The Open: Is Brooks Koepka's 2019 major season the best ever?
By Ali Stafford at Royal Portrush
Last Updated: 22/07/19 12:17pm
Brooks Koepka narrowly missed out on creating major history once again at The Open, but where does his 2019 rank in the all-time great major seasons?
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Koepka arrived at Royal Portrush looking for a fifth victory in 11 major appearances and with the chance to become the first player ever to post top-two finishes in all four majors of a calendar year.
The world No 1 had already finished joint runner-up to Tiger Woods at the Masters and successfully defended his PGA Championship title at Bethpage Black, before claiming second spot behind Gary Woodland in his bid for a third consecutive US Open title.
Koepka went into the final round in Northern Ireland seven strokes off the pace and failed to pressure eventual champion Shane Lowry, with a three-over 74 leaving the American in tied-fourth.
Was Koepka's season the most impressive in major history? We look at some of the other contenders...
Tiger Woods, 2000 (T4-W-W-W)
No player has ever won all four majors during a calendar year, with Tiger Woods closest to achieving the accolade after winning the last three majors of 2000 on his way to the "Tiger Slam".
Woods recovered from an opening-round 75 to finish fifth at the Masters that year before storming to a record-breaking 15-stroke victory in the US Open at Pebble Beach, with the former world No 1 then completing the career Grand Slam with an eight-shot win at The Open and successfully defending his PGA Championship title a month later.
Tiger Woods, 2005 (W-2-W-T4)
The 15-time major champion remains the only player this century to have three major victories in a season, with Woods registering another two titles during an impressive campaign in 2005.
Woods won a play-off to secure a fourth Green Jacket at Augusta and secured a wire-to-wire victory at St. Andrews - the venue where he won the Claret Jug five years earlier - with his other two results seeing him end runner-up to Michael Campbell at the US Open and claiming a share of fourth at the PGA Championship.
Rickie Fowler, 2014 (T5-T2-T2-T3)
The American is still searching for his maiden major title, five years on from becoming the first player in history to finish in the top-five of all four majors in a calendar year without winning one.
Fowler finished six strokes back in tied-fifth at the Masters and was joint runner-up at the US Open when Martin Kaymer stormed to a wire-to-wire win, before ending tied-second to Rory McIlroy at The Open and two strokes behind the Northern Irishman in a share of third at Valhalla.
Jordan Spieth, 2015 (W-W-T4-2)
Jordan Spieth looked set to match Woods' records in 2015 when he won the first two majors of the year, with the-then 21-year-old following a maiden major success at the Masters with a one-shot win over Dustin Johnson in the US Open at Chambers Bay.
Spieth held a share of the lead during the final round of The Open but fell one stroke short of a play-off and ended in a share of fourth, with the American then moving to world No 1 after finishing runner-up to Jason Day at Whistling Straits in the year's final major.
Was Brooks Koepka's season the best in major history? Cast your vote from our shortlist!
