Even so, he has won 15, while Nicklaus has won 18. For instance, Usain Bolt is faster than Carl Lewis was and Carl Lewis was faster than Jesse Owens. Nicklaus is 1-1 as a U.S. captain in the Ryder Cup and 2-1-1 leading the Americans in the Presidents Cup. 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. he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. 1 ranked golfer in the world; Player was No. Tigers reign was 14 years, not including his two lost seasons of 2010 and 2011. So, whose career would you rather have, Woods or Nicklaus? United States on the 19th tee during the Paynes Valley Cup on September 22, Jack had a top 10 at a major in 24 straight years. Some favor Woods, often recounting his influence on the golf world. 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. Nicklaus had won the 1971 PGA, played in February as a concession to the South Florida heat, then added the 1972 Masters and U.S. Open titles. At the majors. MS: All eyes on Finau, Rahm; all ears on McIlroy, Green wins three-way playoff at JM Eagle LA, Mexico payout: Rahm sets record before May, Timeline: A look at Tiger's injuries in his career, Tiger announces he's undergone ankle surgery, Day: Screw broke through Tiger's skin at PGA. Part of that was the standard lip service you pay to Nicklaus after winning his tournament, but part of it is knowing only one stat matters. When Woods was growing up, he had a poster of Nicklaus on his wall. Woods' highs have been greater. His rivals were killers too Palmer got him at Cherry Hills, Trevino took him down four different times including on an 18-hole playoff at Merion and Tom Watson won three majors over Nicklaus, all in heartbreaking fashion. At their best, both were nearly untouchable. Tiger has played 74 rounds at Augusta National and has a scoring average of 70.86, the best in history. To call most of them journeymen would be too kind. The fact that over his career he didn't win as many medals as Carl Lewis does nothing to convince me that Carl was better. Nicklauss best streak was 105. While the 46-year-old is confident about a win this year, Woods clinching the Masters title is not easy. The Golden Bear won 18 of them and finished as the runner-up 19 times! Overall, the current depth of fields and reach of international talent exceeds that in the days of Nicklaus. Its a title thats become common in conversations about sports and gets thrown around far too casually in some regards these days. How long Woods will be sidelined this time is anyones guess, but his participation in this years remaining three majors the PGA Championship in May, U.S. Open in June and British Open in July seems unlikely. 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. 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. Tigers 81 PGA Tour wins has him just one behind Sam Snead for the most ever and eight ahead of Nicklaus. When push comes to shove (which never really happens in an argument about the great game of golf, though the chances go up the longer you stay at the 19th hole), I easily have to go with Tiger. Woods has won 79 PGA Tour events which is second only to Sam Snead's 82 and is already six ahead of Nicklaus. He took the PGA Tour to a whole new level and continues to make many golfers absolutely filthy rich because of all the money Tiger brought into the game. They shrunk in the spotlight. Follow along here. Yang and Michael Campbell. Nicklaus is 1-1 as a U.S. captain in the Ryder Cup and 2-1-1 leading the Americans in the Presidents Cup. 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. Nicklaus is in third at 73. And now, with Tiger making his comeback amidst more international winners than ever, the field is even deeper because of the wider reach that Tiger brought to the game. Nicklaus main competitors won 29 percent of all major championships played during the prime of Nicklaus career. Who has more major wins: Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? That was never the case for Tiger. Im hitting the ball great. The only men to truly go toe-to-toe with him in the final round of a major were Y.E. Please check your email for a confirmation. conversations in every sport, but obviously theres a lot more to golf than just four weekends per year. An important stat is their Masters win, where Woods is just one win away from Nicklaus record. National team appearances are a challenging comparison due to playing partners being a tricky variable. 3, Palmer No. 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 . But it will. So that will only add more hope for those rooting for Tiger to earn a 16th major title with a win this week. 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. Tiger had 15 such tournaments in the 2000s (counting the two events. Its Jack and its not that close. What would it take for a changing of the guard? Jack Nicklaus has insisted that Tiger Woods will break his record of 18 victories in Major tournaments. When he won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin he single-handedly crushed Hitlers myth of Aryan supremacy. Nicklaus, on the other hand, played with Gary Player (nine majors), Tom Watson (eight), Arnold Palmer (seven), Lee Trevino (six) and Seve Ballesteros (five). That's more than one stroke better than Nicklaus' per-round average of 71.98. My puttings good. He said, I just cant walk. And he says, If it helps where I can walk, Im willing to do it. . Usain Bolt made me look harder at the careers of Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens. Jack: Won the Masters at age 46, making him the third-oldest major winner ever. There are arguments to be made in Woods' defense, but even he has to admit that until he gets to 19, he's just chasing down the Golden Bear. But theres been nobody as good as Tiger. Tiger Woods vs Jack Nicklaus: Side-by-Side Comparison of Major The cut streak. Jack Nicklaus vs. Tiger Woods | Golf Digest He also had to deal with bigotry, segregation and poverty. The question of who is the greatest golfer of all time comes down to two men: Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. With every passing year, however, the Tiger Slam becomes more and more remarkable. Jack 3, Tiger 2, Hogan 1 Category 7:. Until that time, Nicklaus holds the advantage in that category. DUBLIN, OH JUNE 03: Tiger Woods share a laugh with Jack Nicklaus following the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 3, 2012 in Dublin, Ohio. up for grabs. (Not that anyone was really paying attention to a potential NicklaSlam. Who won the U.S. Open? Whos Better Tiger or Jack | Golf Channel Not that we wont keep arguing about it for the next 25 years. Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? The answer to that is very easy. Nobody ever flew higher than Tiger. If Augusta National is the best test in golf, Nicklaus earned slightly better marks. There were the brutal struggles after that which led many to wonder why he was even trying to come back at all. Those were stunning achievements that set the standard until Tiger arrived and did it even better. 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. Has Tiger Woods ever missed the cut at The Masters? Jack Nicklaus vs Tiger Woods | The Open's Greatest The Open 120K subscribers Subscribe 8.3K views 11 months ago Tiger and Jack need no introduction. 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. These two generational talents can never be compared with each other. Its difficult to compare players across eras, and when you look at the numbers, an argument can be made for each. The overall win total in tournaments reveals one interesting thingWoods in his prime was better than prime Nicklaus. This is an astonishing success rate! Like it or not, there are many who root against Woods because of his philandering, and that undoubtedly will affect how he's remembered. He has a career winning percentage of25 percent; Jack's winning percentage through the end of 1979 was 18 percent. Tiger: Won his Masters at 43, still time to be a super old winner. Gesture at The Open Championship 2021, Full Spectrum Services LLP 2022 | All Rights Reserved. But the circumstances of a time and generation do not provide a level playing field. In overall tournament wins, Tiger has Jack by a count of 79 to 73. 11. That being said, irrespective of ones preference, Woods and Nicklaus contributions cannot be overlooked. Director of Professional Golf isnt a normal position at golf club, but Quail Hollow isn't a normal club. 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. 7. When Nicklaus was in his prime, golf was dominated by Americans. A record-setting streak of cuts made. That always will be Nicklaus. And so courageous.. In 2000, other than Tiger Woods, the remainder of the top-five ranked players in the world won 11 percent of PGA Tour events. During the best part of Jack Nicklaus career, his main competitors were Tom Watson, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, and Billy Casper. Tiger Woods vs Jack Nicklaus: Who Has the Better Record in Major With his 24-year-old eldest son Jackie as his caddie, Nicklaus opened with a modest 74 but improved with rounds of 71 and 69 to sit in a tie for ninth going into the final day. Tiger shot 68-71 to sit at five under par after 36 holes. Woods has played in eight Ryder Cups and boasts a 13-21-3 record. Comparing Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus Head to Head in Majors birdie putt in 1986 on No. Their two greatest Masters moments happened on the final three holes, under the eyes of CBS announcer Verne Lundquist. See trending; Company. Yes, Nicklaus has more major championships in golf, but Woods has won more tournaments. The late Frank Chirkinian hated it when anyone would try to compare Jack Nicklaus to Ben Hogan. (Photo by (Tiger became the third.). after undergoing surgery on his right ankle, withdrew during the rain-delayed third round, List of Tigers injuries through the years. 18 still remarkable stats from Jack Nicklaus' illustrious career Those dominating wins at Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews. Tiger Woods' chase for Nicklaus' major record is back on. Just ask Jack An unprecedented run of seven majors in 11 starts. For some, choosing one is almost an impossible task whereas others believe the answer is clear. Come on; theres no debate: Its Tiger Woods in the aforementioned summer of 2000, when he was in a two-month stretch of playing golf as well as anyone has ever played any sport. Clearly when it comesto theweek-to-week grind of the Tour, Tiger has no equal. TOP 10 WINS ROUNDS MONEY; Tiger Woods: 1025: 198: 82: 1,375: $120,954,766: Explore. He won 27 overall tournaments from 1999-2002 and then 25 tournaments from 2005-2008. He went on to win 28 of them (84.8 percent). Another impressive Woods number is cuts made. Of course, their popularity is a result of their incredibly illustrious careers. Hear what our crew of Anna Whiteley, Dam. Ernie Els and Vijay Singh are the only two other golfers to capture at least three majors. While five players have won the Players twice (Woods included), Nicklaus is the only player to win the Tours flagship event three times, doing so in the events first 5 years. 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. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images). Result: Tiger by 37. As for me, I don't dislike Tiger Woods because of his sordid affairs, but I like Jack Nicklaus for his lack of them. 1986 Masters (46) ben hogan. 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. Sign up for the For The Win newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Nicklaus had the famous "yes sir!" Woods made his debut as a U.S.. Tiger's best 33-major streak featured 21 top 10s. Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress. With the. This cut streak will likely never be broken again. She has a keen eye for Woods plight. They both had a stretch of winning at least one major title in six of nine years. Tiger Woods vs. Jack Nicklaus: The Tale of the Tape Tiger had a still-impressive run of 17 straight seasons with a top 10. At the majors. He won back-to-back-to-back majors from the 1971 PGA to the 1972 U.S. Open, joining Ben Hogan as the only golfers to ever accomplish the feat. 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. If you accept that golfers are only measured by their performance in the biggest events, its a slam-dunk argument. While the 46-year-old is confident about a win this year, Woods clinching the Masters title is not easy. Tiger Woods Vs Jack Nicklaus | StatMuse Nicklaus is in third at 73. 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. 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. Some might argue that no one else took home the trophies during Tigers reign because he was winning all of them. Heres a reminder: Jack Nicklaus won 18 major championships in his career, while Tiger Woods clinched 15. Of course, Tiger Woods is still active, which leaves the G.O.A.T. Especially in his case. 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. While Jack does have more major victories, Tiger still has more PGA Tour wins. Neither did Ernie, Vijay, Retief, David Duval or any other top golfer of the last 20 years. In 1972, Player, Trevino, Crampton, and Palmer won 16 percent of PGA Tour events. This is a simple debate. AUGUSTA, GEORGIA APRIL 14: Tiger Woods of the United States celebrates after When you think of Jack Nicklaus, the first thing that comes to mind is major championships. Their win totals are basically a wash given how the modern era of golf has a number of smaller events (WGC and FedEx Cup) and, thus, a better win probability. However, maybe just statistically, certain people might be inclined towards Nicklaus. Meanwhile, Nicklaus came back in eight of his majors. 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. How much does Jacks longevity help his cause? (Forget all the talk of four wins you hear on television no one ever sets out to tie a record.) When Tiger won the 1997 Masters his score of 270 broke by. And then theres the money element. https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/12/24/jack-nicklaus-tiger-woods-pga-tour-career-major-stats/, Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands, Central America, Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain & Ireland. Tiger was the ultimate front-runner, winning all 14 of his majors while leading or co-leading entering the fourth round. Jack broke another Hogan scoring record at the 1967 U.S. Open in winning by four shots over Palmer. Tiger Woods Vs Jack Nicklaus Stats | StatMuse Granted, Woods is too young and too busy to have such a global golf footprint, but it feels safe to say that 20 years from now we'll still be debating who was the greater golfer, but there won't be an argument about golf's best ambassador. Tiger, in defense of his 2019 Masters title, sat 33rd . I think its a lot more serious. There are any number of ways to compare Woods and Nicklaus. There has been a critical error on this website. "@cartiluver14 @SonnyWeems123 Post car crash sources + Golf Digest has an admitted partnership with Woods and they were called out on it, they also, stopped using the Logo when they mention Tiger." Ofthe 64 majors Tiger has played as a professional, hes finished outside ofthe top 10 some 26 times while winning 14. In a span of 10 months, Tiger won the career Slam, became the first man to ever hold all four major titles at once and jumped ahead of the pace his hero set en route to his hallowed 18 majors. WINS ROUNDS MONEY; Tiger Woods: 1025: 198: 82: 1,375: $120,954,766: Explore. Ever. . The merits of both are often debated on 19th holes around the country, with the younger players usually siding with Tiger, and vice-versa for Jack. 2, Trevino three, Bruce Crampton four, and Palmer five. If Woods wins three or more, then theres no need for a discussion and he would be the undisputed GOAT. Tiger has held the outright 36-hole lead 33 times in his Tour career. Golden Bear Still Gold on Twitter Tiger Woods Vs Jack Nicklaus: A Comparison Of Their Careers Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus career comparisons Back in the late 2000s, the question around Tiger Woods didn't feel like "if" he would break Jack Nicklaus's 18 majors. Tiger Woods at age 45: Why the all-time great won't pass Jack Nicklaus Is Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus the GOAT in Golf? - Sportscasting Now most tournaments are over a million bucks, with majors and the Players going over two million bucks. John Daly Announces He Will Be Following His Bizarre Masters Tradition This Year. Nicklaus had 48 top-three finishes at Slams, twice as many as Woods. 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. 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. 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. Jack has 18 majors and Tiger has 14 majors, therefore Jack is the greatest of all time. 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. RELATED: Catch up on every important shot from Saturday at Augusta with our minute-by-minute live updates. In the end, major titles arent given more weight because of their timing. He was compared to Mozart. Neither needed a breaking-in period when it came to majors. 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. If only considering normal events, Woods can be the GOAT for many. 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 . I dont buy that one. And once again, major tournament winners are the barometer for characterizing that success. The answer to the question, Who is the greatest of all time? is It depends. In the majors, Jack wins. He made the weekend in a record 142-straight tournaments. Jack won six Masters, four U.S. In order to surpass him, Woods needs to win five more majors. 1, Player No. Thats a 23-shot cushion in two majors. Sit around any 19th hole for way too long and you might hear this question pop up: who is the greatest golfer of all-time, Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? Does Tiger Woods Need to Break Jack Nicklaus' Record of 18 Major Titles Instant access to the latest news, videos and photos from around the world of golf. Tigers biggest rival is Phil Mickelson, a guy best known for his collapses who not only failed to outduel Tiger on a Sunday, he failed to even duel him. RELATED: Kirk Herbstreit said no to THREE separate Augusta National invites from a legendary college hoops coach. Tiger Woods vs. Jack Nicklaus - Tiger Woods News Tiger Woods is out indefinitely after announcing Wednesday that he underwent another surgery on his injured right leg. Thats about as good an explanation for why Woods agreed to go under the knife yet again as weve heard to date. Tigers run through the 2000s was must-see TV and man did he know how to put on a show and rise to the occasion often in dramatic fashion when the whole world was watching. Who's the GOAT? Settling the Debate Between Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus In terms of his golf legacy, Woods' past shouldn't count any more or less than Nicklaus' scandal-free career. 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. Here's why. The No. You Into Another Realm. The count is still 18 to 14 in favor of Nicklaus. Jack dominated in an era of legends. That's more than one stroke better than Nicklaus' per-round average of 71.98. Five is the career total for legends of the game like Ballesteros and Byron Nelson. But his comeback bid ended when Lee Trevino chipped in on No. Thru their 55th Major Tournament (Masters, U S Open, British, PGA), here's how they compare: Age - Tiger 33 Jack 33 Wins - Tiger 14 Jack 11 2nd Place - Tiger 5 Jack 11 3rd Place - Tiger 3 Jack 5 Top 10's - Tiger 31 Jack 36 Top 25's - Tiger 44 Jack - 45 Missed Cuts - Tiger 4 Jack 6 Scoring Average - Tiger 70.63 Jack 71.64 Nicklaus had 57 runner-up finishes in his career and 269 top-10s while Woods had 31 runner-up finishes, or 26 behind Nicklaus, and 199 top-10s, 60 less than the Golden Bear. Jesse Owens was 5-10, Carl Lewis is 6-2 and Usain Bolt is 6-5. 64. Which is a more demanding situation, a farlarger number of overall competitors or a smaller, more concentrated group of great competitors? Jesse Owens faced more hurdles than the 3 -foot-tall barriers on a track. Whether he makes the cut or not, he adds to the tournament in so many ways. Who is the GOAT in golf? Well, because it is! He captured 18 major titles in his career compared to Woods and his 15, up until now. Life is good if youre a great golfer, thanks to Tiger Woods. He adds so much to the game every time he tees up. Nicklaus finished second in 19 majors, and Woods has six runner-up results. "I feel very bad for Tiger. Across a wide range of sports, we will debate and remember the Greatest Of All Time, and look ahead to whos next. 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. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are the two greatest golfers to have competed in major championships. I play a lot of golf. Woods competitors have won 22 percent of all majors during Woods career, again showing that the number of players with the ability to win a major has been far greater during Woods career than it was during Nicklaus career. And Tiger is making his 23rd appearance in the Mastersjust like Jack was back in 1986. For those paying attention, some interesting parallels existed between Tiger Woods in 2020 and Jack Nicklaus in 1986 as we entered this week. He may yetsilence all critics (myself included) who rank him a slim tissuethickness behind Jack with the work he does over the next decade. Sign up for the For The Win newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Hes showed a lot of guts and courage to play and try to be part of whats going on with the way hes been, he continued. Tiger won his first major as a pro, the 1997 Masters, at age 21, destroying the rest of the field by a record 12 shots. He dominated in an era of chokers. 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. Tiger's 15-shot win inthe 2000 U.S. Open set a record for widest margin of victory, but his scoreof 272 only tied the record (since bettered by Rory Mcilroy) that Jackset in the 1980 U.S. Open. At 42, Tiger would need to replicate Mickelsons entire major career to become the all-time leader. Before Tiger, winners would often get. Tiger has been the rare athlete to live up to unimaginable hype, be brought back down by scandal and injury and then absolutely crushing all the expectations (and doubts) in historic fashion.