Who Is The Greatest Golfer Of All Time?

[r5TPsooner]

I know it might be a bit early, but most golf fans have already formed an opinion on this one.

Vote away.

[Fugue]

this guy

http://walterfootball.com/images/fball/look1306.jpg

[Boomer.....]

When all is said and done, Tiger will be.

[SteelCitySooner]

Tiger probably will be. But he hasn't done it yet. So for now, Jack.

[OKLA21FAN]

its the equipment in today's game that makes them better
http://blogs.tampabay.com/popmusic/images/2007/08/22/caddyshack.jpg

[Boomer.....]

But the competition is 10 times better than it was back then also.

[okieslp]

I gotta go with Bobby Jones. Ultimate Gentleman and Sportsman. I mean he retired at the age of 28! Imagine if he had played for as long as Nicklaus, Palmer, Snead, Hogan? I think that at a time when the world's eyes were on sports (Babe Ruth, Red Grange, Jack Dempsey) he stood toe-to-toe with all of them!

[Fugue]

But the competition is 10 times better than it was back then also.

I'm not saying Jack is the best, I can't decide. Anyway, I had Shooter at #1. :D
But, I think overall you are correct but I'm not sure that the elite competition isn't worse. If Jack went out and shot +3 or whatever on the first 2 holes of the last day like Tiger did, someone like Watson or Palmer may/would have been 3-5 shots ahead. I don't know, it's tough for me to call this one.

[JohnnyMack]

Currently = Jack

[Boomer.....]

I'm not saying Jack is the best, I can't decide. Anyway, I had Shooter at #1. :D
But, I think overall you are correct but I'm not sure that the elite competition isn't worse. If Jack went out and shot +3 or whatever on the first 2 holes of the last day like Tiger did, someone like Watson or Palmer may/would have been 3-5 shots ahead. I don't know, it's tough for me to call this one.

With the advancements in equipment, training, etc. it has opened the door for many golfers to contend which might not have in years prior. On any given tournament now a days there are dozens of golfers which have a good chance of winning. Long ago I bet there were much fewer with the skill to compete with the stars.

[Fugue]

With the advancements in equipment, training, etc. it has opened the door for many golfers to contend which might not have in years prior. On any given tournament now a days there are dozens of golfers which have a good chance of winning. Long ago I bet there were much fewer with the skill to compete with the stars.


Totally agree. But now, aside from Tigre, I don't think that there are any stars.

[Curly Bill]

My vote was for Jack. Jack played against Palmer, Player, Watson, who's Tiger got but a woefully inconsistent Mickelson on the really big stage. Besides that I don't agree with the premise of some that there are more good players today.

[JohnnyMack]

My vote was for Jack. Jack played against Palmer, Player, Watson, who's Tiger got but a woefully inconsistent Mickelson on the really big stage. Besides that I don't agree with the premise of some that there are more good players today.

I don't either. I can't say that I'm all that excited about watching golf (save the Open and the PGA Championship) the rest of this year without Tiger playing. Yeah there are good golfers and there will be good duels, but even Stanley1 would have to admit that it won't be the same.

[Partial Qualifier]

Jack had to play against way, way more multiple-major-winners than Tiger.

Tiger (at 14) will exceed Jack's majors record (18) eventually, but Jack's number of top-3 finishes in majors (46) is astonishing. Jack was a monster. These people who say Tiger is already, right now, "the best ever" make me lol.

[soonermix]

but could it be that tiger is that much more dominant over his competition compared to jack?

[r5TPsooner]

Only time will tell but I predict that Phil will not win another major in his career.

[Curly Bill]

Only time will tell but I predict that Phil will not win another major in his career.

I can see this is a real possibility.

[Cam]

Jack had to play against way, way more multiple-major-winners than Tiger.

Tiger (at 14) will exceed Jack's majors record (18) eventually, but Jack's number of top-3 finishes in majors (46) is astonishing. Jack was a monster. These people who say Tiger is already, right now, "the best ever" make me lol.

If I remember right, when you compare the two at the same age, it's not even close between Tiger and Jack.

[Partial Qualifier]

but could it be that tiger is that much more dominant over his competition compared to jack?

well, possibly but thats my point about the number of multiple-major-winners.

Let me put it this way: first, Jack de-throned Arnold Palmer (kind of a big deal). Arnie had 7 majors. Then throughout the rest of Jack's career, he competed with Gary Player (9 majors), Tom Watson (8 majors), Lee Trevino (6 majors), Seve Ballesteros (5 majors) and Ray Floyd (4 majors). Some of the biggest names in golf history.

Tiger's career slightly overlapped with Nick Faldo (6 majors) and he's still competing against Ernie Els, Mickelson and Vijay Singh (3 majors apiece). Not bad company but imo those guys don't stack up well against the names from Jack's era. I may be wrong but I don't think today's PGA pros are "generally better" than those guys form the 70's and early 80's (excluding Tiger, of course).

Tiger has lots of golf left in him and should end his career the clear-cut best golfer ever, but declaring him best-ever right now isn't fair to Jack. Jack was a badass.

[r5TPsooner]

Now that Tiger is gone maybe another American newbie can win the Open.

[Lott's Bandana]

Ok, so define "great".

http://www.quickpicturehost.com/images/qph-1214580579.jpg

[Partial Qualifier]

With the advancements in equipment, training, etc. it has opened the door for many golfers to contend which might not have in years prior. On any given tournament now a days there are dozens of golfers which have a good chance of winning. Long ago I bet there were much fewer with the skill to compete with the stars.

I agree with your observations but disagree with the premise because all the players back then had to play with the same equipment, just as today. It's not like Jack and Arnie had titanium shafts and perimeter weighted clubs and everyone else was hickory and persimmon. There can only be so many PGA touring pros and the cream will always rise to the top.

Heck - if anything, the advances in technology make today's golfers not as mentally-tough as the guys from yesteryear. Tiger is the exception, he would be kicking *** no matter what the technology was like, but the technology argument kindof favors the guys who played with wooden drivers and what would be considered range balls today...

[Partial Qualifier]

If I remember right, when you compare the two at the same age, it's not even close between Tiger and Jack.

Jack had 7 amateur wins over 3 years; Tiger had 11 amateur wins over 6 years (this includes 3 junior amateur titles).

Tiger's been on the PGA tour for 13 years (counting this year) and has 65 tour wins, 14 of which are majors. In Jack's first 13 years he had 54 tour wins, 12 of those were majors.

During that same timeframe, Jack had 63 2nd and 3rd place finishes while Tiger has 41 2nd and 3rd place finishes.

[King Crimson]

what would be considered range balls today...

it's actually the opposite. yesterday's balls were balata covered wound balls. very soft. today's Pro V's or whatever are the descendants of hard cover one piece range balls and two piece golf balls.

putting with one of those old balata balls was an entirely different experience than putting with today's Pro V. that's why today's putters have inserts. my old Anser, ain't got no insert.

it's hard to say about the competition thing for Jack and Tiger.....as was posted, the multiple major winners in Jack's era is a pretty respectable group. Johnny Miller and Hale Irwin have yet to be mentioned AFAIK. is it just me or does Trevino's 6 majors sort of fly under the radar? 6 is a lot. needless to say there are SO MANY good players these days. are there more GREAT one's, i don't know.

Jack is sort of the second part of the "invention" of modern golf....with Hogan being the first*. as far as repeatable swing fundamentals, practice routines, and mental game organization/scrupulous attention to course management etc. kinda making golf a self-practicing "science". that's hard to over-estimate IMO.

it's entirely possible that Tiger gives the golfing public that sort of stuff at the next level on down the road...

*Hogan went as far as to show you (in illustrations) where you SHOULD get callouses from practice if you wanted to hit superlative golf shots. he gave you a formula: grip, alignment, swing plane, stance/correct posture at address.

[Cam]

Jack had 7 amateur wins over 3 years; Tiger had 11 amateur wins over 6 years (this includes 3 junior amateur titles).

Tiger's been on the PGA tour for 13 years (counting this year) and has 65 tour wins, 14 of which are majors. In Jack's first 13 years he had 54 tour wins, 12 of those were majors.

During that same timeframe, Jack had 63 2nd and 3rd place finishes while Tiger has 41 2nd and 3rd place finishes.

IMO, the more major wins offsets the 2nd/3rd place deficit.

Look pretty darn comparable to me. Personally, I don't think I'd be LOLing too loud when the two are compared.

[Partial Qualifier]

Personally, I don't think I'd be LOLing too loud

REALLY LOUD LOL!!1! ;)

It's my opinion. I watched the last half of Nicklaus' career, from 1976-or-so on, and I think people underestimate or have just forgotten how he dominated the sport and I think the 2nd and 3rd-place stats prove Jack was there... every.. week.. he didn't have lapses here and there like Tiger's done.

And I fully expect Tiger to eclipse Jack... I'm not Tiger hatin'.

King Crimson, I agree with you but my range ball reference in the technology was only about the distance difference between that era's balls and todays. Balls. And yeah, The Merry Mex. 6 is surprising, I woulda guessed 3 or 4. Unbelievable short game that dude had.

[zeegolf]

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[r5TPsooner]

If Jack had the equipment that Tiger has had over his career, you could double his numbers.

Jack is the greatest until someone overtakes his record in majors.

[starrca23]

If Jack had the same equipment so would all of his competitors. They all played with the same stuff. That is like saying if we played on a Canadian football field we would have 4 more titles. Tiger was one of the last guys to switch to the more high tech equipment anyway. Does anyone think that Sampras, Nadal, and Federer (sp?) are better because they use graphite rackets? I am tired of that argument.

[r5TPsooner]

If Jack had the same equipment so would all of his competitors. They all played with the same stuff. That is like saying if we played on a Canadian football field we would have 4 more titles. Tiger was one of the last guys to switch to the more high tech equipment anyway. Does anyone think that Sampras, Nadal, and Federer (sp?) are better because they use graphite rackets? I am tired of that argument.

Fail.

[starrca23]

I wear Air Jordans...I'm going to the league and am better than Dr. J.