Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

I have to say Tiger is the greatest.
One day he will pass Jack for the most majors.

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

Derek Lawrenson Golf Correspondant for the Daily Mail did a column yesterday on Tiger and his final comment was that if you judge a golfer by what he has done by the age of thirty, then Tiger is way out in front with Bob Charles a distant second in the rear view mirror

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

Tiger shouldn't even be compared to Jack's greatness until hes at least tied his 18 majors.

A career ending injury could happen at anytime to Tiger Woods, thats why someone has to be a complete idiot if they are saying today he is greatest of all time.

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

hi all
i still think you also have to mesure your greatness against who you also play against andi still think jack nicklaus had to play against the best playes, watson, player, trevino, palmer, player, ballastros. all who won week in and week out over jack time. only tiger at top now no one as good as he is, some great player but tiger is that much better. when jack was at his best so was so many other and you never really knew who was going to win, weel to week as there were so many playing there best golf at the same time. i dont think you can say tigers better simply because he won more by 30.
i do think tiger will better jacks record if he stays fit but dont think he has to beat the same class of player week in and week out that jack did in winning. just my thoughts on it.
thanks to all that have added there views to this post, you all have put some good pionts for both camps, tiger and jack.
thanks bill

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

Having not seen many of the old time golfers play it is difficult for me to give an opinion on who is actually the best. However, on what criteria should you judge the best - is it simply number of tournaments won ?

Personally I judge players not only on titles but on other things such as personality, style and their approach to the game. I love players who play the game the way I would play the game ; play every should shot as though you have a massive gallery watching you and you are out to entertain them. Go for everything in the most spectacular fashion without a hint of dull caution.

These are the type of players who attract huge interest in the game from both golfers and no-golfers.

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

hi gassim
best entertainers, trevino and ballestros but most pros play with the game in mind and the spirt the game should be played and work hard to keep the wonderful standard of gamesmanship and fair play. something that very few sports can match.
bill

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

From the times newspaper uk
Best golfers of all time: what you thought

Sunday August 4, 2002


Last month golf journalist Michael Casey nominated the 100 Best Golfers of all time. They were: 1 Jack Nicklaus
2 Gary Player
3 Sam Snead
4 Ben Hogan
5 Walter Hagen
6 Gene Sarazen
7 Tom Watson
8 Arnold Palmer
9 Byron Nelson
10 Harry Vardon

and tiger was nowhere in sight.

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

The Five Best Male Golfers of All-Time


1. Jack Nicklaus
Nicklaus did not dominate his contemporaries quite like Tiger dominates his, but his contemporaries included a couple guys named Arnold Palmer and Gary Player (not to mention Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller and Tom Watson). Jack still managed 18 major championship victories - nearly twice as many as the next guy on the list. He finished second in majors even more times than that. He's No. 2 to Tiger in terms of peak value, but he's still No. 1 for the value of his career as a whole.
•2. Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods is the most talented golfer ever to play the game and the best golfer in the world at the present. So why is he No. 2 instead of No. 1 ? Because he's still very early in his career. The question to ask about an active player is this: If his career ended tomorrow, where would he rank? If Tiger's career ended tomorrow, his career numbers would match up favorably with those of everyone else ... except Nicklaus. It's just a matter of time - literally - until Tiger is No. 1. For now, though, he's my runner-up.
3. Ben Hogan
Despite struggling for years on tour before breaking through, and despite having his career interrupted and cut short by a horrific auto accident, Hogan still managed nine major championship victories and 62 career wins. At his best, he left his contemporaries in the dust. His approach to fundamentals and the swing changed the modern game and his books are still saught after by modern players.
4. Bobby Jones ( my personal favourite ).
How great was Bobby Jones? It's not an easy question to answer. In his day, the four majors were the two Open championships - the British and U.S. - and the two Amateur championships - again, the British and the U.S. Jones won those four events 13 times and recorded the Grand Slam. And then retired at the age of 28. He went on to found The Masters.
5. Gary Player
Surprised it's not Arnie? Player has nine major championship wins, Palmer only seven. Player won the career Grand Slam - Palmer didn't. Sure, Palmer has more PGA Tour wins, but Player - who played tournaments around the globe - has more overall career victories.Also he is still participating in senior events at the age of 71.

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

hi aft
i would not disagree with your top 5, all wonderfull golfers and great for the sport.
bill

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

I'm voting for Sam Snead. 81 victories on tour, oldest player to win on tour, and youngest to shoot his age. Probably the most underrated player in the history of the game.

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

hi iktomi
what about garry player shooting a 69 2 weeks ago when hes 72 and still travels more than any golfer today. jack had 100 tour wins and was runner up in 58, 7 of the second placed were in the open, so jack won 3 and second 7 times in the open, that alone is some open record. trevino won 69 tour events in jacks time. including 6 majors
bill

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

To me in any sport it is hard to compare the greats of their era to one another. I think that todays atheletes are in better physical condition, have better coaching, equipment and the financial rewards so that they can dedicate more time to the sport.

Take Boby Jones at that time there was no money in the sport. Even Hogan's era It was nearly impossible to make a living at golf. Most golfers either was a hobby or a club pro. So in my mind to dominate that field of golfers is less impressive then to dominate todays golfers.

People talk about who Jack beat, but dominating todays fields where all golfers are hitting the ball a mile is more impressive. I would have to go with Tiger. I would not care if he gets to Jacks record of 18 or not and I would put Phil in my top 10 of all time I just think that todays fields and the competition is that much better.

Bob

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

hi bob
i do agree with some of what you said, i think the college system in the states is so strong now and brings plays through from an early age, there coached and drilled so much that i think there if a lot of flare drummed out them and most but not all have the same swing. back in the 60/70s was so diffrent and more so before that like you have said. i do think it was harder to win every week back in the 60/70/and 80s as so many great golfers were playing then, dont think there are so many that domanate now, as there all at same high standred comming out college and only tiger and phil seem to be that bit above the rest. not so in the 70s each week a diffrent winner and you just have to look at some of there scores back then to see the high standed of golf played. trevino won the vardon 5 times,
i think now you have tiger and phill and the rest of the pack, back then you had nicklaus, player, palmer, trevino, watson, ballastrous, norman, and then the rest

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

hi
was just reading the number of major wins other player put together in jacks time.
arnold palmer = 7
garry player = 9
ray floyd = 4
lee trevino = 6
tom watson = 8
thats 34 majors that only 5 other plays won during jacks time playing, no one but tiger is so cosistant, els, vj and phil are up there but dont come close to the 5 great player above, dont think you can say whos best yet, in 5/10 years yes i think you will be able to say tiger is way ahead, but not yet.
bill

Re: who is greatest golfer of all times

Tiger Woods. Without a doubt.

All you have to do is see him hit the ball at age 3 (or was it 4) on the Tonight Show. What more can one say except he's 30 and already close to beating Nicklaus' record.

The equipment was nowhere near what it is today (the ball and driver especially) but now the courses a much longer and narrower. Does that wake for a difficult comparison -- yes. But I believe Tiger is going to blow past N's record within a few years with plenty of room to spare.

If anyone had doubts about Tiger I think this years British Open performance settled that once and for all.