Holding all four major championship trophies at the same time is the quiet dream of every professional golfer, a feat considered so difficult it was long thought impossible in the modern era. Then came Tiger Woods. This article breaks down exactly what the Tiger Slam is, chronicles the incredible run that made it happen, and relives the final, tension-filled holes that cemented a unique place in golf history.
The Tiger Slam refers to one of the most dominant stretches in sports history, where Tiger Woods won four consecutive major championships, holding all four titles simultaneously. However, it wasn't a "calendar Grand Slam" because the wins weren't all within the same calendar year.
Instead, his incredible run spanned across two seasons:
When he putted out on the 18th green at Augusta in April 2001, he had done something no golfer had ever done before (or since): he was the reigning champion of every single professional major at the same time. The four trophies sat on his mantle. This non-calendar-year achievement was so momentous and unique to him that it was simply dubbed the "Tiger Slam."
This is a source of frequent debate among golfers, but the distinction is quite clear. The traditional Grand Slam in golf is winning all four modern majors - The Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open Championship - in a single calendar year. This has never been accomplished in the men's professional game.
The only player to ever win an accepted Grand Slam was the legendary amateur Bobby Jones in 1930. His slam, however, consisted of the four biggest events of his era: the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, the U.S. Amateur, and the British Amateur. While Tiger’s feat wasn’t a calendar Grand Slam, holding all four professional majors concurrently is arguably just as difficult and, for many, an even more impressive test of sustained dominance over a longer period.
To fully appreciate the pressure Tiger faced heading into the 2001 Masters, you have to understand the sheer dominance that preceded it. By the time he drove down Magnolia Lane in April 2001, he wasn't just on a hot streak, he was fundamentally changing the game. His pursuit of the fourth consecutive major was the biggest story in sports.
Here’s a quick recap of the three wins that set the stage:
The tension at Augusta National in 2001 was palpable. No one could talk about anything else. Could he do it? Could anyone win four majors in a row? The weight of expectation was immense. Unlike his previous major victories where he often held the lead, Tiger began the final round trailing leader Phil Mickelson by one shot, setting the stage for a dramatic Sunday showdown between golf's biggest titans.
Let's walk through that historic final round, because for any golfer who wants to learn about managing pressure, this was a masterclass.
Tiger’s front nine on Sunday wasn't a display of fireworks. It was a lesson in patience and execution. As a coach, this is what I stress to my players: you don't win majors with risky, heroic shots on the front nine. You win by playing smart, solid golf that keeps you in the hunt and puts mental pressure on your opponents.
Phil Mickelson was playing well, as was David Duval, who was also making a charge. Tiger made a string of pars to start, missing a few good birdie chances but never letting frustration get the best of him. After a bogey on the 5th, he didn't panic. He followed it with a birdie on the par-3 6th. His first defining move came on the par-5 8th hole. A perfect drive and a solid second shot left him with an easy up-and-down for birdie. It was clinical. He turned at two-under-par for the day, tied for the lead.
Everyone knows the back nine on Sunday at the Masters decides the tournament. Tiger played it like a seasoned champion.
Amen Corner (holes 11, 12, and 13) is designed to break a player’s nerve. Tiger attacked it with a surgeon’s precision.
Standing on the 18th tee, Tiger held a one-shot lead over David Duval, who had finished at -15. Phil Mickelson was just behind, but a bogey on 16 had essentially ended his chances. The world was watching. History was on the line.
The roar was deafening. He let out a primal yell, a release of unbelievable intensity, triumph, and relief. The patented uppercut fist pump was forceful. Moments later, he hugged his father, Earl, behind the 18th green in an emotional embrace that became one of golf’s most iconic images.
The Tiger Slam was more than just a sequence of four wins. It was a statement. It confirmed Tiger Woods's place among the game’s immortals and created a new benchmark for greatness in the modern era. He proved that it was possible for one player to be strategically and physically superior across four completely different major championship venues - from the windswept links of Scotland to the manicured perfection of Augusta.
For the average golfer, the Slam stands as the ultimate example of what happens when generational talent meets an unbreakable will to win. It wasn't just about booming drives and perfect iron shots, it was about flawless course management, mental fortitude, and the ability to execute the right shot at the right time, over and over again, for ten solid months.
The Tiger Slam was a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, representing a run of dominance so complete that it may never be repeated. Tiger's ability to navigate immense pressure and strategically dismantle the world's best courses and players for four straight majors remains a high-water mark for individual performance in any sport.
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