Jack Nicklaus has won the most majors in golf with 18 in total; followed by Tiger Woods with 15 majors wins and Walter Hagen with 11 majors.
But let’s dive a little deeper into those with the most major wins.
What are the 4 golf majors ?
The four major championships of professional golf, also known as The Majors. They are:
The Masters
The Masters is held annually at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA.
Augusta was the brain child of Bobby Jones; the course was opened in 1933 and the Masters began in 1934 as an invitation only event.
PGA Golf Championship
The PGA Golf Championship is the annual championship of the Professional Golfers’ Association and was first held at Siwanoy Country Club in New York.
Originally a match play event, The PGA moved to stroke play in 1958.
U.S. Open
The US Open Golf championship is the oldest and most prestigious tournament on the PGA Tour, having been played annually since 1895.
The U.S. Open was first held at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island and won by an Englishman; Horace Rawlins.
The Open Championship
The Open Golf Championship is the oldest major championship in golf.
It was first played at Prestwick, Scotland on July 18–21, 1860 and last played at Royal St. George’s in 2021; won by Collin Morikawa.
The Open has been interrupted 3 times since 1860; World War One and Two and the Coronavirus in 2020.
However, the US Amateur and The British Amateur were once considered majors
Jack Nicklaus – 18 Majors
Jack Nicklaus has won 18 major titles between 1963 and 1986 and remarkably finished 2rd or 3rd in another 27 majors.
Jack Nicklaus is the greatest golfer of all time.
The Masters
1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986
PGA Championship
1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980
U.S. Open
1962, 1967, 1972, 1980
The Open Championship
1966, 1970, 1978
Tiger Woods – 15 Majors
Tiger Woods has 15 major titles to his name; from 1997 to 2019.
Will Tiger get equal Jack’s record ? Time and health are not on his side.
The Masters
1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019
PGA Championship
1999, 2000, 2006, 2007
U.S. Open
2000, 2002, 2008
The Open Championship
2000, 2005, 2006
Walter Hagen – 11 Majors
Walter Hagen won 11 majors between 1914 and 1929; including winning 4 consecutive PGA titles.
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927
U.S. Open
1914, 1919
The Open Championship
1922, 1924, 1928, 1929
Ben Hogan – 9 Majors
Ben Hogan won 9 majors between 1948 and 1953.
The Masters
1951, 1953
PGA Championship
1946, 1948
U.S. Open
1948, 1950, 1951, 1953
The Open Championship
1953
Gary Player – 9 Majors
Gary Player won 9 majors between 1959 and 1978.
The Masters
1961, 1974, 1978
PGA Championship
1962, 1972
U.S. Open
1965
The Open Championship
1959, 1968, 1974
Tom Watson – 8 Majors
Tom Watson won 8 major victories secured between 1975 and 1983 which includes 5 Open Championships; nearly a 6th Open after narrowly missing out in 2009.
The Masters
1977, 1981
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
1982
The Open Championship
1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983
Arnold Palmer – 7 Majors
Arnold Palmer won 7 majors between 1958 and 1964.
The Masters
1958, 1960, 1962, 1964
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
1960
The Open Championship
1961, 1962
Sam Snead – 7 Majors
Sam Snead won 7 major titles between 1942 and 1954.
The Masters
1949, 1952, 1954
PGA Championship
1942, 1949, 1951
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1946
Gene Sarazen – 7 Majors
Gene Sarazen won 7 majors between 1922 and 1935.
The Masters Tournament
1935
PGA Championship
1922, 1923, 1933
U.S. Open
1922, 1932
The Open Championship
1932
Bobby Jones – 7 Majors
Bobby Jones won 7 modern day majors but 10 if you include the US Amateur and British Amateur which were considered a major title in his era.
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
1923, 1926, 1929, 1930
The Open Championship
1926, 1927, 1930
U.S. Amateur
1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1930
British Amateur
1930
Harry Vardon – 7 Majors
Harry Vardon won 7 majors, 6 Open Championships and one US Open between 1896 and 1914.
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
1900
The Open Championship
1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914
Nick Faldo – 6 Majors
Sir Nick Faldo won 6 majors; 3 Masters and 3 Opens between 1987 and 1996.
The Masters
1989, 1990, 1996
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1987, 1990, 1992
Phil Mickelson – 6 Majors
Phil Mickelson won 6 majors between 2006 and 2021.
The Masters
2004, 2006, 2010
PGA Championship
2005, 2021
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
2013
Lee Trevino – 6 Majors
Lee Trevino was a major champion 6 times between 1968 and 1974.
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
1974, 1984
U.S. Open
1968, 1971
The Open Championship
1971, 1972
Seve Ballesteros – 5 Majors
Seve Ballesteros won 5 majors from 1979 to 1988.
The Masters
1980, 1983
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1979, 1984, 1988
Byron Nelson – 5 Majors
The Masters Tournament
1937, 1942
PGA Championship
1940, 1945
U.S. Open
1939
The Open Championship
None
Peter Thomson – 5 Majors
Peter Thomson won 5 majors, all The Open Championship, between 1954 and 1965.
The Masters Tournament
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1965
J. H. Taylor – 5 Majors
J.H. Taylor won 5 Open Championships between 1894 and 1913.
The Masters Tournament
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1894, 1895, 1900, 1909, 1913
James Braid – 5 Majors
James Braid won 5 Open Championships between 1901 and 1910.
The Masters Tournament
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1901, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1910
Raymond Floyd – 4 Majors
Raymond Floyd won 4 majors between 1969 and 1986.
The Masters
1976
PGA Championship
1969, 1982
U.S. Open
1986
The Open Championship
None
Ernie Els – 4 Majors
The big easy, Ernie Els, won 4 majors between 1994 and 2012.
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
1994, 1997
The Open Championship
2002, 2012
James Barnes – 4 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
1916, 1919
U.S. Open
1921
The Open Championship
1925
Bobby Locke – 4 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1949, 1950, 1952, 1957
Rory McIlroy – 4 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
2012, 2014
U.S. Open
2011
The Open Championship
2014
Willie Park Senior – 4 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1860, 1863, 1866, 1875
Tom Morris, Senior – 4 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1861, 1862, 1864, 1867
Tom Morris, Junior – 4 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1868, 1869, 1870, 1872
Willie Anderson – 4 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1901, 1903, 1904, 1905
Brooks Koepka – 4 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
2018, 2019
U.S. Open
2017, 2018
The Open Championship
None
Julius Boros – 3 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
1968
U.S. Open
1952, 1963
The Open Championship
None
Billy Casper – 3 Majors
The Masters
1970
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
1959, 1966
The Open Championship
None
Hale Irwin – 3 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
1974, 1979, 1990
The Open Championship
None
Cary Middlecoff – 3 Majors
The Masters
1955
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
1949, 1956
The Open Championship
None
Larry Nelson – 3 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
1981, 1987
U.S. Open
1983
The Open Championship
None
Nick Price – 3 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
1992, 1994
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1994
Payne Stewart – 3 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
1989
U.S. Open
1991, 1999
The Open Championship
None
Ralph Guldahl – 3 Majors
The Masters
1939
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
1937, 1938
The Open Championship
None
Jimmy Demaret – 3 Majors
The Masters
1940, 1947, 1950
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
None
Vijay Singh – 3 Majors
The Masters
2000
PGA Championship
1998, 2004
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
None
Tommy Armour – 3 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
1930
U.S. Open
1927
The Open Championship
1931
Henry Cotton – 3 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1934, 1937, 1948
Denny Shute – 3 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
1936, 1937
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1933
Padraig Harrington – 3 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
2008
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
2007, 2008
Robert Ferguson – 3 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1880, 1881, 1882
James Anderson – 3 Majors
The Masters
None
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
None
The Open Championship
1887, 1878, 1879
Jordan Spieth – 3 Majors
The Masters
2015
PGA Championship
None
U.S. Open
2015
The Open Championship
2017
Summary
I’ve only included major winners with 3 or more major championship victories.
Which means I’ve not included Bubba Watson, Justin Rose, Louis Oosthuizen, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Darren Clarke, Johnny Miller and Lanny Watkins.
