Last April, Rory McIlroy completed his long-awaited Grand Slam. No less than eleven years, since he won the Open Championship, the Northern Irishman had to wait to enter the select club of players who have managed to lift the trophy of the four men’s golf majors. A feat that opens the way to something that, to date, has never happened. Never in the history of this sport have four European players won the four Majors in the same season.
There have been numerous occasions when four American players have conquered the four most prestigious events on the calendar in the same year. As recently as 2024, when Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, and Xander Schauffele won the Masters, US Open, PGA Championship, and The Open (the last two by the San Diego player). But it has never happened that four Europeans lift the Major trophies to complete their particular ‘Grand Slam‘.
A path that this season has been opened by Rory McIlroy winning at Augusta National. It took until 1980, with the historic first Green Jacket of Seve Ballesteros, for golfers from the Old Continent to aspire for the first time to their particular full house. But neither on that occasion nor the other 14 times a European has started the year by winning the Masters has it been possible for the next three majors to be won by players from any country in Europe.
Having overcome the tough hurdle at Augusta, now comes the next on the path, Quail Hollow, where 37 players from England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Austria, Northern Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Norway will seek to follow in Rory’s footsteps to give Europe the chance to keep dreaming of a historic full house. An opportunity that goes through the demanding course of Charlotte in a tournament that a European has not won since McIlroy achieved it in 2014.
Throughout history, only three Europeans have lifted the trophy at the PGA Championship. Besides Rory, in 2014 and 2012, the German Martin Kaymer (2010) and the Irish Padraig Harrington (2008) have done so. No Spaniard has won this event, currently second in the Majors calendar and the only one missing for the Armada after the Masters of Seve, Olazábal, Sergio, and Jon, the US Open of Rahm, and the three British Opens of Ballesteros. A huge challenge this week for Jon himself, for Sergio, for Chacarra, and for Puig that allows Europe to keep dreaming of their ‘Grand Slam‘.
