A golf career Grand Slam is where a men’s player wins all four of the sport’s major titles over the course of their career.
The four major titles are the Masters, The Open, US Open and the PGA Championship.
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A total of six players in men’s golf have achieved this feat, with Rory McIlroy becoming the first player for 25 years to complete a career Grand Slam since Tiger Woods in 2000.
McIlroy also became the first golfer born in either Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales or England to complete a career Grand Slam.
American duo Woods and Jack Nicklaus have both completed a career Grand Slam three times.
A golf Grand Slam is slightly different and requires a player to win all four majors in the men’s game in the same calendar year.
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Bobby Jones achieved this feat in 1930 by winning The Open, US Open, US Amateur and British Amateur championships – but they are not the four ‘majors’ that are recognised today.
Woods did win all four majors consecutively – known as the ‘Tiger Slam’ – but while he held all four trophies, they were not all won in the same calendar year.
Every player to complete the career Grand Slam
Rory McIlroy ended his 11-year wait to complete a career grand slam by winning the Masters in 2025 [Getty Images]
Years completed the career Grand Slam in brackets:
Gene Sarazen (1935) – United States
Ben Hogan (1953) – United States
Gary Player (1965) – South Africa
Jack Nicklaus (1966, 1971 and 1978) – United States
Tiger Woods (2000, 2005 and 2008) – United States
Rory McIlroy (2025) – Northern Ireland
Who could be next?
Current world number one Scottie Scheffler is a four-time major winner and just needs one more to join the exclusive list of career Grand Slam winners.
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Scheffler is yet to win the US Open, having won two Masters titles, as well as the Open and PGA Championship once each.
American Jordan Spieth is also one major away, having never won the PGA Championship. However, Speith has not won a major since 2017.
A number of other golfers have won multiple majors in their careers, but missed out on the career Grand Slam prize.
American Walter Hagen won 11 majors between 1914 and 1929 but missed out on the grand slam.
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Fellow American Tom Watson also won eight major titles between 1975 and 1983 but also fell short of completing the set.
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