Today’s top-ranking golfers like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm are likely to be remembered as great players for years to come. But who are the greatest golfers of all time? Most fans and pundits would agree that the following top three are undoubtedly the best the world of golf has ever seen.
3. Sam Snead
Sam ‘The Slammer’ Snead was one of the greatest golfers in the world for the best part of five decades. Wearing his trademark straw hat, Snead won more tournaments than any other player during his career. He won his first competition, the West Virginia Closed Pro, in 1936. Snead then went on to win a staggering 82 PGA Tour titles between 1936 and 1965. He also had between 135 and 165 worldwide victories, depending on which data you use. Snead was awarded a record 94 gold medallions, and he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Pretty much the only thing Snead never managed to accomplish was winning the US Open, although he was runner-up four times.
Snead is famed for having an almost perfect swing. Even today’s golfing fans and players admire the swing that looked as natural and effortless as taking a deep breath. Snead’s swing remains the gold standard of golf swings.
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2. Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus is largely considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. With his mental and physical strength, his sustained level of excellence, and his natural talent, Nicklaus transformed the game of golf forever.
The golfing master’s career began when he won the US Amateur tournaments in 1959 and 1961. He also finished second, only two shots behind Arnold Palmer, at the 1960 US Open. In 1961, Nicklaus turned pro at the young age of 21. His first professional victory came a year later when he beat Palmer by three shots at the 1962 US Open. The rest is history. He won the Masters a record six times, he was the winner of 73 PGA Tour Events, and he won the PGA Tour money title eight times.
Nicklaus took on most of the game’s greatest players in their prime and beat them all. Even at the age of 46, Nicklaus competed against names like Ballesteros, Norman, and Kite when they were at the peak of their success in the Masters 1986. Nicklaus won, of course, making it his sixth Masters victory. His performance in the tournament is widely considered to be one of the greatest sporting moments of all time.
1. Tiger Woods
Even people who have never watched or played a game of golf in their lives have heard of Tiger Woods. That is not surprising when you consider his incredible performances since he turned pro in 1997.
Currently ranking number two in men’s major championships, Woods holds a range of golf records. For instance, he has been the top-ranking player in the world for the most consecutive weeks and the total number of weeks in the history of golf. Woods has also been awarded the PGA Player of the Year an astounding 11 times. And he has had the lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times. Furthermore, the American golfer has won 82 PGA Tour events, as well as 15 professional major golf tournaments, which is only three short of Jack Nicklaus’s record. And the records still keep coming! Tiger Woods is the youngest ever golfer to achieve the career Grand Slam, and he has won 18 World Golf Championships.
Quite simply, when Tiger Woods plays his best, he plays the game better than anyone else ever has.
