The golf GOAT discussion is fascinating. The two PGA players most often talked about in this discussion are Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. However, one can make a good argument for either of them being the greatest golfer ever. Without further ado, let’s discuss who is the greatest golfer of all time.
Tiger Woods’ Golf GOAT Case
As discussed in our PGA golf statistics article, Tiger Woods holds a number of PGA records. Many people in the world of golf consider Tiger Woods the greatest golfer ever. Woods won 15 major championships during his PGA career, 82 PGA tour events, and 108 golf events in total. Tiger Woods’ tiger driver head cover is iconic and instantly recognizable to anyone who watched Woods play during his prime.
Additionally, Woods has been part of eight Ryder Cup teams. He surprised the golf world by winning the Masters for the fifth time in 2019, coming back from several shots behind Francesco Molinari in the final round. Also, Woods accomplished that at age 43.
It is quite clear that Tiger Woods has an incredibly strong case as the greatest golfer of all time. However, Jack Nicklaus does, as well.
Jack Nicklaus’s Case as the Greatest Golfer Ever
Jack Nicklaus is the other player in contention for the honor of being the greatest golfer of all time. Nicklaus won 18 major championships, the most in the sports’ history. That includes winning the Masters six times. Additionally, Nicklaus won 73 times on the PGA Tour.
That puts him third in all-time career PGA Tour wins. Nicklaus was utterly dominant from 1971 to 1980, winning nine major championships during that time. Jack Nicklaus capped off his stellar career by winning the 1986 Masters when he was 46 years old. He is the oldest player to win the Masters as of the time of this writing.
Given all this, it is easy to see why many consider Jack Nicklaus the greatest golfer of all time.
Jack Nicklaus Is Our Pick as the Greatest Golfer Ever
Deciding between Woods or Nicklaus as the greatest golfer of all time is difficult. However, Nicklaus is our pick as the greatest golfer ever largely due to the fact that he won more major championships than Woods. Still, Woods has a strong case as the greatest golfer ever, too.
Check back soon for more articles about the greatest athletes of all time in various sports.