who is greatest golfer of all times

i think it must be jack nicklaus not just because he has won more but because that player he was playing against, palmer. player, trevino, watson, balestros norman, to name just a few, i dont think there ar so many outstanding champs in the game just now and tiger is so far ahead of the pack,
what do you think ???
bill

Hello Bill
My choice would have to be the great bobby jones. Still the only player to achieve a grand slam, at this time he was only playing 3 or 4 competions a year, he played less than your average bank manager. Also it has to be noted that while winning all of his majors , he was battling a crippling disease which eventually left him in a wheelchair. He also retired from competitive golf at ripe old age of 28 , so who knows how many more majors he could have won.



Silas.

Hi Fellas
I have to agree with Bill, the Golden Bear was by far one of the greatest golfers in his time. True about Bobby Jones if he was able to stay with the sport there is no telling what he could have done. I may be mistaken but I though Tiger has a grand slam?

Hello.
You are correct. Tiger did hold all four majors at once , but 3 were won in one year and the fourth ( us Masters ) was won early in the next year.
To recognise his achievement it became known as the tiger slam.

Silas.

hi silas
yes bobby jones was way ahead of his time and had was was termed a modern swing back then, but he was like tiger well ahead of the guys he was playing against. with nicklaus he had so many great players at the top of there game at same time, the likes of watson on the 17 wining with a chip in, nichlaus lost a few by just one shot to great players. all playing wonderful golf.
bill

Hi bill .
becuase of jacks achievements ,and god knows how many runner up places in majars, My Head would have to go with Jack, but my Heart would have to go with bobby.

what an enjoyable thread . I almost smiled then for a minute

Silas.

hi silas
glad you brought up bobby jones, we tend to forget him and that he was not a pro but an amature and no pro could touch him then.
bill

Hi Bill.
I dont want to hog your thread , but what about the elvis of golf Arnold Palmer. Interest in Pro Golf in the late 50's early 60,s was almost non existant and the Arnie came along. He revitalised interest in the american pro tour and rescued the british open from extinction. oh, and he won o few comps too .

Silas.

At this point I think Nicklaus has to be considered the best all time. But not by much over Tiger.

The thing about Nicklaus and Tiger is they were so good they changed how good everybody else is. They made everybody else work that much harder and get that much better.

I think in the next year or two I will be swapping Nicklaus and Tiger. Especially if he still shuts down the field on Sunday. Not losing a Sunday lead is very impressive.

On a side note, I think Byron Nelson needs to be put in this list as well. 18 wins in a season. 11 in a row. Unbelievable! Also it was actually 19 and 12, but one tournament didn't have a large enough purse to count.

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hi silas
you did have hogan and sneed but your right that palmer on tv in usa start so many golfer as did the wonderful golfers that followed, from s/a garry player. who took sand play to a higher level on the whole tour, balesteros for his amazing recovery shots, trevino that showed the you can swing so difrent but its how the face strikes the ball that matters, to watsons wedge and putting play.
so many wonderful golfer and all so diffrent too.
bill

Nicklaus is the greatest, to date, IMO. Maybe Tiger, someday. He’s certainly well on his way. IMO, it’s difficult to judge the strength of the competition each had to play against and say that one is better because they had to overcome better competition than the other. Is the competition weaker, or is the leader just that much better?

IMO, the modern golfer, as most modern athletes, plays at a much higher level than those of past generations. About all you can do is judge the great ones relative to their competition in order to compare golfers of different generations.

hi kbp
think you put that very well, have to agree
bill

If Jack Nicklaus had Tiger Woods luck he would have 10 more majors. But instead Jack has to settle with 18 majors and 19 runner-ups.

I Think The Golden Bear,bobby Jones,sam Snead,ARNOLD PALMER Where The Best At Their Times.
But Pound Per Pound Tiger Woods Are The Best Of All Times
He Have The Best Course Management Of All
The Best Short Game Ever
Not Even Seve Ballesteros Can Say Nothing About Tiger Trouble Shoots.
What He Has Achive Within 10 Years As Amateur And Pro Going To Hard To Match And Don't Forget He Is 30 Year Old!!!!!!

I would have to go with the older group, with Nicklaus on top of the heap. Granted, Woods will some day own all of Nicklaus's records, and many more, but the competition is my determining factor. I just think because of the lack of money available back in Nicklaus's day, that his competition played harder. Today, if a player finishes last, but makes a cut, they make enough to make a living. I also wonder about course playing conditions back then, and now. You also can't over look the advancement in technology in club, and ball design since Nicklaus's days. As for Jones, he was the best player of his era. Then again, if he could have had todays medical technology back in his day, how much better, and how much longer could he have played? Trevino? How would Woods have done if he had a rubber snake thrown at him during a tournament, or had to endure Trevino's constant conversations?

My point is the best player at any sport is/was the best of their respective era of play. The debate, and the what "ifs" can go on for ever, but you will never actually know how Woods would have played against Nicklaus, or if needed, if Nicklaus had another level of play. Don't forget the mental aspects of this game.

Here's another what if to stir the pot. What if Tony Lema's golf career was not cut so short?

I just feel fortunate to have seen he best of the best during their era of play. It is unfortunate that there is no way to have seen all of these best players, at their best, playing against each other. GJS