Woods' highs have been greater. Even in a sports such as sprinting, where numbers on a stopwatch tell what appears to be a cut-and-dried story, theres more than meets the eye. From 1962-1978, Jacks prime, just two foreign players (Gary Player and Tony Jacklin) won at the Masters, U.S. Open or PGA Championship. Home Nicklaus is in third at 73. 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. 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. Woods holds the record for both the lowest adjusted and unadjusted scoring average . At 42, Tiger would need to replicate Mickelsons entire major career to become the all-time leader. Despite his thrilling 2019 Masters victory, Tiger's 45th trip around the sun is a reminder that he will almost certainly not reach the ever-elusive 19-major championship mark to best Jack. Nicklaus had 48 top-three finishes at Slams, twice as many as Woods. This is where the debate gets interesting and harder to quantify. Who has won the most tournaments all-time? This is an astonishing success rate! 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. Nicklaus played against four of the greatest golfers ever and not only won 18 majors but had 19 second-place finishes, proving there was plenty for everyone. 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 had 14. Which is a more demanding situation, a farlarger number of overall competitors or a smaller, more concentrated group of great competitors? The overall win total in tournaments reveals one interesting thingWoods in his prime was better than prime Nicklaus. Both golfers have been instrumental in the tours success, making golf a household name. In the 1970s, Nicklaus only finished outside the top 10 in five majors. He captured 18 major titles in his career compared to Woods and his 15, up until now. I dont buy that one. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images). While Nicklaus has the slight advantage on the course, Woods has the upper hand off of it (scandal and injuries aside). Nicklaus has played in six, with a 17-8-3 record. Tiger Jack. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news Tiger Woods also has more major championship wins than Jack Nicklaus, with 15 to his name. When he won a greenjacket again in 1965 by nine shots over Palmer and Gary Player (theonly time the Big Three would ever finish in the top three together in amajor), he shaved three strokes off the scoring record of 274 set in 1953 byHogan. Also, as noted by stats guru Justin Ray on Twitter, Jack sat six shots back of the lead after 36 holes in 86, whereas Tiger is just four back. Because of injury Tiger has missed six majors spanning from the 1997 Mastersto the 2014 U.S. Open, which means Tiger and Jack would've gone head tohead 64 times in the game's four biggest championships. Has Tiger Woods ever missed the cut at The Masters? Thats not an indictment of Tiger. 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). https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/08/tiger-woods-or-jack-nicklaus-golf-greatest-of-all-time-goat, 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta: 3 sleepers worth betting on to upset Jon Rahm, Jon Rahm's odds at the 2023 Mexico Open are a callback to Tiger Woods' prime, Videos showing how slow Patrick Cantlay plays golf are the funniest new memes, Matt Fitzpatrick won an additional $1.42 million at RBC Heritage thanks to an unreal shot, 7 golfers (Max Homa!) Jack, of course, never won four straight, though he did come close. In 1972, Player, Trevino, Crampton, and Palmer won 16 percent of PGA Tour events. Even so, he has won 15, while Nicklaus has won 18. 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. 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 has 198 top ten finishes with 82 wins and has won $120,954,766 in his career. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. If Augusta National is the best test in golf, Nicklaus earned slightly better marks. ClearlyJohnson Wagner and J.B. Holmes are no Gary Player and Arnold Palmer. You dont want to see anybody, theyre hurting. Both players have outstanding Open. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are the two greatest golfers to have competed in major championships. Director of Professional Golf isnt a normal position at golf club, but Quail Hollow isn't a normal club. The answer to the question, Who is the greatest of all time? is It depends. In the majors, Jack wins. Thats about as good an explanation for why Woods agreed to go under the knife yet again as weve heard to date. 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. I think wed all like to see him play, Sorenstam said. Nobody ever flew higher than Tiger. (Two of Tigers poor final rounds made Ben Curtis and Michael Campbell major champions.) Of his 163 rounds at the tournament, more than 40 were played after he turned 50 years old. Then last April, Tiger turned back the clock and won the Masters, leaving fans in tears as he pumped his fist on the 18th green Sunday afternoon at Augusta National. . 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. But back to golf. Whether he makes the cut or not, he adds to the tournament in so many ways. "He's the greatest champion that's ever lived," Woods said of Nicklaus after winning the Memorial in 2012. They both had a stretch of winning at least one major title in six of nine years. In 1999, aside from Tiger Woods, the remainder of the top-five ranked players in the world won only 10 percent of PGA Tour events. Woods made his debut as a U.S.. Sign up for the For The Win newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Tiger: Won his Masters at 43, still time to be a super old winner. So while both golfers have had incredible careers, it does appear that Tiger Woods has had a slightly more successful run. But then again, I have no way of knowing whether Nicklaus toughest competitors were indeed better than Woods toughest competitors, or whether Woods is that much better than Nicklaus that he has been able to distance himself from players that are equally as good as Nicklaus competitors were. "I feel very bad for Tiger. Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the subjects of debate when it comes to the GOAT in basketball. Clearly when it comesto theweek-to-week grind of the Tour, Tiger has no equal. However, Woods has the Tiger Slam, which was holding all four titles at once although not in a calendar year. Jack had a top 10 at a major in 24 straight years. He also had to deal with bigotry, segregation and poverty. I play a lot of golf. pic.twitter.com/VzzEM5f42p, Collin Morikawa Joins Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus in Elite List Following The In 1991, a 15-year-old Tiger Woods was the subject of his first Sports Illustrated profile. In the 1970s, Nicklaus only finished outside the top 10 in five majors. In the case of Woods, his unquestionable biggest rival was Phil Mickelson. 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. Heres why. WINS ROUNDS MONEY; Tiger Woods: 1025: 198: 82: 1,375: $120,954,766: Explore. Hes a very motivated and dedicated young man to continue to play the game of golf., Nicklaus added of the 47-year-old golfer, whose body has been through the ringer: The dedicated young doesnt last very long.. 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. Woods was able to monetize his talent more in his era, topping the PGA Tours all-time earnings list at a whopping $120,895,206. Open Championship Victory. For instance, Usain Bolt is faster than Carl Lewis was and Carl Lewis was faster than Jesse Owens. While there is really no conclusive answer, several bits of statistics might offer some perspective. Please check your email for a confirmation. pic.twitter.com/Qz8D6j7th0, Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) April 5, 2022. Were the Nike guys who came up with the swoosh and jumpman logo on vacation when it came time to design Woods' emblem? GOLF DIGEST MAY EARN A PORTION OF SALES FROM PRODUCTS THAT ARE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR SITE AS PART OF OUR AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH RETAILERS. Jesse Owens faced more hurdles than the 3 -foot-tall barriers on a track. In 1999, the start of the "Tiger Slam," Tiger Woods was ranked No. At various points in his career, Jack won three of six majors (1966 Masters to 1967 U.S. Open) and four of eight (1970 British Open to 1972 U.S. Open). Woods hasnt officially retired yet, but the chances of him winning another major are very slim. 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. Some fun stats, for sure. The question of who is the greatest golfer of all time comes down to two men: Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. But what about golf? But none of the players have the experience winning majors like Tiger does, so he has that on his side as he looks to add another improbable chapters in golfs history books. But the circumstances of a time and generation do not provide a level playing field. Woods might be a few majors short, but he still has time to catch Nicklaus (though the chances of that have greatly decreased since his single-car accident in 2021). Nicklauss best streak was 105. RELATED: Kirk Herbstreit said no to THREE separate Augusta National invites from a legendary college hoops coach. The argument for Nicklaus is pretty simple: he won the most majors and had even more runner-up finishes in the biggest events. ORLANDO, FLORIDA DECEMBER 20: Tiger Woods of the United States hits his tee shot on the 15th hole during the final round of the PNC Championship at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club on December 20, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. The cut streak. The numbers favor Jack, at least in terms of majors. and losers (oh no, Lions) of the 2023 NFL Draft, Kentucky Oaks 2023: Post position draw results and morning line odds, Every 2023 Kentucky Derby horse name, ranked, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Tiger was the ultimate front-runner, winning all 14 of his majors while leading or co-leading entering the fourth round. It looks like an upside-down pitchfork. Tiger Woods matched that streak with his run from the 1996 U.S. Open to the 2006 Masters. No predictions for the future or presumed milestones. MORE MASTERS 2020 CONTENT FROM GOLF DIGEST: Masters 101Everything you need to know about the major How to watch the Masters on TV and streaming online Ranking every golfer in the Masters field Our 13 best bets to win the 2020 Masters 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 Can Bryson break Augusta? 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. While Jack Nicklaus has the most major titles, Tiger Woods has the most overall PGA Tour tournament wins in his career with 82, tied with Sam Snead. Annika Sorenstam, winner of 72 LPGA titles, walked away from the game on her own terms and has returned to play a handful of celebrity events, last years U.S. Womens Open and the U.S. Senior Womens Open, which she won in 2021. Its a title thats become common in conversations about sports and gets thrown around far too casually in some regards these days. Of course, their popularity is a result of their incredibly illustrious careers. (Correction: I'm often at golf courses trying to act like I play golf.) Meanwhile, Nicklaus came back in eight of his majors. Embracing such comparisons without bashing a particular golfer is the right spirit! He was compared to Mozart. Some favor Woods, often recounting his influence on the golf world. Jack Nicklaus, whose record of 18 majors is looking more safe with every passing day and every injury Woods sustains, prefaced his comments . Jack vs. Tiger is always a great debate. pertaining to the NBA as well. Tigers best 33-major streak featured 21 top 10s. Woods had the famous hanging-on-the-edge chip-in 19 years later on the 16th hole. Sign up for the For The Win newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. 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. It basically means that whereas in Nicklaus era the top few players in the world won a significant number of PGA Tour events, in Tiger Woods' era there is far more parity which can be statistically seenin thelower percentage of events won by the top five golfers in the world. He still can't touch Nicklaus. He could make a complete return to form and it still wouldnt guarantee anything. 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. Terms of Service What if Tiger Woods suddenly announced his retirement from golf after the Masters and never played again. Tiger is still a man at work. With every passing year, however, the Tiger Slam becomes more and more remarkable. Period. That leaves him at T-17 for the tournament. Aside from him, there are just two other players with three major wins during the Tiger era: Ernie Els and Vijay Singh. USE OF AND/OR REGISTRATION ON ANY PORTION OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OURVISITOR AGREEMENT(UPDATED 1/6/23),PRIVACY AND COOKIES NOTICE(UPDATED 1/4/23) ANDCALIFORNIA PRIVACY NOTICE. Who won the U.S. Open? Owing to his injuries, the chances of Woods playing like he used to are bleak. In fairness, playing in Europe wasnt as common in Nicklaus time, but the number is impressive nonetheless. That being said, Woods has certainly started less (86) major events than Nicklaus (164). With one exception, that comparison neatly pits Masters against Masters, U.S. Open against U.S. Open, etc., for the first 17 years of each mans career as a pro taking Nicklaus to the end of 1978 and Woods to the end of 2013.