Ava Romero
Golf's four majors are the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and Open Championship. These are the most prestigious events in professional golf. Jack Nicklaus has won the most majors, achieving 18 victories during his career. Second on the list is Tiger Woods, who has won 15 majors to date.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Player with the most golf majors | Jack Nicklaus |
| Number of majors won by Jack Nicklaus | 18 |
| Player with the second-most golf majors | Tiger Woods |
| Number of majors won by Tiger Woods | 15 |
| Player with the third-most golf majors | Walter Hagen |
| Number of majors won by Walter Hagen | 11 |
| Player with the fourth-most golf majors | Ben Hogan, Gary Player |
| Number of majors won by Ben Hogan and Gary Player | 9 |
| Player with the fifth-most golf majors | Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer |
| Number of majors won by Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, and Arnold Palmer | 7 |
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What You'll Learn
Jack Nicklaus has the most golf majors
Nicklaus has won the most prestigious events in professional golf, including the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship. He holds the record for the most victories in the Masters, winning the tournament a remarkable six times. Nicklaus also shares the record for the most U.S. Open victories with Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, and Ben Hogan, each winning this tournament four times.
In addition to his impressive record in the Masters and U.S. Open, Nicklaus has also excelled in the PGA Championship. He shares the record for the most PGA Championship wins with Walter Hagen, both achieving five victories in this competition. Nicklaus's performance in The Open Championship has been equally remarkable, further solidifying his standing as one of the greatest golfers of all time.
While the number of major wins is a significant indicator of a golfer's success, it is not the sole determining factor. Tiger Woods, for instance, is considered by many golf fans and historians to be the best golfer of all time, despite having fewer major wins than Nicklaus. Woods achieved an impressive "Tiger Slam" by holding all four major championships simultaneously, a testament to his exceptional skill and dominance in the sport.
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Tiger Woods is second with 15 majors
Tiger Woods is a legendary golfer, with 15 major championship wins under his belt. He is second only to Jack Nicklaus, who has 18 major wins. Woods has won 82 official PGA Tour events, the same number as Sam Snead, and nine more than Jack Nicklaus, who has 73 wins.
Woods' first major win was the Masters in 1997, where he won by 12 strokes, a record-breaking 18-under finish. He won his second major in 1999, outduelling a 19-year-old Sergio Garcia by a single stroke. In 2000, he won the US Open, dominating the field from the start and finishing 15 strokes ahead of the second-place players. This was the start of the "Tiger Slam", where he won all four major championships in a row during the 2000-2001 seasons.
Woods' other notable major wins include the 2005 Open Championship, where he won by five strokes, and the 2006 PGA Championship, which he won for the second consecutive year. His most recent major victory was at the 2019 Masters, a comeback after almost 11 years without a major win. Woods is the only player to have won all four professional major championships, known as the Career Grand Slam, and he was the youngest to do so.
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Walter Hagen is third with 11
Walter Hagen is one of the most iconic figures in the history of golf. Nicknamed the ""father of professional golf", Hagen is credited with raising the social standing of the sport and bringing publicity, prestige, big prize money, and lucrative endorsements to the game. He was the first golfer to earn a million dollars in his career.
Born in 1892 in Rochester, New York, Hagen came from a working-class family of German descent. He developed his golf game at the Country Club of Rochester, starting as a caddie and earning money to support his family from a young age. By his mid-teens, he had honed his skills to become an expert player. He made his professional debut at age 19 at the 1912 Canadian Open, placing 11th.
Hagen's major accomplishments include winning the U.S. Open twice and becoming the first native-born American to win The Open Championship in 1922, retaining the Claret Jug for three more years. He also won the PGA Championship a record-tying five times and the Western Open five times when it had near-major championship status. In total, he accumulated 44 or 45 PGA wins in his career, depending on the source, and was a six-time Ryder Cup captain.
Hagen was known for his stylish dress sense, confident personality, and significant wealth. He also made substantial money endorsing golf equipment and played a pivotal role in designing clubs for Wilson Sports, which bore his name. His work with Wilson produced some of the first matched sets of irons, expanding golf's appeal and raising the standard of play. Hagen died in 1969 at the age of 76 after a long battle with throat cancer.
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Scottie Scheffler is rising up the ranks
Jack Nicklaus has won the most golf majors, with 18 victories. Tiger Woods is second on the list, with 15 major wins. Scottie Scheffler, the current World Number One golfer, is rising up the ranks, having recently won his third major tournament.
Scheffler, who was born in 1996, began playing golf at the age of three when his parents gave him a set of plastic clubs and a ball. He turned professional in 2018 and has since risen to the top of the sport. In 2022, he won his first major championship at the Masters Tournament, and he successfully defended his title in 2024. He also won the PGA Championship in 2025, making it three major victories in three years.
Scheffler's success is even more impressive given his unconventional footwork, dubbed the "Scheffler shuffle" or the "Scottie shuffle." His foot slide, which involves a pronounced sliding motion in his back foot and a roll of the lead ankle through impact, has drawn widespread attention in the golf media. While some might see it as unusual, his coach, Randy Smith, is credited with not trying to change Scheffler's swing, allowing him to utilise ground reaction forces to create speed in his swing.
With his recent major victory at the PGA Championship, Scheffler continues to rise up the ranks in the world of golf. While he has a long way to go to catch Nicklaus and Woods, his talent and dedication are undeniable, and he is well on his way to establishing himself as one of the sport's greats.
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The four majors are: Masters, PGA, U.S. Open, Open Championship
Golf's four majors are the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and Open Championship (also known as the British Open). They are the most prestigious events in professional golf and are considered the pinnacles of achievement in the game. Winning these tournaments is seen as a defining factor for greatness among golfers.
The Masters Tournament, often referred to as simply the Masters, kicks off each major season with an April tournament held at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. It is followed by the PGA Championship, which takes place on the weekend before Memorial Day and rotates sites across the country. The U.S. Open is then held on Father's Day weekend, with various venues presenting challenging scoring conditions through long holes. The Open Championship concludes the series in July.
Jack Nicklaus holds the record for the most major victories, with an impressive 18 wins during his career. He achieved multiple majors in a single year an incredible four times: in 1963, 1966, 1972, and 1980. Nicklaus also holds the record for the most Masters victories, winning the tournament six times. Additionally, he shares the record for the most U.S. Open victories with Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, and Ben Hogan, with each golfer securing four wins in this major.
Tiger Woods is a close second to Nicklaus, with 15 major victories to date. Woods became the first golfer ever to hold all four major championships simultaneously, now known as the "Tiger Slam." This feat was accomplished with his 2000 wins in the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and Open Championship, followed by a Masters victory in early 2001. Woods' most recent major victory was at the 2019 Masters, an impressive 22 years after his first major win.
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Frequently asked questions
Jack Nicklaus has won the most golf majors, achieving 18 victories during his career.
Tiger Woods is second on the list with 15 major wins.
Walter Hagen is third on the list with 11 major wins.
As of June 2025, Tiger Woods leads all active golfers, although he hasn't played since suffering a ruptured Achilles in February of the same year.
