Harper Lin
In golf, a Grand Slam refers to winning all four major championships at least once during a golfer's career. These four majors are the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship (also known as the British Open). It is considered one of the sport's most prestigious achievements, with only six male golfers in history having completed the career Grand Slam. The concept of the modern Grand Slam was invented by sportswriter Bob Drum in 1960, and the first golfer to achieve this feat was Gene Sarazen in 1935.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of major championships to be won | 4 |
| Tournaments | The Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship (also known as the British Open) |
| Number of golfers who have achieved a modern career grand slam | 5 or 6 |
| First golfer to achieve a modern career grand slam | Gene Sarazen |
| Last golfer to achieve a career grand slam | Tiger Woods |
| Number of golfers who have achieved a career grand slam | 6 |
| Most recent golfer to achieve a career grand slam | Rory McIlroy |
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What You'll Learn
The original career Grand Slam
In golf, a career Grand Slam is a player's achievement of winning each of the four major championships at least once in their lifetime. The concept applies to the men's game and, separately, to the women's game. The Grand Slam events are the four most prestigious golf tournaments of the year, and this feat is a highly regarded milestone in a golfer's career.
American amateur golfer Bobby Jones achieved the original Grand Slam in 1930, adding to his already impressive resume. Jones dominated amateur golf in the 1920s, winning the US Amateur Championship five times and the British Amateur once during that decade. In 1930, he decided to travel to the UK and play in the Open and Amateur Championships, which he won consecutively. Upon returning to the US, he completed the Slam by winning the US Open and US Amateur in his home country.
After his historic achievement, Jones retired from competitive golf at the young age of 28, citing concerns about his health and the excessive celebration of his accomplishments. He went on to co-found and design the Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts the Masters Tournament, one of the modern-era Grand Slam events. The original Grand Slam format is now obsolete, as the golf world has shifted towards professional play, and the amateur events have lost their prestige relative to the professional majors.
While the original Grand Slam is a thing of the past, it remains a testament to the skill and versatility of Bobby Jones, who excelled in both amateur and professional golf. His achievement inspired future generations of golfers and set a standard for excellence in the sport that continues to this day. The modern career Grand Slam, consisting of the Masters, PGA Championship, US Open, and British Open, is now the pinnacle of success for professional golfers, with only a select few achieving this honor.
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The modern career Grand Slam
In golf, a Grand Slam refers to winning all four major championships at least once during a golfer's career. The four majors are The Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship (also known as the British Open). This feat is considered one of the sport's most prestigious achievements and is incredibly rare, with only six male golfers having accomplished it.
Tiger Woods achieved what became known as the "Tiger Slam" by winning the final three majors of 2000 and the 2001 Masters in succession, holding all four major titles at the same time. Woods was the last golfer to achieve the career Grand Slam before Rory McIlroy's victory at the 2025 Masters, ending years of speculation and near misses. With his win, McIlroy became the sixth golfer in history to complete the career Grand Slam and the first since Woods a quarter of a century earlier.
Several other golfers have come close to achieving the modern career Grand Slam. Jordan Spieth, for example, has won three of the four majors and only needs to win the PGA Championship to complete the Grand Slam. Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, and Xander Schauffele have all won two majors and are seeking two more to join the exclusive club of golfers who have accomplished this remarkable feat.
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The Tiger Slam
In golf, a Grand Slam is achieved when a player wins all four major championships in their career. The four major championships are The Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship.
Tiger Woods is one of six golfers to have achieved this feat, becoming the youngest golfer to do so. He won the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship in 2000, and then the 2001 Masters Tournament, in what is known as the "Tiger Slam." The term "Tiger Slam" was coined to honour his remarkable achievement of holding all four major championship titles at the same time.
Woods' achievement of the Tiger Slam is considered one of the greatest feats in golf history and has been chronicled in the book "The Tiger Slam" by Kevin Cook. The book provides an inside look at Woods' electrifying victories and the challenges he faced during his pursuit of perfection.
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Golfers who have won three Grand Slams
A golf Grand Slam is considered one of the greatest achievements in the sport, as it involves winning all four major championships. These are The Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship.
Only six male golfers have achieved this feat, and only two have won three Grand Slams:
Tiger Woods
Woods won his first Grand Slam in 2000, claiming the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship in that year, and the Masters in 2001. This was dubbed the "Tiger Slam". He went on to win two more Grand Slams, becoming the youngest golfer to achieve this.
Jack Nicklaus
Nicklaus was the first golfer to complete the Grand Slam twice, and he won it for the third time in 1966 with a victory at The Open Championship. He won 18 majors in total throughout his career.
Other golfers who have won three of the four majors include Jim Barnes, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Phil Mickelson.
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Female golfers and the Grand Slam
In golf, a Grand Slam is achieved when a player wins all major championships in the same calendar year. The modern Grand Slam in professional golf would mean winning The Open Championship, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and Masters Tournament in the same year. This has only been accomplished once in the men's game, by Tiger Woods, who held all four major titles concurrently from 2000 to 2001, dubbed the "Tiger Slam".
In women's golf, there are currently five major championships designated as 'majors' by the LPGA: The Chevron Championship, The Evian Championship, U.S. Women's Open, Women's PGA Championship, and The Women's Open. The list of LPGA majors has changed over time, with four distinct periods: 1930 to 1972, 1973 to 2000, 2001 to 2013, and the current version, which began in 2014.
While no woman has completed a calendar-year Grand Slam, several notable female golfers have achieved the Career Grand Slam by winning four different majors over their careers. These include Pat Bradley, Juli Inkster, Annika Sörenstam, Louise Suggs, Karrie Webb, and Mickey Wright. Webb is the only golfer to have won five events recognised by the LPGA as majors, dubbed the "Super Career Grand Slam".
Inbee Park is also recognised by the LPGA as having achieved a Career Grand Slam, although there is some debate as she won The Evian Championship in 2012, before it officially became a major in 2013.
Other notable female golfers who have won multiple majors include Babe Zaharias, who won all three majors contested in 1950, and Sandra Haynie, who won both majors in 1974. Chun In-gee holds the record for the lowest score in relation to par in a women's major, shooting 21-under-par at the 2016 Evian Championship.
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Frequently asked questions
A golf grand slam is when a golfer wins all four major championships at least once in their career. The four majors are: The Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship (also known as the British Open).
A golf grand slam is incredibly rare and is considered one of the sport's most prestigious achievements. Only six male golfers in history have achieved this feat.
The golfers who have achieved a golf grand slam are: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy.
Yes, Jordan Spieth has won three out of the four majors. He has won the Masters, U.S. Open, and Open Championship, and only needs to win the PGA Championship to achieve the grand slam.
