Golf is in a state of major mayhem

Sixteen different golfers have won the last 16 major championships — it’s the longest, and most diverse list of major winners in the sport since the 1940s — and Tiger Woods isn’t anywhere in this group photo.

Padraig Harrington is the last player to double up in a major, winning the 2008 British Open and PGA Championship, but since then it has been a new name every time.

This group of 16 includes winners from five continents and seven countries, with a dozen players claiming their first major in this span. Seven of those were in their twenties when they broke through.

Does this lineup of young talent spell the end of the Tiger era?

If nothing else, it clearly shows the challenge that Woods, now 36 years old, faces whenever he tees it up in hopes of catching, and surpassing, Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major titles.

Woods has been stuck at 14 majors since winning the U.S. Open on a broken leg in a playoff against Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines in June 2008 — it’s his longest drought in major titles since turning pro in 1996. He gets his final chance of the year to bag a major when the PGA Championship begins Thursday at the Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, S.C.

Below, a look at the last 16 winners of golf’s major titles, starting where Tiger’s major drought began.

Year; championship; winner; comment.

2008 PGA Championship; Padraig Harrington.

The Irishman’s mallet putter was a magic wand that summer. Three weeks after winning the British Open, Harrington drained putts of 20, eight and 15 feet to grab the lead from playing partner Sergio Garcia and won by two strokes at Oakland Hills.

2009 Masters; Angel Cabrera.

At 48, Kenny Perry was set to be the oldest Masters champion, until he bogeyed 17 and 18 and faltered into a sudden death playoff. On the first extra hole Cabrera escaped with a par from the trees, and on the next the former U.S. Open champ from Argentina calmly two-putted for a par to claim his second major.

2009 U.S. Open; Lucas Glover.

The 29-year-old South Carolinian had only one tour win on his resume, but Glover held steady on the tough Bethpage Black course on Long Island to win by two shots over Phil Mickelson, David Duval and third-round leader Ricky Barnes. Mickelson helped by missing two key short putts.

2009 British Open; Stewart Cink.

It looked like one for the ageless: All 59-year-old Tom Watson had to do was par the 72nd hole to become the oldest major winner. But his eight-iron flew over the green and the yips struck when he half-shanked an eight-foot putt for the win. Cink easily dispatched Watson in a four-hole playoff to end the AARP fantasy.

2009 PGA Championship; Y.E. Yang.

Woods had won 14 of 14 majors with a lead going into the final round. He started Sunday with a two-shot edge over his playing partner, the 110th-ranked Yang — but kryptonite took down Superman. Yang holed an eagle chip on the 14th hole for the lead and the South Korean won by three, as Woods faded with a final-round 75.

2010 Masters; Phil Mickelson.

At 39, “Lefty” still had the magic, creating a birdie from out of the pine trees on the 13th hole, as he shot a final-round 67 to win by three over Lee Westwood. It was his third green jacket.

2010 U.S. Open; Graeme McDowell.

Par is golden at the U.S. Open — and it was at Pebble Beach. The Northern Irishman parred the 18th to finish at 284, even par for the tournament, becoming the first European to win the title in 40 years, beating Frenchman Gregory Havret, ranked 391st, by a shot.

2010 British Open; Louis Oosthuizen.

The 27-year-old South African dominated at St. Andrews, winning the Claret Jug by seven shots over Westwood.

2010 PGA Championship; Martin Kaymer.

Dustin Johnson needed a rule book on the 72nd hole at Whistling Straits. Assessed with a two-stroke penalty for grounding his club in a sand trap — Johnson thought his ball was in a trampled-down area — he missed a playoff. Then on the third playoff hole Bubba Watson dumped a ball in the water, making Kaymer the second German golfer to win a major (joining Bernhard Langer).

2011 Masters; Charl Schwartzel.

The South African birdied the final four holes to break out of logjam to win by two shots after Rory McIlroy had dominated for three rounds. Woods tied for fourth.

2011 U.S. Open; Rory McIlroy.

The 22-year-old Northern Irishman led in every round, won by eight, and his final score of 268 broke the U.S. Open record by four shots. His dominance reminded many of Woods’ first Masters win at age 21.

2011 British Open; Darren Clarke.

Another celebration in Northern Ireland: The 42-year-old Clarke became the oldest Open champion since Roberto De Vicenzo in 1967.

2011 PGA Championship; Keegan Bradley.

Bradley won in his first major and the Vermonter became the first golfer to snag a major with a belly putter. He was down by five shots with three holes to go, but leader Jason Dufner bogeyed three straight and Bradley won in a three-hole playoff.

2012 Masters; Bubba Watson.

The southpaw from Florida never had a golf lesson, and it didn’t look as if he needed one after hitting a big-bending wedge shot from deep in the trees to defeat Oosthuizen in a sudden-death playoff.

2012 U.S. Open; Webb Simpson.

The 26-year-old won his first major by birdieing four of five holes in the middle of the final round at Olympic Club, while overnight leaders Jim Furyk and McDowell faded on the back nine.

2012 British Open; Ernie Els.

Adam Scott joined the “I-choked-and-blew-a-major” club by bogeying the last four holes, while Els sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win by a shot. It was the 42-year-old Els’ fourth major, but his first in a decade.

barry.stavro@latimes.com