In this blog article, we’ve discussed the meaning of the grand slam in golf. Before we get into the significance of the grand slam in golf, I’d want to explain what it means.
What Is The Grand Slam In Golf?
A Grand Slam in golf is defined as winning all four major titles in a single discipline during the same calendar year, also known as a Calendar Slam or Calendar-year Grand Slam.
When The Term “Grand Slam” First Appeared In The Golf Dictionary
Since the early 1900s, the term “grand slam” has been used in golf. The British Open was founded in 1865, while the United States Open came two years later. Professional golf did not exist when the PGA Championship was created in 1916, and The Masters did not join until 1934 (Today’s grand slam includes the four professional majors).
The concept of major championships and the four professional majors, on the other hand, took a little longer to develop. In the early 1900s, British and U.S. Amateurs were massive events that competed alongside U.S. Opens.
At the time of his 1930 triumphs, Bobby Jones was widely regarded as taking home four of golf’s most prestigious events. The inaugural Masters, which began in 1934, and the PGA Championship, which debuted in 1937, did not yet have the reputation they now enjoy.
A reporter labeled ” the invincible quadrilateral ” the four events Jones was attempting to win during the 1930s were labeled “the invincible quadrilateral” by a reporter. Nothing comparable had ever been done before.
The “grand slam” was first accomplished by Bobby Jones in 1930. Jones has never won those four tournaments in a single year. No golfer has accomplished it since the Grand Slam events’ names were modified. Jones is the only male golfer to accomplish a single-season grand slam.
Arnold Palmer And The Grand Slam
A “grand slam” in golf is a term used to describe achieving success in all four major events in a single year. The Masters, US Open, British Open, and PGA Championship are the four majors that make up a male golfer’s grand slam.
Until 1960, the four majors that made up the Grand Slam were the U.S. Open, British Open, French Open, and Australasian PGA. Of course, it was Arnold Palmer who inspired it.
In 1960, Palmer was on a roll, winning the Masters and the U.S. Open in April and June, respectively. The next tournament for Palmer was the British Open, which he had never played in before.
However, this time, he entered, and when asked why, he replied that he was attempting the grand slam. It was to him to achieve all four majors in the same year. After his triumphs in the first two events, the British Open and PGA Championship were the next two.
Even a Life magazine story written by Palmer explains it. Palmer traveled to the United Kingdom in search of the grand slam was a major issue in its day (when American golfers were less common than British ones at the British Open or vice versa).
Because of this, the phrase “grand slam” has been defined as winning the Masters, US Open, British Open, and PGA Championship in the same year.
It was not Palmer who did it. In 1960, he finished second at the British Open. The only two males to accomplish this feat are Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods, neither of whom has accomplished it since.
The Grand Slam Achievers In Golf
Only one golfer has ever achieved a golf Grand Slam, while only five pros have accomplished Grand Slam’s career. All six of them are listed here:
- Bobby Jones
- Tiger Woods
- Jack Nicklaus
- Gene Sarazen
- Gary Player
- Ben Hogan
The Grand Slam In The Women’s Golf
The LPGA and the Champions Tours have their respective grand slams. Each of those tours now has five major events. A golfer can only win one LPGA or Champions Tour grand slam in a calendar year. That has never happened on the PGA Tour or the European Tour.
The LPGA Tour’s major event count has varied considerably throughout the years. The LPGA Tour has had as few as two majors a year, three, four, or five in total. There have only been two LPGA golfers to win all three majors in a single year: Babe Didrikson Zaharias did it in 1950, and Sandra Haynie accomplished the feat in 1974.
The LPGA Tour has five of the most significant tournaments, including the ANA Inspiration, The Evian Championship, the U.S. Women’s Open, the Women’s PGA Championship, and the Women’s British Open (ANA Inspiration is not one).
The five majors that make up the senior grand slam are the Tradition, U.S. Senior Open, Senior Players Championship, Senior PGA Championship, and Senior British Open.
Other Types of Grand Slams in Golf
We’ve been talking about the “single-season grand slam,” when a player wins all four majors in the same season. As we have learned, this is rather unusual because the current standard has never been achieved by a PGA Tour golfer (winning the professional majors).
A player may also achieve the “career grand slam,” winning all four major tournaments during a career rather than in a single year. It’s not as tough to accomplish, but it’s still an uncommon accomplishment.
The Tiger slam, of course, is named after Tiger Woods. After finishing sixth in The Masters in 2000, Tiger Woods won the U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA Championship over the next year. He then captured the 2001 Masters to start the season.
He accomplished this goal in record time by winning all four of the most prestigious titles in the same year. However, no other golfer has ever done it in a single season. As a result, the Tiger Slam was coined.
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