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Quiz about Major Championships Who Was Second
Quiz about Major Championships Who Was Second

Major Championships: Who Was Second? Quiz


Most golf fans remember who won the major championships, but only the true nut-cases like me remember who came in at number two. Here are twenty questions about who finished second in the major championships through the years.

A multiple-choice quiz by Misregistered. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
76,727
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
20
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
12 / 20
Plays
811
- -
Question 1 of 20
1. In the 1985 U.S. Open, Andy North was the last man standing after brutal final round, winning by one shot over three other players. Which of these men did NOT tie for second place, one shot back? Hint


Question 2 of 20
2. Who was the first man in the history of golf to lose playoffs in all four of the major championships? Hint


Question 3 of 20
3. In 1980 Jack Nicklaus won the PGA Championship by a record seven shots. Who finished second, prompting him to quote, 'I won the 'B' flight.'? Hint


Question 4 of 20
4. Attempting to become the first player to win back-to-back U.S. Opens since Ben Hogan, Tom Watson narrowly lost the 1983 Open to ________ ? Hint


Question 5 of 20
5. The 1971 U.S. Open saw Jack Nicklaus lose an 18 hole playoff to which man? Hint


Question 6 of 20
6. Who finished second in the PGA Championship three times in the 1980s? Hint


Question 7 of 20
7. Who finished second in three straight major championships in the year 2000? Hint


Question 8 of 20
8. The PGA Championship was a match play event until 1957, when it converted to standard stroke play. Who was the last man to lose the PGA Championship final as a match play event? Hint


Question 9 of 20
9. The 1955 U.S. Open is considered one of the greatest upsets in golf history as virtual unknown Jack Fleck won a playoff over one of the superstars of the era in a playoff. Who did he beat to win? Hint


Question 10 of 20
10. On the first playoff hole at the Masters in 1989, this player had a twenty inch putt to beat Nick Faldo. He missed, and Faldo won with a birdie on the next hole. Who was it? Hint


Question 11 of 20
11. The 1985 Masters saw one player hit his second shot into Rae's Creek when going for the green on the par 5 thirteenth AND the par five fifteenth. He eventually finished second to Bernhard Langer. Who was he? Hint


Question 12 of 20
12. In 1998, this unknown player finished the British Open tied for the lead, before losing a playoff to Mark O'Meara. Who was this unknown? Hint


Question 13 of 20
13. The final round of the 1995 British Open at St. Andrews was an exercise in survival as the winds howled and scores were extremely high. Two men finished the day in a tie for the lead; one of them, John Daly, would eventually prevail in a playoff. Who finished second? Hint


Question 14 of 20
14. Which player, in the 1983 British Open, fanned a two inch putt in the second round and eventually lost by one shot to Tom Watson? Hint


Question 15 of 20
15. As of the 2002 Masters, which of these golfers has never finished second to Tiger Woods in a major championship? Hint


Question 16 of 20
16. What 40-something lost the 1977 PGA Championship in a playoff with Lanny Wadkins? Hint


Question 17 of 20
17. In one of the great gaffs in major championship golf, this player signed an incorrect scorecard in the final round of the 1968 Masters, which penalized him one shot and kept him from being in a playoff with Bob Goalby. Who was the player? Hint


Question 18 of 20
18. In 1990, Hale Irwin became the oldest man to win the U.S. Open at age 46. Who did he beat in a Monday playoff to win the event? Hint


Question 19 of 20
19. Already the winner of one U.S. Open, this man lost an 18-hole playoff in the 1991 Open to Payne Stewart: Hint


Question 20 of 20
20. What two-time major champion threw away a six shot lead in the final round of the 1996 Masters, for one of the all-time great collapses in major championship history? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. In the 1985 U.S. Open, Andy North was the last man standing after brutal final round, winning by one shot over three other players. Which of these men did NOT tie for second place, one shot back?

Answer: Tom Watson

Barr, Dennis Watson and Chen all tied for second, making a least one terrible mistake each during the round to lose by a shot. Chen had a rather famous 'double hit' on one swing that earned him the nickname 'Two-Chip'.
2. Who was the first man in the history of golf to lose playoffs in all four of the major championships?

Answer: Greg Norman

Norman lost playoffs in the 1984 U.S. Open, the 1987 Masters, the 1990 British Open and the 1993 PGA Championship. By the close of the 20th century, he remained the only player with this distinction.
3. In 1980 Jack Nicklaus won the PGA Championship by a record seven shots. Who finished second, prompting him to quote, 'I won the 'B' flight.'?

Answer: Andy Bean

The victory was Nicklaus' second major that year (1980), marking the fifth time he'd won multiple majors in a season.
4. Attempting to become the first player to win back-to-back U.S. Opens since Ben Hogan, Tom Watson narrowly lost the 1983 Open to ________ ?

Answer: Larry Nelson

Watson was in the lead on Sunday when a rain delay forced the players to finish the tournament on {Monday;} Nelson came back to win on the extra day. I was 13 years old and missed it because my parents wouldn't let me stay home from school.
5. The 1971 U.S. Open saw Jack Nicklaus lose an 18 hole playoff to which man?

Answer: Lee Trevino

Nicklaus won the 1966 Masters, the 1962 U.S. Open,the 1970 British Open in playoffs, Trevino in the 1971 U.S. Open, and the 1980 U.S. Open in playoffs.
6. Who finished second in the PGA Championship three times in the 1980s?

Answer: Lanny Wadkins

Wadkins was the runner-up in 1982, 1984 and 1987. Andy Bean came close, finishing second to Nicklaus in 1980 and Payne Stewart in 1989, and third to Hubert Green in 1985 .
7. Who finished second in three straight major championships in the year 2000?

Answer: Ernie Els

Els was second in the Masters (to Vijay Singh), the U.S. Open and the British Open (both to Tiger Woods).
8. The PGA Championship was a match play event until 1957, when it converted to standard stroke play. Who was the last man to lose the PGA Championship final as a match play event?

Answer: Dow Finsterwald

Finsterwald lost the final 3 and 1 to Larry Herbert, but exacted his revenge the following year as he won the event as a stroke play tournament.
9. The 1955 U.S. Open is considered one of the greatest upsets in golf history as virtual unknown Jack Fleck won a playoff over one of the superstars of the era in a playoff. Who did he beat to win?

Answer: Ben Hogan

Fleck beat Hogan in the 18 hole playoff, and then returned to relative obscurity, never contending in a major tournament again.
10. On the first playoff hole at the Masters in 1989, this player had a twenty inch putt to beat Nick Faldo. He missed, and Faldo won with a birdie on the next hole. Who was it?

Answer: Scott Hoch

Hoch's missed putt is, unfortunately, the one thing he is best remembered for, causing many sportswriters to call him 'Scott Choke.'
11. The 1985 Masters saw one player hit his second shot into Rae's Creek when going for the green on the par 5 thirteenth AND the par five fifteenth. He eventually finished second to Bernhard Langer. Who was he?

Answer: Curtis Strange

Strange was at that time considered the best player never to win a major, which he would later rectify with wins at the 1988 and 1989 U.S. Opens.
12. In 1998, this unknown player finished the British Open tied for the lead, before losing a playoff to Mark O'Meara. Who was this unknown?

Answer: Brian Watts

Watts made an incredible up-and-down par on the 18th on Sunday to get into a playoff with O'Meara, but was not able to beat him in the four hole playoff.
13. The final round of the 1995 British Open at St. Andrews was an exercise in survival as the winds howled and scores were extremely high. Two men finished the day in a tie for the {lead;} one of them, John Daly, would eventually prevail in a playoff. Who finished second?

Answer: Constantino Rocca

Rocca holed a 40 yard putt from the Vally of Sin on the 72nd hole to tie Daly for the lead, but Daly beat him by four shots over the four hole playoff.
14. Which player, in the 1983 British Open, fanned a two inch putt in the second round and eventually lost by one shot to Tom Watson?

Answer: Hale Irwin

Irwin called the stroke on himself, and probably would have got away with it if he hadn't. He tied for second with Andy Bean, who the previous questions often show, seriously contended at many majors but never managed to win one. Irwin however, has three U.S. Opens to soothe the loss of this one ...
15. As of the 2002 Masters, which of these golfers has never finished second to Tiger Woods in a major championship?

Answer: Phil Mickelson

Tom Kite finished second in the 1997 Masters, Sergio Garcia finished second in the 1999 PGA Championship, and Ernie Els was second in the 2000 U.S. and British Opens. Mickelson has never finished second to Tiger in a major, though he finished third behind him at both the 2001 and 2002 Masters.
16. What 40-something lost the 1977 PGA Championship in a playoff with Lanny Wadkins?

Answer: Gene Littler

Wadkins won the playoff due to incredible good luck, hitting an out-of-bounds stake on the first playoff hole to prevent a three-off-the-tee, and holing a snaking 40 foot putt to stay alive. He would eventually beat Littler, who was never in trouble but couldn't slam the door ...
17. In one of the great gaffs in major championship golf, this player signed an incorrect scorecard in the final round of the 1968 Masters, which penalized him one shot and kept him from being in a playoff with Bob Goalby. Who was the player?

Answer: Roberto De Vicenzo

Devincenzo signed for a par at the 17th hole where he had actually made a birdie. Singing the card forced the card's score to stand, and he lost to Goalby by one shot.
18. In 1990, Hale Irwin became the oldest man to win the U.S. Open at age 46. Who did he beat in a Monday playoff to win the event?

Answer: Mike Donald

After the 18 hole playoff, the two men were still tied, and it went to sudden death. Irwin eventually won when he striped a 1-iron from a fairway bunker to only a few feet and had his third Open title.
19. Already the winner of one U.S. Open, this man lost an 18-hole playoff in the 1991 Open to Payne Stewart:

Answer: Scott Simpson

The playoff was an ugly affair with both Stewart and Simpson playing uninspired, over-par golf. Stewart was the last man standing though, and won the first of his two Open titles.
20. What two-time major champion threw away a six shot lead in the final round of the 1996 Masters, for one of the all-time great collapses in major championship history?

Answer: Greg Norman

Norman shot a final round 78 to Nick Faldo's 67, and his six shot lead turned into a five shot defeat.
Source: Author Misregistered

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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