After an incredible third day at Aronimink, the 2026 PGA Championship is perfectly poised on Sunday, with dozens of golfers still in with a chance of winning the tournament.
One of those players within touching distance of the lead is Rory McIlroy. Despite scoring 74 on Thursday, McIlroy has gone three-under and four-under in the past two days and started Sunday three strokes back of leader Alex Smalley.
Adding the Wanamaker Trophy to his collection for a second time would see McIlroy surpass Sir Nick Faldo with seven Major titles.
But, it would also put him on the list of golfers who have previously won the first two Majors of the year — a list which currently only features six players.
No one has ever won three Majors in a row during a season, but here are the legends to have won the first two.
Which Golfers Have Won The First Two Majors Of Any Year?
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Craig Wood was the first man to go back-to-back in the Majors at the start of a golfing season. That was way back in 1941. Incredibly, before that, Wood had a horrible record at the Majors, having lost playoffs in all four events. His luck changed, though, when he won the Masters by three strokes over Byron Nelson, and then went on to win the US Open by three over Denny Shute.
Eight years later, Sam Snead matched that feat. He won the 1949 Masters by three strokes, having clawed back a one-shot deficit heading into the final day. Snead then won the PGA Championship, which used the match play format at the time. He almost got the hattrick, too, but a birdie chance turned into a par on the final hole at the US Open and the opportunity for a playoff evaded Snead. He would never go on to win the US Open throughout his career.
Ben Hogan is the standout name on this already impressive list — he’s the only man to have won the first two Majors in two separate years, doing the Masters-US Open double in both 1951 and 1953. What’s even more impressive is that, in 1953, Hogan actually went on to lift the Claret Jug to claim a third consecutive Major win that year. However,…
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