(Tiger became the third.). Became a Collin Fan Today Twitter Reacts to Collin Morikawas Heartwarming 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. 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. Jack dominated in an era of legends. Who has more major wins: Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? This list of players is simply comprised to show that Tiger Woods is faced a far wider pool of legitimate competitors than Jack Nicklaus faced during his career. We talk quite a bit, Nicklaus said. Tiger was the ultimate front-runner, winning all 14 of his majors while leading or co-leading entering the fourth round. Follow along here. In the two in which he didn't, he tied for 11th and 13th. Woods withdrew during the rain-delayed third round of this years Masters in April after showing considerable discomfort walking the hills of Augusta National in bad weather. Nicklaus finished in the Top-5 56 times and achieved a Top-10 finish 73 times in 164 starts! Jacks best four-year runs were 22 (from 1970-73) and 17 (from 1964-67). He also had to deal with bigotry, segregation and poverty. Were the Nike guys who came up with the swoosh and jumpman logo on vacation when it came time to design Woods' emblem? (Forget all the talk of four wins you hear on television no one ever sets out to tie a record.) "I feel very bad for Tiger. 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. Heres why. Meanwhile, Nicklaus came back in eight of his majors. But what if we had to have that discussion today? At their best, both were nearly untouchable. Tiger Woods has 7 major runners-up finishes and 33 major Top-5 finishes. But, Tigerhas also hadto compete against the likes of Rocco Mediate, Boo Weekly, Woody Austin, Hunter Mahan, Chad Campbell, Stephen Ames, J.B Holmes, Johnson Wagner, Ryuji Imada, Anthony Kim, Kenny Perry, and Chez Reavia. Starting four. Then the back surgeries happened and we didnt know if hed ever be back again. In this ever-competitive world, a debate often pops up asking who is the best among the two. Tiger Woods has 198 top ten finishes with 82 wins and has won $120,954,766 in his career. In the majors with a cutoff of the 2008 U.S. Open, after which Woods began missing tournaments because of injury, Its dead even. If we're comparing two careers, one that's complete and one that's complete for the sake of this discussion, Nicklaus is an easy winner. Lefty won five major championships. Jack won six Masters, four U.S. 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. 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. 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. 2, Trevino three, Bruce Crampton four, and Palmer five. The man with the most major championships is the greatest golfer in history. 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. Well, guess what: Back in 1986, Nicklaus' position was wait for it T-17. Woods stands at 15, and his last major title being the 2019 Masters. 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. Jack vs. Tiger is always a great debate. Jason Day said Tiger Woods told him the painful reason that Woods withdrew from last year's PGA Champ. Who is the GOAT in golf? Sign up for the For The Win newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Then theres Tiger, who never had a Sunday showdown with any of the modern greats. Insanity. (Correction: I'm often at golf courses trying to act like I play golf.) he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. 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. Instant access to the latest news, videos and photos from around the world of golf. You Into Another Realm. 11. Neither needed a breaking-in period when it came to majors. Nicklaus recounted how he sat next to Woods at the Champions Dinner at the Masters, as he does most years. Some favor Woods, often recounting his influence on the golf world. 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. So, with the following caveats Nicklaus and Woods are 1A and 1B on the all-time list; these facts pro-Jack, not anti-Tiger; and that all of this can change over the next 15 years USA TODAY Sports presents 11 reasons why Jack Nicklaus is greater than Tiger Woods. Nicklaus has played in six, with a 17-8-3 record. For some people, its as simple as this. Championships monopolize the G.O.A.T. 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. Nicklaus is 1-1 as a U.S. captain in the Ryder Cup and 2-1-1 leading the Americans in the Presidents Cup. GOLF DIGEST MAY EARN A PORTION OF SALES FROM PRODUCTS THAT ARE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR SITE AS PART OF OUR AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH RETAILERS. During Tiger Woods' career, his main competitors in majors have been Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, and Jim Furyk. 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. The argument for Nicklaus is pretty simple: he won the most majors and had even more runner-up finishes in the biggest events. That being said, Woods has certainly started less (86) major events than Nicklaus (164). He won 27 overall tournaments from 1999-2002 and then 25 tournaments from 2005-2008. After all, there werent many majors to be had when Woods was taking seven in three years. 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. While Jack does have more major victories, Tiger still has more PGA Tour wins. From 1962-1978, Jacks prime, just two foreign players (Gary Player and Tony Jacklin) won at the Masters, U.S. Open or PGA Championship. He never came back to win, despite a half-dozen opportunities to win majors with a Sunday charge. But you dont want to see anybody in pain. What would it take for a changing of the guard? For those paying attention, some interesting parallels existed between Tiger Woods in 2020 and Jack Nicklaus in 1986 as we entered this week. If Woods wins three or more, then theres no need for a discussion and he would be the undisputed GOAT. Terms of Service My short games great. Both Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus dominated golf in their respective eras. and The 2022 Masters can be an opportunity for Woods to tie it up, and maybe even surpass the 82-year-old later on. In comparison, Phil won his five majors by a combined 10 shots. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. They account for a large amount of success in this aspect, as theyve won a combined 33 major titles together. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images). Well, because it is! Jack has 18 majors and Tiger has 14 majors, therefore Jack is the greatest of all time. 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. Its Jack and its not that close. In 1991, a 15-year-old Tiger Woods was the subject of his first Sports Illustrated profile. Woods' highs have been greater. Nicklaus had 48 top-three finishes at Slams, twice as many as Woods. But, on any given week, Tiger Woods is playing against 150+ players that have a realistic, legitimate chance to win if they get hot that particular week. Especially in his case. For those paying attention, some interesting parallels existed between Tiger Woods in 2020 and Jack Nicklaus in 1986 as we entered this week. No predictions for the future or presumed milestones. Who won the Masters? In the 1970s, Nicklaus only finished outside the top 10 in five majors. 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. Finishing as a runner-up or in the Top-5 of a major is also considered a good result. While both have had to face quality competition to get their wins, Id have to side with Tigers era being deeper than Nicklaus era. These are all the significant stats you need to know about how two GOATs of golf performed in major championships. Tiger Woods had the greatest run of any golfer whos ever picked up a club, but Jack Nicklaus put together a career that, from start to finish, was unparalleled. In a particular major where they are both playing theirbest, Tiger wins in a playoff. You dont want to see anybody, theyre hurting. 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 had the claret jug in his sights at Muirfield, but he finished second by one shot to Trevino, who chipped in on the 71st hole. In any given tournament, Jack Nicklaus was essentially playing against a field of four or five players,outstanding players be that as it may. Of those two players, neither won a major when he was older than 33. RIDGEDALE, MISSOURI SEPTEMBER 22: Jack Nicklaus talks to Tiger Woods of the 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. But what about golf? He said, Im really playing well. Why Is Jack Nicklaus Tournament Called the Memorial? Who is your ultimate GOAT? Tiger Woods Explains the Raw Feeling of Winning a Major Championship: Catapults Jesse Owens was 5-10, Carl Lewis is 6-2 and Usain Bolt is 6-5. The only leaderboard that matters is the one on the 72nd hole. TOP 10 WINS ROUNDS MONEY; Tiger Woods: 1025: 198: 82: 1,375: $120,954,766: Explore. Its a testament to the wider reach of golf that both Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer help usher in. He dominated in an era of chokers. - Nicklaus got the better of Woods on five of the 22 occasions, most notably his T6 to Tiger's T8 in the 1998 Masters when Nicklaus was 58 years old. (Photo by Thats too good. 1 in the world, he was followed by David Duval, Colin Montgomery, Davis Love III, and Ernie Els. Who has hit the most holes in one all-time? 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. Yep the same exact position with Tiger looking to match Jacks record of six Masters titles. Thirty years later, Tiger would do the same before a 28th-place finish at the British ended his chances.). At the British Open in the summer of 72, Jack struggled in the first three rounds but shot a 66 on the final day (a course record) to get to the top of the leaderboard. The Golden Bear won 18 of them and finished as the runner-up 19 times! In fairness, playing in Europe wasnt as common in Nicklaus time, but the number is impressive nonetheless. Tom Brady is the GOAT as far as NFL quarterbacks. Tiger: Won his Masters at 43, still time to be a super old winner. 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 2023 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. 2020 on the Paynes Valley course at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri. Golf The Masters Augusta National Golf Club Augusta, Georgia, U.S. April 8, 2021 Honorary starter Jack Nicklaus of the U.S. with Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson before the ceremonial start on the first day of play REUTERS/Brian Snyder. I also have to go with pizza. The off-course earnings arent even a comparison. When you look back over the duration of their careers, and the totality of their victories, the edge goes to Woods. Woods has won 79 PGA Tour events which is second only to Sam Snead's 82 and is already six ahead of Nicklaus. 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 . Woods made his debut as a U.S. captain at the 2019 Presidents Cup, where he also played and went 3-0-0. Furthermore, he's made it to the Top-10 on the leaderboard 41 times in 87 appearances. Its more evidence that Peak Tiger > Peak Jack. At the time, we knew it was spectacular even as it felt routine. Overall, the current depth of fields and reach of international talent exceeds that in the days of Nicklaus. This is an astonishing success rate! This is where the debate gets interesting and harder to quantify. However, the 82-time PGA Tour winner is not ready to give up just yet. 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. Woods has played in eight Ryder Cups and boasts a 13-21-3 record. The loss to Yang was the only time he didnt close. Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, Its a title thats become common in conversations about sports and gets thrown around far too casually in some regards these days. To call most of them journeymen would be too kind. Woods stands at 15, and his last major title being the 2019 Masters. 3, Palmer No. 1 ranked golfer in the world; Player was No. You can pick any player from any point in their career. While Nicklaus has the slight advantage on the course, Woods has the upper hand off of it (scandal and injuries aside). 17 and Nicklaus missed out on his personal Slam by one shot. He wouldnt be having the operations if he wasnt interested in wanting to continue to play, Nicklaus said. With 18 wins to his name, Nicklaus is currently leading. From 1997 through this year, Woods played in 17 Masters, won four and had 13 top-10 finishes. Before Tiger, winners would often get $180,000 for a win. But back to golf. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are the two greatest golfers to have competed in major championships. Are players such as Mickelson, Els, Singh, and Goosen just as good today as Palmer, Player, Trevino, Casper, and Watson were, and is Tiger just that much better than them? He still can't touch Nicklaus. 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. In the 1975 Masters, for instance, the entire top 10 was from the United States. WATCH THIS STORY: John Daly Announces He Will Be Following His Bizarre Masters Tradition This Year, Full Spectrum Services LLP 2022 | All Rights Reserved. Now most tournaments are over a million bucks, with majors and the Players going over two million bucks. Aside from Jack Nicklaus, Player, Casper, Palmer, and Trevino won nearly 18 percent of PGA Tour events. In the 1970s, Nicklaus only finished outside the top 10 in five majors.