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Could Jordan Spieth become the first man to win a calendar Grand Slam. Matt York/AP/Press Association Images
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Jordan Spieth is just 25/1 to win the Grand Slam - here's why it's VERY unlikely

History has not been kind on golfers who’ve won the first two Majors in a calendar year.

WHAT NOW FOLLOWS is the understatement of the year: Jordan Spieth is very good at golf.

You don’t become the youngest winner of two Majors in over 90 years and show the kind bottle Spieth has in his fledgling career unless you’re a special player.

However, odds of just 25/1 for the young American to complete the Grand Slam this year belie just how difficult a task Spieth has ahead of him, especially when you consider that just five players in the history of golf — Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen — have managed to win all four in their entire careers.

That said, what Spieth has done so far is incredible, becoming just the second player in four decades to win the opening two legs of golf’s Holy Grail.

A look at those who also achieved that feat reads like a who’s who of the greatest players to ever play the game:

  • Craig Wood – 1941
  • Sam Snead – 1949
  • Ben Hogan – 1951, 1953
  • Arnold Palmer – 1960
  • Jack Nicklaus – 1972
  • Tiger Woods – 2002

But as far as winning even a third leg of a Grand Slam goes, nobody has managed it.

Indeed, only Ben Hogan has added the British Open to his Masters and US Open titles in the same calendar year.

Unfortunately for Hogan, it doesn’t technically count as the third leg of a Grand Slam as, due to a quirk of the schedule, the US PGA was played the same week and ended three days before he lifted his one and only Claret Jug.

Arnold Palmer came close 55 years ago when he lost out on the British Open by just one stroke, as did Jack Nicklaus in 1972.

Before Sunday, only Tiger in 2002 managed to arrive at a British Open with the chance of making history. However, an 81 on Saturday saw the then world number one tied for 28th overall.

Woods, however, did win all four majors consecutively from 2000 to 2001 and, while a mightily impressive feat in itself, is not the same as a calendar Grand Slam.

In his favour, Spieth — at just 21 — has five years on Woods when he won the first two legs and more than a decade on the others.

Given his talent, like Rory McIlroy, Spieth is almost certain to join the famous five who’ve won career Grand Slams but, at odds of just 25/1 to do it this year, I’ll keep my money in my pocket.

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