It’s hard to call any Masters win “routine”, every one is special. But the 2025 Masters felt different. Watching Rory McIlroy complete the career Grand Slam wasn’t just another major victory. It was a moment of golf history. The term “Grand Slam” gets thrown around often by diehards and golf media, but it’s often misunderstood. So let’s break it down.
What is a Grand Slam in golf?
The Grand Slam in men’s professional golf refers to winning all four Major championships:
- The Masters
- The PGA Championship
- The U.S. Open
- The Open Championship
The two types of grand slams
There are technically two types of grand slams that players can achieve. One is the career grand slam and the other is a calendar year grand slam.
The career Grand Slam
This is the most common reference of the Grand Slam and what Rory completed at the 2025 Masters. A career Grand Slam happens when you win each of the four majors at least once in your career. Only six male golfers in the modern era have done it.
The calendar year Grand Slam
Winning all four majors in a single year is considered a calendar-year Grand Slam. As you can imagine, the difficulty level for a calendar year Grand Slam is considerably higher. Bobby Jones was able to pull this off as an amateur, winning the 1930 U.S. Open, The Open Championship, U.S. Amateur, and the British Amateur.
No player has won all four Major championships in a year since Bobby Jones.
However, Tiger Woods came pretty close. He didn’t win all four in a year, but he won four consecutive majors—the 2000 U.S. Open and the 2001 Masters.
Which professional golfers have a career Grand Slam?
Only six male professionals have won all four modern majors in their career. Here’s the full list and how long it took them to finish.
| Golfer | First Major Won | Final Major to Complete Slam | Years to Complete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Sarazen | 1922 U.S. Open | 1935 Masters | 13 years |
| Ben Hogan | 1946 PGA Championship | 1953 Open Championship | 7 years |
| Gary Player | 1959 Open Championship | 1965 U.S. Open | 6 years |
| Jack Nicklaus | 1962 U.S. Open | 1966 Open Championship | 4 years |
| Tiger Woods | 1997 Masters | 2000 Open Championship | 3 years |
| Rory McIlroy | 2011 U.S. Open | 2025 Masters | 14 years |
Rory finally got his green jacket at the 2025 Masters, ending years of speculation and near-misses. He becomes the sixth man in history to pull it off, and the first to do it since Tiger.
Who could be next?
With Rory officially in the club, we lost that storyline. Now all eyes have turned to who else has a real shot at being next. The most likely is probably Jordan Spieth.
Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth has won the Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship. All that’s left for him is the PGA Championship. He came in 2nd in 2015 and had another top five in 2019. The good news is, Spieth has time, remember Mickelson won the PGA at 50 years old!
Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson only needs the U.S. Open. He’s getting a bit older and didn’t do much at the Masters (missed the cut) so this one is probably a long shot. The worst part of this story for Mickelson is that he is a six time runner up at the U.S. Open.
Players who need two more
Here are a few more top golfers who have won their first two Major championships but are still seeking two more.
- Brooks Koepka has the U.S. Open and PGA Championship, but still needs The Masters and The Open Championship.
- Jon Rahm has the U.S. Open and The Masters, but still needs the PGA Championship and The Open Championship.
- Collin Morikawa has the PGA Championship and The Open Championship, but still needs The Masters and U.S. Open.
- Xander Schauffele has the PGA Championship and The Open Championship, but still needs The Masters and U.S. Open.
Final thoughts
A Grand Slam in golf is incredibly rare, and any time a player gets close, it grabs the attention of amateurs and pros alike. If you’re new to the game, take every chance you get to watch players chase this elusive milestone. It’s one of the most exciting storylines in the sport.
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