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The Masters Tournament is one of the most decorated and prestigious events on the sports calendar each year, and it is largely due to the history that surrounds golf's marquee major tournament.
Celebrating its 89th rendition of The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club this week in Augusta, The Masters serves as the first of four major tournaments on the golf calendar and is part of one of golf's richest accomplishments: the career Grand Slam.
Winning The Masters is a feat of its own, as it comes with that signature green jacket and a forever spot in the clubhouse at Augusta National as an honorary member, but winning the career Grand Slam is an even more challenging one for a golfer.
Rory McIlroy and Jordan Speith enter the 2025 Masters Tournament once flirting with adding their names to a prestigious group of golfers that have accomplished one of the hardest feats in the sport.
For McIlroy, the world's No. 2 ranked golfer, it is his 11th go-around at winning the career Grand Slam after winning the U.S. Open in 2011, PGA Championship in 2012 and The Open Championship in 2014. He came up short in 2022 of getting the final leg of the feat when he finished second to Scottie Scheffler.
Here's what you need to know about golf's career grand slam leading into the 2025 Masters Tournament:
The career Grand Slam is considered one of golf's greatest achievements, as it marks the completion of winning each of the four majors at least once in a golfer's career. The first of the four majors is The Masters, followed by the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and then The Open Championship.
There have been two career Grand Slams in golf history, both an original career Grand Slam and the modern career Grand Slam. The original career Grand Slam, which was achieved by Bobby Jones, included the U.S. Open, he U.S. Amateur, The Open Championship and the (British) Amateur Championship. Only five golfers have achieved the mountaintop of winning the modern career Grand Slam: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
As noted by Golfweek, part of the USA TODAY Network, there are 12 golfers who are or have been one leg shy of pulling off the career Grand Slam. Three of those 12 are competing in this year's Masters: McIlroy, Jordan Speith and Phil Mickelson, who now competes in LIV.
2025 MASTERS PREDICTIONS: Expert picks, predictions for 2025 Masters winner
The four career Grand Slam golf tournaments include The Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and The Open Championship.
The last golfer to achieve the career Grand Slam was Tiger Woods, who withdrew his name from the 2025 Masters Tournament due to a ruptured Achilles injury that required surgery.
A three-time Grand Slam winner, Woods dominated the game of golf as he came up and the way he won his first career Grand Slam is a perfect example of that: winning all four major champions consecutively. He first won the 2000 U.S. Open, then the 2000 Open Championship, the 2000 PGA Championship and then finally the 2001 Masters Tournament.
The 11-month span that Woods used to win his first career grand slam, of course, is famously known as the "Tiger Slam," as he became the youngest golfer to reach the feat at 24 years old.
Here's a breakdown of which wins claimed the first career Grand Slam for Woods:
Five golfers have achieved the modern career Grand Slam, one of golf's hardest feats to accomplish. The first to achieve the career Grand Slam was Gene Sarazen.
Sarazen won his first two legs in 1922 with the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship, his third leg in 1932 at The Open Championship and then his final leg in the 1935 Masters Tournament. Jack Nicklaus became the fourth member of the prestigious group when he won the 1966 Open. An 18-time major champion, Nicklaus became the first player to complete the grand slam a second and third time in his career.
Nicklaus and Woods the only two golfers in the history of the sport to win it three times.
Here's the full list of golfers that have won the career Grand Slam:
Note: This does not include Bobby Jones, who completed the original career Grand Slam. The Masters did not start until 1934 and the original career slam included the US and British Amateur Championships.
The Masters, the first leg of the career Grand Slam, will run Thursday, April 10 through Sunday, April 13 at the historic Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The 2025 Masters Tournament is the 89th edition of golf's marquee tournament.
The PGA Championship, the second leg of the career Grand Slam, will run Thursday, May 15 through Sunday, May 18 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is just the second time that the PGA Championship is being held at Quail Hollow Club, the traditional site of the Wells Fargo Championship, and the Queen City.
The U.S. Open, the third leg of the career Grand Slam, will run Thursday, July 12 through Sunday, July 15 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. It is the 10th time that the U.S. Open is being held at Oakmont Country Club, the most a single golf course has hosted the major.
The Open Championship, the final leg of the career Grand Slam, will run Thursday, July 17 through Sunday, July 20 at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. It is the third time that The Open is being held in Northern Ireland, and the first since 2019 when Shane Lowry won the tournament in his home country. Of the four career Grand Slam tournaments, The Open Championship is the oldest, with the first The Open (another name for it) taking place in 1860.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: What is golf's career Grand Slam? History, winners ahead of Masters
Continue reading...
Celebrating its 89th rendition of The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club this week in Augusta, The Masters serves as the first of four major tournaments on the golf calendar and is part of one of golf's richest accomplishments: the career Grand Slam.
Winning The Masters is a feat of its own, as it comes with that signature green jacket and a forever spot in the clubhouse at Augusta National as an honorary member, but winning the career Grand Slam is an even more challenging one for a golfer.
Rory McIlroy and Jordan Speith enter the 2025 Masters Tournament once flirting with adding their names to a prestigious group of golfers that have accomplished one of the hardest feats in the sport.
For McIlroy, the world's No. 2 ranked golfer, it is his 11th go-around at winning the career Grand Slam after winning the U.S. Open in 2011, PGA Championship in 2012 and The Open Championship in 2014. He came up short in 2022 of getting the final leg of the feat when he finished second to Scottie Scheffler.
Here's what you need to know about golf's career grand slam leading into the 2025 Masters Tournament:
What is the career Grand Slam in golf?
The career Grand Slam is considered one of golf's greatest achievements, as it marks the completion of winning each of the four majors at least once in a golfer's career. The first of the four majors is The Masters, followed by the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and then The Open Championship.
There have been two career Grand Slams in golf history, both an original career Grand Slam and the modern career Grand Slam. The original career Grand Slam, which was achieved by Bobby Jones, included the U.S. Open, he U.S. Amateur, The Open Championship and the (British) Amateur Championship. Only five golfers have achieved the mountaintop of winning the modern career Grand Slam: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
As noted by Golfweek, part of the USA TODAY Network, there are 12 golfers who are or have been one leg shy of pulling off the career Grand Slam. Three of those 12 are competing in this year's Masters: McIlroy, Jordan Speith and Phil Mickelson, who now competes in LIV.
2025 MASTERS PREDICTIONS: Expert picks, predictions for 2025 Masters winner
What are the Grand Slam's in golf?
- The Masters
- PGA Championship
- U.S. Open
- The Open Championship
The four career Grand Slam golf tournaments include The Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and The Open Championship.
Last person to win career Grand Slam in golf?
The last golfer to achieve the career Grand Slam was Tiger Woods, who withdrew his name from the 2025 Masters Tournament due to a ruptured Achilles injury that required surgery.
A three-time Grand Slam winner, Woods dominated the game of golf as he came up and the way he won his first career Grand Slam is a perfect example of that: winning all four major champions consecutively. He first won the 2000 U.S. Open, then the 2000 Open Championship, the 2000 PGA Championship and then finally the 2001 Masters Tournament.
The 11-month span that Woods used to win his first career grand slam, of course, is famously known as the "Tiger Slam," as he became the youngest golfer to reach the feat at 24 years old.
Here's a breakdown of which wins claimed the first career Grand Slam for Woods:
- 2000 U.S. Open
- 2000 Open Championship
- 2000 PGA Championship
- 2001 Masters Tournament
How many golfers have won the career Grand Slam?
Five golfers have achieved the modern career Grand Slam, one of golf's hardest feats to accomplish. The first to achieve the career Grand Slam was Gene Sarazen.
Sarazen won his first two legs in 1922 with the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship, his third leg in 1932 at The Open Championship and then his final leg in the 1935 Masters Tournament. Jack Nicklaus became the fourth member of the prestigious group when he won the 1966 Open. An 18-time major champion, Nicklaus became the first player to complete the grand slam a second and third time in his career.
Nicklaus and Woods the only two golfers in the history of the sport to win it three times.
Here's the full list of golfers that have won the career Grand Slam:
- Gene Sarazen
- Ben Hogan
- Jack Nicklaus
- Gary Player
- Tiger Woods
Note: This does not include Bobby Jones, who completed the original career Grand Slam. The Masters did not start until 1934 and the original career slam included the US and British Amateur Championships.
When is The Masters in 2025?
- Date: Thursday, April 10 through Sunday, April 13
- Location: Augusta National Golf Club (Augusta, Ga.)
The Masters, the first leg of the career Grand Slam, will run Thursday, April 10 through Sunday, April 13 at the historic Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The 2025 Masters Tournament is the 89th edition of golf's marquee tournament.
When is the PGA Championship?
- Date: Thursday, May 15 through Sunday, May 18
- Location: Quail Hollow Club (Charlotte, N.C.)
The PGA Championship, the second leg of the career Grand Slam, will run Thursday, May 15 through Sunday, May 18 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is just the second time that the PGA Championship is being held at Quail Hollow Club, the traditional site of the Wells Fargo Championship, and the Queen City.
When is the U.S. Open?
- Date: Thursday, July 12 through Sunday, July 15
- Location: Oakmont Country Club (Oakmont, Pa.)
The U.S. Open, the third leg of the career Grand Slam, will run Thursday, July 12 through Sunday, July 15 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. It is the 10th time that the U.S. Open is being held at Oakmont Country Club, the most a single golf course has hosted the major.
When is The Open Championship?
- Date: Thursday, July 17 through Sunday, July 20
- Location: Royal Portrush Golf Club (Northern Ireland)
The Open Championship, the final leg of the career Grand Slam, will run Thursday, July 17 through Sunday, July 20 at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. It is the third time that The Open is being held in Northern Ireland, and the first since 2019 when Shane Lowry won the tournament in his home country. Of the four career Grand Slam tournaments, The Open Championship is the oldest, with the first The Open (another name for it) taking place in 1860.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: What is golf's career Grand Slam? History, winners ahead of Masters
Continue reading...
