Only five male golfers have completed the career grand slam.
Another 12 are one major away from joining this exclusive group but for most, the window has closed.
The grand slam, of course, consists of the four men’s majors: Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and Open Championship.
There are three active golfers with a shot at the Slam. Here’s a look at all 12 golfers who have won three of the four majors.
Phil Mickelson
Mickelson has six majors but is also a six-time runnerup at the U.S. Open: 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2013. Lefty shocked the world when he won the PGA Championship at age 50. He turns 55 the day after the 2025 U.S. Open.
Jim Barnes
Jim Barnes won the 1916 and 1919 PGA Championship, the 1921 U.S. Open and the 1925 Open Championship, but by the time the Masters started up in 1934, Barnes was 48 years old.
Tommy Armour
Tommy Armour won the 1927 U.S. Open, the 1920 PGA Championship and the 1931 Open Championship before he played his first Masters in 1935 at age 38. His best finish at Augusta would be a tie for eighth in 1937.
Walter Hagen
Walter Hagen was a major championship-winning force in his prime. His 11 majors include the 1914 and 1919 U.S. Open, the 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926 and 1927 PGA Championships as well as the 1922, 1924, 1928 and 1929 Open Championships. But like Barnes and Armour, by the time the Masters started, Hagen was 41 although he did make six starts at Augusta National.
Byron Nelson
The great Bryon Nelson won 1937 and 1942 Masters, the 1940 and 1945 PGA Championship and the 1939 U.S. Open but it’s the Open Championship that eluded Nelson’s career resume. In his day, it was the cost of travel that limited his opportunities. Nelson played the Open twice — 1937 and 1955 — and his best showing was fifth in 1937.
Sam Snead
Sam Snead finished second four times at the U.S. Open. It’s the major he would never win. His most notable snafu came during the 1939 U.S. Open at Philadelphia Country Club. Snead played aggressively on the 18th hole on Sunday, thinking he needed a birdie to win, 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, 1969 and 1970.
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.
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
Tom Watson was an eight-time major champ but never raised the Wanamaker Trophy at a PGA Championship. He had several top-10 nods, but only three were close to winning it. The 1978 PGA Championship at Oakmont Country Club would be the toughest to swallow: Watson lost a five-shot lead, posted a final-round 78, and lost the tournament on a playoff to John Mahaffey.
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy only needs a Masters title to complete his career Gand Slam. He’s had close calls, including a four-shot collapse at the 2011 Masters. There’s many who think it’s still bound to happen, making him No. 6 on the Career Grand Slam group.
Jordan Spieth
Speith’s last major title was the 2017 Open Championship. In 2015, he won the Masters and the U.S. Open. The PGA Championship is the one that eludes him. It’s notable that of the five in the Grand Slam club, none won the PGA as the fourth and final one Spieth needs for inclusion.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Golfers who have won 3 legs of the career Grand Slam in men’s pro golf
