Sir Slicealot
Medal Winner
Agreed, on and off the course. Jack is a true gentleman.
Not only is Tiger not playing as well as he once did, but his tantrums and spitting on the course also go against him imo.
Tiger the greatest ???
- Thread starter golfdub
- Start date
Agreed, on and off the course. Jack is a true gentleman.
Not only is Tiger not playing as well as he once did, but his tantrums and spitting on the course also go against him imo.
Scottjd1
Tour Rookie
Not the nicest person, best role model or likeable character, but without any doubt Tiger is the best golfer that has ever lived.
I still think he will have another dominating run of 2-3 years where he will get to 20 majors, and he will have the most professional wins by a mile too.
He is only mid 30's and the fitness levels he has compared to Jack in his mid 30's is night and day, he has another 10 years available to him to get back to the top and win majors.
I still think he will have another dominating run of 2-3 years where he will get to 20 majors, and he will have the most professional wins by a mile too.
He is only mid 30's and the fitness levels he has compared to Jack in his mid 30's is night and day, he has another 10 years available to him to get back to the top and win majors.
Piece
Tour Winner
Jack is the greatest golfer ever. Tiger is the best golfer ever. In the same way that Pele is the greatest, but Messi maybe the best... If that makes sense...probably not!
PhilTheFragger
Provider of Entertainment for the Golfing Gods 🙄
You dont know JACK
Agree that Woods is one of the greatest, But not THE Greatest. We need some sort of flux capacitor to bend time so Woods and Jack could play together at the top of their games, with the same equipment,
That would be a game to watch
As it is its just speculation and personal opinion, no right or wrong answers, and im sure the debate will continue ad nauseum
One thing however is certain
The Greatest Golfer In The World isnt typing this post
Fragger
Ethan
Money List Winner
I don't agree with this oft cited assertion that the fields are deeper nowadays. There may be more players winning majors, but there is a lot less sustained consistent top level competition.
Look at the US Ryder Cup team for 1981. Widely believed to be the best team ever assembled. Lee Trevino, Tom Kite, Bill Rogers, Larry Nelson, Ben Crenshaw, Bruce Lietzke, Jerry Pate, Hale Irwin, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Raymond Floyd, Jack Nicklaus. 11 major winners and 8 multiple major winners, and no room for Palmer (a bit old at this stage, admittedly), Weiskopf, Wadkins, Bean, Stadler, Green, Haas, Strange etc etc.
These guys were all winners, and that was in the days when there was no top 125 who kept their card.
Nicklaus played against plenty of great players who knew how to win.
Look at the US Ryder Cup team for 1981. Widely believed to be the best team ever assembled. Lee Trevino, Tom Kite, Bill Rogers, Larry Nelson, Ben Crenshaw, Bruce Lietzke, Jerry Pate, Hale Irwin, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Raymond Floyd, Jack Nicklaus. 11 major winners and 8 multiple major winners, and no room for Palmer (a bit old at this stage, admittedly), Weiskopf, Wadkins, Bean, Stadler, Green, Haas, Strange etc etc.
These guys were all winners, and that was in the days when there was no top 125 who kept their card.
Nicklaus played against plenty of great players who knew how to win.
wull
Tour Rookie
not so sure about that one.....
jack has appeared in something like 166 majors whilst tiger has only played in roughly 63.
that to me speaks wonders on how good tiger is and how much of a better win percentage in the majors he has over nicklaus.
Nicklaus by a mile. Yes Woods had a period where he dominated the game and that shouldn't go unmarked but there are two ways of looking at it. Out and out major wins and how they carried themself on and off the course. Only one winner in both categories. Even before Woods fall from grace he was renounced as an automoton who gave nothing away, was hardly seen stopping to sing autographs for hours a la Mickleson etc and was very much an enigma. Granted he set up the Woods Foundation and that has done brilliant work but in my opinion, Nicklaus has done more worldwide, more for charitable courses and arguably left a stronger legacy on top of his playing record with the courses he's designed and built worldwide
DarthFader
Club Champion
No question its Jack all the way.
Ethan
Money List Winner
166 majors is 41.5 years of playing all 4 majors. Let Tiger plays until he is 60-odd and I guarantee you his win percentage drops like a stone.
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
Maurice flitcroft. He has appeared in more majors than any one, given his appalling lack of talent. Heck, even I am a better golfer.
Failing that, bobby jones. I was going to post this, but snelly beat me to it, with way more stats than I would have supplied. Hard to look past jack, but shonky swing, shonky putting stroke, tiger would eat him alive, if played Mano e Mano, at their best. Tiger just has more shots
Failing that, bobby jones. I was going to post this, but snelly beat me to it, with way more stats than I would have supplied. Hard to look past jack, but shonky swing, shonky putting stroke, tiger would eat him alive, if played Mano e Mano, at their best. Tiger just has more shots
Scottjd1
Tour Rookie
Point taken but you are too young (!) to remember what Jack was thought of at the time he was playing and winning, from what I have heard Arnie was the Phil Mickelson type character and loved by the galleries and Jack just got on and won.
All the charity work and course designing Im sure was at the latter satges of his career and since he has packed it in. When Tiger is 50/60/70 something he will probably be fondly rememberbered too and will spend a lot of time raising moeny etc.
Not a fair comparison.
Funny that Tiger was suppose to be designing this major course in the desert and it has been put on hold and lying half completed and has been since before the exposure into his infidelity. I don't know that he'll really do that many course designs and even less likely now with the damaged reputation.
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
This project went bust way before tigers indiscresions. There are many things you can lay at tigers door, but this was not one of them.
This gets my vote, Ben Hogan was the best striker of a golf ball In his day and there ain't been nobody to compare to him yet. Not sure if he will go down as the best golfer in the world but he is right up there way ahead of Tiger.
richart
Major Champion
Jack won 17 majors by the age of 40 in 80 events, and was second or third in 23 more. 40 top three finishes in 80 starts
Tiger has won 14 majors by the age of 36 in 62 events, and was either second or third in 9 more. 23 top three finishes in 62 starts
To equal Jacks record at age 40, Tiger will need three wins and 14 second or thirds in the next 18 majors.
Jack played over 80 majors after the age of 40 and won one. I would be very surprised if Tiger wins many after the age of 40 either bearing in mind his knee problems.
By comparing Jack and Tigers performances when they were both in their pomp, Jack currently comes out on top, and is still the greatest for me.
triple_bogey
Tour Rookie
BUT do you truly know on a personal level what Jack was like? Or any of the masters of the past for that matter?
Michael Jordan was one of my greatest hero's growing up, only have I realized now that MJ is actually a very disrespectful/cocky person and is nothing like the gentlemen he seemed in front of the camera in his day.
EVERYONE has personality flaws, some just hide it better than others.
DappaDonDave
Journeyman Pro
Yep...
Ethan
Money List Winner
It is a perfectly fair comparison. Nicklaus was the interloper who took wins from Palmer, so was initially unpopular, but the crowd soon warmed to him. He always conducted himself well on the course, didn't throw clubs, spit or f and blind, has been married for around 50 years and is a known devoted family man.
Nicklaus was conscious of his image, and in 1962 saw himself smoking on TV coverage. He never smoked on the golf course again because he thought it gave a bad example. Pity Tiger wasn't so conscious of the images he portrays.
Jack's record to date is better than Tiger's - FACT. Will Tiger beat Jack's record? Only time will tell.
BUT; would you trust Tiger with your daughter?
BUT; would you trust Tiger with your daughter?
Andr3w
Assistant Pro
Jack's first 12 years
1962: 26 events, 3 wins
1963: 25 events, 5 wins
1964: 26 events, 4 wins
1965: 24 events, 5 wins
1966: 19 events, 3 wins
1967: 23 events, 5 wins
1968: 22 events, 2 wins
1969: 23 events, 3 wins
1970: 19 events, 3 wins
1971: 18 events, 5 wins
1972: 19 events, 7 wins
1973: 18 events, 7 wins
Totals: 262 events, 52 wins, 19.8%
Tiger's first 12 years
1996: 8 events, 2 wins
1997: 21 events, 4 wins
1998: 20 events, 1 win
1999: 21 events, 8 wins
2000: 20 events, 9 wins
2001: 19 events, 5 wins
2002: 18 events, 5 wins
2003: 18 events, 5 wins
2004: 19 events, 1 win
2005: 21 events, 6 wins
2006: 15 events, 8 wins
2007: 16 events, 7 wins
Totals: 216 events, 61 wins, 28.2%
And as for him being finished, guess which duffer is 3rd in PGA scoring average this year?
1962: 26 events, 3 wins
1963: 25 events, 5 wins
1964: 26 events, 4 wins
1965: 24 events, 5 wins
1966: 19 events, 3 wins
1967: 23 events, 5 wins
1968: 22 events, 2 wins
1969: 23 events, 3 wins
1970: 19 events, 3 wins
1971: 18 events, 5 wins
1972: 19 events, 7 wins
1973: 18 events, 7 wins
Totals: 262 events, 52 wins, 19.8%
Tiger's first 12 years
1996: 8 events, 2 wins
1997: 21 events, 4 wins
1998: 20 events, 1 win
1999: 21 events, 8 wins
2000: 20 events, 9 wins
2001: 19 events, 5 wins
2002: 18 events, 5 wins
2003: 18 events, 5 wins
2004: 19 events, 1 win
2005: 21 events, 6 wins
2006: 15 events, 8 wins
2007: 16 events, 7 wins
Totals: 216 events, 61 wins, 28.2%
And as for him being finished, guess which duffer is 3rd in PGA scoring average this year?
