At the 2015 US Masters, Rory McIlroy had his first attempt at claiming the career Grand Slam, having won the US Open in 2011, the US PGA Championship in 2012 and the Open in 2014 (the year in which he also claimed a second US PGA title). He finished fourth in the 2025 Masters tournament, but was never really in contention, with Jordan Spieth opening with rounds of 64 and 66 and going on to win with great ease by four shots. Spieth’s -18 score was six better than Rory could manage.
Still, with the Northern Irishman so clearly the best player in the world at that stage, and having proven he had what it takes to tame Augusta – not least in 2011 when he led by four shots heading into the final round – it was a matter of when rather than if Rory would win the Masters. In the end, such thinking was proved right, but it sure took a lot longer for the Holywood man to join the elite group of players to have won all four majors than anyone had predicted a decade ago.
2025 was his 11th visit to Augusta seeking immortality and a place in the career Grand Slam club. He made his debut appearance in the tournament back in 2009 as a callow 20-year-old and his eventual victory came at the 17th time of asking overall. There was pain, heartache, tears and frustration along the way as Rory took the slow road to glory. There were seven top-10 finishes on the hallowed turf of Augusta National, as well as three missed cuts but he got there in the end and arriving at his destination was all the sweeter due to the trials of the journey.
Who Else Has Won All Four Majors?
The scale of what McIlroy has achieved is emphasised by looking at who else managed to win all four majors during their careers. He is the first non-American to capture the career Grand Slam and every name in this elite club is a genuine icon and legend of the sport. The table below shows all the men to have landed the career Grand Slam, along with their total majors and their wins in each of the big four.
| Player | Open | Masters | US Open | US PGA | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Nicklaus | 3 – 1966, 1970, 1978 | 6 – 1963, 1965, 1866, 1972, 1975, 1986 | 4 – 1962, 1967, 1972, 1980 | 5- 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980 | 18 |
| Tiger Woods | 3 – 2000, 2005, 2006 | 5 – 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019 | 3 – 2000, 2002, 2008 | 4 – 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007 | 15 |
| Gary Player | 3 – 1959, 1968, 1974 | 3 – 1961, 1974, 1978 | 1 – 1965 | 2 – 1962, 1972 | 9 |
| Ben Hogan | 1 – 1953 | 2 – 1951, 1953 | 4 – 1948, 1950, 1951, 1953 | 2 – 1946, 1948 | 9 |
| Gene Sarazen | 1 – 1932 | 1 – 1935 | 2 – 1922, 1932 | 3 – 1922, 1923, 1933 | 7 |
| Rory McIlroy | 1 – 2014 | 1 – 2025 | 1 – 2011 | 2 – 2012, 2014 | 5 |
In the modern age, where travel is so much easier and many of the best European golfers have homes in the US, it is not as hard as it once was for an overseas golfer to win in America. Even so, for Rory to have won the three biggest tournaments in America – not to mention his two wins at The Players, including in 2025 – is an accomplishment that cannot be overstated. He is the first European to manage it and, in fact, as said, the first non-American.
In truth, no other player from outside the States has even come close, if we discount Jim Barnes and Tommy Armour. Those two golfers were born in the UK but moved to the States well before winning their first majors. Moreover, they did not really challenge for the career Slam and, in fact, Barnes never even teed up at the Masters, the only one of the four he didn’t win.
Where Does Rory Stand in the History of the Game?
He did it.
@McIlroyRory is a Masters champion.He’s achieved the career Grand Slam. pic.twitter.com/G7sL5PteVq
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 13, 2025
Assessing and comparing players from different eras is a fool’s errand, whilst trying to think about a golfer’s place in the historical scheme of things before their career is over is also unwise. But, we’re foolish, so here goes!
What to Consider
Such debates are inherently subjective, even if there are several objective metrics we can consider. The total number of majors a player has won is an obvious starting point, as is the total number of tournament victories they have. We can also look at top-three finishes, something that is often used to place Nicklaus above Tiger in terms of deciding golf’s true GOAT. The world rankings are also informative, although these were only officially created in 1986, so are a useful tool to assess Rory in comparison to more modern players, but not to most of the other career Grand Slam kings.
Needs to Add More Majors
All that said, and based on Rory’s career so far, we would say that despite him landing the career Grand Slam, he needs to add more majors to truly be considered alongside the other players in that elite group. He may well do that, in time, with many believing that this win will open the floodgates. He certainly has some exciting chances up ahead, with this year’s Open Championship set to be played at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
Upcoming US PGA Championship
In addition, the 2025 US PGA Championship will be played at Quail Hollow, where Rory shot a final round 62 to claim his first PGA Tour victory in back in 2010. In 2015, he shot a course-record 61 at the course to again win the event there, making it a hat-trick with victory in the 2021 Wells Fargo. It is clearly a course he loves, so there is a great chance for him to move past five majors this year.
One of the Top 10
Most pundits would certainly place Rory in the top 10 or so of all time and perhaps even the top five. There are those, largely of an American persuasion, who might disagree, and suggest that the likes of Phil Mickelson or even Dustin Johnson have achieved more. However, when we take in the time Rory has spent as the world number one (122 weeks, fifth overall), the fact that only 14 players have won more majors than he has, his high number of top-10s in the big four 32, including 19 top fives) and, of course, that career Grand Slam, we would have to argue that right now Rory is one of the best 10 golfers ever. By the time he has done, we would hope that he has moved to at least seven or eight majors and perhaps even a double-career Slam is not beyond him. Exciting times await.