THE GRAND SLAM

 

The Men's Grand Slam

 

An unofficial concept, having changed over time, the Grand Slam is taken either as holding the championship of all

four of the major's simultaneously, or by the more strict rule of winning the four major championships of a calendar year.

It is now a major part of golf today as players compete for what has become the most anticipated golf matches of the year.

 

The modern Majors are played in order:

The Masters - played in April

The US Open Championship - played in June

The British Open Championship -played in July

The PGA Championship - played in August.

 

In 1930 the term ' Grand Slam' was applied to Bobby Jones when he won the four major events of the

US and British Open, and the US and British Amateurs.

 

In 1934 The Masters was founded and the modern definition of the Grand Slam was born.

However, due to the almost concurrent play of the PGA Championship and the British Open and the poor state of cross-Atlantic travel

it held little weight and the only player to have won The Masters, the US and British Opens in the same calendar year was Ben Hogan in 1953.

 

Tiger Woods has come closest to meeting the modern definition of golf's Grand Slam

by holding all four modern major championships simultaneously.

He won the US Open, British Open, the PGA Championship in 2000 and the Masters in 2001.

Even though this achievement was not in the same calendar year it is referred to as a Consecutive Grand Slam

and affectionately as a Tiger Slam.

 

There have been only five players who have won all four modern Majors at any time during their career.

They have been credited with what is often referred to as a Career Grand Slam.

Those players are Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.

Jack Nicklaus has three Career Grand Slams and Tiger Woods two.

 

 

 

The Women's Grand Slam

 

To date there are no women players who have completed four women's majors, however,

Babe Zaharias won all three majors contested in 1950 and Sandra Haynie won both majors in 1974

 

Six women have completed the Career Grand Slam by winning four different majors.

Pat Bradley, Juli Inkster, Annika Sörenstam, Louise Suggs, Karrie Webb, and Mickey Wright

These players where of different eras and the tournaments involved also differed
as the women's ' majors ' have varied considerably over time.

 

 

 

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