Who is the best golfer at one point of all time?

[StefanUrkel]

"Relatively speaking" (Obviously Tiger Woods would have destroyed a 1930 golfer because of evolutions)  If these players played a 10 round tournament on the top 10 courses on the tour, who would win?

 

Byron Nelson 1945?

Jack 1966?

Arnie 1960?

Tiger 2005?

Tiger 2000?

Tiger 2008?

Ben Hogan 1946?

Sam Snead 1946

Johnny Miller 1974?

Vijah Singh 2004?

Phil Mickelson 2012?

Tom Watson 1980?

Other?

[Vinny Cap]

I would go with Sammy and Jack and would like to see it played with the 1970's clubs and balls.

That would be interesting.

[iacas]

I voted for Tiger 2000, and it's not even close IMO.

Also, @StefanUrkel, I voted because I added a poll… https://thesandtrap.com/how-to/create-a-poll/. It's easy.

[Piz]

I agree with the Tiger 2000 pick; but Bobby Jones should get honorable mention for 1930.  

[VOX]

I take it that your quiz assumes stroke play. If it were match play (real golf) Hagen would win.

[Aguirre]

1 hour ago, Piz said:

I agree with the Tiger 2000 pick; but Bobby Jones should get honorable mention for 1930.  

My first thought was Tiger 2000 and the only other one I thought of was Bobby Jones 1930. 

[Rainmaker]

I voted Tiger 2000.  You don't mention if they would be playing *today's* versions of the course or if they would have year appropriate tee boxes . .or of the old timers would use modern equipment and be given time to adjust.  Tiger Woods of 2000 had at least 40-50 yards carry distance over Bobby Jones. 

Jones, Hagen, Snead and Hogan would not be used to playing on lush fairways with little roll-out.  There are a lot of inequities that would have to be accounted for . . but,even if they were somehow all accounted for, I still vote Tiger Woods of 2000. 

edit - you know what would be interesting to imagine . . instead of playing the top 10 courses . .instead let them play 1 tournament at a place like Brackenridge in San Antonio - designed in 1916  . . .an old style course, not long but quite challenging . . . using the gear of their eras. 

Edited August 30, 2016 by Rainmaker

[mchepp]

3 hours ago, iacas said:

I voted for Tiger 2000, and it's not even close IMO.

Could not agree more. This is the easiest poll I have ever answered on TST.

[jamo]

I voted Tiger 2000.

[Patch]

I'm going with Watson, not that it really matters much. Different eras of golf involved here. 

[Wally Fairway]

If that tournament was held today it would be Phil, because all the others are either dead, old or injured.

Seriously they were each the best in certain years, but when he was playing his best Tiger was far better than his competitors by a wider margin (maybe excluding Hagen during his streak of 11 straight wins, but that was against depleted fields due to the war).

[Buckeyebowman]

7 hours ago, Vinny Cap said:

I would go with Sammy and Jack and would like to see it played with the 1970's clubs and balls.

That would be interesting.

I would love to do the same. I also think it would be interesting to see what Sam and Jack could do with modern equipment! Especially if Jack could get of those rotten MacGregor "Tourney" balls that he played! They might have been the worst golf balls ever made!

My first "big boy" clubs was a set of Sam Snead "Blue Ridge" sticks. Slammin' Sammy was my hero then so that's what my Dad got me. I think the irons were swingweighted at about D28!

5 hours ago, iacas said:

I voted for Tiger 2000, and it's not even close IMO.

Also, @StefanUrkel, I voted because I added a poll… https://thesandtrap.com/how-to/create-a-poll/. It's easy.

I have to agree. I used to listen to John Feinstein, author of A Good Walk Spoiled and The Open, among other golf books, on the radio. He said that he was able to watch both Nicklaus and Woods in their primes, and while Jack might go down as the greatest golfer of all time, no one approaches Woods in 2000!

[chilepepper]

All things being equal it's a tough call to make. Huge changes in equipment, advances in agronomy, maintenance practices, course lengths. About the only thing in common between the 40's and now are the rules are basically the same

[CarlSpackler]

I grew up in Ohio. I had to go with Jack.

[NJpatbee]

At that point in time in 2000 Tiger was the all time best.  Career all time best IMO would go to Jack.

[Gunther]

All things being equal, Tiger in 2000.  Never been a run like that.

[Psyber]

Even if Tiger had to play 60s or 70s gear I'd think he'd still wipe the floor with them. Remember he plays blades and started out with persimmon woods so it's not like this stuff is foreign to him.

[natureboy]

If you're going to list multiple years for Tiger, you should probably include Nicklaus '67 (player of the year with a Major), Ben Hogan '48 (equal to '46 or better with the extra Major), and Ben Hogan '53. Also Sam Snead in '49 or '50 instead of '46. Tiger '06 and '99 arguably stronger years than '05.

The OP's thread title doesn't necessarily sync with the poll. He asked 'at one time' that might mean the best single round or best tournament considering conditions. So that could mean a round in the 50's in tournament play on a long course or a record 72-hole score for a tough Major setup.