Most men's major wins

Four times a year, the world's best golfers come together bidding to write their names into the sport's history books.

The US Masters, the US Open, The Open and the US PGA Championship are the four tournaments more coveted than any other by all professional golfers, and all four have eluded some of the best players to have played the game.

Below, we look at the gofers with the most men's majors in history.

Jack Nicklaus - 18 majors

Winning span: 1962-1986
US Masters: 6
US Open: 4
The Open: 3
PGA Championship: 5

While the best of Tiger Woods came in a 12-year stretch between 1997 and 2008, incredibly coming back to win his - presumably - final major in 2019, his major-winning span still came up two years short of Jack Nicklaus.

Aged 22 when he won his first major at the 1962 US Open, Nicklaus would win every major at least three times.

1980 looked to be Nicklaus's major swansong, when he won two more, only to miraculously win the 1986 Masters, aged 46.

Tiger Woods - 15 majors

Winning span: 1997-2019
US Masters: 5
US Open: 3
The Open: 3
PGA Championship: 4

After his historic win at the 1997 US Masters, Tiger Woods added a second major two years later following major swing changes, capturing the US PGA Championship.

The following year, Woods would dominate the game in a way never seen before, taking the last three majors of 2000 and the first of 2001, completing the 'Tiger Slam', holding all four majors at the same time. He'd win two more in 2002, 2005 and 2006 with one more in 2007 and 2008 before injury and personal issues took their toll.

Having taken an extended break from the game, Woods returned in 2018, and took his 15th major at the 2019 US Masters.

Walter Hagen - 11 majors

Winning span: 1914-1929
US Masters: 0
US Open: 2
The Open: 4
PGA Championship: 5

The preeminent golfer of his day, Walter Hagen was the record holder for most majors until being overtaken by Nicklaus, but what was most impressive about Hagen's haul of 11, is that they all came before the US Masters was even played.

Hagen would win the PGA Championship five times in its old matchplay format, as well as crossing the Atlantic to win four Claret Jugs.

Ben Hogan - 9 majors

Winning span: 1946-1953
US Masters: 2
US Open: 4
The Open: 1
PGA Championship: 2

One of the best golfers in the history of the game, and arguably the most influential, Ben Hogan was hugely fortunate to even have the opportunity to add to the three majors he'd won at the PGA Championship and US Open following a career- and life-threatening car accident.

Hogan miraculously returned to the course less than a year later to win a second US Open. Opting to play no more PGA Championships, which were a matchplay format and often required two rounds in a single day - too much for the post-accident Hogan - Hogan played in his first and only Open Championship in 1953, winning that.

Coming after his Masters and US Open wins earlier that year, it made Hogan the first player to win the Masters, US Open and Open, a feat that is still to be repeated.

Gary Player - 9 majors

Winning span: 1959-1978
US Masters: 3
US Open: 1
The Open: 3
PGA Championship: 2

Despite his diminutive size, Gary Player conquered Augusta National three times over his career, with only the greats of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer winning more Green Jackets.

His victory at the 1968 Open Championship saw him complete the career Grand Slam, and Player remains one of only five players to have achieved the feat.

Winning his first major in 1959, and his first Masters two years later, Player would win a total of nine majors in his career, winning his last in 1978.