Who has the most majors in golf history? Nicklaus, Woods lead the way
Brooks Koepka is looking to make even more history.
After winning the PGA Championship in May, the 33-year-old Floridian is now seeking his sixth career major championship this week in the U.S. Open.
He’s already in an exclusive club as one of the 20 golfers in history to win five majors. If Koepka wins his sixth, he’d be just the 16th player to accomplish that feat.
You can watch all the U.S. Open coverage from Thursday through Sunday on NBC and Peacock as Koepka chases history. In the meantime, let’s take a look at the players with the most major championships:
What are the four major golf tournaments in golf?
Golf’s four majors are the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and The Open Championship.
The Masters kicks off each major season with an April tournament held at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. Then it’s the PGA Championship on the weekend before Memorial Day, which rotates sites throughout the country. After that, the U.S. Open is held on Father’s Day weekend at various venues, generally where scoring is extra difficult with long holes. Finally, The Open is played at different coastal links courses across the United Kingdom in mid-July.
Has anyone ever held all four majors in golf?
Five players have won all four majors throughout their careers. None have accomplished the career grand slam in the same year.
Tiger Woods and Ben Hogan came the closest to pulling it off, each winning three of the four majors in a given year.
In 2000, Woods finished fifth in the Masters before winning the U.S. Open in June, The Open in July and the PGA in August. Woods is the only player in history to complete what is now called the “Tiger Slam,” by winning four consecutive majors but not within the same calendar year. He did it from the 2000 U.S. Open to the 2001 Masters.
Hogan won the Masters and U.S. Open in 1953, but he did not compete in the PGA due to scheduling before winning The Open a week later. So while Hogan technically didn’t lose a major in 1953, he did not complete the calendar grand slam.
Who has the most majors in golf?
Jack Nicklaus stands above all players with his 18 major championships. Woods is close behind with 15, while Walter Hagen has 11. No other player has double-digit majors.
Here’s the full list of players with at least four majors in golf (active players italicized):
1. Jack Nicklaus, 18
2. Tiger Woods, 15
3. Walter Hagen, 11
T-4. Ben Hogan, 9
T-4. Gary Player, 9
6. Tom Watson, 8
T-7. Harry Vardon, 7
T-7. Bobby Jones, 7
T-7. Gene Sarazen, 7
T-7. Sam Snead, 7
T-7. Arnold Palmer, 7
T-12. Lee Trevino, 6
T-12. Nick Faldo, 6
T-12. Phil Mickelson, 6
T-15. Brooks Koepka, 5
T-15. Steve Ballesteros, 5
T-15. Peter Thomson, 5
T-15. Byron Nelson, 5
T-15. John Henry Taylor, 5
T-15. James Braid, 5
T-21. Rory McIlroy, 4
T-21. Ernie Els, 4
T-21. Raymond Floyd, 4
T-21. Bobby Locke, 4
T-21. Jim Barnes, 4
T-21. Willie Anderson, 4
T-21. Willie Park Sr., 4
T-21. Tom Morris Sr., 4
T-21. Tom Morris Jr., 4
