There have been many legendary golfers who have won major championships over the years.
Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, and Arnold Palmer are some of the most famous names in golf.
But who has won the most majors in the history of golf?
In this blog post, we will take a look at the golfers who have won the most majors in their careers.
#1 – Jack Nicklaus – 18 Major Championships
Jack Nicklaus has won the most major championships in golf history with 18 majors, and 73 PGA Tour wins over his career.
Nicklaus has won the following majors during his career:
- 6 Masters (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986)
- 5 PGA Championships (1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980)
- 4 U.S. Opens (1962, 1967, 1972, 1980)
- 3 Open Championships (1966, 1970, 1978)
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 and retired from tournament golf in 2005.
#2 – Tiger Woods – 15 Major Championships
Tiger Woods has won the second most major championships in golf history with 15 majors, and 82 PGA Tour wins over his career.
Woods has won the following majors during his career:
- 5 Masters (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019)
- 4 PGA Championships (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007)
- 3 U.S. Opens (2000, 2002, 2008)
- 3 Open Championships (2000, 2005, 2006)
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2021.
#3 – Walter Hagen – 11 Major Championships
Walter Hagen has won the third most major championships in golf history with 11 majors, and 45 PGA Tour wins over his career.
Hagen has won the following majors during his career:
- No Masters
- 5 PGA Championships (1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927)
- 2 U.S. Opens (1914, 1919)
- 4 Open Championships (1922, 1924, 1928, 1929)
He retired from tournament golf in 1941 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
#T4 – Ben Hogan – 9 Major Championships
Ben Hogan has won the fourth most major championships in golf history with 9 majors, and 64 PGA Tour wins over his career.
Hogan has won the following majors during his career:
- 2 Masters (1951, 1953)
- 2 PGA Championships (1946, 1948)
- 4 U.S. Opens (1948, 1950, 1951, 1953)
- 1 Open Championships (1953)
He retired from tournament golf in 1971 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
#T4 – Gary Player – 9 Major Championships
Gary Player has won the fourth most major championships in golf history with nine majors, and 24 PGA Tour wins over his career.
Player has won the following majors during his career:
- 3 Masters (1961, 1974, 1978)
- 2 PGA Championships (1962, 1972)
- 1 U.S. Open (1965)
- 3 Open Championships (1959, 1968, 1974)
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 and retired from tournament golf in 2009.
#6 – Tom Watson – 8 Major Championships
Tom Watson has won the sixth most major championships in golf history with eight majors, and 39 PGA Tour wins over his career.
Watson has won the following majors during his career:
- 2 Masters (1977, 1981)
- No PGA Championships
- 1 U.S. Open (1982)
- 5 Open Championships (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983)
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1971 and retired from tournament golf in 2019.
#T7 – Bobby Jones – 7 Major Championships
Bobby Jones has won the seventh most major championships in golf history with seven majors, and 9 PGA Tour wins over his career.
Jones has won the following majors during his career:
- No Masters
- No PGA Championships
- 4 U.S. Opens (1923, 1926, 1929, 1930)
- 3 Open Championships (1926, 1927, 1930)
He retired from tournament golf in 1930 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
#T7 – Gene Sarazen – 7 Major Championships
Gene Sarazen has won the seventh most major championships in golf history with seven majors, and 38 PGA Tour wins over his career.
Sarazen has won the following majors during his career:
- 1 Masters (1935)
- 3 PGA Championships (1922, 1923, 1933)
- 2 U.S. Opens (1922, 1932)
- 1 Open Championship (1932)
He retired from tournament golf and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
#T7 – Sam Snead – 7 Major Championships
Sam Snead has won the seventh most major championships in golf history with seven majors, and 82 PGA Tour wins over his career.
Snead has won the following majors during his career:
- 3 Masters (1949, 1952, 1954)
- 3 PGA Championships (1942, 1949, 1951)
- No U.S. Opens
- 1 Open Championship (1946)
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 and retired from tournament golf in 1987.
#T7 – Arnold Palmer – 7 Major Championships
Arnold Palmer has won the seventh most major championships in golf history with seven majors, and 62 PGA Tour wins over his career.
Palmer has won the following majors during his career:
- 4 Masters (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964)
- No PGA Championships
- 1 U.S. Open (1960)
- 2 Open Championships (1961, 1962)
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 and retired from tournament golf in 2006.
#T7 – Harold Vardon – 7 Major Championships
Harold Vardon has won the seventh most major championships in golf history with seven majors.
Vardon has won the following majors during his career:
- No Masters
- No PGA Championships
- 1 U.S. Open (1900)
- 6 Open Championships (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914)
He retired from tournament golf in 1926 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
Which golfers have won the grand slam?
While no golfers have won the grand slam (all four majors in one year), a few have won the career grand slam:
- Jack Nicklaus (3x)
- Tiger Woods (3x)
- Ben Hogan
- Gary Player
- Gene Sarazen
And among the active golfers in the world, there are a few that only need one more major win to achieve the career grand slam:
- Phil Mickelson (Needs to win the U.S. Open)
- Jordan Spieth (Needs to win the PGA Championship)
- Rory McIlroy (Needs to win The Masters)
Final thoughts
Whether you’re a golf fanatic or just enjoy the occasional round, it’s interesting to take a look at who has won the most majors in golf.
These athletes have dedicated their lives to mastering one of the world’s most challenging sports, and we can only admire them for their achievements.
While most golfers go there whole career hoping to win one major, these athletes have shattered that notion and won multiple times.
And who knows, maybe someday someone will win the grand slam and go down in history for being one of the greatest golfers to ever live!
