Who Will Win The Career Grand Slam First: DJ, Rory, Koepka or Spieth?

Who will become the sixth man in history to win all four modern Majors?

Who Will Win The Career Grand Slam First
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Who will become the sixth man in history to win all four modern Majors?

Who Will Win The Career Grand Slam First: DJ, Rory, Koepka or Spieth?

The passing of another Masters means another opportunity for the Career Grand Slam has fallen by the wayside for Rory McIlroy.

It was a familiar tale for the Northern Irishman, who couldn't fight back from an opening 75.

Dustin Johnson’s dominant display proved he is currently head and shoulders above the rest, and if he can continue this form there are surely more Majors to follow.

He needs the Open and PGA Championship to complete the slam - and he'll fancy his chances at the Claret Jug in 2021 when the tournament returns to Royal St George's, where he was T2nd in 2011.

Related: 5 best and worst things about the 2020 Masters

Elsewhere, Brooks Koepka was disappointed with only finishing 7th after a year battling injury.

If he can get back to his best, he’s another man who will no doubt add to his Major tally.

Who Will Win The Career Grand Slam First? Here's what you said -

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It seems DJ is the favourite, very closely followed by Rory McIlroy.

And then there’s Jordan Spieth.

The Texan has lost his way of late, but it wasn’t long ago that he was in pole position.

His slump won't last forever - but it looks a tough task for him to win a Wanamaker Trophy.

Looking on the bright side for Rory, he played some magnificent golf to end up 5th at Augusta, and his next crack will come in less than five months.

However, it’s DJ who looks set to further cement his place at the summit of world golf.

With any Major doubts emphatically dispelled in Georgia, no one would be surprised to see an Open and PGA follow in the next couple of years.

Here's what the Golf Monthly Forum thinks -

Who will complete the Grand Slam first?

With every major that passes this question tends to pop up so we asked our forum members how they saw this one play out. For the record we have Rory, in case you haven’t followed the news the past six years, needing the Masters, Brooks Koepka halfway there with the US Open and PGA, Jordan Spieth just shy of the PGA, Phil Mickelson still short of a US Open and, now Dustin Johnson, looking at the Open and PGA.

Or maybe it will be someone else who gets there first or, given only Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have achieved it, that number will remain untouched.

Here’s how they voted and why..

Rory McIlroy 33.8%

I think it's most likely that none of them will, but I've voted Rory because even though I'm critical of him a lot, he is the one who SHOULD do it first if any of them do - and voting 'none' would have been boring. For some reason I don't see DJ or Brooks winning the Open. Mickelson is definitely past it, no chance of him winning the US now. Spieth's game is down the toilet for whatever reason, so he needs to get it back before he can be considered. Rory is obviously capable of playing well at Augusta, he just has to do it for four days instead of three.

Orikoru

I'm going with Rory. He's still young with a lot of golf to play, but he just needs to learn how to keep the ball on the fairway at Augusta. Perhaps a few rounds with Langer or DJ will help him get to it.

need_my_wedge

I think it will be out of Rory and DJ. Rory should do it, but six years is a long time... DJ had a question mark over his ability to finish off majors, but two wins now answers that I think.

howbow88

I think (hope) Rory, inasmuch that after his first-round disaster, he did well in the last round, and that would have shown him that he could play well there, well enough to win.

swinglowandslow

Five years ago I would have said Martin Kaymer. Spieth's game has gone AWOL. Rory only needs one more, so it's got to be him surely. Augusta is suited to his game. Of course there is mental scar tissue there but he has been able to bounce back before. At some point in the next 10 years the stars will align for him: he'll turn up on form, the course will be wet, he'll score well in round 1, get some good breaks, have a hot putter all week.

sunshine

Out of them Rory is favourite, DJ and Koepka only two left - DJ prob the favourite out of those two. Thomas I don’t think he wins another - I reckon he is the next Pavin etc who just wins the one 

Liverpoolphil

Dustin Johnson 30.9%

Just think no-one beats him when he's playing his best golf.

Bdill93

If any of them get there I think it will be DJ IF he keeps playing the way he's been playing the last three months. He's got the game and, now, the experience to win absolutely anywhere. Spieth and Phil are shot, Rory needs to get his head straight, Brooks, yeah maybe but not before DJ

Rahm hasn't got the mindset..yet. JT ...got a lot to do.

Imurg

The PGA is just a matter of time, if he plays on song at one of those he wins it. The Open more challenging, but he has 5x top-15 finishes, so can clearly play on the links and has a good couple of opportunities coming up in the next two years.

Kopeka would be my next shout, clearly capable of upping his game and competing in any tournament. Rory has demons to still overcome, but I think (or hope!) it will eventually happen. JT is too wild with driver under pressure for major courses. He will win more PGAs for sure.

TheDiablo

DJ, his best golf is simply on a different level to anybody else. Additionally I think he's got the best golfing IQ and ability to manage himself and his own head.

Drewster

Brooks Koepka 16.2%

Koepka will probably win more US Opens and PGA Championships. I can see him winning a Masters but the only way I can see him winning an Open is at a calm St Andrews.

sunshine

Once back to full fitness Koepka seems pretty relentless and mentally tough when it comes to the majors. More so than the others (DJ may prove me wrong here and I hope he goes on to win more)

Lord Tyrion

Between Brooks and DJ. I said prior to the Masters that Rory struggles to put four rounds together, and was rather criticised for suggesting it. Lo and behold, he once again only played 54 holes like a major champion. I was really interested to hear how his first rounds in majors stacked up against rounds two to four - he seems to play himself out of contention by Thursday evening far too often and needs to find a way past it. I just can’t see him doing that at Augusta. As for Spieth and Mickelson? No chance. Sorry.

Billysboots

None of them 14.7%

I'm going out on a limb and saying none. DJ I think will do a Koepka and dominate the majors for a couple of seasons but I think there are so many good players now, plus the likes of a Morikawa coming through as perhaps an unfancied winner. McIlroy has the best chance as its the same venue every year but I think there is so much expectation and he has so much baggage from Augusta that he'll never crack it

HomerJSimpson

I don’t think any of them but definitely I’d favour DJ over the rest. He’s clearly got the distance to get the PGA and at St Andrews in 2022, if there’s not much wind then he stands a great chance and maybe won’t have a better chance on a links.

evenmccc

I think none of them is more likely than any of them. Obviously you think Rory has another 12 -15 goes at the Masters... surely he'll work it out? Seems to be a huge mental block for him playing well in majors (especially the 1st round). He'll need to bridge a seven-year major gap if he is to win another, which not many people have done (Jack, Tiger and Ernie only ones who spring to mind).

Koepka - maybe he's done? Knee injury could be a long-term issue and motivation seems to not be there. Would not surprise me if he fades.

Grant85

With so few achieving it in the history of majors (and each of those being immense names in the game’s history) I’ll guess it’s not as easy as all that. So the odds of someone from the current crop of really really good players achieving it is pretty remote.

Slab

Someone else 8.8%

I think Johnson has the best chance of those on the list, but I honestly think it will be someone who hasn't won any yet, like Rahm.

Yorkshire Hacker

In theory Rory should - but the fact is, the argument that held sway a year ago around, if everyone turns up on their best day then Rory wins, is starting to look frayed and, while I reckon he'll win a couple more it’s likely they'll be Opens. DJ was great this week, but there is a reason he has only won two to date. I could go on the wind-up and say Bryson....but no, I don't see it. Genuinely, I reckon if anyone is going to do it, it might actually be Morikawa.

Grizzly

None, I reckon Rahm.

Sweaty sock

Struggling to differentiate between None of them and Someone else (so voted both). Because someone new or unexpected will hit a major and then another - Im Sung-jae?

SwingsitlikeHogan

Most multiple major winners don’t dominate for that long in terms of the number of years in which they win...think Faldo and Seve it was around nine years, and I think people like Watson it was eight. Mickelson won his majors over a nine-year stretch and Tiger won the overwhelming majority of his in the 1999-2009 period too.

Sure, Els is a notably recent outlier. But some of the best and most dominating champions over the last 40 years do the clear bulk of their winning in an 8/9 year period. Rory and Spieth are quite young still. But there is lots of young talent coming through. Maybe marriage and kids and other life interests take away 1% of focus...Rory first won in 2011 and I actually don’t think he’ll win again. Happy to be proved wrong.

evenmccc

Jordan Spieth 5.9%

Although he’s not in good shape at the moment, if I were to only need to add one more to the collection to complete the grand slam I’d want it to be the PGA. I’m not sure he will manage it, but he’s got a long career ahead of him and I don’t think the others will do it.

Canary_Yellow

Spieth is the crazy one. After his Open win, the question for him wasn't if he would complete the Grand Slam, more when... But unless something absolutely drastically changes for him, I can't see him getting another major.

howbow88

I used to think Spieth would because he’s only one short and the PGA is arguably the easiest but his game’s gone.

pauljames87

Spieth is done. Would be amazed if he competes at that level again. And a PGA was never suited to his game, even when he was at the top.

Grant85

Phil Mickelson 1.5%

Mickelson isn't going to win another major, least of all the US Open.

Sunshine

Just not going to happen. Realistically he will need to win the Senior US Open to qualify for the US Open now. Doesn't have a realistic chance imo.

Grant85

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