Some of the world’s best golfers know exactly what it feels like to capture victory, but also what it feels like to miss out and fall just short of success.
Join us as Read Golf as we examine the players with the most runner-up finishes at major championships since 2015 in the world of golf.
Justin Rose Ties Most Runner-Up Finishes In Majors Since 2015
Not only is Justin Rose a serial winner, he has also suffered his fair share of heartache on the golf course too.
After last year’s agony on the 18th green in his play-off defeat to Rory McIlroy, who completed the career Grand Slam 12 months ago, Rose tied three other players with the most runner-up finishes in major championships since 2015.
Ironically, one of the players he tied was McIlroy himself. Both Rose and McIlroy have come in second place four times in majors in the past decade, alongside five-time major champion Brooks Koepka too.
English golf star Charley Hull is yet to win a major in the female game, and also has four runner-up finishes in majors since 2015.
McIlroy, Rose and Koepka are all in action at Augusta National for the first major championship of the year at the Masters, with all three players hoping to lift the coveted Green Jacket come Sunday.
Rose will be aiming to go one better than his second place finishes at the Masters in 2015, 2017 and of course last year in 2025.
Koepka has two runner-up finishes at Augusta too, just missing out in 2019 and 2023. McIlroy aims to add his name to the list of back-to-back Masters winners this week, but has also suffered heartache on multiple occasions.
What Majors Have Rose, Koepka and McIlroy Come Second In?
The first major championship Rory McIlroy finished runner-up in since 2015 was the Open Championship eight years ago at Carnoustie. Ironically, Justin Rose also finished in a tie for second in 2018 – two shots behind eventual winner Francesco Molinari.
The Northern Irishman then finished second at The Masters in 2022 behind Scottie Scheffler, whilst also being pipped to the post at the US Open in both 2022 and 2024.
For Rose, beside his second place finish at The Open back in 2018, he has three runner-up finishes at Augusta dating back to 2015. He finished in a tie for second with Phil Mickelson, who is one of the Masters notable omissions this year, some four shots behind winner Jordan Spieth.
Two years later, Rose again came second, this time losing a play-off to Spaniard Sergio Garcia. Golf fans need no reminding that ‘Rosey’ then tasted heartache at Augusta one more time last year, losing a dramatic play-off to McIlroy on the 18th green.
For five-time major champion Brooks Koepka, he has also tasted minor defeat on multiple occasions. Although he is a proven winner, he has also had his fair share of near misses.
The America golf star finished second at Augusta in both 2019 and 2023, as well as the 2020 US Open and 2021 PGA Championship. ‘Brooksy’ will be hoping to get back in the major winners’ circle this year, hunting down his sixth major and first since re-joining the PGA Tour from LIV Golf.
Although there have been plenty of near misses for these players, there have also been multiple wins. Coming second is part in parcel of professional golf.
Top 10 Most Runner-Up Finishes At Major Championships
| Player | Runner-Up Finishes In Majors | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Justin Rose | The Masters (2015, 2017, 2025), The Open (2024) | 4 |
| Rory McIlroy | Open Championship (2018), The Masters (2022), US Open, (2023, 2024) | 4 |
| Brooks Kopeka | The Masters (2019, 2023), US Open (2020), PGA Championship (2021) | 4 |
| Charley Hull | Chevron Championship (2016), US Women’s Open (2023), Women’s Open (2023, 2025) | 4 |
| Dustin Johnson | US Open (2015), PGA Championship (2019, 2020) | 3 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | US Open (2015, 2021), Open Championship (2015), PGA Championship (2021) | 3 |
| Lexi Thompson | Evian Championship (2015), Chevron Championship (2017), US Women’s Open (2019) | 3 |
| Nelly Korda | Chevron Championship (2020), Women’s Open (2024), US Women’s Open (2025) | 3 |
| Brooke Henderson | Women’s PGA Championship (2017), Chevron Championship (2020), Evian Championship (2023) | 3 |
| So-Yeon Ryu | Evian Championship (2016), Women’s PGA Championship (2018), US Women’s Open (2019) | 3 |
