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The best players to have narrowly missed out on major titles

Phil Mickelson claimed the 2010 Masters title despite Westwood's 54-hole lead
Image: Phil Mickelson claimed the 2010 Masters title despite Westwood's 54-hole lead

As Henrik Stenson ended the wait for his first major victory at The Open, we look at some of the other big names in golf who have come close but are yet to win at any of the four events.

Some of the biggest names in golf are yet to win their first major, despite coming close numerous times. With two first-time winners scooping up the first three majors of the year, we take a closer look at those still searching for their maiden title ahead of the PGA Championship at Baltusrol. 

Sergio Garcia

When Sergio Garcia burst on to the scene at the 1999 PGA Championship, no one could have predicted the then 19-year-old would now be 36 and without a major title to his name. 

The Spaniard began the final round at Medinah two shots behind Tiger Woods and, despite holing a long birdie putt to halve the deficit, finished one stroke short. 

MEDINAH, UNITED STATES:  Sergio Garcia of Spain hits past a tree on the 16th fairway 15 August, 1999 during the final round of the 81st PGA Championship he
Image: A young Sergio Garcia hits past a tree on the 16th fairway during the final round of the 1999 PGA Championship

Garcia's best chance of major victory arguably came at Carnoustie during the 2007 Open Championship, where he led each of the first three rounds to take a three-shot cushion over Steve Stricker.

After increasing his advantage to four but dropped three bogeys in a four-hole stretch and forced a play-off when missing his par-save at the last. Padraig Harrington would prevail and lift the Claret Jug for the first time. 

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Another opportunity came knocking at the PGA Championship a year later, where Garcia topped the leaderboard until he misjudged his approach and found the water on his way to a bogey at 16. Another blemish followed at the last, as Harrington took the title.  

Garcia has already posted two top-five finishes in majors during 2016, following a tie-for-fifth at the US Open with a repeat performance at The Open, although still awaits his first win. 

Colin Montgomerie

The Scot has three Senior majors to his name, but previously came close to reaching the winner's circle in one of golf's big four on a number of occasions. 

Having ended third at the US Open in 1992, Montgomerie fired a second-round 65 to take a two-shot lead in to the weekend at Oakmont two years later.

A three-over 73 on Saturday was followed by a final-day 70 to force a play-off with Loren Roberts and Ernie Els, where Monty posted double-bogeys on three of his first 11 holes as Els prevailed in sudden-death. 

Montgomerie went in the the final round of the 1995 PGA Championship five off the pace, but snuck in to a play-off with Steve Elkington thanks to a birdie-birdie-birdie finish at Riviera. Elkington then drained a 20-footer to birdie the first sudden-death hole and claim victory, as Montgomerie closed with a par. 

His best major showing saw Montgomerie end outright runner-up to Tiger Woods at St Andrews in 2005, before a final-hole error cost him the US Open title a year later at Winged Foot. 

Leading by one stroke as he made his way up the last, Montgomerie switched his choice of club and landed his approach in to thick rough, racking up a double-bogey to fall one stroke short. 

Lee Westwood

The Englishman has much experience in leading major tournaments, but as shown with his bogey on the 16th hole at Augusta this year to miss out by one shot, he has more experience falling short of victory.

US Open 2008 - Torrey Pines
He lay one shot adrift of Tiger Woods, but as Woods double-bogeyed the opening hole on the final day Westwood's steady pars were enough for him to assume the joint-lead. On the sixth he took the outright lead and by the ninth he was in front by two - though it was not to last. Three dropped shots in four holes saw him fall two shots behind, and despite a birdie on 14 he was unable to regain the lost ground and missed out on a play-off between Woods and Rocco Mediate by a single shot.

Phil Mickelson claimed the 2010 Masters title despite Westwood's 54-hole lead
Image: Phil Mickelson claimed the 2010 Masters title despite Westwood's 54-hole lead

The Open 2009 - Turnberry
Westwood began the final day's play two behind Tom Watson, but bogeys from Watson and a birdie from Ross Fisher saw Westwood lying only one behind Fisher after the fourth. When Fisher quadruple bogeyed the fifth, Westwood responded with an eagle on the seventh to gain a one shot lead. Back-to-back bogeys on 15 and 16 pushed him back out of contention, and although he birdied the 17th, another bogey came on the final hole which left him out of a play-off between Watson and Stewart Cink.

The Open 2013 - Muirfield
With a two-shot lead after 54-holes, it seemed Westwood was finally set to win a major when he birdied the fifth-hole of his final-round to increase his lead. Four errors during the rest of the round dropped Westwood out of the lead, and it was Phil Mickleson who came from behind to shoot five under-par to win the Claret Jug. 

Luke Donald

A former world No 1, Luke Donald has come close but hasn't been able to find a strong enough game on the final day's play to win a major. He finished third in his first debut in the Masters in 2005, but a win seems unlikely now that he has slipped to world No 78 and hasn't managed to get a top-five finish in a major since The Open in 2012.

PGA Championship 2006
This was Donald's best opportunity for a major tournament, as after two consecutive rounds of 68 he topped the leaderboard at eight-under-par. An even better round of 68 the following day had him tied at the top with Tiger Woods, but he was unable to sustain momentum. Woods birdied the first while Donald bogeyed the fourth hole and all of a sudden he was two shots back. Woods carded four more birdies while Donald was only able to tally up another bogey on the 10th, and he ended up six shots adrift of the 14-time major-champion.

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 10:  Luke Donald of England celebrates after holing a pitch shot for birdie on the 18th hole as his caddie John McLaren look on during
Image: Luke Donald came close to the winning the Masters in 2011

Masters 2011
Having won the par 3 tournament that year Donald looked in good position, but by the third day of the main event he lay four behind McIlroy and was in need of a good Sunday finish. An early birdie on the second and another on the 10th helped Donald go one behind Charl Schwartzel as the 54 hole leader Rory McIlroy dropped six shots in 11 holes. Despite four birdies in the final six holes, a double-bogey on the 12th and another dropped shot on the 17th was enough to discount Donald from a chance at victory, as Schwartzel birdied all of the final four holes for victory.

Rickie Fowler

The current world No 7 has had a number of close shaves, and they all came in 2014. Finishing fifth in the Masters, he also recorded two second-place finishes at the US Open and The Open - although Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy were runaway winners at those events.

HOYLAKE, ENGLAND - JULY 20:  Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates a birdie putt on the first green during the final round of The 143rd Open Champion
Image: Rickie Fowler finished runner-up to Rory McIlroy twice in the same year at majors

His closest effort came at the PGA Championship in 2014, where he held the lead during the front nine of the tournament following three quick birdies in succession. Birdies on the seventh and 10th helped him increase his lead despite an eagle from McIlroy on the same hole, but soon after both Mickleson and Rory had drawn level. A dropped shot on the 14th hole was enough for him to lose his lead for good, and another birdie on the 17th aided McIlroy to his second major of the year.  

Ian Poulter

Ian Poulter is well-known for his heroics during the Ryder Cup, but away from team events Poulter has ended up disappointed by near-misses in majors, having come incredibly close three times between 2002 and 2008.

GULLANE, SCOTLAND - JULY 21:  Ian Poulter of England reacts on the 13th during the final round of the 142nd Open Championship at Muirfield on July 21, 2013
Image: Ian Poulter's golden opportunity to win his first major came at the 2013 Open Championship

Like Henrik Stenson, Poulter's best chance at a major came at the 2013 Open, where an impressive start to the final round put him in contention. He started the day on five-over-par, but an eagle followed by three back-to-back birdies helped him back to level par and one behind leader Adam Scott by the eighth. As Scott fell back Mickelson birdied his final three holes and Poulter bogeyed the 16th to drop out of the contest. 

Matt Kuchar

Matt Kuchar is another of the world's best to never have converted a final-day lead into a major victory. Twice he has lead the Masters on Sunday, and in 2012 he came very close to victory. He was tied for the lead on the back nine, but a bogey on the par-three 16th put him one shot back, and unable to make up the ground on his final two holes he ended two shots off the play-off with Tiger Woods.

AKRON, OH - JULY 30:  Tiger Woods (L) and Matt Kuchar walk down the third hole during a practice round for the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitat
Image: Matt Kuchar has been in contention on the final day of majors several times

Another collapse from Kuchar came in 2014, where he started the round with a share of the lead. He wasn't able to recover after he four-putted the fourth hole, and eventually ended in a tie for 5th place. 

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