Winning a major championship is hard. Winning four of them in a single year? Honestly, that’s basically impossible. If you ask most casual fans how many people have won the grand slam in golf, they’ll start rattling off names like Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods. They aren't wrong, but they aren't exactly right either. It depends on how you define "Grand Slam."
If we are talking about the Calendar Year Grand Slam—winning all four of the modern majors in a single season—the answer is actually zero.
Wait. Seriously?
Yes. In the "modern" era (the Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship), no man has ever swept them in one go. Not even Tiger. But before you close the tab, there’s a massive asterisk here involving a guy named Bobby Jones and a very specific achievement by Rory McIlroy just last year in 2025.
The Only "True" Grand Slam (The Amateur Era)
Back in 1930, Bobby Jones did the unthinkable. He won the "Impregnable Quadrilateral," as the writers called it then. At the time, the majors were the U.S. Open, the U.S. Amateur, the British Open (The Open), and the British Amateur.
Jones won all four in 1930.
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He was 28. He retired shortly after. Talk about going out on top. Because the amateur championships lost their "major" status as the pro game took over, Jones remains the only person to ever win a calendar-year Grand Slam.
The Modern Six: How Many People Have Won the Grand Slam in Golf (Career)?
Most people use the term "Grand Slam" to describe the Career Grand Slam. This means you’ve won each of the four current majors at least once at some point in your life.
It’s a tiny, tiny club.
Until very recently, only five men had ever done it. Then came the 2025 Masters. Rory McIlroy finally put the green jacket on his shoulders, ending a decade of "will he or won't he" drama. With that win, he became the sixth man in history to complete the set.
The Exclusive Modern List:
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- Gene Sarazen (1935): Completed it at the very first Masters.
- Ben Hogan (1953): Won three majors in one year but couldn't play the PGA because the dates overlapped with The Open.
- Gary Player (1965): The first international player to pull it off.
- Jack Nicklaus (1966): He didn't just do it once; he did it three times over.
- Tiger Woods (2000): Like Jack, he’s completed the career slam three times.
- Rory McIlroy (2025): The newest member, joining the ranks nearly 25 years after Tiger.
What about the "Tiger Slam"?
We have to talk about Tiger in 2000 and 2001. He didn't win them all in one calendar year, but he held all four trophies at the same time. He won the U.S. Open, the Open, and the PGA in 2000, then showed up at Augusta in 2001 and won the Masters.
It’s arguably more impressive than a calendar slam because the pressure built up for months. The media called it the "Tiger Slam" because "Grand Slam" technically requires that Jan-to-Dec window.
Whatever you call it, it’s the closest we’ve seen anyone get to Jones' 1930 run in nearly a century.
The Women’s Side: It’s More Complicated
On the LPGA tour, the "Grand Slam" is a moving target because the number of majors has changed. Today, there are five majors.
Karrie Webb is the only golfer (male or female) to achieve what is called the "Super Career Grand Slam." She won five different major championships.
Other legends like Annika Sorenstam, Louise Suggs, Mickey Wright, Pat Bradley, Juli Inkster, and Inbee Park have all achieved the Career Grand Slam based on the majors available during their specific eras.
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Who is left on the doorstep in 2026?
Right now, the golf world is staring at a few guys who are just one trophy away from immortality.
Phil Mickelson needs a U.S. Open. He’s been a runner-up six times. It’s basically his Moby Dick. At his age, the window is nearly shut, but after he won the PGA at 50, nobody is counting him out.
Jordan Spieth needs the PGA Championship. He’s struggled with his game recently—sitting around 80th in the world as of early 2026—but he always seems to find a spark in the big moments.
Scottie Scheffler is the new monster under the bed. After his dominant 2025, winning both the PGA and The Open, he only needs the U.S. Open to finish the career slam. He’s currently the favorite to get it done this year at Shinnecock Hills.
Why this matters for your weekend round
Most of us struggle to break 90. These players are fighting for a spot on a list that has six names on it. Six. In over a hundred years of professional golf.
The rarity is what makes it the "Holy Grail." It requires mastery of four completely different types of golf: the pristine target golf of Augusta, the brutal rough of a U.S. Open, the wind-swept links of The Open, and the high-pressure grind of the PGA.
If you want to track the next potential history-maker, keep your eyes on the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. If Scottie Scheffler wins there, the "Modern Six" becomes the "Modern Seven," and the Tiger comparisons will go from "maybe" to "definitely."
Actionable Insights for Golf Fans:
- Watch the U.S. Open (June 18-21, 2026): This is Scottie Scheffler’s shot at the Career Grand Slam.
- Follow the PGA Championship (May 14-17, 2026): Jordan Spieth will try to find his old magic at Aronimink to complete his set.
- Don't ignore the LPGA: Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko are both chasing their own historical milestones this season that could put them in the same breath as Sorenstam.