Q&A → Players with 3+ Majors
All Players Who Won 3 or More Majors in Golf
Winning three or more major championships puts a golfer in truly elite historical company. Thousands of professional golfers have competed across golf's storied history — only a select few have reached the three-major threshold. This is the complete list.
Complete List: All Players with 3+ Major Championships
Sorted by total major wins. Columns show breakdown by tournament. Active players marked with ⚡.
| Player | Total | Masters | US Open | The Open | PGA | Era |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Nicklaus | 18 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1962–1986 |
| Tiger Woods | 15 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1997–2019 |
| Walter Hagen | 11 | — | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1914–1929 |
| Ben Hogan | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1946–1953 |
| Gary Player | 9 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1959–1978 |
| Tom Watson | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1975–1983 |
| Harry Vardon * | 7 | — | 1 | 6 | — | 1896–1914 |
| Arnold Palmer | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1958–1964 |
| Gene Sarazen | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1922–1935 |
| Sam Snead | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1942–1954 |
| Bobby Jones ** | 7 | — | 4 | 3 | — | 1923–1930 |
| Nick Faldo | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1987–1996 |
| Lee Trevino | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1968–1984 |
| Phil Mickelson ⚡ | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2004–2021 |
| James Braid | 5† | — | 0 | 5 | — | 1901–1910 |
| J.H. Taylor | 5† | — | 0 | 5 | — | 1894–1913 |
| Brooks Koepka ⚡ | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2017–2023 |
| Rory McIlroy ⚡ | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2011–2025 |
| Peter Thomson | 5† | — | 0 | 5 | — | 1954–1965 |
| Willie Anderson | 4† | — | 4 | — | — | 1901–1905 |
| Scottie Scheffler ⚡ | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2022–2025 |
| Raymond Floyd | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1969–1986 |
| Ernie Els | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1994–2012 |
| Greg Norman | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1986–1993 |
| Jordan Spieth ⚡ | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2015–2017 |
| Nick Price | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1992–1994 |
| Pádraig Harrington | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2007–2008 |
| Vijay Singh | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1998–2004 |
| Hale Irwin | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1974–1990 |
| Larry Nelson | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1981–1987 |
| Cary Middlecoff | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1949–1956 |
| Ralph Guldahl | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1937–1939 |
| Julius Boros | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1952–1968 |
| Jimmy Demaret | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1940–1950 |
* Vardon's totals include pre-Masters era (PGA Championship not yet founded). ** Bobby Jones was an amateur; his 7 includes US Open and The Open only in the modern count. † Pre-Masters era players; Masters and PGA Championship were not yet held. ⚡ = Active as of 2026
Active Players with 3+ Majors
As of 2026, these active players have won three or more major championships:
| Player | Majors | Most Recent | Career Grand Slam? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Mickelson | 6 | 2021 PGA Championship | No (missing US Open) |
| Brooks Koepka | 5 | 2023 PGA Championship | No (missing Masters + The Open) |
| Rory McIlroy | 5 | 2025 Masters | Yes ✅ |
| Scottie Scheffler | 4 | 2025 US Open | No (missing US Open, The Open) |
| Jordan Spieth | 3 | 2017 The Open | No (missing PGA Championship) |
The Top 5 Major Winners in Detail
1. Jack Nicklaus — 18 Majors
Jack Nicklaus won his 18 majors across an extraordinary 24-year span (1962–1986). He is the only player to win each of the four major championships at least three times, and his career includes 19 second-place finishes — more runner-up showings than most players win titles. His final major, the 1986 Masters at age 46, is considered the greatest single round in major championship history. No active player is realistically on pace to threaten his record.
2. Tiger Woods — 15 Majors
Tiger Woods completed his career Grand Slam at age 24 and at his peak in the early 2000s appeared on pace to surpass Nicklaus. Injuries ultimately limited his opportunities in the back half of his career. His 15 majors span 1997–2019 — 22 years — and include the famous "Tiger Slam" of 2000–2001 when he held all four major titles simultaneously. His 2019 Masters win following serious back surgery is considered one of sport's greatest comeback stories.
3. Walter Hagen — 11 Majors
Walter Hagen was the dominant force in professional golf from the 1910s through the late 1920s, particularly at the PGA Championship (5 wins) and The Open Championship (4 wins). He is the only player other than Nicklaus to win 5 PGA Championships. The Masters had not yet been established during his prime years.
Active Contenders for History
Scottie Scheffler, with 4 majors by age 29, is the most realistic contender to push into the all-time top 5 over the next decade. At his current pace, reaching 10+ majors is plausible — though matching Nicklaus's 18 would require a historically unprecedented run sustained over two decades.
Notable Players Who Never Reached 3 Majors
Several of golf's most celebrated players fell just short of the 3-major threshold, illustrating how difficult the milestone truly is:
- Greg Norman — 2 majors (1986, 1993 The Open) despite spending over 330 weeks as world #1. Famous near-misses at every major, particularly the 1996 Masters collapse.
- Colin Montgomerie — 0 majors despite 8 European Tour Order of Merit titles. Runner-up at 3 majors.
- Lee Westwood — 0 majors despite multiple world #1 rankings and dozens of top-10 finishes in majors.
- Sergio García — 1 major (2017 Masters) after 73 starts before his win; one of golf's most notable "major curses" finally broken.