This article summarizes the highlights of professional and amateur golf in the year 2004.

Men's professional golf

Major championships

*8–11 April:

The Masters The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major golf championships, men's major championships in Professional golf tours, professional golf. Schedul ...

–

Phil Mickelson Philip Alfred Mickelson (born June 16, 1970) is an American professional golfer who currently plays in the LIV Golf League. He has won 45 events on the PGA Tour, including six Men's major golf championships, major championships: three Masters ...

won the first

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

of his career *17–20 June: U.S. Open – Retief Goosen won the second major (and U.S. Open) of his career *15–18 July:

The Open Championship The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...

– Todd Hamilton was the surprise winner at Royal Troon after a four-hole playoff with Ernie Els *12–15 August:

PGA Championship The PGA Championship (often referred to as the US PGA Championship or USPGA outside the United States) is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. The PGA is one of the four men's major golf champi ...

– Vijay Singh won following a three-hole playoff with Chris DiMarco and

Justin Leonard Justin Charles Garrett Leonard (born June 15, 1972) is an American professional golfer. He has 12 career wins on the PGA Tour, including one major, the 1997 Open Championship. He currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He is one of only five ...

World Golf Championships

*26–29 February: WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship –

Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins, PGA Tour wins, ranks second in List of men's major championships winning golfers, men's m ...

defeated Davis Love III in the final to defend the title *19–22 August: WGC-NEC Invitational – Stewart Cink claimed his first WGC title with a four stroke victory *30 September – 3 October: WGC-American Express Championship – Ernie Els won his first WGC title by a stroke from

Thomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn (born 18 February 1971) is a Danish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won fifteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1997 he also b ...

*18–21 November:

WGC-World Cup The World Cup of Golf is a men's golf tournament contested by teams of two representing their country. Only one team is allowed from each country. The players are selected on the basis of the Official World Golf Ranking, although not all of the fir ...

– England's team of

Paul Casey Paul Alexander Casey (born 21 July 1977) is an English golfer who is a member of LIV Golf. He has also played on the US-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. In 2009, he achieved his highest position, third, in the Official World Golf Rankin ...

and

Luke Donald Luke Campbell Donald Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 7 December 1977) is an English professional golfer and former List of World Number One male golfers, world number one. He plays mainly on the U.S.-based PGA Tour but is also a member of ...

won by a stroke over home favorites Spain

Team events

*17–19 September:

Ryder Cup The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States, with hosting duties alternating between venues in Europe and the United States for each edition. The cup is named after the English businessman S ...

– Team Europe defeated Team USA 18½–9½ to retain the trophy

Money-list/order of merit winners

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...

: Vijay Singh *

European Tour The European Tour, currently titled as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons, and legally the PGA European Tour or the European Tour Group, is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European ...

: Ernie Els *

Japan Golf Tour The Japan Golf Tour () is a prominent professional golf tour. It was founded in 1973 and as of 2006, it offered the third-highest annual prize fund out of the regular (that is not for seniors) men's professional tours after the PGA Tour and the ...

: Shingo Katayama *

Asian Tour The Asian Tour is the principal men's professional golf professional golf tours, tour in Asia except for Japan (which has its own Japan Golf Tour). It is also a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. Official money events on ...

Thongchai Jaidee Thongchai Jaidee (; , born 8 November 1969) is a Thai professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He formerly played on the Asian Tour and the European Tour. On the Asian Tour, he holds the record for the most career earnings and is s ...

* PGA Tour of Australasia Tour: Richard Green

Awards

*PGA Tour ** PGA Tour Player of the Year: Vijay Singh ** PGA Tour leading money winner: Vijay Singh wins a record $10,905,166 ** PGA Tour rookie of the year: Todd Hamilton *European Tour ** European Tour Golfer of the Year: Vijay Singh ** Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year: Scott Drummond

Summary of events

*January 15-16 - At the age of 14, golf prodigy

Michelle Wie Michelle Sung Wie West (; born October 11, 1989) is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. At age 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship. Wie also became the youngest winner of the ...

becomes the youngest woman (and only the fourth overall) to play at a

event, shooting 72-68 (even par) at the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club in her hometown of

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

. She missed the cut by one stroke. *January 25 -

wins for the first time in 19 months, beating Skip Kendall on the first extra hole at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. *February 8 - Vijay Singh claims his first victory of 2004 at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. *February 15 - John Daly ends an eight-year winless drought by beating Chris Riley and

in the Buick Invitational. *February 29 -

defeats Davis Love III to win the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship for a record second year in a row *February 29 -

Annika Sörenstam Annika Charlotta Sörenstam (; born 9 October 1970) is a Swedish professional golfer regarded as one of the best female golfers in history. Before stepping away from competitive golf at the end of the 2008 season, she had won 96 international p ...

wins her third ANZ Ladies Masters. *March 28 - Grace Park wins the first major of the

LPGA The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly ...

season, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, by one shot over 17-year-old Aree Song.

finished fourth, four shots behind Park. *March 28 - Adam Scott wins

The Players Championship The Players Championship (commonly known as simply The Players, stylized by the PGA Tour as THE PLAYERS Championship) is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour. Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, it began in 1974. The ...

by one shot over

Pádraig Harrington Pádraig Peter Harrington (born 31 August 1971) is an Irish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour, PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. He has won three men's major golf championships, major championships: The Open Championship in 2 ...

. Scott is the tournament's youngest winner ever. *May 9 - Se Ri Pak wins the LPGA

Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill The Pure Silk Championship was a women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour, played in Williamsburg, Virginia. The 72-hole tournament was held on the par-71 River Course at Kingsmill Resort, set at in 2013. Previously known as ...

, qualifying her for the World Golf Hall of Fame. She will not be eligible for induction, however, until she completes her 10th year on tour in 2007. *June 13 -

successfully defends her title in the second major of the LPGA season, the

LPGA Championship The Women's PGA Championship (branded as the KPMG Women's PGA Championship for sponsorship reasons) is a women's professional golf tournament. First held in 1955, it is one of five majors on the LPGA Tour. It is not recognized as a major by the ...

. *June 20 - Retief Goosen captures a second U.S.Open victory, after

falters over the closing holes at Shinnecock Hills chasing a second successive major. *July 18 - Todd Hamilton wins

The Open The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...

at Royal Troon, surprising many by beating Ernie Els in a playoff for the title, from a final-day leaderboard that also included recent major champions Mickelson, Goosen, Woods, and Mike Weir. *August 15 - Vijay Singh wins the

at Whistling Straits in a three-hole playoff with Chris DiMarco and

finishes among the top ten for the fourth time in a major in 2004. *September 6 - Vijay Singh replaces

at the top of the world rankings, ending Woods' reign of five years and four weeks. Singh, at the age of 41, enjoys his most successful season, winning nine times on the U.S.Tour. *September 17–19 - Team Europe defeats Team USA 18½–9½ to retain the

. See 2004 Ryder Cup for more details. {{Golf Golf by year