The year 2011 in golf was characterized by a transition in professional leadership, a series of first-time major champions in the men's game, and a historic statistical achievement by Luke Donald. The season saw the dominance of several international players and the continued rise of young talent on both the PGA and European Tours.
Men’s Professional Golf
Major Championships
In a notable trend, all four of the men’s major championships in 2011 were won by players who had not previously won a major title:
- The Masters: Charl Schwartzel of South Africa won his first major title after birdying the final four holes at Augusta National, finishing two strokes ahead of Adam Scott and Jason Day.
- U.S. Open: Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy secured a record-breaking victory at Congressional Country Club. He set a tournament record with a total score of 268 (16-under-par), winning by eight strokes.
- The Open Championship: Darren Clarke, also of Northern Ireland, won his first major at the age of 42 at Royal St George's. He became the oldest winner of the Open since 1967.
- PGA Championship: American Keegan Bradley won the title at Atlanta Athletic Club in his major championship debut. He defeated Jason Dufner in a three-hole playoff after trailing by five strokes with three holes to play in regulation.
Performance of Luke Donald
English golfer Luke Donald achieved a historic milestone in 2011 by becoming the first player to officially top the money lists of both the PGA Tour (the Money List) and the European Tour (the Race to Dubai) in the same season. Donald also ascended to the World Number 1 ranking in May 2011, a position he held for much of the year. He was subsequently named the PGA Player of the Year and the European Tour Golfer of the Year.
Women’s Professional Golf
Major Championships
The 2011 LPGA season was marked by the dominance of Yani Tseng, who won two of the four major championships:
- Kraft Nabisco Championship: Stacy Lewis won her first major, finishing three strokes ahead of defending champion Yani Tseng.
- LPGA Championship: Yani Tseng won by ten strokes, becoming the youngest player (male or female) to win four major championships.
- U.S. Women's Open: So Yeon Ryu defeated Hee Kyung Seo in a three-hole playoff at The Broadmoor.
- Women's British Open: Yani Tseng successfully defended her title, marking her fifth career major victory.
Rankings and Awards
Yani Tseng dominated the LPGA Tour, winning seven titles throughout the year and comfortably maintaining the World Number 1 ranking. She was named the LPGA Player of the Year.
Team Events
- The Solheim Cup: The European team defeated the United States 15–13 at Killeen Castle in Ireland. It was Europe's first victory in the event since 2003.
- The Presidents Cup: The United States team defeated the International team 19–15 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia. Jim Furyk became the fourth player in the event's history to achieve a 5–0–0 record during the matches.
- Walker Cup: The Great Britain and Ireland team defeated the United States 14–12 at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.
