Nina Caldwell
In golf, a Grand Slam is an elusive feat where a player wins all four major championships in the same calendar year. This includes winning the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship. The modern definition of the Grand Slam was coined by sportswriter Bob Drum in 1960, and achieving this feat is incredibly rare. Only one player has won a Grand Slam, while six golfers have achieved a Career Grand Slam by winning each of the four majors at least once during their careers. These Career Grand Slam winners include Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and most recently, Rory McIlroy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Winning all four major championships in the same calendar year |
| Modern (professional) Grand Slam | Winning The Open Championship, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and Masters Tournament in the same year |
| Pre-Masters era Grand Slam | Winning The Open, U.S. Open, PGA, and the next three biggest tournaments of the time |
| Career Grand Slam | Winning all four major tournaments within a player's career |
| Super Career Grand Slam | Winning five different major tournaments |
| Male golfers who have achieved a Career Grand Slam | Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy |
| Female golfers who have achieved a Career Grand Slam | Pat Bradley, Juli Inkster, Inbee Park, Annika Sörenstam, Louise Suggs, Karrie Webb, and Mickey Wright |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
What are the major championships?
In golf, the Grand Slam involves winning all four major championships in the same calendar year. These four majors are The Open Championship, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, and the Masters Tournament. The Grand Slam is incredibly rare, with only one player winning it.
The modern definition of the Grand Slam was invented by sportswriter Bob Drum in 1960. Before this, in 1930, Bobby Jones won what was considered a pre-Masters era Grand Slam, which included The Amateur Championship and the United States Amateur, alongside the Open Championship and the U.S. Open.
The Career Grand Slam, meanwhile, involves winning all four major tournaments within a player's career, and this has been achieved by six golfers: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy. Tiger Woods also achieved what is known as the Tiger Slam, where he held all four major titles at the same time, winning them consecutively from 2000 to 2001, but not in the same calendar year.
Women's golf also has a set of majors, and seven women have completed the Career Grand Slam by winning four different majors. These are Pat Bradley, Juli Inkster, Inbee Park, Annika Sörenstam, Louise Suggs, Karrie Webb, and Mickey Wright. Karrie Webb is the only player to have won the Super Career Grand Slam, having won five different majors.
Spine Alignment: The Secret to a Powerful Golf Swing
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Who has won the career grand slam?
Only six golfers have won all four majors in golf's modern history, achieving what is known as a Career Grand Slam. They are:
- Gene Sarazen
- Ben Hogan
- Gary Player
- Jack Nicklaus
- Tiger Woods
- Rory McIlroy
Sarazen was the first player to win the modern-era career Grand Slam, doing so in 1935, a year after the Masters began. His first major title was the 1922 US Open, and he followed that up with the PGA Championship a month later. He won The Open in 1932 and then The Masters in 1935 to complete his collection of all four Majors.
McIlroy is the most recent golfer to join this exclusive club, winning his first Masters in 2025 to add to his previous US Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship triumphs.
In the pre-Masters era, Bobby Jones won a version of the career Grand Slam that included the US Amateur, US Open, British Amateur and British Open. He won all four in 1930, the only golfer in history to achieve a Grand Slam in a single year.
On the women's side, seven LPGA golfers have won career Grand Slams by winning four different majors. Karrie Webb is the only golfer to achieve a super career Grand Slam, winning five majors.
Scratch Golfer Stats: The Numbers Behind Success
You may want to see also
Explore related products
What is the 'Tiger Slam'?
In golf, the Tiger Slam refers to an achievement that has only been attained by Tiger Woods so far. The Tiger Slam is when a golfer wins all four major championship titles consecutively but over the span of two calendar years. Woods won the U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship in 2000, and the Masters Tournament in 2001. This was an incredible feat as no golfer has won all four majors in the same calendar year since the modern Grand Slam was established.
The term "Tiger Slam" was coined in 2001 after Woods' accomplishment. Woods is also the second player, along with Jack Nicklaus, to achieve a Career Grand Slam three times. He is second on the men's all-time Major titles list with 15, behind Nicklaus' 18.
Woods' victory at the 2001 Masters Tournament was historic, as he became the first male golfer to hold all four major championship titles at the same time. This achievement has been recognised as the "Tiger Slam" due to the unique circumstances of winning four consecutive majors across two calendar years.
It is important to note that the "Tiger Slam" is different from the traditional definition of a Grand Slam in golf, which refers to winning all four major championships in the same calendar year. The modern Grand Slam requires victories in the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship within a single calendar year. Woods came incredibly close to achieving this feat, showcasing his exceptional skill and dominance in the sport.
Golf Brand Nitro: Good, Bad, or Ugly?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
What is the 'Super Career Grand Slam'?
In golf, the term "Grand Slam" refers to winning all four major championships in the same calendar year. The modern Grand Slam requires victories in four tournaments in a single calendar year: the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship.
The Career Grand Slam, on the other hand, involves winning all four major tournaments over the course of a player's career. Only six golfers have accomplished this feat: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy.
Now, what is the Super Career Grand Slam? Well, in women's golf, there is a variation. While the men's game has maintained the same definition for the Grand Slam, the women's "majors" have varied considerably over time. Only seven women have completed the Career Grand Slam by winning four different majors. They are Pat Bradley, Juli Inkster, Inbee Park, Annika Sörenstam, Louise Suggs, Karrie Webb, and Mickey Wright.
Among these, Karrie Webb is the only golfer recognized by the LPGA as its sole "Super Career Grand Slam" winner. She achieved this distinction by winning five different tournaments recognized as majors, which is a remarkable feat in the women's game.
How to Take a Perfect Golf Divot
You may want to see also
Explore related products
What is the difference between a 'Grand Slam' and a 'Career Grand Slam'?
In golf, a Grand Slam refers to winning all four major championships in the same calendar year. The modern Grand Slam requires victories in four tournaments in a single calendar year: the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship. The Grand Slam is incredibly rare in golf, so it garners a lot of attention when a player gets close to achieving it.
Before the rise of professional tournament golf, the Grand Slam was achieved in 1930 by Bobby Jones, who won the four major championships of that era: The Amateur Championship, The Open Championship, the United States Open, and the United States Amateur. The concept of the modern Grand Slam was coined by sportswriter Bob Drum in 1960.
On the other hand, a Career Grand Slam refers to winning all four major tournaments at any time during a player's career. This means that a golfer achieves a Career Grand Slam by winning each of the four majors at least once in their lifetime, but not necessarily in the same year. Only six male golfers in the modern era have achieved this feat: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy.
In women's golf, seven women have completed the Career Grand Slam by winning four different majors. These women are Pat Bradley, Juli Inkster, Inbee Park, Annika Sörenstam, Louise Suggs, Karrie Webb, and Mickey Wright. Karrie Webb is further recognized by the LPGA as its only "Super Career Grand Slam" winner, as she is the only one to have won five different tournaments recognized as majors.
Golf TV Ratings: A Decline or Temporary Dip?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
A golf career grand slam is when a golfer wins all four major tournaments over their career. The four tournaments are the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship.
Only six golfers have achieved a career grand slam: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy.
A grand slam in golf is when a player wins all four major tournaments in a single calendar year. This has only been achieved once, by Bobby Jones in 1930.
No, but Tiger Woods came closest by holding all four major titles at the same time. He won them consecutively, but not in the same calendar year. This achievement is known as the Tiger Slam.
