What is a golf Grand Slam and which players have completed it?
THE Masters is the first major championship of the year and the first round beings on April 6.
Rory Mcilroy will be eyeing up this year's Green Jacket as he is just the Masters' title away from completing a career Grand Slam in golf.
What is a golf Grand Slam?
In golf, there are two types of Grand Slam wins.
The more conventional one is a career Grand Slam, which involves winning all four Majors at any point during a player's career.
The four major tournaments in golf are the Masters, the U.S. Open, the Open Championship and the PGA Championship.
Another variation of a Grand Slam in golf is to win all four majors in a calendar year, this is something which is incredibly rare.
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Who has won a calendar year Grand Slam?
Just one person in the history of the sport has completed the golf Grand Slam in a calendar year.
That man is Bobby Jones, who achieved the calendar Grand Slam back in 1930.
This was of course pre-Masters era, but nonetheless, Jones won all four majors on offer at the time.
That consisted of the Open Championship, the US Open, the US Amateur and the British Amateur.
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Who has won a career Grand Slam?
Here are all the winners of a Career Grand Slam in golf:
- Gene Sarazen in 1935, aged 32.
- Ben Hogan in 1953, aged 40.
- Gary Player in 1964, aged 29.
- Jack Nicklaus in 1966, aged 26.
- Tiger Woods in 2000, aged 24.
Tiger Woods is the youngest player to ever complete a career Grand Slam in golf.
The five-time Green Jacket winner has won enough of all four majors for the equivalent of three career Grand Slams.
He won three majors in the year 2000 but finished 5th in the Masters that year.
That said, Woods did win the 2001 Masters, meaning he won all majors in a 365-day period but does not qualify for a calendar year Grand Slam as he failed to win the Masters in the year of 2000.
However, many regard Woods' triumph in 2000/2001 as on par with Jones' in 1930.
Who is close to completing a Career Grand Slam?
There are currently three golfers that are just one major tournament win away from joining the coveted list.
Rory Mcilroy just needs the prestigious Masters' trophy to complete the set.
While LIV Golf player Phil Mickelson is the US Open away from claiming a Career Grand Slam.
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Jordan Spieth joined Jack Nicklaus in becoming the only two golfers in history to win three different majors before turning 24.
The former World No.1 is in need of the PGA Championship before he can join the exclusive list of Grand Slam winners.