It’s the most exclusive club in men’s golf, owners of the career Grand Slam.
Only six players have accomplished the feat in the professional game: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods — and, now, Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy added the 2025 Masters to his 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 and 2014 PGA, and 2014 Open.
Winning the modern Slam includes capturing the four majors: the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and Open Championship.
Bobby Jones is also credited for capturing his version of the career Slam, which included the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Open, British Amateur and British Open. In fact, he won them all in 1930 for the both the season and career Grand Slams — or the “impregnable quadrilateral,” as writer O.B. Keeler dubbed it at the time.
The idea of a professional Grand Slam didn’t fully form until Arnold Palmer won the Masters and U.S. Open in 1960. On his way to The Open, then the third major of the season, he coined the phrase with good friend and writer Bob Drum. Palmer didn’t win The Open that year but did capture it twice in his career. He did not, however, ever win the PGA Championship.
Here’s a look at when the men who did win all four, captured each major for the first time:
| Gene Sarazen | 1922 U.S. Open | 1922 PGA Championship | 1932 Open | 1935 Masters |
| Ben Hogan | 1946 PGA Champoinship | 1948 U.S. Open | 1951 Masters | 1953 Open |
| Gary Player | 1959 Open | 1961 Masters | 1962 PGA Championship | 1965 U.S. Open |
| Jack Nicklaus | 1962 U.S. Open | 1963 Masters | 1963 PGA Championship | 1966 Open |
| Tiger Woods | 1997 Masters | 1999 PGA Championship | 2000 U.S. Open | 2000 Open |
| Rory McIlroy | 2011 U.S. Open | 2012 PGA Championship | 2014 Open | 2025 Masters |
Woods, as part of his historic run at the turn of the century, also won what was dubbed the “Tiger Slam,” when he won the 2000 U.S. Open, 2000 Open, 2000 PGA and 2001 Masters — four in a row, over two seasons.
