Grand Slam records and star performers

The Grand Slam tournaments are a magnificent source of names and statistics that shed a fascinating light on international stars’ performances over the years. Many years, in fact, because the first edition of the oldest major championship, the British Open, dates to 1860.

The only player who has managed to win the Grand Slam in a single season is Bobby Jones. He achieved the feat in 1930 when the majors were the British Amateur, British Open, US Open and US Amateur – with all four taking place within just a four-month period. The brilliant US golfer, who was 28 at the time and never turned professional, retired from competition a few months later. Among the wonderful quotes he left for posterity was this gem: “The secret of golf is turning three shots into two.”

As for the term Grand Slam, this was used for the first time to describe Jones’ achievement in 1930. Until then no expression had been created to refer to a feat of such magnitude. A journalist from Atlanta coined the term Grand Slam, borrowing the phrase from a card play in bridge. One other journalist wrote that Jones had exploded “the impregnable quadrilateral of golf”; and another that he had completed “the most triumphant journey that any man had achieved in sport”.

During the modern era of the Grand Slam, with the emergence of the US Masters, played for the first time in 1934, two names have appeared regularly in the annals of the majors: Jack Nicklaus with 18 Grand Slam titles, and Tiger Woods with 14. The latter is the only player, apart from Jones, to have won all four majors consecutively, although not in the same calendar year. He won the US Open, British Open and US PGA in 2000, and the Masters the following year.

The Grand Slam archives include a great deal of interesting information. Do you know, for example, who scored the lowest round in each major? Or the best total result? And the youngest winner? The answers follow…

LOW 72-HOLE SCORE

MASTERS TOURNAMENT

270, Tiger Woods: 1997, 70-66-65-69; Jordan Spieth: 2015, 64-66-70-70 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.

U.S. OPEN

268, Rory McIlroy: 2011, 65-66-68-69 at Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md.

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

267, Greg Norman: 1993, 66-68-69-64 at Royal St. George\’s in Sandwich, England

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

265, David Toms: 2001, 66-65-65-69 at Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek, Ga.

 

LOW 72-HOLE SCORE (with relation to par)

MASTERS TOURNAMENT

18 under, Tiger Woods: 1997, 70-66-65-69; Jordan Spieth: 2015, 64-66-70-70 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.

U.S. OPEN

16 under, Rory McIlroy: 2011, 65-66-68-69 at Congressional Golf Club in Bethesda, Md.

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

19 under, Tiger Woods: 2000, 67-66-67-69 at St. Andrews (Old) in St. Andrews, Scotland

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

18 under, *Tiger Woods: 2000, 66-67-70-67; Bob May: 2000, 72-66-66-66 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. (* won playoff)

 

LOW 18-HOLE SCORE

MASTERS TOURNAMENT

63, Nick Price (1986, third round); Greg Norman (1996, first)

U.S. OPEN

63, Johnny Miller (1973, fourth round); Jack Nicklaus (1980, first); Tom Weiskopf (1980, first); Vijay Singh (2003, second)

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

63, Mark Hayes (1977, second round); Isao Aoki (1980, third); Greg Norman (1986, second); Paul Broadhurst (1990, third); Jodie Mudd (1991, fourth); Nick Faldo (1993, second); Payne Stewart (1993, fourth); Rory McIlroy (2010, first)

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

63, Bruce Crampton (1975, second round); Raymond Floyd (1982, first); Gary Player (1984, second); Vijay Singh (1993, second); Michael Bradley (1995, first); Brad Faxon (1995, fourth); Jose Maria Olazabal (2000, third); Mark O’Meara (2001, second); Thomas Bjorn (2005, third); Tiger Woods (2007, second); Steve Stricker (2011, first); Jason Dufner (2013, second)

 

MOST VICTORIES

MASTERS TOURNAMENT

6, Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986)

U.S. OPEN

4, Willie Anderson (1901, 1903, 1904, 1905); a-Robert T. Jones Jr. (1923, 1926, 1929, 1930); Ben Hogan (1948, 1950, 1951, 1953); Jack Nicklaus (1962, 1967, 1972, 1980)

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

6, Harry Vardon (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914)

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

5, Walter Hagen (1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927); Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980)

YOUNGEST CHAMPIONS

MASTERS TOURNAMENT

Tiger Woods, 1997 (21 years, 3 months, 14 days)

U.S. OPEN

Johnny McDermott, 1911 (19 years, 10 months, 14 days)

The OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Seve Ballesteros, 1979 (modern era, 22 years, 3 months, 12 days); Tom Morris Jr., 1868 (pre-modern era, 17 years, 5 months, 8 days)

PGA Championship

Gene Sarazen, 1922 (20 years, 5 months, 22 days)

 

OLDEST CHAMPIONS

MASTERS TOURNAMENT

Jack Nicklaus, 1986 (46 years, 2 months, 23 days)

U.S. OPEN

Hale Irwin, 1990 (45 years, 15 days)

The OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Roberto De Vicenzo, 1967 (modern era, 44 years, 3 months, 3 days); Old Tom Morris, 1867 (pre-modern era, 46 years, 3 months, 10 days)

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Julius Boros, 1968 (48 years, 4 months, 18 days)

 

OLDEST PLAYERS TO WIN A MAJOR

Julius Boros, 1968 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, 48 years, 4 months, 18 days

Tom Morris, Sr., 1867 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, 46 years, 3 months, 10 days

Jack Nicklaus, 1986 MASTERS TOURNAMENT, 46 years, 2 months, 23 days

Jerry Barber, 1961 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, 45 Years, 3 months, 6 days

Hale Irwin, 1990 U.S. OPEN, 45 years, 15 days

Lee Trevino, 1984 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, 44 years, 8 months, 18 days

Roberto De Vicenzo, 1967 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, 44 years, 3 months, 1 days

Harry Vardon, 1914 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, 44 years, 1 month, 10 days

Raymond Floyd, 1986 U.S. OPEN, 43 years, 9 months, 11 days

Ted Ray, 1920 U.S. OPEN, 43 years, 4 months, 16 days

 

OLDEST FIRST-TIME MAJOR WINNERS

Jerry Barber (45 years, 3 months, 6 days, 1961 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP)

Roberto De Vicenzo (44 years, 3 months, 1 day, 1967 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP)

 

EL MAYOR TIEMPO ENTRE VICTORIAS DEL PRIMER Y SEGUNDO GRANDE

LONGEST TIME BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND MAJORS

11 years, Julius Boros  (1952 U.S. OPEN-1963 U.S. OPEN)

11 years, Ben Crenshaw (1984 Masters-1995 Masters)

 

PLAYERS WINNING THE WEEK BEFORE A MAJOR (since 1934)

2014, Rory McIlroy (WGC-Bridgestone Invitational-PGA CHAMPIONSHIP)

2007, Tiger Woods (WGC-Bridgestone Invitational-PGA CHAMPIONSHIP)

2006, Phil Mickelson (BellSouth Classic-MASTERS TOURNAMENT)

1988, Sandy Lyle (Greater Greensboro Open-MASTERS TOURNAMENT)

1971, Lee Trevino (Canadian Open-OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP)

1959, Art Wall (Azalea Open-MASTERS TOURNAMENT)

1949, Sam Snead (Greater Greensboro Open-MASTERS TOURNAMENT)

1946, Ben Hogan (Winnipeg Open-PGA CHAMPIONSHIP)

1945, Byron Nelson (Chicago Victory Open-PGA CHAMPIONSHIP)

1939, Ralph Guldahl (Greater Greensboro Open-MASTERS TOURNAMENT)

1939, Henry Picard (Scranton Open-PGA CHAMPIONSHIP)

 

PLAYERS TO WIN A MAJOR AND THEN THE FOLLOWING WEEK (since 1934)

2006, Tiger Woods (PGA CHAMPIONSHIP-WGC-Bridgestone Invitational)

2000, Tiger Woods (PGA CHAMPIONSHIP-WGC-Bridgestone Invitational)

1998, Vijay Singh (PGA CHAMPIONSHIP-The International)

1990, Hale Irwin (U.S. OPEN-Buick Classic)

1985, Bernhard Langer (MASTERS TOURNAMENT-MCI Heritage)

1978, John Mahaffey (PGA CHAMPIONSHIP-American Optical Classic)

1978, Gary Player (MASTERS TOURNAMENT-Tournament of Champions)

1966, Billy Casper (U.S. OPEN-Western Open)

1950, Jimmy Demaret (MASTERS TOURNAMENT-North Fulton Open)

1938, Ralph Guldahl (U.S. OPEN-Western Open)