Jordan Spieth’s dramatic victory in the British Open (or The Open) has set him up with a great opportunity next month of securing golf’s Holy Grail – and in historic fashion.
Only five players in the history of the game have won at least one of each of the current four Grand Slam titles: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
The term “Grand Slam” was first coined to refer to Bobby Jones’s epic feat of winning The Open Championship (British), U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur and British Amateur in 1930 – the latter two being considered “major championships” at the time.
Over time, after the US Masters was founded in 1934 and the professional era gained growing status, the modern Grand Slam was considered to be the Masters, U.S. and British Opens and US PGA Championship, which was changed from a matchplay to strokeplay format in 1958 and subsequently rescheduled to avoid a clash with the British Open.
No player has won all four modern majors in the same season, but Woods held all four titles simultaneously, from the 200 U.S. Open to the 2001 Masters (known as the “Consecutive Grand Slam” or “Tiger Slam”).
Several players ended their careers stuck on three (including Byron Nelson, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Lee Trevino) while, of currently active players, Phil Mickelson needs the U.S. Open and Rory McIlroy the Masters to secure a “Career Grand Slam”.
Now Spieth is on the verge of joining the elite Grand Slam group, having won the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open. His first chance will come at the US PGA from 10 to 13 August. He needs to win this year’s event to take over Woods’ record as the youngest player to achieve the modern Grand Slam. Tiger was 24 years and seven months old when he won the 2000 British Open, while Spieth turns 24 on 27 July.
Of the other four “Major Slammers”, Nicklaus won his fourth (British Open) aged 26, and Player was 29 (US Open), Sarazen 33 (Masters) and Hogan 40 (British Open).
