You’ve probably heard the term tossed around during a Sunday afternoon broadcast while a commentator whispers about "history in the making." It sounds simple enough. Win the big ones, and you're in. But if you actually sit down and look at the record books, you’ll realize the answer to how many golfers have won the grand slam is way more complicated than a single number.
It’s a tiny group. Honestly, it’s smaller than the group of people who have walked on the moon.
Depending on how you define "Grand Slam"—and trust me, golf purists will argue about this until the sun goes down—the answer is either one, five, or six. Most people today are talking about the "Career Grand Slam," which means winning all four modern majors at some point in your life. As of early 2026, only six men have ever pulled that off.
The Six Legends Who Finished the Puzzle
When we talk about the modern era, we’re looking at the Masters, the U.S. Open, the Open Championship (The British Open), and the PGA Championship. To join this club, you don't just need talent. You need a weird mix of longevity, luck, and the ability to win on completely different styles of grass and soil.
Rory McIlroy (The Newest Member)
It finally happened. After a decade of "will he or won't he" drama at Augusta National, Rory McIlroy finally slipped on the Green Jacket in April 2025. It took him 11 tries to get that final leg of the slam, which is actually a record for persistence. Most guys either get it done fast or they never get it done at all. By winning the Masters, Rory joined the most elite circle in the sport, ending years of back-nine pressure and constant questions from the media.
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Tiger Woods
Tiger didn't just win the Grand Slam; he broke the concept. He’s one of only two players to win every major at least three times over. Think about that. He’s basically had three separate Hall of Fame careers stacked on top of each other. In 2000, he won the U.S. Open, the Open, and the PGA, then finished the "Tiger Slam" by winning the Masters in 2001. He held all four trophies at the same time. No one else has ever come close to that kind of dominance in the modern era.
Jack Nicklaus
The Golden Bear is the only other human to win the triple Career Grand Slam. He finished his first one at just 26 years old when he won the 1966 Open Championship at Muirfield. Jack was the gold standard for so long that people almost forgot how hard it was. He didn't just win 18 majors; he had 19 second-place finishes. He could have easily had five or six slams if a few putts had dropped differently.
Gary Player
The "Black Knight" from South Africa was the first non-American to do it. He completed his set at the 1965 U.S. Open. Player was obsessed with fitness way before it was cool in golf, and that grit allowed him to compete across decades.
Ben Hogan
Hogan’s 1953 season is basically folk legend at this point. He won the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship in the same year. He couldn't even play the PGA Championship that year because the dates overlapped with the Open. He won three majors in one season and still didn't get the "calendar" slam because of a scheduling conflict. Talk about bad luck.
Gene Sarazen
The Squire. He was the first one to actually complete the modern career slam, finishing it off at the 1935 Masters. He’s also the guy famous for the "shot heard 'round the world"—that double eagle on the 15th at Augusta. Without that one swing, the list of how many golfers have won the grand slam might only be five names long.
The Only "True" Grand Slam: Bobby Jones
If you want to be a total stickler for history, only one person has ever won a Calendar Year Grand Slam. That was Bobby Jones in 1930.
But back then, the "majors" were different. The Masters didn't even exist yet. Jones won the U.S. Open, the U.S. Amateur, the British Open, and the British Amateur all in a single season. It was so unthinkable that a sportswriter named O.B. Keeler had to come up with a name for it, borrowing "Grand Slam" from the game of bridge.
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Jones was an amateur his whole life. He retired at 28, right after winning all four, because he basically said, "Well, what else is there to do?"
The Heartbreak Club: Who Is Only One Win Away?
This is where the conversation gets spicy. There are some absolute giants of the game who are stuck on three out of four. For these guys, that one missing trophy is a ghost that follows them to every press conference.
Phil Mickelson needs the U.S. Open. He has finished second in that tournament six times. It’s almost cruel. Every time he gets close, something goes sideways—a wayward drive at Winged Foot or a hot putter from a rival.
Jordan Spieth just needs the PGA Championship. He came out of the gates like a fireball, winning three legs by the time he was 23. But the PGA has been his stumbling block. He’s had some rough years with his swing and injuries, but in 2026, he’s still the one everyone watches when the PGA Championship rolls around in May.
Arnold Palmer never won the PGA. Sam Snead never won the U.S. Open. Even Tom Watson, who won eight majors, could never grab a PGA Championship. It just goes to show that being one of the best to ever pick up a club doesn't guarantee you a seat at the Grand Slam table.
Why Is It So Hard to Win All Four?
Basically, the four majors are designed to test completely different things.
The Masters is about knowing the "standard" of Augusta—the local knowledge, the high draw, and the lightning-fast greens. The U.S. Open is a grind-fest in thick rough where par is a great score. The Open Championship requires "links" golf—hitting the ball low under the wind and playing bounces off the turf. Then the PGA usually sets up as a "bomber's paradise" on massive, modern parkland courses.
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To win all four, you have to be a chameleon. Most players have a "type" of course they love. Very few can master all of them.
What to Watch for Next
If you're following the tour this season, keep an eye on these specific storylines regarding the grand slam:
- Jordan Spieth's Health: If his wrist is 100%, the PGA Championship is the only thing standing between him and immortality.
- The Scottie Scheffler Surge: He’s currently the best player in the world by a wide margin. He has the Masters (twice) and a few others, but he still needs the U.S. Open and the Open Championship to really start the "Grand Slam" clock.
- The Rory Defense: Now that the weight is off his shoulders, does Rory McIlroy reel off two or three more majors? History says once the Grand Slam pressure is gone, players often play much looser.
The list of how many golfers have won the grand slam is short for a reason. It’s the ultimate test of a career. Whether it's the 1930 amateur sweep by Jones or Rory's 2025 triumph, these moments are what define the history of the sport.
To dig deeper into the stats of each winner, you can check the official archives at the PGA of America or look at the historical records maintained by the World Golf Hall of Fame. For now, the number stands at six modern legends. We might be waiting a long time to see number seven.