Americans are on a roll again in the major championships

TROON, Scotland (AP) — Europeans first took over Augusta National when Sandy Lyle of Scotland won the Masters in 1988, the start of seven European winners in a span of nine years.

Padraig Harrington kicked off Irish golf's big run of winning majors in five of six years.

He won the British Open in 2007 and 2008, and the PGA Championship in 2008. Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland won the U.S. Open in 2010, and then Rory McIlroy won the U.S. Open and Darren Clarke won the British Open in 2011.

Now the Americans are back in charge.

They have won the last seven majors, their longest streak since Americans won 13 straight majors from Lee Trevino in the 1974 PGA Championship through Lanny Wadkins in the 1977 PGA Championship at Pebble Beach. Gary Player ended that run in the 1978 Masters.

That also was an era when Europeans didn't have easy access to the U.S. majors.

Now it's a global game, and for the first time since 1982, the Americans have a clean sweep of all four majors. They all won all the majors in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the British Open was not held that year.

Scottie Scheffler won the Masters, Xander Schauffele won the PGA Championship and British Open and Bryson DeChambeau won the U.S. Open. The 1982 sweep featured Craig Stadler (Masters), Tom Watson (U.S. Open and British Open) and Raymond Floyd (PGA Championship).

Adam Scott recalls the time he was just starting out his pro career and Sergio Garcia would not let him pay for a dinner until Scott had a tour card.

Add Shane Lowry to that list.

Laurie Canter of England recalled his first year on the European tour in 2016. He had already missed nine cuts that year and money was tight when he played the Portugal Masters.

“I was in there with Gary Hurley, another guy in a similar position,” Canter said. "We were having dinner together at a pizzeria, and end of the meal the bill came. The lady said, ‘Your bill has been settled by that gentleman over there.’ And it was Shane. So there you go. I barely knew him, barely said a word to him at that point.

“I think he recognized a couple of rookies and he thought, ‘Throw those lads a bone.’ I have not forgotten that. It was a really nice gesture.”

The LIV Golf League returns this week outside London, and then three more events before it wraps up its third season with the team championship.

But it will be nearly nine months before LIV players like Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau mix it up with the rest of the best in golf at the next majors.

And it wasn't a great year, except for DeChambeau, at this year's majors.

Koepka has the distinction of being the only LIV golfer to have made the cut in all four majors. For Koepka, who won the PGA Championship and was runner-up in the Masters a year ago, that's a small consolation. He didn't finish in the top 25 in any of them, his worst showing when healthy.

Rahm, who missed the cut in the PGA Championship and had to withdraw from the U.S. Open with a foot infection, tied for seventh in the British Open. He was the only LIV player to register a top 10 in the British Open, a year after none did at Hoylake.

Cameron Smith tied for sixth in the Masters. He finished out of the top 30 in the next two and missed the cut at Royal Troon. Tyrrell Hatton tied for ninth in the Masters. He finished out of the top 25 in the next two. A newcomer to LIV this year, he missed the cut in the British Open.

DeChambeau was a different story. After finishing sixth in the Masters, he finished one shot behind Schauffele at the PGA Championship and won the U.S. Open. But at the British Open, with his popularity gaining, he missed the cut at Royal Troon.

DeChambeau is among 10 LIV players currently eligible for the Masters, seven of whom are past champions.

Laura Davies says she won't be making one last trip across the Swilcan Burn at St. Andrews.

Golfweek reports Davies has decided not to play in the Women's British Open next week when it returns to the Old Course. The report says Davies reached the conclusion after a tee shot in Utah during the LPGA Senior Championship.

It wasn't an injury, rather a feeling of uncertainty that troubled her.

“I just don’t think I’m good enough anymore,” Davies said. “It would’ve been lovely, don’t get me wrong. … I wish I could’ve just stood up and said I’ll give it a go, I don’t care how bad I am. But I do care. That’s the trouble.”

Davies was inducted into the World Golf Gall of Fame in 2015 at a ceremony in St. Andrews during the British Open. She has played in the past 43 consecutive Women's British Opens.

Hideki Matsuyama struggled in the final major of the year, finishing 21 shots out of the lead in a tie for 66th. But his performance in the majors has been remarkably steady.

Matsuyama is the only player to have made the cut in all four majors each of the last three seasons. But his streak goes back even more. He has not missed the cut in a major since the British Open in 2019 at Royal Portrush.

Matsuyama only played three majors in 2021, withdrawing from the British Open because he was recovering from the coronavirus and the Olympics were the following week in Tokyo. He has made the cut in his last 18 majors.

Twelve other players made the cut in all four majors this year — Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Cameron Young, Nicolai Hojgaard, Patrick Cantlay, Harris English, Corey Conners, Ryan Fox, Russell Henley, Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka.

On the opposite side of the spectrum was Phoenix Open winner Nick Taylor, the only player to miss the cut in all four majors.

The LPGA Tour is starting to show some serious parity this year outside Nelly Korda and her six victories in 2024. Hannah Green is the only other multiple winner. Through 20 events, 14 players have won. ... Xander Schauffele finished the four majors at a combined 32-under par, 15 shots better than Scottie Scheffler. Only two other players were under par for majors — Collin Morikawa (15 under) and Shane Lowry (6 under). ... Matt McCarty became the 13th first-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour this year. There were 10 all of last season. ... Padraig Harrington will try to become the third player to win a British Open and Senior British Open on the same course at Carnoustie. Tom Watson won both at Muirfield and Turnberry, while Bob Charles won both at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

The longest par putt Xander Schauffele had in the final round of the British Open at Royal Troon was 2 feet, 10 inches.

“It’s one of the coolest jobs in the world. You get to be outside in the sun. I don’t have to sit at a desk. I’m my own boss — most of the time. Those are some freedoms that I definitely don’t take for granted.” — PGA and British Open champion Xander Schauffele.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Xander Schauffele of the United States lines up his putt on the 16th green during his final round of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Troon golf club in Troon, Scotland, Sunday, July 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Brooks Koepka of the United States walks from the 18th green following his second round of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Troon golf club in Troon, Scotland, Friday, July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Hideki Matsuyama of Japan walks off the 18th green following his second round of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Troon golf club in Troon, Scotland, Friday, July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Shane Lowry of Ireland waves as he walks from the 18th green following his second round of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Troon golf club in Troon, Scotland, Friday, July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Laurie Canter of England plays from a bunker on the fifth hole during his final round of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Troon golf club in Troon, Scotland, Sunday, July 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Scottie Scheffler of the United States reacts during a press conference ahead of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Troon golf club in Troon, Scotland, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Bryson DeChambeau of the United States speaks during a press conference ahead of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Troon golf club in Troon, Scotland, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Xander Schauffele of the United States reacts as he sits with the Claret Jug trophy at a press conference after winning the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Troon golf club in Troon, Scotland, Sunday, July 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

DUBLIN (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with his Irish counterpart, Saturday in what was billed as an attempt to reset relations between the two countries after years of tensions following the U.K.'s departure from the European Union.

Starmer's visit to meet Irish premier Simon Harris is the first by a British leader to Ireland in five years. It is a further sign that the two wish to deepen relations on economic and security matters. Harris was the first international leader Starmer hosted following his Labour Party's landslide election victory on July 4.

“Today is really significant because we have made clear our ambition to reset the relationship and today we take that forward," Starmer said after the afternoon meeting with Harris at Farmleigh House in Dublin, the Irish Government’s formal reception house for state visits. “We are clear that by March we want to have a summit to show the yield from this and then annual summits after that.”

Relations between the two countries have been strained ever since the U.K. voted in June 2016 to leave the European Union, especially in light of how it affected the political structures of Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K.

When the U.K. left the bloc, the British government and the EU agreed to keep the Irish border free of customs posts and other checks because an open border is a key pillar of the peace process that ended 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland. Later, Starmer's Conservative predecessor Rishi Sunak renegotiated the initial agreement, and that has won the support of both sides of the Northern Irish political divide.

Starmer said now was a chance to further solidify the relations, both with Ireland as well as the EU. He has said that the U.K. will not seek to rejoin the EU under his leadership, nor the bloc's frictionless single market and customs union. However, he has made it clear that he wants to renegotiate elements of the post-Brexit trade deal with the EU in order to bolster growth.

“We are also resetting our relationship with the EU and I have made it very clear that I want a closer relationship with the EU," he said. “That is of course on security, on defense, but also on trade, reducing the friction and any business here in Ireland will tell you that reducing the friction helps and so we want to reset that relationship."

He has been touring EU capitals since he got elected in the hope of generating the goodwill to move forward on that front, as well as "stand together" on international issues such as the war in Ukraine.

The two leaders participated in a business roundtable in Dublin to explore how a “reset” in relations can benefit trade. The economic relationship is worth around 120 billion euros ($130 billion), supporting thousands of jobs on both sides of the Irish Sea.

The two leaders headed off after the early meeting to a soccer match between Ireland and England in Dublin, which provided them with a clear photo opportunity. They swapped jerseys with Starmer holding up an Irish shirt with his surname on it and Harris holding up an England jersey with his name on it.

“We will have intense and friendly competition, and then we will renew and reset again later in the evening,” said Harris, who is also new in the job having been elected premier in April.

Starmer, a keen soccer player, laughed when asked if he would wear it to the match later.

“It will make an appearance in my nine-a-side," he said. "This will be proudly worn in north London before too long.”

Pylas contributed from London.

The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left and his British counterpart Keir Starmer hold up their respective national soccer teams shirts, with their names on their opposite teams shirt, at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)

The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left listens to his British counterpart Keir Starmer as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)

The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left listens to his British counterpart Keir Starmer as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)

The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left watch as his British counterpart Keir Starmer signs the visitors book as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)

The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left, gestures as he greets his British counterpart Keir Starmer as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)

The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, right speaks with his British counterpart Keir Starmer as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)

The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left, and his British counterpart Keir Starmer hold up their respective national soccer teams shirts, with their names on their opposite teams shirt, at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. Ireland and England play a nations league soccer match in Dublin later. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)

The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left, gestures as he greets his British counterpart Keir Starmer as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)

The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, right, listens to his British counterpart Keir Starmer as they meet for talks at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)

The Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, left, and his British counterpart Keir Starmer hold up their respective national soccer teams shirts, with their names on their opposite teams shirt, at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. Ireland and England play a nations league soccer match in Dublin later. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison Pool)