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Mark O'Meara

United States · born , Goldsboro, North Carolina, USA

2major championships

Summary

  • First major 1998 The Masters
  • Last major 1998 The Open
  • Ryder Cup 5 Cups · 4-9-1 · 4.5 points (32.1%)
  • Other titles 1979 U.S. Amateur

Wins

  1. 1979 U.S. Amateur Canterbury Golf Club · 8 & 7
  2. 1998 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · 279 (-9) · by 1 stroke from Fred Couples and David Duval
  3. 1998 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · 280 (E) · won a playoff against Brian Watts

Near misses

  1. 1985 The Open Royal St George's Golf Club · finished T3 · 284 (+4)
  2. 1991 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · finished T3 · 275 (-5)

Ryder Cup

5 Cups, 14 matches: 4 won, 9 lost, 1 halved, 4.5 points. Foursomes 1-3-0, four-ball 2-2-1, singles 1-4-0.

  1. 1985 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) USA · Europe won 16.5–11.5 · 1-2-0, 1 point · automatic
  2. 1989 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) USA · tied 14–14 · 0-2-0, 0 points · automatic
  3. 1991 The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island Golf Resort USA · USA won 14.5–13.5 · 1-1-1, 1.5 points · automatic
  4. 1997 Valderrama Golf Club USA · Europe won 14.5–13.5 · 2-2-0, 2 points · automatic
  5. 1999 The Country Club (Championship/Composite Course) USA · USA won 14.5–13.5 · 0-2-0, 0 points · automatic

Rivals

Beaten in finals and playoffs

Brian WattsLost a playoff to Mark O'Meara, 1998 Open

Ryder Cup partners

Ryder Cup opponents

Next in the chain: Tiger Woods' rivals →

Moments

  1. 1998 Masters O'Meara birdied three of his last four holes, holing a putt of about 20 feet on the 72nd green to win by one stroke for his first major title.
  2. 1998 Masters Jack Nicklaus, aged 58, finished tied for sixth at 5 under par.
  3. 1998 Open O'Meara birdied the 15th, the first playoff hole, then made three pars to beat Watts by two in the four-hole playoff.
  4. 1998 Open Watts saved par at the 72nd hole (18th) with a bunker shot from an awkward stance to force the playoff, while 17-year-old amateur Justin Rose tied 4th.

Results by championship

    Best day

    1998 Masters

    Augusta National Golf Club · 279 (-9) · by 1 stroke from Fred Couples and David Duval

    O'Meara birdied three of his last four holes, holing a putt of about 20 feet on the 72nd green to win by one stroke for his first major title.

    Jack Nicklaus, aged 58, finished tied for sixth at 5 under par.

    Chosen by rule: his widest winning margin in a major. Year page: 1998.

    Career line, 1979–1999

    Masters
    1998 Masters: won
    The Open
    1985 The Open: finished T31991 The Open: finished T31998 The Open: won
    Ryder Cup
    1985 Ryder Cup (USA): 1-2-01989 Ryder Cup (USA): 0-2-01991 Ryder Cup (USA): 1-1-11997 Ryder Cup (USA): 2-2-01999 Ryder Cup (USA): 0-2-0
    U.S. Amateur
    1979 U.S. Amateur: won
    19801985199019952000

    10 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Major win
    • Other win
    • Top 10
    • Ryder Cup, USA

    Mark O'Meara was born on January 13, 1957, in Goldsboro, North Carolina, USA. O'Meara won 2 major championships: 1 Masters (1998) and 1 Open Championship (1998). O'Meara played in 5 Ryder Cups for USA (1985, 1989, 1991, 1997, 1999), winning 4, losing 9 and halving 1 of 14 matches for 4.5 points.

    See Mark O'Meara in our rooms: The Masters, The Open, Greatest Golfer by State and Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Wins in the majors (2)

    1. 1979 U.S. Amateur Canterbury Golf Club · 8 & 7
    2. 1998 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · 279 (-9) · by 1 stroke from Fred Couples and David Duval
    3. 1998 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · 280 (E) · won a playoff against Brian Watts (O'Meara 17 (4-4-5-4); Watts 19 (5-4-5-5))

    Near misses

    Top-10 finishes are listed for The Open, the one championship with a full top 10 every year.

    1. 1985 The Open Royal St George's Golf Club · finished T3 · 284 (+4)
    2. 1991 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · finished T3 · 275 (-5)

    Ryder Cup

    O'Meara played 5 Ryder Cups for USA: 14 matches, 4 won, 9 lost, 1 halved, 4.5 points (32.1% of those available). By format: foursomes 1-3-0, four-ball 2-2-1, singles 1-4-0 (won-lost-halved).

    1. 1985 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) USA · Europe won 16.5–11.5 · 1-2-0, 1 point · automatic
    2. 1989 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) USA · tied 14–14 · 0-2-0, 0 points · automatic
    3. 1991 The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island Golf Resort USA · USA won 14.5–13.5 · 1-1-1, 1.5 points · automatic
    4. 1997 Valderrama Golf Club USA · Europe won 14.5–13.5 · 2-2-0, 2 points · automatic
    5. 1999 The Country Club (Championship/Composite Course) USA · USA won 14.5–13.5 · 0-2-0, 0 points · automatic

    Partners, with matches played together: Tiger Woods (3), Lanny Wadkins (2), Curtis Strange (1), Tom Watson (1), Paul Azinger (1), Jim Furyk (1).

    Other wins in championships we cover

    1. 1979 U.S. Amateur Canterbury Golf Club · 8 & 7

    Masters Champions Dinner

    1999, as the 1998 champion

    1. Starter / appetizer Sushi and sashimi (borrowed sushi chef, per SI); tuna sashimi
    2. Main course Chicken fajitas; steak fajitas

    Confidence: Reported. Menu status: Partial. Nicklaus attended despite hip surgery. O'Meara on his own menu: "Mine wasn't that good, to be fair, it really wasn't." (GOLF.com 2025).

    Sources

    Elsewhere: Wikipedia.

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. pgatour.com: bio
    2. Wikipedia: Mark O'Meara
    3. golfcompendium.com: masters winners
    4. golfcompendium.com: us open winners
    5. golfcompendium.com: pga championship winners
    6. golfcompendium.com: british open winners
    7. golfcompendium.com: most wins in major championships golf
    8. golfcompendium.com: pga tour career wins
    9. where2golf.com: mark omeara
    10. pga.com: tiger woods masters ultimate guide
    11. WP: List of American Ryder Cup golfers
    12. Wikipedia: 1998 Masters Tournament
    13. golfcompendium.com: 1998 masters tournament
    14. todays-golfer.com: how the masters prize money has changed over the years
    15. golf.com: masters purse masters winners payouts alltime
    16. Wikipedia: Masters Tournament
    17. pgatour.com: what is the cut at the masters tournament augusta national (archived copy; the original link no longer works)
    18. todays-golfer.com: cut rules
    19. golfcompendium.com: what is the cut at the masters
    20. nbcsports.com: by the numbers jumpsuit numbers for every masters champions caddie
    21. liveabout.com: what are the yardages at augusta national during the masters 1564592
    22. R&A 1998
    23. GC 1998
    24. R&A 1985
    25. R&A 1991
    26. GC: 1985 ryder cup
    27. Wikipedia: 1985 Ryder Cup
    28. GC: 1989 ryder cup
    29. Wikipedia: 1989 Ryder Cup
    30. GC: 1991 ryder cup
    31. Wikipedia: 1991 Ryder Cup
    32. GC: 1997 ryder cup
    33. SI Vault 1997 — link no longer works (checked October 17, 2026): https://vault.si.com/vault/1997/08/25/you-da-man-lee-janzen-made-tom-kites-job-as-captain-a-little-easier-by-proving-with-his-play-at-winged-foot-that-he-belonged-on-the-ryder-cup-team
    34. Wikipedia: 1997 Ryder Cup
    35. GC: 1999 ryder cup
    36. Wikipedia: 1999 Ryder Cup
    37. CBS News 1999
    38. Golf Channel
    39. vault.si.com: the supper club the most exclusive spot in the game a place at the tab
    40. golf.com: masters champ best worst champions dinners
    41. Wikipedia: U.S. Amateur
    42. championships-plt.usga.org: u s amateur champions
    43. Wikipedia: Canterbury Golf Club