Rory McIlroy captured the 2025 Masters, becoming the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam by winning all four major titles. He was the first golfer since Tiger Woods in 2000 to accomplish the feat.
There are a couple active golfers who could join McIlroy in the career grand slam club, including at each of the next two majors, the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow and the U.S. Open at Oakmont.
No player has completed the career grand slam when needing the PGA Championship as the final major.
Here’s a look at the 11 golfers who have won three legs of the career Grand Slam:
Jim Barnes
We’re starting things off with the golfing legend, Jim Barnes — and an asterisk. Barnes, who won the 1916 and ’19 PGA Championship, the ’21 U.S. Open, and the ’25 Open Championship, didn’t get a crack at the Masters until its inception in 1934. By then, Barnes was 48 years old, which, as history has shown, is not the typical age range of golfers you’d expect to see getting cloaked in a green jacket. He would’ve been the oldest winner of the Masters ever.
Tommy Armour
Next up on the tee box is Tommy Armour — and though not as bold as Barnes’, his Masters shortcomings require a caveat. Armour had the 1927 U.S. Open, the ’20 PGA Championship and the ’31 Open Championship under his belt by the time he played his first Masters in 1935. But at 38, he was also on the downhill portion of his prime, and never captured glory at Augusta National. His best finish would be a tie for 8th in 1937.
Walter Hagen
The Masters strikes again! Walter Hagen was a major championship force during his prime. The Nicklaus and Woods before Nicklaus and Woods. His 11 majors included the 1914 and ’19 U.S. Open, the ’21, ’24-’27 PGA Championship and the ’22, ’24, and ’28-’29 Open Championship. Like Barnes and Armour, though, by the time the Masters began, Hagen (then 41) was looking back at his best playing days. He appeared at Augusta National six times.
Byron Nelson
The great Bryon Nelson won 1937 and ’42 Masters, the ’40 and ’45 PGA Championship and the ’39 U.S. Open—producing some of the legendary one-ups against Ben Hogan, such as that ’42 Masters. The Open Championship eluded Nelson’s career resume, however, and the reasoning was understandable (even in today’s sports landscape): cost of travel. Nelson played the Open Championship two times during this career — 1937 and 1955 — and his best showing was fifth (’37).
Sam Snead
Sam Snead’s trips to the majors during his impressive career were not so much about the seven victories as they were the “so close” runner-up showings. Snead finished second four times at the U.S. Open, the one major he would never win. Unfortunately, the most notable snafu cost Snead more than a runner-up nod: The infamous 1939 U.S. Open at Philadelphia Country Club. Snead played aggressively on the 18th hole on Sunday, thinking he needed a birdie to win it all, when par would have done the trick. Alas, his go-for-broke mindset ended with a snowman on the scorecard, an 8 that would forever follow him around the golf world.
Arnold Palmer
The PGA Championship would be the one that got away from Arnie, leaving the Latrobe, Pennsylvania, legend one major short of a career Grand Slam. Like Snead, Palmer faced a few close calls when battling for PGA Championship prestige, ending with three runner-up finishes in 1964, ’69 and ’70.
Lee Trevino
Lee Trevino’s six major championships were spread equally among the U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship. The Masters would be the one that got away for Trevino, who looked at the “high-draw friendly” layout at Augusta National and saw nothing but headaches for his low-fade game. He skipped the tournament multiple times throughout his career — something he would regret — and never really created the opportunities for a green jacket fitting.
Raymond Floyd
Raymond Floyd never conquered the links-style tests of the Open Championship, keeping him from earning the career Grand Slam. The four-time major winner’s best chance at the final leg ended with a runner-up finish at the 1978 Open at St. Andrews. Floyd fired an impressive 68 that Sunday, catapulting up the leaderboard from 13th. But it would not be enough to overcome the champ that year, Jack Nicklaus.
Tom Watson
Watson was an eight-time major champ but never raised the Wanamaker Trophy at the PGA Championship. He had several top-10 nods at the final major of the season, but only three were close to winning it all. The 1978 PGA Championship at Oakmont Country Club would be the toughest to swallow: Watson lost a five-shot lead, posting a final-round 78 on the challenging layout. He would lose the tournament on a playoff to John Mahaffey.
Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson has come close so often at majors (11 total) that simply saying “Lefty” can take golf fans on a runner-up roller coaster, culminating at Winged Foot circa 2006. Phil has six runner-up showings at the U.S. Open, the one major not on his spectacular career resume, and some of the finishes have been epic (and heartbreaking), including that final round at Winged Foot. His errant tee shot on 18 resulted in a double-bogey and a win for Geoff Ogilvy. Mickelson still has chances at the U.S. Open thanks to his win at the 2021 PGA Championship, but his time is almost out.
Jordan Spieth
Speith is the last golfer to win consecutive majors, capturing the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open to get his first two majors. Then he won the 2017 Open Championship to get three legs of the career Grand Slam. However, Spieth hasn’t won in more than three years and is coming off an offseason wrist surgery. He has shown glimpses of his major championship winning form, but now with the pressure off McIlroy, the attention and spotlight gets brighter on the Texan every May.
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