Top ten golfers of all time!!

[iacas]

In defense of Hagen...he won 11 majors when the PGA didn't exist.  The Western was really closely comparable at the time.  He won that 5 times.

Five of his 11 major wins are in the PGA Championship. 1921 and 1924-27.

I think you may have meant the Masters. He finished T11 in that in 1936.

[Gettin Better]

 

If you hadn't heard of Tiger Woods, even outside of the world of golf, you must have been living in a cave.

I really have to admire your arrogance .. but I'm afraid I have to tell you that the normal person outside of the media driven USA and who doesnt play golf has probably never seen Woods name in print, or ever heard his name on TV or radio.

Outside of golf and the USA Woods is a total non-entity.

Hard for you to take maybe but it's the plain truth.

How much do you know about Suchin Tendulkar .. Shahid Afridi .. Ricky Ponting .. some of the worlds best CRICKET players.

If you haven't heard of it, cricket is the worlds second most popular sport .. behind football .. what you call soccer ..

Golf comes 10th .. I find that a shame.

Edited October 28, 2015 by Gettin Better

[boogielicious]

I really have to admire your arrogance .. but I'm afraid I have to tell you that the normal person outside of the media driven USA and who doesnt play golf has probably never seen Woods name in print, or ever heard his name on TV or radio.

Outside of golf and the USA Woods is a total non-entity.

Hard for you to take maybe but it's the plain truth.

How much do you know about Suchin Tendulkar .. Shahid Afridi .. Ricky Ponting .. some of the worlds best CRICKET players.

If you haven't heard of it, cricket is the worlds second most popular sport .. behind football .. what you call soccer ..

Golf comes 10th .. I find that a shame.

It is curious that you are posting in a "Golf" forum and referencing cricket. Now if this was a Cricket forum and I didn't know who Suchin Tedulkar was, well then I should be ashamed. But this is a golf forum and you were posting about top ten golfers and left off arguable the best there ever was as if no one knows who he is outside Jupiter, Florida. You are being astoundingly provincial. If you are a golfer anywhere in the World, you should know who Tiger Woods is.

Please stick to posting about golfers in this thread. Cricket is off topic.

Edited October 29, 2015 by boogielicious

[gatsby47]

 #1 - Jack Nicklaus , the gold standard by which those before and those coming after will ALWAYS be judged.

#2 - Tiger Woods,  the very best of his generation and another golfer who changed how golf is played throughout the world

#3 - Ben Hogan, the most analytical golfer. and one  who knew his own swing. Amazing to come back from an accident and win like he did.

#4 - Arnold Palmer, the name is recognizable by all generations of golfers around the world. Was there to bring golf into the televised era and be dominant until Jack.

#5 - Byron Nelson,  owner of a record that MUST rank as one of the most unsurpassable in all of sports.

#6- Sam Snead,  longevity , victories, swing.

#7- Gary Player, an ambassador, teacher, and a man who was way ahead in understanding the need for exercise, nutrition, and practice

#8- Billy Casper,  the understated champion overshadowed by the Big 3. 

#9- Tom Watson, the best of the "next" Nicklaus.

#10- Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen., Golf's big 3 before the television era and before the media explosion and exposure.  Ticker tape parade for a golfer for the Grand Slam, it wont ever happen again but you might get on thousands of sports shows.

[iacas]

I really have to admire your arrogance .. but I'm afraid I have to tell you that the normal person outside of the media driven USA and who doesnt play golf has probably never seen Woods name in print, or ever heard his name on TV or radio.

Outside of golf and the USA Woods is a total non-entity.

No. Tiger Woods was, for a number of years, one of the most recognizable figures in the world.

Not one of the most recognizable golfers. Not even one of the most recognizable sports figures.

One of the most recognizable people. On this, you are wrong. We are discussing facts here, not opinions.

Plus, you're the same guy who left Arnold Palmer off the list of "influential" golfers who affected the way the game is seen (paraphrasing).

[mvmac]

Outside of golf and the USA Woods is a total non-entity.

Hard for you to take maybe but it's the plain truth.

Incorrect.

https://the-cauldron.com/just-who-is-the-most-popular-athlete-anyway-78df9187adc2#.i3sjvayum

[boogielicious]

 #1 - Jack Nicklaus , the gold standard by which those before and those coming after will ALWAYS be judged.

#2 - Tiger Woods,  the very best of his generation and another golfer who changed how golf is played throughout the world

#3 - Ben Hogan, the most analytical golfer. and one  who knew his own swing. Amazing to come back from an accident and win like he did.

#4 - Arnold Palmer, the name is recognizable by all generations of golfers around the world. Was there to bring golf into the televised era and be dominant until Jack.

#5 - Byron Nelson,  owner of a record that MUST rank as one of the most unsurpassable in all of sports.

#6- Sam Snead,  longevity , victories, swing.

#7- Gary Player, an ambassador, teacher, and a man who was way ahead in understanding the need for exercise, nutrition, and practice

#8- Billy Casper,  the understated champion overshadowed by the Big 3. 

#9- Tom Watson, the best of the "next" Nicklaus.

#10- Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen., Golf's big 3 before the television era and before the media explosion and exposure.  Ticker tape parade for a golfer for the Grand Slam, it wont ever happen again but you might get on thousands of sports shows.

Nice summary. And I really like your avatar too.

[Pendragon]

Like him or not, Tiger is responsible for the popularity golf enjoys these days. He changed the game from an old, fat, elitist, white mans game to a sport that the younger generation of all backgrounds can play.

He single handily help build the NIKE golf brand.
He help bring golf to the gaming generation through EA sports. 

When Tiger was healthy and on a roll people were glued to the PGA on TV. The ratings were up compared to when he did not play.

The same can not be said for other golfers.

Face it, he is the second most famous Tiger next to Tony!!!!!

All that may be true, but it doesn't change the reality that TW just isn't a likable guy. 

[Elmer]

All that may be true, but it doesn't change the reality that TW just isn't a likable guy. 

I thought we were ranking top 10 golfers all time?
I did not realize that likability was a criteria!
For the record I have never met any of them and can not tell you if Hogan or Snead were nice guys?
I dont know if Byron Nelson saved orphaned kittens from a burning building, if Gary Player was a good tipper, If Jack Nicklaus helps old ladies across the street.
But what does any of that have to do with what they brought to the game and how they changed it due to their golf accomplishments?

[Wally Fairway]

1. My Dad

2-4. a couple of my uncles

5-8. my golfing buddies

9. Charlie Sifford

10. all the kids I see at the courses who are having fun & swinging freely

 

Note: this list is comprised completely of people I have met & talked to. Mr. Sifford is included as he used to play at a course outside Houston that I would also play, he told some great stories and had a remarkable life and impact on the game of golf.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Wally Fairway
I spelled Charlie wrong

[mvmac]

All that may be true, but it doesn't change the reality that TW just isn't a likable guy. 

Not the topic of the thread and not reality for a lot of people. It's not a "fact" that Tiger isn't a likable guy.

[turtleback]

 #1 - Jack Nicklaus , the gold standard by which those before and those coming after will ALWAYS be judged.

#2 - Tiger Woods,  the very best of his generation and another golfer who changed how golf is played throughout the world

#3 - Ben Hogan, the most analytical golfer. and one  who knew his own swing. Amazing to come back from an accident and win like he did.

#4 - Arnold Palmer, the name is recognizable by all generations of golfers around the world. Was there to bring golf into the televised era and be dominant until Jack.

#5 - Byron Nelson,  owner of a record that MUST rank as one of the most unsurpassable in all of sports.

#6- Sam Snead,  longevity , victories, swing.

#7- Gary Player, an ambassador, teacher, and a man who was way ahead in understanding the need for exercise, nutrition, and practice

#8- Billy Casper,  the understated champion overshadowed by the Big 3. 

#9- Tom Watson, the best of the "next" Nicklaus.

#10- Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen., Golf's big 3 before the television era and before the media explosion and exposure.  Ticker tape parade for a golfer for the Grand Slam, it wont ever happen again but you might get on thousands of sports shows.

Nice list.  just a couple of comments.

 

On Byron you are correct that his feat will never be equaled, but that is because so much of it was dependent on outside factors that will not be duplicated.  Namely eliminating most of the best golfers.  I know people say that Hogan and Snead played (just a little) during that year, but most of it was after the streak.  The reality is, when Byron was winning all those events it wasn't Jack Nicklaus finishing second to him it was Jug McSpadden.  Yeah, THAT Jug McSpadden.  The one most people never heard of.  Hogan won 6 in a row in 1948 - which is, if we look at reality, a better accomplishment than Byron's, IMO.  And Tiger's 6 in 1999/2000 and 7 in 06/07 are even more impressive, if we consider the context.

On Casper, he was arguably the best player in the world for several years in the mid-60s.  His problem was that he was MUCH less effective in the majors than in regular events.  He was, essentially, Greg Norman absent the glam, charisma, and immaturity.  He probably has one of the lowest ratio of major wins to total wins of any top player. 

[ncarlsongolf]

All that may be true, but it doesn't change the reality that TW just isn't a likable guy. 

I don't think anyone is arguing for or against his likability.  He changed the game and still to this day moves the needle like nobody in sports.  That makes him a pretty big deal.

[skydog]

 

On Casper, he was arguably the best player in the world for several years in the mid-60s.  His problem was that he was MUCH less effective in the majors than in regular events.  He was, essentially, Greg Norman absent the glam, charisma, and immaturity.  He probably has one of the lowest ratio of major wins to total wins of any top player. 

Agree with this. Casper probably doesn't get the credit he deserves but I don't think he should be on a top 10 list other than for the sake of pointing that out. I like the list otherwise, I just don't think you can justify having Casper on instead of Phil- 2 more majors and 6 more second places in majors against better competition surpasses Casper's higher win count IMO.

Edited October 29, 2015 by skydog

[turtleback]

Agree with this. Casper probably doesn't get the credit he deserves but I don't think he should be on a top 10 list other than for the sake of pointing that out. I like the list otherwise, I just don't think you can justify having Casper on instead of Phil- 2 more majors and 6 more second places in majors against better competition surpasses Casper's higher win count.

I agree that you have to put Phil above Billy.  Much better results in the majors with not much difference in total wins against waaaaaay tougher fields. 

[Gettin Better]

Tiger Woods was, for a number of years, one of the most recognizable figures in the world.

Not one of the most recognizable golfers. Not even one of the most recognizable sports figures.

One of the most recognizable people. On this, you are wrong. We are discussing facts here, not opinions.

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 I think you get pretty insular stuck in your own country IACAS. A bit of travelling would do the world of good in broadening your horizons and understanding of how things are seen outside of the states. Just to update you on the reality of how things are .. Woods face is NEVER seen on the TV outside of the states unless it was a golf competition .. and golf never shown on TV in most countries unless you have a specially PAID sports channel ... which very few people have ... and most of those that have it, watch other sports and not golf.

Ergo .. Woods is TOTALLY UNKNOWN to 99.99% of the rest of the world .. 

 

[boogielicious]

@Getting better

I edited your post because you responded inside the quote. It is called a "malformed" post and messes things up. Next time, I will delete the post. Please don't do it again.

 

[iacas]

Ergo .. Woods is TOTALLY UNKNOWN to 99.99% of the rest of the world .. 

You're wrong.