What Is a Grand Slam in Golf?
Learn what the Grand Slam in golf is, which tournaments count, the difference between a Career Grand Slam, and the legendary players who achieved it.
If you follow golf at all, you’ve likely heard the term. But what is a grand slam in golf, exactly? And why does it matter so much that only a handful of players in the history of the sport have ever pulled it off? A golf grand slam refers to winning all four of golf's major championships.
Golf Grand Slam Meaning: The Four Majors
The grand slam centers on four specific tournaments that are considered the pinnacle of professional golf. The four men's majors are the Masters Tournament (held every April at Augusta National), the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship (also known as the British Open). Winning all four majors in a single season is known as the calendar Grand Slam, while winning each one over the course of a career is called the Career Grand Slam.
Understanding the major championships is just one part of learning the game. For a deeper look at the fundamentals, check out our guide to understanding basic golf rules.
Calendar Grand Slam vs. Career Grand Slam
A Calendar Grand Slam means winning all four major championships in a single season. It's one of the rarest accomplishments in sports, and no golfer has ever achieved the modern men's Calendar Grand Slam.
A Career Grand Slam means winning each of the four majors at least once over the course of a career. The victories can happen over many years, but every championship must eventually be won. This is the version of the Grand Slam that only six men in golf history have completed.
Tiger Woods came closest to the Calendar Grand Slam by winning four consecutive majors across the 2000 and 2001 seasons, a feat famously known as the "Tiger Slam." Although those victories spanned two seasons, many consider it one of the greatest achievements in golf history.
Career Grand Slam Golf: The Ultimate Achievement
A career grand slam golf achievement means a player has won each of the four major championships at least once over the course of their career. It does not need to happen in a single season or even within a few years. It just needs to happen, period.
Only six men in the history of professional golf have completed the golf career grand slam: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy. That is it. In nearly a century of modern major championship golf, only six have managed to win all four.
McIlroy completed his career grand slam golf journey at the 2025 Masters, defeating Justin Rose in a dramatic one-hole playoff to finally claim the green jacket that had eluded him for over a decade.
Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are the only men to have completed the golf career grand slam three times over, with Nicklaus holding 18 major titles and Woods 15.
Golf Grand Slam Winners: The Complete List
Here are the six men's golf grand slam winners who have completed the career grand slam, listed in the order they achieved it:
- Gene Sarazen (1935)
- Ben Hogan (1953)
- Gary Player (1965)
- Jack Nicklaus (1966)
- Tiger Woods (2000)
- Rory McIlroy (2025)
Bobby Jones completed the original Grand Slam in 1930 by winning the U.S. Open, British Open, U.S. Amateur, and British Amateur. At the time, those were considered golf's four biggest championships. Today's Grand Slam refers to the four modern professional majors.
Among grand slam golf winners still active on Tour, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, and Phil Mickelson each need one more major to join the club. Scheffler needs the U.S. Open, Spieth needs the PGA Championship, and Mickelson needs the U.S. Open.
Grand Slam Golf: Why It Captivates Us
There is something about grand slam golf that transcends stats and trophies. It represents complete mastery across four completely different tests of golf.
- The Masters at Augusta National rewards creativity and course management.
- The U.S. Open demands precision under the tightest conditions.
- The Open Championship tests your ability to handle wind, weather, and links-style golf.
- The PGA Championship rewards consistency across some of the toughest setups in the game.
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A golf simulator lets you tee it up on world-famous layouts from home, and a quality golf launch monitor gives you the same kind of data that Tour players use to sharpen their games for the biggest stages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four grand slams in golf?
The four grand slam golf tournaments are the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship (British Open). Winning all four, in any order, constitutes a golf grand slam.
Who has won the grand slam in golf?
Six men have completed the career grand slam golf achievement: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy. McIlroy is the most recent, completing his slam at the 2025 Masters.
What is the difference between a grand slam and a career grand slam?
A calendar-year grand slam would mean winning all four majors in a single season, which no professional golfer has ever achieved. A career grand slam golf achievement means winning all four majors at any point over the course of a career, regardless of when each victory occurred.
Is there a grand slam in women's golf?
Yes. Several LPGA legends have completed versions of the Career Grand Slam, although the qualifying majors have changed throughout the history of women's professional golf. Under today's major championship structure, the five current majors are the Chevron Championship, U.S. Women's Open, Women's PGA Championship, Evian Championship, and Women's British Open.
Has anyone won the grand slam in golf in one year?
No professional golfer has ever won all four modern majors in a single calendar year. The closest anyone has come in the modern era was Tiger Woods, who won four consecutive majors across two seasons (the 2000 U.S. Open, 2000 Open Championship, 2000 PGA Championship, and 2001 Masters), famously known as the "Tiger Slam."