Rory McIlroy’s esteemed golfing career had but one blemish on it. The 35-year-old had never won the Masters. He participated in the event 16 times before 2025, but a green jacket had always remained illusive.
That all changed Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club, when McIlroy beat Justin Rose in a playoff in the 89th edition of the Masters to finally complete golf’s career Grand Slam after years of futility. McIlroy finished with a 1-over 73, tied with Rose at 11-under-par before it went to the playoff. Then McIlroy hit an immaculate approach shot and tapped in for birdie as the crowd roared its appreciation.
With the triumph, McIlroy becomes the sixth man to capture golf’s career Grand Slam and the first since Tiger Woods capped off the achievement in 2000. McIlroy’s previous best finish at Augusta National was as runner-up in 2022.
Here’s every golfer in history with a Grand Slam on their résumé:
What is a Grand Slam in golf?
In men’s golf, a Grand Slam is when a player wins all four major tournaments over the course of their careers. These tournaments happen once a year and consist of:
- The Masters
- PGA Championship
- Open Championship (AKA British Open)
- U.S. Open
So long as a golfer wins each of these tournaments at least once in their careers, they will have achieved a career Grand Slam.
Rory McIlroy had won each of the last three on that list. He won the 2011 U.S. Open, the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship, and the 2014 British Open. Despite 16 appearances and 13 cuts made prior to 2025 at the Masters though, McIlroy had never won at Augusta before 2025.
How many golfers have career Grand Slams?
Six golfers, including Rory McIlroy, have now achieved the career Grand Slam (first win at each tournament listed):
- Gene Sarazen: 1922 U.S. Open, 1922 PGA Championship, 1932 Open Championship, 1935 Masters
- Ben Hogan: 1946 PGA Championship, 1948 U.S. Open, 1951 Masters (1951), 1953 Open Championship
- Gary Player: 1959 Open Championship, 1961 Masters, 1962 PGA Championship, 1965 U.S. Open
- Jack Nicklaus: 1962 U.S. Open, 1963 Masters, 1963 PGA Championship, 1966 Open Championship
- Tiger Woods: 1997 Masters, 1999 PGA Championship, 2000 U.S. Open, 2000 Open Championship
- Rory McIlroy: 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 PGA Championship, 2014 British Open, 2025 Masters
Bobby Jones is another golfer who has completed a Grand Slam, but he did so in the pre-Masters era (prior to 1934). At that time, both the U.S. and British Amateur tournaments were considered majors, alongside the U.S. Open and the Open Championship. Jones even went as far as to win each of these tournaments in one calendar year (1930), and he remains the only golfer in history to achieve a Grand Slam in a single year.
There have been 12 other golfers to complete three of the four legs necessary to complete the Grand Slam including Arnold Palmer, Lee Trivino, Tony Watson, Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth, among others.
