Great Advice from
The Greatest Golfers of All-Time
Several times over the years, I have sent out my list of the All-Time Best Golfers to my golf buddies. The names really haven’t changed over the years, but the rankings have. For example, I have finally had the good sense to move Bobby Jones ahead of Tiger Woods. Don’t get me wrong, Tiger is an all-time great, just not No. 1 or 2.
I do find sports rankings (opinions really) fun to read because they make you think and are often good over-a-drink conversation starters. For example, Jack Nicklaus has gone on the record with his Mount Rushmore of All-Time Best Golfers, which means his list has four names:
“Probably be Bobby Jones, probably be Ben Hogan, probably Tiger Woods. I’d like to join them. Myself, that’s four.”
Below is my current Top 10 list:
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Golfer |
The Facts |
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1. Jack Nicklaus (B. 1940) |
Besides his 18 Majors wins, he had 19 2nd-place finishes and nine 3rd-place finishes. His winning span in Majors was 24 years – from 1962 to 1986). |
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2. Bobby Jones (1902 – 1971) |
Won 13 Majors, including the Grand Slam in 1930. At that time the four Majors were: The British Amateur, The Open Championship, U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur. As his World Golf HOF bio says, “Beginning with his victory in the 1923 U.S. Open at Inwood and ending with his U.S. Amateur victory at Merion in 1930, Jones won 13 championships in 20 tries, the most imposing run of major titles the game has ever seen.” |
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3. Tiger Woods (B. 1975) |
Woods has won 15 Majors and 82 PGA Tour tournaments. His 82 victories tie him with Sam Snead for 1st on the all-time list. |
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4. Walter Hagen (1892 to 1969) |
He won 11 Majors: U.S. Open: 1914, ‘19; The Open Championship in 1922, ‘24, ‘28, ’29, and PGA: 1921, ‘24, ‘25, ‘26, ‘27. |
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5. Harry Vardon (1870 – 1937) |
The winner of The Open Championship in 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911 & 1914 and the U.S. Open in 1900. |
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6. Ben Hogan (1912 – 1997) |
Winner of nine Majors: Masters, 1951 & ‘53; U.S. Open, 1948, ’50, ’51 & ’53; The Open Championship, 1953, and PGA, 1946 & ’48. Winner of 64 PGA tournaments. |
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7. Sam Snead (1912 – 2002) |
Snead won seven Majors (Masters, 1949, ’52 & ’54; The Open Championship, 1946, and PGA 1942, ’49 & ’51). His 82 PGA Tour victories are tied for 1st all-time with Tiger Woods. |
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8. Tom Watson (B. 1949) |
He has won eight Majors -- Masters 1977 & 1981; U.S. Open 1982, and The Open Championship 1975, ‘77, ‘80, ’82 & ’83. His 39 PGA Tour victories rank Tie 10th all-time with Dr. Cary Middlecoff. |
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9. Arnold Palmer (1929 – 2016) |
Winner of 62 PGA Tour events, which is fifth all-time. His seven Major wins were: Masters (1958, ’60, ’62 & ’64); U.S. Open (1960), and The Open Championship (1961 & ’62). |
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10. Gary Player (Born 1935) |
The South African won nine Majors: Masters, 1961, 1974 & 1978; U.S. Open 1965; The Open Championship, 1959, 1968 & 1974, and PGA 1962 & 1972. |
Of course, as you can imagine, the rankings do vary for a variety of reasons, such as “competition faced,” “impact on the game,” “career longevity,” and “historical/memorable moments”
SPORTSREVIEWS.COM:
1. Jack Nicklaus. 2. Tiger Woods. 3. Ben Hogan. 4. Arnold Palmer. 5. Gary Player. 6. Sam Snead. 7. Bobby Jones. 8. Tom Watson. 9. Walter Hagen. 10. Phil Mickelson.
TOP10LISTS.NET:
1. Jack Nicklaus. 2. Tiger Woods. 3. Rory McIlroy. 4. Arnold Palmer. 5. Gary Player. 6. Sam Snead. 7. Bobby Jones. 8. Tom Watson. 9. Walter Hagen. 10. Phil Mickelson.
GOLFSPAN.COM:
1. Tiger Woods. 2. Jack Nicklaus. 3. Ben Hogan. 4. Walter Hagen. 5. Sam Snead. 6. Arnold Palmer. 7. Bobby Jones. 8. Gary Player. 9. Tom Watson. 10. Byron Nelson*.
MYGOLFSPY.COM:
1. Tiger Woods. 2. Jack Nicklaus. 3. Ben Hogan. 4. Bobby Jones. 5. Sam Snead. 6. Gary Player. 7. Arnold Palmer. 8. Walter Hagen. 9. Tom Watson. 10. Rory McIlroy (6 Majors).
* Byron Nelson (1912 to 2006) won five Majors (Masters 1937, 1942; U.S. Open 1939; PGA Championship 1940, 1945). He had 52 PGA Tour career wins, which is 6th on the all-time list and in 1945 he won 18 times, including 11 consecutive tournaments
While rankings are always debatable, there is no debating the greatness of the golfers on my list or the other lists. Bottom line: We can learn from these guys, the All-Time Greats. Below is one quote from each golfer on my list that should help you become a better golfer:
1. Jack Nicklaus: “Know why you’re missing all those makable putts? You’re taking too long a backswing, which causes you to decelerate on the through-swing.”
2. Bobby Jones: “A backswing that is too short inevitably goes with a grip that is too tight.”
3. Tiger Woods: “When pitching from the rough, the secret is to keep the face from closing through impact.”
4. Walter Hagen: “You don't have the game you played last year or last week. You only have today's game. It may be far from your best, but that's all you've got. Harden your heart and make the best of it.”
5. Harry Vardon: “To play in gusty wind, make allowance in your mind before playing the shot, and then try to carry out your original intention.”
6. Ben Hogan: “Placing the ball in the right position for the next shot is 80% of winning golf.”
7. Sam Snead: “A pause at the top of the backswing will check the desire to kill the ball.”
8. Tom Watson: “Trying to solve the problems of the different speeds of breaking putts became my obsession, and whenever possible I spent all my time on the green.”
9. Arnold Palmer: “If a proper grip is the first fundamental in golf, then keeping your head steady is the next.”
10. Gary Player: “The best advice I can give to any golfer about playing fairway shots is: Don’t be greedy.”
Now, if I can only remember a couple of these tips.
Allan Stark
Photo credits:
Jack Nicklaus: Shutterstock -- Prachaya Roekdeethaweesab.
Bobby Jones: Public Domain, Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr., PGA golfer during a golf tournament, circa 1921.
Sam Snead: [File:Sam Snead 1967.JPG|Sam_Snead_1967]. Press release is dated 31 March 1967; the show premiered 29 April 1967.
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