Career Grand Slams, the Tiger Slam, the youngest and oldest champions, and the heartbreak of the most runner-up finishes — the records that round out golf's history.
The six players who have won all four modern professional majors during their careers.
Gene Sarazen
7 majors
🇺🇸Ben Hogan
9 majors
🇿🇦Gary Player
9 majors
🇺🇸Jack Nicklaus
18 majors
🇺🇸Tiger Woods
15 majors
🇬🇧Rory McIlroy
6 majors
The Tiger Slam: Tiger Woods held all four major trophies simultaneously across 2000–2001, winning the 2000 U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship, then the 2001 Masters — the only player ever to hold all four at once in the modern era.
Youngest Major Champion
Young Tom Morris — The Open (1868)
17 years, 156 days
Oldest Major Champion
Phil Mickelson — PGA Championship (2021)
50 years, 11 months
Youngest Masters Winner
Tiger Woods (1997)
21 years, 104 days
Oldest Masters Winner
Jack Nicklaus (1986)
46 years, 82 days
Youngest U.S. Open Winner
John McDermott (1911)
19 years, 10 months
Oldest U.S. Open Winner
Hale Irwin (1990)
45 years, 15 days
Sustained contention without always finishing the job — the players who finished second most often.
| Player | Major Runner-Ups | Majors Won |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Nicklaus | 19 | 18 |
| Phil Mickelson | 11 | 6 |
| Arnold Palmer | 10 | 7 |
| Tom Watson | 9 | 8 |
| Sam Snead | 8 | 7 |
| Greg Norman | 8 | 2 |
| Ben Hogan | 6 | 9 |
| Tiger Woods | 7 | 15 |
4
Straight Majors Held
The Tiger Slam — all four major trophies at once, 2000–2001.
6
Career Grand Slams
Only six players have won all four modern majors.
160+
Years of Major Golf
The Open Championship, golf's oldest major, has been played since 1860.
18
The Benchmark
Jack Nicklaus's 18 majors remains the standard against which greatness is measured.
Six players have won all four modern professional majors during their careers: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy.
The Tiger Slam refers to Tiger Woods holding all four major championship trophies at the same time across the 2000 and 2001 seasons, after winning the 2000 U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship and the 2001 Masters.
Young Tom Morris won the 1868 Open Championship at 17 years and 156 days, the youngest major champion in history.
Jack Nicklaus holds the record with 19 runner-up finishes in major championships, a testament to his remarkable longevity in contention.