Who Is Your All-time Favorite Golfer?

[KrazyTrain18]

And my favourite pulls it off !

[Giospro]

Craig Stadler, F Couple, Phil, Arnie, and my wife's uncle Bruce Sumerhays

[Giospro]

Originally Posted by Giospro

Craig Stadler, F Couple, Phil, Arnie, and my wife's uncle Bruce Sumerhays

Sorry, Summerhayes

[Steffen I]

Nicklaus is a true gentleman and the greatest golfer.

[mpb1472]

Phil Mickelson. Never ceases to amaze me at his best or worst. Always exciting, going for it all the time.He has a highlight reel of shots that we will watch for years. I like the way he handles himself with the media and fans. Signs autographs for hours, takes young players under his wing, takes care of caddies, etc.. So many reasons make this guy the one I root for the most.

Graehme McDowell. Like his confident manner and directness.

The Mechanic. Nobody is as cool as this guy. Makes it look like he enjoys golf and life to the fullest.

[olkev]

Originally Posted by Steffen I

Nicklaus is a true gentleman and the greatest golfer.

THIS

[club ho]

Holly Sonders,Natalie Gulbis and Michele WIe in that order.

[sharris]

Arnie made golf what it is today, not many people played before his day, he had charisma=people loved him,  Sam

[sharris]

Arnie made golf what it is today, not many people played before his day, he had charisma=people loved him,  Sam

[Limpinswinger]

If I had to pick my all time favorite swing, it would be Fred "Boom Boom" Couples' swing.  The tempo, the flexibility.  Amazing!

But, my all time favorite golfer has to be Lee Trevino.  Great sense of humor, great attitude, "clutch" competitor, and one ugly ass swing.  What's not to like!

[PingKing]

I can see that our favorites depend on our exposure to the great players in our formative years.  To me that means Sam Snead.  I go back Shell's Wonderful World of Golf.  Now that the series can be obtained on DVD, I recommend that younger players purchase and watch carefully.  I would pay a thousand dollars to follow a match between any three top golfers today on a 7,000+ yard course similar to the Houston Country Club in difficulty and playing with 1950's equipment and the famous Spaulding Dot ball.  It would be an apples to apples test of golf skill.  Even in 1973, players like Johnny Miller were hitting 4-woods into number 10 at Augusta.  Jack Nicholas hit 1-irons to reach number 13.   As far as delicious swings go, Sam Snead was the Freddie Couples of his day.   I followed him in the first round of the 1973 Masters and remember clearly how effortlessly he lobbed a 6-iron onto number one green. Not only were they great shotmakers, but they were personalities, a quality that is mostly absent among the current crop of athletic pro golfers.  I think it would make for a great charity event to pit three top professionals in a match where they use equipment  available to the best players in the 50's,

[jmurder]

I like the way club ho thinks, lol. I have to say that my favorite all timers are Arnie, Lee, and Jack in that order.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Arnold Palmer. I got this autograph in Portland when I was a kid in 1959, and it was just him and me. There was no crowd because that was about seven months before he became ARNOLD PALMER. He was such a nice man. I've never forgotten how he made me feel.

[Dr. Strangeclub]

Looking back on almost 60 years of watching golf on TV and reading the golf magazines, it's tough to pick just one.  I certainly was a big Arnie fan (like who wasn't!?), but looking back I might have to go with Tony Lema.  Something very cool about buying champagne for the press when he won, and Dom Perignon at that!  Nice looking swing, well-spoken, intelligent, thoroughly pleasant fellow.

[Armygolfer4life]

Originally Posted by iacas

It can't be unfair because it's just a fact. It simply is what it is.

Your opinions of the press are irrelevant in this context.

Fact?  No.  Opinion, yes.  You are not the only person that has been outside or inside the ropes.  My opinions are not irrelevant wrt the press.  I have seen people duck the press even after a good day.  That includes me.  Disagree all you want but careful with expressions of people's thoughts being irrelevant.  That brings back into play the word "rude".

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Armygolfer4life

Fact? No. Opinion, yes.

No, I'm very careful with how I use the words "fact" and "opinion" here (and elsewhere). Phil has ducked more post-round press conferences than Tiger - far, far more. That's not an opinion - you can measure it, both as a number, as a percentage of times he's asked, etc. Tiger's ducked very, very few.

Does Tiger sign as many autographs as Phil? Not a tenth, probably. That's also a fact (that he signs less, not the actual 10% number). But I was talking about ducking press conferences.

Originally Posted by Armygolfer4life

My opinions are not irrelevant wrt the press.

I disagree. And that's an opinion.

I was - again - simply pointing out that the "fact" is that Phil ducks more. I didn't attach any reasoning to it, I simply stated the fact. Your opinion of the press is irrelevant to the fact - it speaks to giving Phil an excuse.

[Ole_Tom_Morris]

Chi Chi Rodriguez. Splinter of a man who could hit a long ball, who played to the crowds to the point that more sedate elements of the tour tried to get him to cool it down. (You may remember him sheathing his putter like a sword as he putted out.) Loved kids. Who learned to play with an old cast off club in Puerto Rico and then worked as a caddy -- the way the greats used to come up, the way Seve did not that long ago. #2 Julius Boros, opposite of Chi Chi, husky guy, easy soft swing, did not come from an impoverished background, generally looked like he was enjoying himself on the course. A quote attributed to him: "People ask me when I'm gonna retire. I fish, I play golf, what am I gonna retire to?"

[trp245]

He's also done a lot for the game. Travel to the Tampa/Clearwater area and take a look at the course and training area that he helped develope.