At time of writing, Brian Harman leads the way in The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. After a rip-roaring start to round two, he is clear at the top of the board. Harman plays the game left-handed, although he is actually right-handed for all other activities. Were he to go on and win at Hoylake, he would be just the fifth “leftie” to claim a Major title. Those to do so in the past are:
Sir Bob Charles
New Zealand’s Bob Charles won his only Major title in the 1963 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes. He was the first player using left-handed equipment to win a Major title. The Kiwi finished on three-under after 72 holes and was tied on that number by American Phil Rodgers. Jack Nicklaus bogeyed the last two holes to finish one back. In the resulting 36-hole playoff, Charles outplayed his American rival Rodgers, beating him by eight shots. It was the last time a 36-hole playoff was used to decide the fate of the Open Championship.
Mike Weir
It was 40 years between Bob Charles’ Open victory and the next “left-handed” Major triumph. At the 2003 Masters, Canada’s Mike Weir won his only Major title. Weir led through 36 holes but looked to have scuppered his chances with a third round of 75. But he bounced back with a closing 68 to tie with Len Mattiace through 72 holes. The American carded a fabulous final round of 65 and would have won outright had he not bogeyed the last hole. Weir won the sudden-death playoff on the 10th hole with a bogey.
Phil Mickelson
Until 2004, Phil Mickelson was considered the best player never to have won a Major. Another right hander who plays left-handed, Mickelson got the monkey off his back at Augusta. Mickelson made it back-to-back lefty wins in The Masters. Phil claimed two further Masters titles in 2006 and 2010 and he also added the 2005 and 2021 PGA Championship titles. In 2013, Mickelson became just the second “left-handed” Open champion. He triumphed at Muirfield, producing one of the finest closing rounds in the history of the championship.
Bubba Watson
Left-handers enjoyed tremendous success in The Masters during the first 15 years of the 21st century. Bubba added to Mike Weir and Phil Mickelson’s Augusta successes with victories in 2012 and 2014. Six of the 12 Masters held between 2003 and 2014 were won by golfers playing left-handed.
Who Is The Best Left-Handed Golfer Of All Time?
In terms of playing left-handed, it would have to be Phil Mickelson. He has won six Majors and enjoyed 30 years at the very top of the game. However…
Although only four players have won Majors playing left-handed, there have been more left-handed Major winners. Jordan Spieth, Curtis Strange, Ben Hogan (likely – he says he was born left-handed in his book "Five Lessons"), Johnny Miller, Nick Price, Greg Norman, Byron Nelson and David Graham are, or were, natural left handers who play, or played, golf right-handed.
