Easy" won his first tournament on the PGA Tour and it was a big one - a major triumph at the US Open where he prevailed after a Monday 18-hole play-off despite starting bogey-triple bogey.
Els was tied with Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts after 72 holes and the South African's score was better than Montgomerie and matched Roberts'.
A birdie at the second hole of sudden death proved decisive for Els and saw him become the first South African major winner since the great Gary Player.
2012 - The Open: Els' fourth major success came as a surprise to the golfing fraternity - it came a full 10 years after his first Claret Jug.
The South African stole the tile down the stretch on Sunday as Australia's Scott capitulated under the pressure. Scott held a four shot lead at the 14th but conspired to bogey the final four holes to miss a play-off by one stroke after Els' birdie at the 18th.
The victory for Els provided much needed momentum in his career, proving pivotal in reaching this week's milestone as he received immediate five year exemptions to the other three majors. The South African also became the eighth player to win major championships in three separate decades.
1995 - PGA Championship: Not so much a low but a missed opportunity. A year after Els' first major title and the South African was nearing a second major title - he held a three shot lead going into the final round.
At the time his 16-under scoreline for the opening three rounds around the Riviera was the lowest-ever for a major championship.
However, he struggled to excel as competitors fired in low-scoring rounds to overtake the South African. A final round one-over 71 saw him finish in a tie or third place behind eventual champion Steve Elkington, who defeated Montgomerie in a sudden death playoff.
2016 - Masters: The four-time major winner major winner was struggling to recover his form of yesteryear and in particular was unable to overcome the "yips" - short-putt struggles which have impacted his career - and this was clear for all to see at Augusta.
Els, a former world No 1, gained unwanted media reaction after carding a disastrous five-over par 9 at Augusta's first hole following a six-putt when only three feet from the cup.
Unsurprisingly, he missed the cut after rounds of 80-73 and publicly admitted to feeling embarrassed by his woes on the green.
