In the history of major championship golf for men and women, there have been fewer than two dozen times that a player who was under 22-and-a-half years wound up hoisting the trophy.
There are four majors in the men's game -- the Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and British Open Championship -- and five majors in the women's game -- ANA Inspiration, US Women's Open, KPMG Women's PGA Championship, AIG Women's Open and Amundi Evian Championship.
Who is the youngest men's major winner in golf history?
On the men's side, six players under 22-and-a-half years old have won a major, with Johnny McDermott being the youngest in the modern era. He was 19 years, 10 months, 14 days old when he won the 1911 U.S. Open. Young Tom Morris is the outright youngest major winner in history, even though they didn't really exist back in 1868 when he won the Open Championship at 17 years, 5 months, 8 days old.
Tiger Woods is the second-youngest major winner in modern men's golf history. He was 21 years, 3 months, 14 days old when he won the 1997 Masters.
Who is the youngest women's major winner in golf history?
Lydia Ko is the youngest winner of an LPGA major championship. She won the 2015 Evian Championship at 18 years, 4 months, 20 days to take the mantle from Morgan Pressel, who was 18 years, 10 months, 9 days old when she won the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship (now known as the ANA Inspiration).
Youngest major championship winners in golf history (male or female)
- Young Tom Morris - 17 years, 5 months, 8 days (1868 Open Championship)
- Lydia Ko - 18 years, 4 months, 20 days (2015 Evian Championship)
- Brooke Henderson - 18 years, 9 months, 2 days (2016 KPMG Women's PGA Championship)
- Morgan Pressel - 18 years, 10 months, 9 days (2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship)
- Lexi Thompson - 19 years, 1 month, 27 days (2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship)
- Yani Tseng - 19 years, 4 months, 6 days (2008 McDonald's LPGA Championship)
- Johnny McDermott - 19 years, 10 months, 14 days (1911 U.S. Open)
- Inbee Park - 19 years, 11 months, 17 days (2008 U.S. Women's Open)
- Sandra Post - 20 years, 19 days (1968 LPGA Championship)
- Ji-yai Shin - 20 years, 3 months, 6 days (2008 Women's British Open)
- Se Ri Pak - 20 years, 7 months, 19 days (1998 McDonald's LPGA Championship)
- Se Ri Pak - 20 years, 9 months, 7 days (1998 U.S. Women's Open)
- Tiger Woods - 21 years, 3 months, 14 days (1997 Masters)
- Jordan Spieth - 21 years, 8 months, 12 days (2015 Masters)
- Jordan Spieth - 21 years, 10 months, 24 days (2015 U.S. Open)
- Seve Ballesteros - 22 years, 3 months, 12 days (1979 Open Championship)
Youngest winners of each major championship in men's golf
- Masters -- 21 years, 3 months, 14 days, Tiger Woods, 1997
- U.S. Open -- 19 years, 10 months, 14 days, Johnny McDermott, 1911
- The Open Championship -- Modern: 22 years, 3 months, 12 days, Seve Ballesteros, 1979; All-time: 17 years, 5 months, 8 days, Tom Morris, Jr., 1868
- PGA Championship -- 20 years, 5 months, 22 days, Gene Sarazen, 1922
Youngest winners of each major championship in women's golf
- ANA Inspiration -- 18 years, 10 months, 9 days, Morgan Pressel, 2007
- KPMG Women's PGA Championship -- 18 years, 9 months, 2 days, Brooke Henderson, 2016
- U.S. Women's Open -- 19 years, 11 months, 17 days, Inbee Park, 2008
- AIG Women's Open -- 20 years, 3 months, 6 days, Ji-yai Shin, 2008
- Amundi Evian Championship -- 18 years, 4 months, 20 days, Lydia Ko, 2015
