The answer to the question, Who is the greatest of all time? is It depends. In the majors, Jack wins. Another impressive Woods number is cuts made. Nicklaus is in third at 73. While Nicklaus finished second more than 10 times to players on that list, Woods' runner-up finishes have been to one-hit wonders like Trevor Immelman, Zach Johnson, Rich Beem, Y.E. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are the two greatest golfers to have competed in major championships. When Tiger was 24 he completed the career Grand Slam at the 2000 Open Championship, two years ahead of the age that Jackwas when he completed the feat in 1966, also at the Open Championship. Clearly Tiger Woods has more competition on a whole to worry about, but Nicklaus appears to have had more direct competition. Of course, it will take an extraordinary effort with such a talented leader board. Jason Day said Tiger Woods told him the painful reason that Woods withdrew from last year's PGA Champ. (They pretty much won those titles in the same time span, though Nicklaus went 17-straight seasons with a win, compared to Tigers 14.). Tiger Woods has had to compete against the likes of Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Jim Furyk, and many other perennial PGA Tour winners. The only men to truly go toe-to-toe with him in the final round of a major were Y.E. Tigers 81 PGA Tour wins has him just one behind Sam Snead for the most ever and eight ahead of Nicklaus. The overall win total in tournaments reveals one interesting thingWoods in his prime was better than prime Nicklaus. Clearly when it comesto theweek-to-week grind of the Tour, Tiger has no equal. Tiger shot 68-71 to sit at five under par after 36 holes. Thats not an indictment of Tiger. who shockingly missed the cut at RBC Heritage, Patrick Cantlay drained a hole-in-one at the RBC Heritage and was promptly roasted for his slow pace, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Despite all the numbers, the GOAT debate might never have a conclusion. Fans will argue Woods played against better competition, which gives him an edge seeing as he won nine more PGA Tour and 32 more European Tour events. When he won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin he single-handedly crushed Hitlers myth of Aryan supremacy. Nicklaus did still own the advantage in major titles, 18-16, after all. Who is the GOAT in golf? Nicklaus, on the other hand, played with Gary Player (nine majors), Tom Watson (eight), Arnold Palmer (seven), Lee Trevino (six) and Seve Ballesteros (five). Their two greatest Masters moments happened on the final three holes, under the eyes of CBS announcer Verne Lundquist. 1 ranked golfer in the world; Player was No. Tiger had a still-impressive run of 17 straight seasons with a top 10. One more insane Nicklaus stat: From the 1970 British Open through the 1978 British Open, he finished in the top 10 in 31 of 33 majors. Jack Nicklaus is a legend, but like Jordan, his accomplishments were years ago and didnt receive the same amount of media coverage as Tiger Woods. RELATED: Kirk Herbstreit said no to THREE separate Augusta National invites from a legendary college hoops coach. There has been a critical error on this website. Woods won 27 tournaments from 1999-2002 and added 25 tournament trophies to his collection from 2005-2008. Each total, except for his Claret Jugs, is an all-time records (or tied for one). Tiger was untouchable in the 2000s but its easy to forget that in 2013 he won five times and was the PGA Tours Player of the Year. What if Tiger Woods suddenly announced his retirement from golf after the Masters and never played again. 1965 Greater Greensboro Open (52) Jack Nicklaus. In the 1970s, Nicklaus only finished outside the top 10 in five majors. at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019, in Augusta, Georgia. That being said, Woods has certainly started less (86) major events than Nicklaus (164). Jack Nicklaus has insisted that Tiger Woods will break his record of 18 victories in Major tournaments. Ever. If you accept that golfers are only measured by their performance in the biggest events, its a slam-dunk argument. No predictions for the future or presumed milestones. Nicklaus had eight final-day comebacks in majors. Copyright 1996 - In fairness, playing in Europe wasnt as common in Nicklaus time, but the number is impressive nonetheless. Now, at this very moment you are probably thinking that I have completely lost my mind by naming players such as Hunter Mahan, Stephen Ames, and Chez Reavia as competition comparable to the likes of Palmer, Player, Trevino, Casper, and Watson. If you buy into this Tiger/Jack narrative, and theres some strong evidence in this favor, that would mean theres at least a chance of some more history accomplished by Tiger at Augusta National. Tiger Woods is sidelined for an indefinite amount of time after undergoing surgery on his right ankle to address post-traumatic arthritis caused by injuries suffered in his single-car crash in Los Angeles in February 2021. In the 70 majors that Jack played from the '62 Masters to the '79 U.S. Open, he was out of the top 10 just 16 times while winning 15. Jacks best four-year runs were 22 (from 1970-73) and 17 (from 1964-67). Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. At a Farmers Insurance Open or AndyWilliams Classic as it was called decades ago or any other regular Tourevent, Tiger would've beaten Jack like Jack beat Arnold. People only cared about the actual Grand Slam, which Jack was halfway toward with his wins at the Masters and U.S. Open. Amateurs, putting on his first green jacket or making history with performances so dominant that breaking Jack Nicklaus record of 18 majors seemed like a mere formality. These are all the significant stats you need to know about how two GOATs of golf performed in major championships. These two generational talents can never be compared with each other. Usain Bolt made me look harder at the careers of Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens. Now, in 2018, a 42-year-old Tiger is making his return to golf after years of scandal and an injury so severe that it threatened to end his career. Sign up for the For The Win newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. up for grabs. Follow along here. One interesting fact is Woods has three more majors than any other player and five more than anyone who has played in the last 60 years. Nicklaus was better at Augusta during his prime. https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/04/tiger-woods-jack-nickalus, Golf fans worried about Tiger Woods after he withdrew from Masters Sunday, Tiger Woods clobbered an overwhelming amount of bettors who didn't think he'd make the cut at the Masters, Justin Thomas saved his pal Tiger Woods by dropping a shot at the Masters and moving the cut line back, Why Fred Couples is using a yellow ball at the Masters. Yep the same exact position with Tiger looking to match Jacks record of six Masters titles. For Nicklaus, he battled against stiffer competition and four of the greatest golfers in the history of the game, including Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Watson, and Lee Trevino, each of whom won six or more majors. Well, guess what: Back in 1986, Nicklaus' position was wait for it T-17. John Daly Announces He Will Be Following His Bizarre Masters Tradition This Year. In overall tournament wins, Tiger has Jack by a count of 79 to 73. Jack vs. Tiger is always a great debate. Listen, I know Nicklaus has three more major titles than Tiger. Nicklaus is 1-1 as a U.S. captain in the Ryder Cup and 2-1-1 leading the Americans in the Presidents Cup. Nicklaus has played in six, with a 17-8-3 record. We've been debating the Jack Nicklaus vs. Tiger Woods question ever since that historic 1997 Masters and we'll be debating it for decades to come. But he is so tough. But consider: Nicklaus made 43 starts at the Masters over a span of nearly a half-century. WINS ROUNDS MONEY; Tiger Woods: 1025: 198: 82: 1,375: $120,954,766: Explore. From his knee to his back, take a look back at the various injuries in Tiger Woods' career as well as his multiple returns to competition. As far as individual major tournament statistics go, over the span of time it took both Jack and Tiger to reach their first 14 major victories, the comparison looks like this: Jack: 55. Jack Nicklaus, whose record of 18 majors is looking more safe with every passing day and every injury Woods sustains, prefaced his comments about Woods during a press conference ahead of his appearance in the Greats of Golf exhibition Saturday during the Insperity Championship on the PGA Tour Champions. Who won the U.S. Open? I dont know a whole lot about what hes been through, Nicklaus began. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. 15 for Tiger was . Whether he makes the cut or not, he adds to the tournament in so many ways. . Became a Collin Fan Today Twitter Reacts to Collin Morikawas Heartwarming 2, Trevino three, Bruce Crampton four, and Palmer five. The cut streak. Those were stunning achievements that set the standard until Tiger arrived and did it even better. You can pick any player from any point in their career. He captured 18 major titles in his career compared to Woods and his 15, up until now. It also reignited an old debate: Can Tiger break Jack Nicklaus' record for the most major championship wins . The man with the most major championships is the greatest golfer in history. As Woods is currently preparing for the 2022 Masters, lets take a look at their major wins, along with some other stats. While Woods' win at the 2019 Masters finally ended a decade-plus drought in the game's biggest events, it's this lesser-known record that has come into focus since Major No. Both golfers have been instrumental in the tours success, making golf a household name. Its more evidence that Peak Tiger > Peak Jack. Tiger had 15 such tournaments in the 2000s (counting the two events. In 1972, the best year of Nicklaus career; a year that saw him win three out of the four majors, Nicklaus was ranked No. The Tiger vs. Jack debate will likely rage on should Woods fall short of Nicklaus' major mark, but it appears that even based on his current list of accomplishments, he might have Nicklaus' vote . He dominated in an era of chokers. So hopefully this surgery will be the last of it. I dare say that his winning percentage is the most untouchable of all of hisaccomplishments. Jack dominated in an era of legends. What would it take for a changing of the guard? Thatd be the first time a Masters champion has gone back-to-back at Augusta since Tiger in 2001 and 2002. With 18 wins to his name, Nicklaus is currently leading. He adds so much to the game every time he tees up. However, maybe just statistically, certain people might be inclined towards Nicklaus. Then the back surgeries happened and we didnt know if hed ever be back again. Here's why. Apart from that, both legends have also inspired generations to take up the game. Ofthe 64 majors Tiger has played as a professional, hes finished outside ofthe top 10 some 26 times while winning 14. With 18 wins to his name, Nicklaus is currently leading. Tiger has three more majors than any other man and five more than anyone whos played in the last 60 years, but he still cant compete with Jack in the number that matters most. THE MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, TRANSMITTED, CACHED OR OTHERWISE USED, EXCEPT WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. 2023 DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Masters 2020: The parallel stats between Jack Nicklaus in 1986 and Tiger Woods in 2020 are nothing short of eerie, How to watch the Masters on TV and streaming online, Ranking every golfer in the Masters field, 50 defining moments in Masters history, ranked, Never say neverAn oral history of Tiger's dramatic 2019 Masters victory, How Tiger Woods plays every hole at Augusta National, 9 things Augusta National doesnt want to talk about, The most memorable rules issues in Masters history, A completely unscientific ranking of 10 Masters traditions, The 13 best B characters in Masters history. There have been few worthy adversaries. After the 1971-2006 comparisons, the tournaments fall back in line until Woods 2008 season, when after winning the U.S. Open, he missed the British Open and PGA while recovering from injury. Now, you can make two counterpoints to that statement the same ones people use to defend Serena Williams against similar criticism. One has 82 PGA Tour wins, the other 73. Tiger Woods has 198 top ten finishes with 82 wins and has won $120,954,766 in his career. That being said, irrespective of ones preference, Woods and Nicklaus contributions cannot be overlooked. For the casual golf fan, hearing the names Palmer, Player, Trevino, and Casper coupled together as Nicklaus main competitors immediately leads one to believe that Nicklaus faced some of the toughest competition imaginable during his career. Woods has played in eight Ryder Cups and boasts a 13-21-3 record. My naming this group of players as Tigers competition, all of whomhappen to bePGA Tour winners, is not to say that these players are comparable to Palmer, Player, Trevino, etc. Has Tiger Woods ever missed the cut at The Masters? Woods made more on Tour in one year than Nicklaus did in his entire career 11 times: 1999 ($6,616,585), 2000 ($9,188,321), 2002 ($6,912,625), 2003 ($6,673,413), 2005 ($10,628,024), 2006 ($9,941,563), 2007 ($10,867,052), 2008 ($5,775,000), 2009 ($10,508,163), 2012 ($6,133,158), 2013 ($8,553,439). However, the 82-time PGA Tour winner is not ready to give up just yet. He won seven of 11 major championships from the 1999 PGA to the 2002 U.S. Open and then, almost as an afterthought, had a run of four of eight (matching Jacks best) in the majors held in 2005 and 2006. He said, Im really playing well. Through last month's Masters, the 37-year-old Tiger Woods has 14 wins in 63 major championship starts as a professional; through the 1977 Masters, the 37-year-old Nicklaus had 14 wins in. For those paying attention, some interesting parallels existed between Tiger Woods in 2020 and Jack Nicklaus in 1986 as we entered this week. Open Championship Victory. Because really, either answer is pretty freakin good. But. At the time, we knew it was spectacular even as it felt routine. Here's a chart of their majors as professionals, in order and head-to-head: By signing up, you agree to the (Photo by In his time at the top, Jack won 17 majors. Insanity. From 1963 to 1979, Nicklaus played in 17 Masters, won five titles and had 14 top-10 finishes. So well start the comparison in those years, and compare each mans first major with the others first major, second to second, and so forth. An incredible achievement for both are their major wins, Nicklaus currently is in the lead with 18 major titles. All comparisons, he would bellow, referring to those that involved athletes of different generations, are onerous.". There are any number of ways to compare Woods and Nicklaus. Woods benefited from being slow to mature physically, in contrast to Nicklaus, who was 5-feet-10 and 165 pounds at age 13. 82. Nobody ever flew higher than Tiger. Jack 3, Tiger 2, Hogan 1 Category 7:. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are arguably the two greatest golfers to ever play the game. How many titles does Tiger Woods have? Who won the Masters? Starting four. 7. But, looking at the other side of the coin, no one has really stepped up to consistently challenge Woods the way Palmer, Player, Trevino, Casper, and Watson challenged Nicklaus. Obviously Woods should not be punished in this comparison for missing tournaments, so they are not counted in this quest to determine whowas more dominant in his era. At 42, Tiger would need to replicate Mickelsons entire major career to become the all-time leader. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Paynes Valley Cup). When Nicklaus was in his prime, golf was dominated by Americans. Nicklaus recounted how he sat next to Woods at the Champions Dinner at the Masters, as he does most years. They shrunk in the spotlight. So that will only add more hope for those rooting for Tiger to earn a 16th major title with a win this week. Both Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus dominated golf in their respective eras. Both legends have worked hard for decades, revolutionizing golf in their own way. Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the subjects of debate when it comes to the GOAT in basketball. 73. Tiger Woods' epic 2019 Masters win sent the golf world and internet into a frenzy. And I know Nicklaus had Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, and many others but Tigers time, especially over the last 10 years, has been much more competitive. A psychology For instance, Usain Bolt is faster than Carl Lewis was and Carl Lewis was faster than Jesse Owens. 64. . Even so, he has won 15, while Nicklaus has won 18. pertaining to the NBA as well. Those dominating wins at Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews. This is an astonishing success rate! An unprecedented run of seven majors in 11 starts. Woods, who has won 14 times in the Majors, has been struggling with form and fitness recently, but Nicklaus believes that the world number one still has enough time to set a new record. That always will be Nicklaus. How much does Jacks longevity help his cause? In 1970, Jack Nicklaus was the No. Terms of Service To be honest, there is really no one particular aspect that can crown a golfer as the GOAT. There are always different sets of statistics to look into. Of the four, only Yang beat Tiger, taking him down at the 2009 PGA Championship. Nicklaus finished in the Top-5 56 times and achieved a Top-10 finish 73 times in 164 starts! When you think of Jack Nicklaus, the first thing that comes to mind is major championships. I play a lot of golf. Still, we give this to Tiger for two reasons: Jacks contemporaries included Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Watson and Lee Trevino, each of whom won six or more majors. Furthermore, he's made it to the Top-10 on the leaderboard 41 times in 87 appearances. Nobody had seen players like them. As of 2019, Tiger Woods has won 82 PGA Tour events, while Jack Nicklaus has won 73. 11. He never came back to win, despite a half-dozen opportunities to win majors with a Sunday charge. While the 46-year-old is confident about a win this year, Woods clinching the Masters title is not easy. Before Tiger, winners would often get $180,000 for a win. Let's look at the numbers: Most wins in golf 1 Tiger WoodsSam Snead 82 3 Jack Nicklaus 73 4 Ben Hogan 64 5 Arnold Palmer 62 Tiger Woods is tied with Sam Snead for the most wins in golf with . Tiger has excelled in an individual sport during a time when everything he did was examined, celebrated, and critiqued at levels that Nicklaus never even came close to having to deal with. 1, Player No. During the best part of Jack Nicklaus career, his main competitors were Tom Watson, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, and Billy Casper. If Woods wins three or more, then theres no need for a discussion and he would be the undisputed GOAT. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news An important stat is their Masters win, where Woods is just one win away from Nicklaus record. Unless anyone has a time machine that can transport the likes of Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, Casper, and Watson into todays PGA Tour and the likes of Woods, Mickelson, Els, Goosen, and Singh into the PGA Tour of the '60s and '70s, that is one question that will never be answered.