With his win at the 2023 PGA Championship, Brooks Koepka became just the 20th golfer to win five major golf championships. It was also his third win at the PGA Championship, a feat that has only been done by two other golfers in the stroke play era – once by Jack Nicklaus and again by Tiger Woods.
Koepka started the week off with a 72 (+2) on Thursday and was six shots off the lead, but turned things around on Friday with a 66 (-4) to pull within three shots of the lead. Another 66 (-4) on Saturday gave him a one-shot lead and he played just as well on Sunday with a 67 (-3) to end the week at 271 (-9).
He was one of just 10 golfers to finish the major under par and was two shots ahead of Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler – both of whom shot a 273 (-7). Koepka’s impressive win at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY made him the first golfer from LIV to win a major golf championship – but likely not the last.
Winning 5 Major Golf Championships Doesn’t Happen Often
Brooks Koepka is now one of just 20 golfers to win five major golf championships in their career – he has won the 2017 U.S. Open, 2018 U.S. Open, 2018 PGA Championship, 2019 PGA Championship, and the 2023 PGA Championship. He’s still searching for a win at the Masters and The Open Championship.
Of the 20 golfers to win at least five major golf championships, only five of them have completed a career grand slam – meaning they’ve won each of the majors at least once. Furthermore, only six of them have won the PGA Championship at least three times and only eight of them won the U.S. Open multiple times.
Considering there are more than 230 golfers who have ever won a major championship, Brooks Koepka should be proud to be on a list of just 20 golfers to win at least five major golf championships. With that being said, let’s meet the 19 other professional golfers who can say they’ve done the same thing.
19. Seve Ballesteros – 5 major wins
Seve Ballesteros was a Spanish professional golfer who won five major golf championships between 1979 and 1988. He was a two-time winner at the Masters Tournament, having won it 1980 and 1983, and was a three-time winner at The Open Championship, having won the major in 1979, 1984, and 1988.
Ballesteros finished his career with 90 professional wins – including nine on the PGA Tour and 50 on the European Tour, which is the most all-time. He had 20 top-ten finishes and 10 top-five finishes in major golf championships – including runner-up at The Open Championship once and the Masters twice.
18. Peter Thomson – 5 major wins
Peter Thomson was an Australian professional golfer who won five major golf championships between 1954 and 1965. All five of his major wins came at The Open Championship – which is tied for the second most wins at The Open. He was also a top-five finisher at both the U.S. Open and Masters Tournament.
Thomson finished his career with 98 professional wins – including six on the PGA Tour and 11 on the PGA Tour Champions. He had 20 top-ten finishes (18 at The Open), 12 top-five finishes (10 at The Open), and three runner-up finishes (all at The Open) in major golf championships during his career.
17. Byron Nelson – 5 major wins
Byron Nelson was an American professional golfer who won five major golf championships between 1937 and 1945. He won the Masters Tournament twice (1937, 1942), the U.S. Open once (1939), and the PGA Championship twice (1940, 1945). The closest he came at The Open Championship was 5th place.
Nelson finished his career with 64 professional wins – including 52 on the PGA Tour, which ranks as the 6th-most all-time. He had 24 top-ten finishes and 17 top-five finishes in major golf championships during his career – he was the runner-up on six occasions, including three times at the PGA Championship.
16. John Henry Taylor – 5 major wins
John Henry Taylor was an English professional golfer who won five major golf championships between 1894 and 1913. All five of his major wins came at The Open Championship, having won the tournament in 1894, 1895, 1900, 1909, and 1913. He’s one of just five golfers with at least 5 The Open Championships.
Henry Taylor finished his career with 19 professional wins and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1975. He had 24 top-ten finishes (23 at The Open), 17 top-five finishes (16 at The Open), and seven runner-up finishes (6 at The Open) in majors – including a runner-up finish at the 1900 U.S. Open.
15. James Braid – 5 major wins
James Braid was a Scottish professional golfer who won five major golf championships between 1901 and 1910. All five of his major wins came at The Open Championship, having won the tournament in 1901, 1905, 1906, 1908, and 1910. The Open Championship is the only major he ever competed in.
Braid finished his career with 19 professional wins and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976. He had 19 top-ten finishes and 15 top-five finishes at The Open Championship – he was the runner-up in 1897, 1902, 1904, and 1909. He finished in the top-five each year between 1899 and 1912.
14. Phil Mickelson – 6 major wins
Phil Mickelson is an American professional golfer who has won six major golf championships between 2004 and 2021. He won the Masters Tournament three times (2004, 2006, 2010), the PGA Championship twice (2005, and 2021), and The Open Championship once (2013). He has never won the U.S. Open.
Mickelson currently has 57 professional wins under his belt, including 45 on the PGA Tour (tied-8 all-time) and 11 on the European Tour. He has 40 top-ten finishes, 29 top-five finishes, and 12 runner-up finishes in major golf championships – including six runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open, where he has never won.
13. Nick Faldo – 6 major wins
Nick Faldo was an English professional golfer who won six major golf championships between 1987 and 1996. He won the Masters Tournament three times (1989, 1990, 1996) and The Open Championship three times (1987, 1990, 1992). He’s one of just four golfers to win The Open and Masters three times.
Faldo finished his career with 43 professional wins, including nine wins on the PGA Tour and 30 wins on the European Tour – which is currently tied-5th all-time). He had 26 top-ten finishes, 19 top-five finishes, and 3 runner-up finishes in majors – one at the U.S. Open, one at The Open, and one at the PGA Championship.
12. Lee Trevino – 6 major wins
Lee Trevino was an American professional golfer who won six major golf championships between 1968 and 1984. He won the U.S. Open twice (1968, 1971), The Open Championship twice (1971, 1972), and the PGA Championship twice (1974, 1984). He was never able to capture a win at the Masters.
Trevino finished his career with 92 professional wins, including 29 wins on the PGA Tour and 29 wins on the PGA Tour Champions – currently 3rd-most all-time). He had 22 top-ten finishes, 15 top-five finishes, and two runner-up finishes in majors – one at The Open Championship and another at the PGA Championship.
11. Arnold Palmer – 7 major wins
Arnold Palmer was an American professional golfer who won seven major golf championships between 1958 and 1964. He won the Masters Tournament four times (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964), the U.S. Open once (1960), and The Open Championship twice (1961, 1962). He never won the PGA Championship.
Palmer finished his career with 95 professional wins, including 62 wins on the PGA Tour (5th-most all-time) and 10 wins on the PGA Tour Champions. He had 38 top-ten finishes, 26 top-five finishes, and 10 runner-up finishes in majors – including three runner-ups at the PGA Championship, where he never won.
10. Sam Snead – 7 major wins
Sam Snead was an American professional golfer who won seven major golf championships between 1942 and 1954. He won the PGA Championship three times (1942, 1949, 1951), the Masters Tournament three times (1949, 1952, 1954), and The Open Championship once (1946). He never won the U.S. Open.
Snead finished his career with 142 professional wins, including 82 wins on the PGA Tour – which is currently tied for the most all-time with Tiger Woods. He had 42 top-ten finishes, 26 top-five finishes, and eight runner-up finishes in majors – including four runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open, where he never won.
9. Gene Sarazen – 7 major wins
Gene Sarazen was an American professional golfer who won seven major golf championships between 1922 and 1935. He won the PGA Championship three times (1922, 1923, 1933), the U.S. Open twice (1922, 1932), the Masters Tournament once (1935), and The Open Championship once (1932).
Sarazen finished his career with 48 professional wins, including 38 wins on the PGA Tour, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. He had 28 top-ten finishes, 21 top-five finishes, and four runner-up finishes in majors and is one of just six golfers to complete a career grand slam.
8. Bobby Jones – 7 major wins
Bobby Jones was an American professional golfer who won seven major golf championships between 1923 and 1930. He won the U.S. Open four times (1923, 1926, 1929, 1930) and The Open Championship three times (1926, 1927, 1930). He also won the U.S. Amateur five times and the British Amateur in 1930.
Jones finished his career with nine professional wins – all of which coming on the PGA Tour. He never competed in the PGA Championship and his best finish at the Masters Tournament was tied-13th (1934). He had 13 top-ten finishes, 12 top-five finishes, and 4 runner-up finishes (all of which at the U.S. Open) in majors.
7. Harry Vardon – 7 major wins
Harry Vardon was a professional golfer from Jersey (country) who won seven major golf championships between 1896 and 1914. He won the U.S. Open in 1900 and The Open Championship six times in 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, and 1914 – no other golfer has won The Open Championship more than him.
Vardon finished his career with 49 professional wins and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. He had 23 top-ten finishes, 18 top-five finishes, and six runner-up finishes in major championships – including three consecutive runner-up finishes at The Open Championship in 1900, 1901, and 1902.
6. Tom Watson – 8 major wins
Tom Watson was an American professional golfer who won eight major golf championships between 1975 and 1983. He won The Open Championship five times (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983), the Masters Tournament twice (1977, 1981), and the U.S. Open in 1982. He never won the PGA Championship.
Watson finished his career with 70 professional wins, including 39 wins on the PGA Tour (currently tied for 10th-most all-time) and 14 wins on the PGA Tour Champions. He had 46 top-ten finishes, 25 top-five finishes, and eight runner-up finishes in majors – including runner-up at the 1978 PGA Championship.
5. Gary Player – 9 major wins
Gary Player was a South African golfer who won nine major golf championships between 1959 and 1978. He won The Open Championship three times (1959, 1969, 1974), the Masters Tournament three times (1961, 1974, 1978), the PGA Championship twice (1962, 1972), and the U.S. Open once in 1965.
Player finished his career with 159 professional wins, including 24 on the PGA Tour, 59 on the Sunshine Tour, and 22 on the PGA Tour Champions ( tied-7th all-time). He had 44 top-ten finishes, 23 top-five finishes, and 6 runner-up finishes in majors. He’s one of six golfers to complete a career grand slam.
4. Ben Hogan – 9 major wins
Ben Hogan was an American professional golfer who won nine major golf championships between 1946 and 1953. He won the PGA Championship twice (1946, 1948), the U.S. Open four times (1948, 1950, 1951, 1953), the Masters Tournament twice (1951, 1953), and The Open Championship in 1953.
Hogan finished his career with 71 professional wins, including 64 wins on the PGA Tour – which is currently the fourth-most all-time). He had 36 top-ten finishes, 22 top-five finishes, and six runner-up finishes in majors – including four runner-up finishes at the Masters and two more at the U.S. Open. He’s one of six golfers to complete a career grand slam.
3. Walter Hagen – 11 major wins
Walter Hagen was an American professional golfer who won 11 major golf championships between 1914 and 1929. He won the U.S. Open twice (1914, 1919), the PGA Championship five times (1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927), and The Open Championship four times (1922, 1924, 1928, 1929). He never won a green jacket.
Hagen finished his career with 58 professional wins, including 45 wins on the PGA Tour – which is currently tied for the eighth-most all-time. He had 29 top-ten finishes, 22 top-five finishes, and three runner-up finishes in majors. He famously won the PGA Championship four years in a row between 1924 and 1927.
2. Tiger Woods – 15 major wins
Tiger Woods is an American professional golfer who won 15 major golf championships between 1997 and 2019. He won the Masters Tournament five times (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019), the U.S. Open three times (2000, 2002, 2008), the PGA Championship four times (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007), and The Open Championship three times (2000, 2005, 2006).
Woods has 110 professional wins under his belt, including 82 wins on the PGA Tour (tied for the most all-time) and 41 wins on the European Tour (third-most all-time). He has 41 top-ten finishes, 33 top-five finishes, and seven runner-up finishes in majors. He’s one of six golfers to earn a career grand slam.
1. Jack Nicklaus – 18 major wins
Jack Nicklaus was an American professional golfer who won 18 major golf championships between 1962 and 1986. He won the U.S. Open four times (1962, 1967, 1972, 1980), the PGA Championship five times (1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980), the Masters six times (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986), and The Open Championship three times (1966, 1970, 1978).
Nicklaus finished his career with 117 professional wins, including 73 wins on the PGA Tour (third-most all-time), nine wins on the European Tour, and 10 wins on the PGA Tour Champions. He had 73 top-ten finishes, 56 top-five finishes, and 19 runner-up finishes. He’s one of six golfers to earn a career grand slam.
Golfers Who Are Close to Winning 5 Major Golf Championships
Brooks Koepka is the latest to join this legendary list, but he won’t be the last – in fact, there are several golfers closing in on their fifth major win and we could see some of them join the list in the next few years. Currently, there are two active golfers with four major wins – Rory McIlroy, 34, and Ernie Els, 53.
McIlroy is the more likely of the two, but don’t count Ernie out just yet – he still competes in The Open Championship. Behind them, Jordan Spieth is the next closest with three major golf championships at just 29 years old. Vijay Singh and Padraig Harrington each have three, but are running out of time.
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You also have John Rahm, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, and Colin Morikawa all at two major wins – all of whom have a good opportunity at winning three more before they retire. And that’s not even mentioning Scottie Scheffler, who only has one major win right now, but he can easily win four more.
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