Jack vs. Tiger: Who's the Greatest Golfer?

[mb22]

Tiger, but it's close.

[DaveC]

I guess if you're comparing total careers, Jack is/was more consistent. I know Tiger's career isn't over...well, this season is

Jack is the benchmark though when you talk about golfers. After all, those are Tiger's words.

[WPBarrett]

We'll see once Tiger retires. Both are great to watch.

[bgsworld]

I am young so i wasn't around for jack.... but when ever i see highlights of him on golf ch. he seemed like a cool guy... plus the other week while playing golf i tried tiger-ade for the first time it's pretty gross and it made me mad thursty!!!

[pvd12]

G'day

I'll throw a spanner in the works...... Bobby Jones.. now to back it up (& probably not very well)

has won a Grand slam

Created Augusta
Run out of arguments.... but I believe he would have been the greatest... also from a different era

[golferfreddie]

I really enjoy watching Tiger play and I am also not old enough to remember Jack in his prime. It is hard to pick which is the best. It is definitely between these two, but you gotta love both

[TCCcaddie]

I hereby call for all talk on this subject to end until tiger is done with his career. Same for any great athelte whom is compared with the other greats in their sport. Tiger could die tomorrow in a car crash, hopefully not, and jack will still be better in the numbers because he won more. Tiger could not comeback from this knee injury well, and this might change his game forever making him not as good as before. Anything can happen.

[Stacey_E]

LOL...114 pages....ohhhh I voted Tiger. But keep in mind Jack never had the goals to chase that Tiger did.

[Wiserrr]

I am a Tiger fan but Anthony Kim is doing very well to pick up some slack in Nike golf due to Tiger being out with injury.

[Young Golf Prodigy]

I have family ties to Jack and can't say that until the records are beat, Tiger's the best. But come on, especially after the US Open where there was literally nothing going for him healthwise he pulled through. The man isn't human. Tiger takes the cake simply because he is.

[JessN16]

Jack at least until Tiger catches him. Not enough people, IMO, appreciate what Jack was able to do given the technology of the time.

Jess

[ElTigre]

Everybody says that Tiger does not have the competition that Jack did. And it MAY be true. But what Tiger shows every week is the utter DOMINANCE of the sport of golf and he would do the same thing if he was back in that time frame. That is what I believe.

[b-squared]

Everybody says that Tiger does not have the competition that Jack did. And it MAY be true. But what Tiger shows every week is the utter DOMINANCE of the sport of golf and he would do the same thing if he was back in that time frame. That is what I believe.

I still won't judge who's better. However, I believe Jack did have tougher competition than Tiger does today. I mean, Jack had to deal with Palmer, Player, Casper, Trevino, Miller, Floyd, Watson etc. Compared to Mickelson, Els, Singh, Duval, Adam Scott who seem to be the closest challengers to Tiger? Tiger's winning because there's no competition for him. Although this is true, even Tiger himself says Jack's the greatest of all time.

[b-squared]

Oh, BTW. To those who think Tiger's win at Torrey was impressive because of the knee injury, it was, period.

BUT, have you heard of Ben Hogan's 1950 U.S. Open win at Merion? He was in the same, if not more pain than Tiger was. Sad to see how people forget the greats of yesterday for their heroic wins. Tiger's win was great, but I presume Mr. Hogan's was greater.

[Aetsh]

Being a tad too young to even remember Jack playing (although I remember the name quite well), I have to go with Tiger

[PEZGolf]

Sorry, but I will NOT vote. In my opinion, we cannot rate ANYONE as the "Greatest Golf of All Time". To do so, we would have to get Old Tom Morris, his son, Young Tom, Harry Vardon (6 Open Championship and a US Open Championship), James Braid, JH Taylor, Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, etc. on the same golf course, in their PRIME, using the same equipment and balls, and have them play a 72 hole stroke event. THAT would determine the "Greatest MALE Golfer of All Time".
To make it the "Greatest Golfer of All Time", we would have to add Joyce Wethered (Bobby Jone said that she had the BEST swing he ever saw--male or female), Mickey Wright (Ben Hogan said that she had the BEST swing her ever saw), Kathy Whitworth, Babe Didrikson Zaharias (the Greatest Athlete to also be a Golf Champion), Nancy Lopez, Annika, etc to have the men AND the women prove their worth.

[ganjagolfer]

Sorry, but I will NOT vote. In my opinion, we cannot rate ANYONE as the "Greatest Golf of All Time". To do so, we would have to get Old Tom Morris, his son, Young Tom, Harry Vardon (6 Open Championship and a US Open Championship), James Braid, JH Taylor, Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, etc. on the same golf course, in their PRIME, using the same equipment and balls, and have them play a 72 hole stroke event. THAT would determine the "Greatest MALE Golfer of All Time".

great post, don't forget francis quimet, never turned pro and therefore gave honor to the purest intentions of the game

[PEZGolf]

I'm surprised this is still a debate after this week.

I offer this thought for consideration in terms of playing through excruciating PAIN: after Ben Hogan almost lost his life in the head on collision where he threw himself in front of his wife, and not only saved her life, but prevented her from being seriously injured, he was told he may never walk again, and would not play Championship golf. Being determined, he played and walked the rest of his career, from 1949 to 1966, and had to wrap his legs and endure tremendous pain in his legs and hips.

He won all four of his United States Opens AFTER the accident. In 1953, he could play in only six tournaments and won five of the six for a winning percentage of .8333. He played in three Majors, the Masters, the United States Open, and his one and only Open Championship (aka the British Open) and WON ALL THREE! He is the only golfer in history to win those three in the same calendar year. The schedule of the Open Championship meant that he could NOT play in the PGA Championship and his legs would not let him anyway, since it was still match play at the time. In 1960, when Arnie won his one and only US Open at Cherry Hills, Hogan played with Jack Nicklaus and both were in contention until the last hole. Hogan unchararteristically hit his third shot fat, due to the pain in his legs, and he could not catch Arnie. He stands alone not only for his records, but playing through pain that could not be relieved by surgery.