Parity Is Prevailing in Golf as 1st-Timers Sweep the 2016 Majors

As Jimmy Walker maintained nerves of steel while winning the PGA Championship on Sunday, there was one history-in-the-making point the CBS crew kept referencing: If Walker hung on, it would mean all of golf’s majors in 2016 were claimed by first-time winners.

At first glance, that might seem like no more than a fun piece of trivia. But it’s also a testament to how golf’s marquee is steadily adding new names.

After all, when we were gearing up to watch the Masters back in April, who would have thought the majors could go a full year without at least one victory from the Big Three of Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy?

Coming into the year, that threesome had accounted for five of the previous six majors. Given their youth and consistency, it seemed like the game was destined for a three-headed era of dominance.

Instead, golf was given a lesson in parity.

At Augusta, it was Britain’s Danny Willett who slid on the green jacket after benefiting from a rare meltdown by Spieth. At the U.S. Open, it was Dustin Johnson who made the most sense out of Oakmont’s baffling greens. And at the British Open, it was Henrik Stenson who emerged the winner after going eye-to-eye with Phil Mickelson in what will forever rank as one of golf’s great showdowns.

Day certainly made a monster effort Sunday to halt the sweep by first-timers. His eagle on 18 was as clutch as any shot fired in 2016 and forced the issue. But in the end, the World No. 1 had to settle for being No. 2 at Baltusrol and not defending his PGA title.

“I know exactly how Jimmy feels, because I did exactly that last year,” Day told reporters, …

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