Major Rush

PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND | Golf’s major championship season lasted a little more than 100 days this year, from the Thursday morning in April when Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player brought the Masters to life until Sunday at Royal Portrush when Shane Lowry was handed the Claret Jug.

It felt quick, compressed and almost urgent. It also leaves a blank space of 263 days between the end of this year’s last major until the game gathers again for the opening tee shots at the 2020 Masters.

Under the old schedule, the PGA Championship would still be out there, shimmering in the summer heat to put a sweaty end to the majors calendar. Not anymore, not with football season approaching and the revamped FedEx Cup playoffs to be resolved before kickoff.

It’s not just different, it’s better.

It may not feel that way yet, the way a new workplace can take some getting used to, but it will become familiar soon enough.

For the players, who value routine as much as they value their wedges and putters, there has been a forced adjustment to wha...