It's 17 majors, for crying out loud

This is the correct answer, and I believe it's the first time i've agreed with hondo, even though I don't record my disagreement with him on political threads.

 

The U.S. Amateur counts as a major once you've won a professional major.

 

WTF does that mean?

 

You're a professional amateurish major winner?

 

IT'S THE FIFTH MAJOR!!!

 

Not only is it correct, it's the only answer.

 

One note during Monday's U.S. Open playoff coverage -- after Tiger had won -- was that the last four majors won by Nicklaus comprised a grand slam as he won each of the four once, ending with his Masters win in 1986.

 

Of course, by winning the Open, Tiger tied Jack by completing the career Grand Slam three times.

 

I've had Tour officials and players tell me you can only count a U.S. Amateur as a major if you've backed it up by winning a pro major. That's WTF it means. Of course, you probably know more than those guys.

 

What if you win the U.S. Amateur then win the U.S. Open or Masters while you're still an amateur? Do any of them count?

 

All of 'em count, no matter what else you do or don't win as an amateur or a pro, if you want 'em to count. When Nicklaus won the 1986 Masters, it was his 20th major, written as such. Sorry, but you don't lose majors. Tiger's three back with more than half a career, if the knee holds, to go.

 

That's a terribly stupid standard, I must say, even within the whacko culture of the PGA Tour.

So Justin Leonard gets to count his US-Am as a major but Billy Mayfair can't? That doesn't seem quite fair to me. Mayfair's got several wins under his belt, hasn't won a major but had a better overall career than a few players who have.