Number 1
Jack Nicklaus USA 1962–1986 Total majors – 18
Trivia
In a span of 25 years, from 1962 (age 22) to 1986 (age 46), Nicklaus won 18 major championships.
This is the most majors any player has won in his career.
Nicklaus is one of two players to achieve a "triple career slam" i.e. winning all four major championships three times in a career, the other being Tiger Woods.
He made 39 consecutive cuts in major championship starting at the 1969 Masters and ending by being cut at the 1978 PGA Championship.
In this span he won 8 times, made 33 top tens and 7 runner-ups.
He played 154 consecutive majors for which he was eligible, from the 1957 U.S. Open to the 1998 U.S. Open.
Holds the record for most runner-ups in majors with 19.
The Masters
Nicklaus holds the record for most wins at the Masters with 6.
Nicklaus is the oldest winner of the Masters. He was 46 years and 82 days old when he won the Masters in 1986.
Nicklaus holds the record for most cuts made with 37.
Nicklaus holds the record for most top tens with 22.
Nicklaus was a runner-up a record four times.
In the decade of the 1970s, Nicklaus finished in the top ten at Augusta every year.
Over his career, he appeared in the event 45 times and made the cut 37 times.
U.S. Open
Nicklaus holds the record with Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan for most wins at the U.S Open with 4.
Nicklaus holds the record for the most consecutive tournaments started with 44 (1957-2000).
Nicklaus holds the record for lowest score for 72 holes (272) with Lee Janzen
(67-67-69-69) in 1993; Tiger Woods (65-69-71-67) in 2000 and Jim Furyk
(67-66-67-72) in 2003. Nicklaus shot 63-71-70-68 in 1980.
Nicklaus holds the record for lowest score for 18 holes (63) with Johnny Miller (4th round) in
1973; Tom Weiskopf, (1st round) in 1980 and Vijay Singh (2nd round) in 2003.
Nicklaus shot a 63 in the 1st round in 1980.
Nicklaus is the only player to win the title in three different decades.
Nicklaus had four runner-up finishes in his 44 consecutive appearances. He made the cut 35 times.
The Open Championship
Nicklaus had 15 straight top tens from 1966 to 1980.
Nicklaus had 11 straight top fives from 1970 to 1980.
Nicklaus was a runner-up a record seven times.
Nicklaus made the cut in 32 out of 38 appearances, and from 1966 to 1980 he never finished worse than sixth.
PGA Championship
Nicklaus holds the record with Walter Hagen for most wins at the PGA Championship with 5.
Nicklaus holds the record for the greatest winning margin in the strokeplay era, 7 strokes in 1980.
Nicklaus made the cut 27 times in 37 tournaments
Nicklaus was runner-up four times.
Jack Nicklaus USA 1962–1986 Total majors – 18
Trivia
In a span of 25 years, from 1962 (age 22) to 1986 (age 46), Nicklaus won 18 major championships.
This is the most majors any player has won in his career.
Nicklaus is one of two players to achieve a "triple career slam" i.e. winning all four major championships three times in a career, the other being Tiger Woods.
He made 39 consecutive cuts in major championship starting at the 1969 Masters and ending by being cut at the 1978 PGA Championship.
In this span he won 8 times, made 33 top tens and 7 runner-ups.
He played 154 consecutive majors for which he was eligible, from the 1957 U.S. Open to the 1998 U.S. Open.
Holds the record for most runner-ups in majors with 19.
The Masters
Nicklaus holds the record for most wins at the Masters with 6.
Nicklaus is the oldest winner of the Masters. He was 46 years and 82 days old when he won the Masters in 1986.
Nicklaus holds the record for most cuts made with 37.
Nicklaus holds the record for most top tens with 22.
Nicklaus was a runner-up a record four times.
In the decade of the 1970s, Nicklaus finished in the top ten at Augusta every year.
Over his career, he appeared in the event 45 times and made the cut 37 times.
U.S. Open
Nicklaus holds the record with Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan for most wins at the U.S Open with 4.
Nicklaus holds the record for the most consecutive tournaments started with 44 (1957-2000).
Nicklaus holds the record for lowest score for 72 holes (272) with Lee Janzen
(67-67-69-69) in 1993; Tiger Woods (65-69-71-67) in 2000 and Jim Furyk
(67-66-67-72) in 2003. Nicklaus shot 63-71-70-68 in 1980.
Nicklaus holds the record for lowest score for 18 holes (63) with Johnny Miller (4th round) in
1973; Tom Weiskopf, (1st round) in 1980 and Vijay Singh (2nd round) in 2003.
Nicklaus shot a 63 in the 1st round in 1980.
Nicklaus is the only player to win the title in three different decades.
Nicklaus had four runner-up finishes in his 44 consecutive appearances. He made the cut 35 times.
The Open Championship
Nicklaus had 15 straight top tens from 1966 to 1980.
Nicklaus had 11 straight top fives from 1970 to 1980.
Nicklaus was a runner-up a record seven times.
Nicklaus made the cut in 32 out of 38 appearances, and from 1966 to 1980 he never finished worse than sixth.
PGA Championship
Nicklaus holds the record with Walter Hagen for most wins at the PGA Championship with 5.
Nicklaus holds the record for the greatest winning margin in the strokeplay era, 7 strokes in 1980.
Nicklaus made the cut 27 times in 37 tournaments
Nicklaus was runner-up four times.
2
Tiger Woods USA 1997–2013 Total majors - 14
Trivia
In all of his major victories, he has had the outright lead or a share of the lead at the end of the third round.
He has had the outright lead or a share of the lead 9 times at the end of the second round and has only lost once.
Woods holds at least a share of the record for lowest 72-hole score in relation to par in all four majors
and holds the low-72 holes record outright in two of them.
Note that the "to par" and "low 72-holes" records are not always the same because, while most championship golf courses
have a par of 72, or 288 for four rounds, some have a par of 71 or 70.
Woods is the only player to have won multiple professional majors in consecutive years, 2005 and 2006.
Bobby Jones won multiple majors in consecutive years in 1926 and 1927, when the U.S. Amateur
and the British Amateur were both considered majors.[9]
Woods has won two or more majors in a year four times. He trails only Jack Nicklaus, who won two
majors in a season five times (1963, '66, '72, '75 and '80).[10]
Woods and Nicklaus are the only players to have finished in the Top 5 in all four majors
in a year. They have both achieved this twice: Woods in 2000 and 2005, and Nicklaus in 1971 and 1973.
Woods and Bobby Jones are the only golfers to have won 10 majors before the age of 30. Jones achieved 13 majors in 21 attempts,
(winning percentage 62%), while Woods achieved 10 wins in 44 attempts (a 23% winning ratio).[11]
Woods is only the second player all-time to win three major championships in a calendar year (2000) winning the U.S. Open,
The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship respectively, along with Ben Hogan who accomplished this feat in (1953)
with The Masters, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championships.
Woods is the second player to have won the career grand slam three times along with Jack Nicklaus.
The Masters
−18 (270), 1997 (outright to-par and low 72 holes record)
Woods holds the record for the largest margin of victory at the Masters: 12 strokes (1997)
Woods became the youngest winner in 1997 at the age of 21 years, 104 days
His win made him the first winner of The Masters, or any other (under-50) men's major,
of African or Asian descent. He, the Indian Fijian Vijay Singh, and the South
Korean Yang Yong-eun are the only winners of any major of such descent.
The only other major winner whose primary ethnic heritage is
undeniably non-European is 2005 U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell, a Māori
from New Zealand.After a front-nine 40 in the first round, Woods played the
final 63 holes 22-under parHe played 72 holes without a single three-puttWoods
set a record with the lowest back-to-back total for two rounds: 131 (65-66)
U.S. Open
−12 (272), 2000 (outright to-par record)
Woods shares the low 72-holes record with Jack Nicklaus, Lee Janzen, and Jim Furyk.
Woods holds the record for the largest margin of victory at the U.S.
Open: 15 strokes (2000) (this is the record for all majors)
Also in 2000, Woods became the first player to finish a U.S. Open at double digits under par.
(In 1992, Gil Morgan was the first ever to be double digits under par at any
stage of a U.S. Open, but failed to finish in double digits under par, and
indeed failed to win that event, with Tom Kite winning instead.)
Woods was the only player to finish under par at the following U.S. Opens:
2000 at Pebble Beach Golf Links: -12
2002 at Bethpage State Park, Black Course: -3
With his win in 2008, Woods equaled Jack Nicklaus' feat of winning each
major at least three times
The Open Championship
−19 (269), 2000 (outright to-par record, Greg Norman holds the low 72-holes record at 267)
This performance is also the to-par record for all majors.
Woods holds the record for largest margin of victory at The Open Championship: 8 strokes (2000)
Woods became the fifth player to achieve the Career Grand Slam, and the youngest player (24 years, & 206 days) to do so,
breaking the mark held by Nicklaus (26 years, 6 months at the 1966 British Open)
He became the fastest to win all four majors — in his 93rd sanctioned tournament, compared with 125 for Nicklaus
He became the youngest to win a fourth major championship, breaking the mark held by Nicklaus (25 years, & 80 days at the 1965 Masters)
In 2006, Woods became the first player to win the Open Championship in back-to-back years since Tom Watson in 1982-83
He became the first golfer since Watson in 1982 to win the U.S. and British Opens in the same year
PGA Championship
−18 (270), 2000 and 2006 (to-par record, shared with Bob May; David Toms holds the low 72-holes record at 265)
With his 2006 PGA Championship win, Woods became the only golfer to have won all 4 majors by at least 5 strokes
Woods is the only player in the stroke-play era (since 1958) to repeat as PGA champion.
Woods' wins at Medinah in 1999 and 2006 make him the only player to win the PGA Championship twice on the same course.
Second round 63 in the 2007 PGA Championship tied the record for lowest single-round score in major championship history
Woods is the only player to win the PGA Championship back-to-back on two different occasions: 1999-2000 and 2006-2007
Tiger Woods USA 1997–2013 Total majors - 14
Trivia
In all of his major victories, he has had the outright lead or a share of the lead at the end of the third round.
He has had the outright lead or a share of the lead 9 times at the end of the second round and has only lost once.
Woods holds at least a share of the record for lowest 72-hole score in relation to par in all four majors
and holds the low-72 holes record outright in two of them.
Note that the "to par" and "low 72-holes" records are not always the same because, while most championship golf courses
have a par of 72, or 288 for four rounds, some have a par of 71 or 70.
Woods is the only player to have won multiple professional majors in consecutive years, 2005 and 2006.
Bobby Jones won multiple majors in consecutive years in 1926 and 1927, when the U.S. Amateur
and the British Amateur were both considered majors.[9]
Woods has won two or more majors in a year four times. He trails only Jack Nicklaus, who won two
majors in a season five times (1963, '66, '72, '75 and '80).[10]
Woods and Nicklaus are the only players to have finished in the Top 5 in all four majors
in a year. They have both achieved this twice: Woods in 2000 and 2005, and Nicklaus in 1971 and 1973.
Woods and Bobby Jones are the only golfers to have won 10 majors before the age of 30. Jones achieved 13 majors in 21 attempts,
(winning percentage 62%), while Woods achieved 10 wins in 44 attempts (a 23% winning ratio).[11]
Woods is only the second player all-time to win three major championships in a calendar year (2000) winning the U.S. Open,
The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship respectively, along with Ben Hogan who accomplished this feat in (1953)
with The Masters, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championships.
Woods is the second player to have won the career grand slam three times along with Jack Nicklaus.
The Masters
−18 (270), 1997 (outright to-par and low 72 holes record)
Woods holds the record for the largest margin of victory at the Masters: 12 strokes (1997)
Woods became the youngest winner in 1997 at the age of 21 years, 104 days
His win made him the first winner of The Masters, or any other (under-50) men's major,
of African or Asian descent. He, the Indian Fijian Vijay Singh, and the South
Korean Yang Yong-eun are the only winners of any major of such descent.
The only other major winner whose primary ethnic heritage is
undeniably non-European is 2005 U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell, a Māori
from New Zealand.After a front-nine 40 in the first round, Woods played the
final 63 holes 22-under parHe played 72 holes without a single three-puttWoods
set a record with the lowest back-to-back total for two rounds: 131 (65-66)
U.S. Open
−12 (272), 2000 (outright to-par record)
Woods shares the low 72-holes record with Jack Nicklaus, Lee Janzen, and Jim Furyk.
Woods holds the record for the largest margin of victory at the U.S.
Open: 15 strokes (2000) (this is the record for all majors)
Also in 2000, Woods became the first player to finish a U.S. Open at double digits under par.
(In 1992, Gil Morgan was the first ever to be double digits under par at any
stage of a U.S. Open, but failed to finish in double digits under par, and
indeed failed to win that event, with Tom Kite winning instead.)
Woods was the only player to finish under par at the following U.S. Opens:
2000 at Pebble Beach Golf Links: -12
2002 at Bethpage State Park, Black Course: -3
With his win in 2008, Woods equaled Jack Nicklaus' feat of winning each
major at least three times
The Open Championship
−19 (269), 2000 (outright to-par record, Greg Norman holds the low 72-holes record at 267)
This performance is also the to-par record for all majors.
Woods holds the record for largest margin of victory at The Open Championship: 8 strokes (2000)
Woods became the fifth player to achieve the Career Grand Slam, and the youngest player (24 years, & 206 days) to do so,
breaking the mark held by Nicklaus (26 years, 6 months at the 1966 British Open)
He became the fastest to win all four majors — in his 93rd sanctioned tournament, compared with 125 for Nicklaus
He became the youngest to win a fourth major championship, breaking the mark held by Nicklaus (25 years, & 80 days at the 1965 Masters)
In 2006, Woods became the first player to win the Open Championship in back-to-back years since Tom Watson in 1982-83
He became the first golfer since Watson in 1982 to win the U.S. and British Opens in the same year
PGA Championship
−18 (270), 2000 and 2006 (to-par record, shared with Bob May; David Toms holds the low 72-holes record at 265)
With his 2006 PGA Championship win, Woods became the only golfer to have won all 4 majors by at least 5 strokes
Woods is the only player in the stroke-play era (since 1958) to repeat as PGA champion.
Woods' wins at Medinah in 1999 and 2006 make him the only player to win the PGA Championship twice on the same course.
Second round 63 in the 2007 PGA Championship tied the record for lowest single-round score in major championship history
Woods is the only player to win the PGA Championship back-to-back on two different occasions: 1999-2000 and 2006-2007
3, Walter Hagen USA 1914–1929 Total majors - 11
4, Gary Player RSA 1959–1978 Total majors - 9
4, Ben Hogan USA 1946–1953 Total majors - 9
6, Tom Watson USA 1975–1983 Total majors - 8
7, Arnold Palmer USA 1958–1964 Total majors - 7
7, Sam Snead USA 1942–1954 Total majors - 7
7, Gene Sarazen USA 1922–1935 Total majors - 7
7, Bobby Jones USA 1923–1930 Total majors - 7
7, Harry Vardon JER 1896–1914 Total majors - 7
12, Nick Faldo ENG 1987–1996 Total majors - 6
12, Lee Trevino USA 1968–1984 Total majors - 6
4, Gary Player RSA 1959–1978 Total majors - 9
4, Ben Hogan USA 1946–1953 Total majors - 9
6, Tom Watson USA 1975–1983 Total majors - 8
7, Arnold Palmer USA 1958–1964 Total majors - 7
7, Sam Snead USA 1942–1954 Total majors - 7
7, Gene Sarazen USA 1922–1935 Total majors - 7
7, Bobby Jones USA 1923–1930 Total majors - 7
7, Harry Vardon JER 1896–1914 Total majors - 7
12, Nick Faldo ENG 1987–1996 Total majors - 6
12, Lee Trevino USA 1968–1984 Total majors - 6