Top 10 Golfers of All Time
Throughout history, there have been so many golfers from great names like Harry Vardon to Old Tom Morris and to most recently, pros like Rory McIlroy. Of the hundreds who have played the game of golf well, RunRex has managed to narrow down the list a few pros that deserve the top ten ranking. While you may not agree with this list, you cannot deny these are great golfers.
1. Tiger Woods
Although he has yet to beat the record set by Jack Nicklaus, he still gets to rank as number one. While he has not toppled the majors’ record, he still holds many other records. For instance, he has won more titles than many other golfer in recent history have. If you check his most wins in a season, no player comes close to touching his record. Although it looks like he may never break Nicklaus’ record for most major wins, he we still be the topic of discussion for years to come in golfing circles.
2. Jack Nicklaus
Jack was not as domineering on his contemporaries like Tiger, what made him stand out was his ability to be consistent. Although everyone knows him for winning 18 majors, he came a close second in 19 others. In all honesty, he was the finest player of his generation but his record has been eclipsed by the pure awesomeness of Tiger Woods.
3. Ben Hogan
Although he struggled for years before he experienced a breakthrough, and eventually having his career cut short by an accident, he still managed to clinch nine major championship titles. He had 62 career wins by the time his career was cut short. At his peak, his contemporaries saw dust. If his career were not cut short, he might have taken the number one position.
4. Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones was known the world over during his time. Everyone was quite shocked when he decided to quit golf at just 28 years. Before he quit, Booby won all the four major events in 1930. He later on founded the Masters, which has survived up to this day. Although it is not known how many more majors he would have won, everyone can agree that he deserves a spot at the top 10.
5. Arnold Palmer
While playing on the PGA Tour, he managed 62 wins. The wins included seven major championships. He helped turn golf into an entertaining sport with his unique style of play. Besides that, he is credited with rejuvenating the British Open by simply showing up. He was best known for his ability to putt. He is still known as one of the best putters in golfing history.
6. Sam Snead
He still has the record for the most PGA Tour wins. That is unless Tiger decides to surpass this record. However, Tiger’s recent problems are making the probability of him breaking this record seem unlikely. However, if he does get back into golfing shape, it should be an easy record to break.
7. Tom Watson
Many acknowledge him as being among the finest links golf players of all time. He has won the British Open five times. In the 70s, he was well-known for his head to head battles with Nicklaus, a number of which, he managed to win with ease. Watson holds 39 PGA Tour wins and eight majors.
8. Gary Player
Gary has only 24 PGA Tour wins. However, that was in part because he traveled the world and played a good chunk of his golf off the Tour. He was among the few globetrotters in the world of golf. Out of the 24 wins, nine of them were majors. In many other parts of the world, Gary won over 100 tournaments.
9. Byron Nelson
For a while in 1945, Byron played better than any other golfer ever has. He won 11 tournaments in a row in that year, which included the PGA Championship. Some people who are considered all-time greats only managed to win 11 tournaments throughout their career. When you put his wins in that context, then you understand the magnitude of his wins. In that year, he was named AP athlete of the year. He went on to have 52 career wins. In that one season, he caused one of the biggest stirs in golf. He managed to get 18 total wins that glorious season.
10. Gene Sarazen
Most people who remember Gene, remember him for that one great shot. However, he achieved much more than that in golf. However, the shot is still worth talking about. It happened during his first masters in 1935. On the final day, he was trailing Craig Wood by three shots. When he came to the 15th hole at Augusta, everyone knew he needed two shots. After the tee shot, he was left with 220 yards from the flag. He decided to go for it and holed it. It was among the finest shots in golf. He won 38 titles in a career that was over four decades.
All those mentioned above achieved some major milestones in golf. They played a major role in helping to popularize the game of golf throughout the decades.