The Greatest of All Time.........

[tallathlete]

A friend and I were discussing who we felt were the greatest golfers in history at each part of the game. These were my choices.......

Driving....Greg Norman (Greatest driver in tournament history IMO)
Fairway Woods....Hale Irwin
Long Irons....Jack Nicklaus...period.
Middle Irons....Johnny Miller....circa 1973
Short Irons....Lee Trevino
Pitching....Ernie Els
Chipping....Hubert Green
Bunker Play....Severiano Ballesteros....period.
Putting....1a Jack Nicklaus
1b Tiger Woods
Scrambling....1a Seve Ballesteros
1b Tiger Woods

 

[aaron_lohan]

Driving - Greg Norman
Fairway Woods - Tiger
Long Irons - Tiger
Middle Irons - Ben Hogan
Short Irons - Ben Hogan
Pitching - Tom Kite
Chipping - Tiger
Bunker - Gary Player
Putting - Bobby Locke
Scrambling - Seve

 

[Brian Manzella]

One Man's Opinion

Driving - Jack Nicklaus

He was much longer than Norman, prime-to-prime, and never lost a tournament because of crooked driving.

Honorable Mentions: Historical - Ben Hogan, Modern - Rory McIlroy, Obscure - Tom Bartlett
​

Fairway Woods - Fred Funk

A multiple winner on tour and factor in a couple of majors without any length off of the tee, in an era of super long golf courses.

Honorable Mentions: Historical - Hale Irwin, Modern - David Toms, Corey Pavin, Obscure - Freddie Haas
​

Long Irons - Tiger Woods

No contest. 250 yard accurate irons shots that won multiple majors, and the pre-Haney stinger.

Honorable Mentions: Historical - Jack Nicklaus, Modern - Dustin Johnson, Obscure - Tom Bartlett
​

Middle Irons - Johnny Miller

More tap-in birdies than anyone in history, and as many rounds 64 and under as a so-so putter at best.

Honorable Mentions: Historical - Byron Nelson, Modern - David Toms, Obscure - Stan Stopa
​

Short Irons - David Toms

Sometimes, it isn't even fair. 33 million in winnings by taking full advantage of his opportunities.

Honorable Mentions: Historical - Ben Hogan, Modern - Tim Clark, Obscure - Kevin Sheilds
​

Pitching - Phil Mickelson

No contest. Too much variety, and still getting better

Honorable Mentions: Historical - Freddie Haas, Modern - Scott Verplank, Obscure - Justin Thomas
​

Chipping - Sergio Garcia

Probably the best part of a really good game, even now on a downturn. Likely to make his next one.

Honorable Mentions: Historical - Bernhard Langer, Sam Snead, Modern - Jerry Kelley, Obscure - Larry Griffin
​

Bunker Play - Chi Chi Rodriguez

Out of any kind of sand, and any kind of lie, just ridiculously good for a long time.

Honorable Mentions: Historical - Johnny Revolta, Modern - Luke Donald, Obscure - Ben Doyle
​

Putting - Tiger Woods

The greatest anything of all-time—Eldrick and the flat stick.

Honorable Mentions: Historical - Jerry Barber, Modern - Steve Stricker, Obscure - Matt Savage, Greg Lesher, Buddy Majors
​

Scrambling - Severiano Ballesteros

The only #1 in the world ever known for it.

Honorable Mentions: Historical - Ben Crenshaw, Modern - Phil Mickelson, Obscure - Charlie Gambino
​

 

[Jared Willerson]

I agree, but I would have to put Pavin ahead of Funk...Pavin is still competing and he hit a fairway wood...when it really mattered...to stay in the lead of a major. So did Toms...the ace in 2001 with a 5 wood was one of the best shots I have ever seen...I just don't think Funk, while a great fairway wood player, is in either one of those guys league.

Norman was pretty long....but he did lose some big ones because he couldn't keep it in front of him, but a great driver overall.

Bunches of great ball strikers not even mentioned...Weiskopf, Lema, Jones, etc..

 

[Chiefbullmarket]

2 Other Categories

Smartest: Tiger or Jack

Dumbest: Phil

 

[Jared Willerson]

What about Gary Player out of the bunker....legend has it, he was pretty good.

Phil isn't dumb...he just plays golf the only way he knows how, he can't help he has a more risk taking personality than Tiger or Jack. I'm sure he would like to be different...he just can't...not in the genes.

 

[Hayes9801]

While I have seen Phil seen do some pretty stupid things, I once saw him point out that he has won more tournaments (and majors) than Johnny Miller, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Kite, and a host of other hall of famers that he listed. Who's stupid now?

 

[Chiefbullmarket]

He should have won more.

 

[Richie3Jack]

Driving - Jack Nicklaus

He was much longer than Norman, prime-to-prime, and never lost a tournament because of crooked driving.
​

Thank you. I've seen some of Nicklaus' driving stats, when he was way past his prime, and he was telling the rest of the tour to go get their shine box off the tee. Truly amazing.




3JACK​

 

[Richie3Jack]

Driving....Nicklaus

His stats were killer. He dominated the Tour off the tee. Showed what true greatness off the tee was by hitting it a mile and keeping it in the fairway and doing it under pressure. Did this well past his prime, too. And with persimmon.


Fairway Woods....Corey Pavin

Pavin used them so much and was great at knifing them around bunkers and playing against the wind.


Long Irons....Jack Nicklaus

The 1-iron at Pebble pretty much just nails it. Also could used them on tight par-4's, drill them past a lot of player's driver and have them long softly in the fairway and stay there.


Middle Irons....Ben Hogan

I don't think the guy was anything less than superb at anything from a ballstriking perspective. Miller would be a close second.

Short Irons....Lee Trevino

I had the pleasure of carrying the cable and putting in the latest score update for ESPN in college in '96 at the Senior Tour Championship. Trevino's wedge game was masterful back then as well.


Pitching....Seve

I would've put Tiger in here, but Tiger's model was Seve. And so I've heard about MORAD's pitching as well.


Chipping....Ray Floyd

Phenomenal chipper. Watch the 1990 Masters. It's easy to see why Floyd was so good with that unorthodox swing. He hit it pretty well off the tee and was a decent enough iron player. If he missed the green, he could very likely chip in.


Bunker Play....Paul Azinger

Lots of great ones here, but 'Zinger is the guy that I remember the most being a wizard at it.


Putting....Crenshaw

His ballstriking was really piss poor by Tour standards that in order to survive on Tour he needed to be an excellent putter. To win multiple times and to win 2 Green Jackets he needed to be an out of this world putter. Obscure: My buddy Dave Santos, who was the greatest putter I've ever seen with my own eyes and had the most ridiculous putting style ever. And personally I think Dave was a better putter than Crenshaw.









3JACK

 

[rogerdodger]

Driver: Nicklaus, fairway woods: Irwin, Long irons: Tom Weiskopf, Mid-irons: Payne Stewart, Short irons: Tom Watson, Sand: Player, Putting: Crenshaw,

 

[DCgolf]

IMO, It sems that there should be career stats attached, particularly majors. Who cares how they putt in Hawaii or drive it in Memphis? Some of the guys listed as "best in class" have no majors (!). It's how well they drove, chipped and putted at Augusta, St. Andrews etc., that would qualify them for the best of anything, no? Fred Funk? Tiger's horrible, erratic driving has won 14 majors and 3 US Amateurs, so I'm guessing he was good at some other things. But one list has him best at NOTHING?

 

[Bigwill]

IMO, It sems that there should be career stats attached, particularly majors. Who cares how they putt in Hawaii or drive it in Memphis? Some of the guys listed as "best in class" have no majors (!). It's how well they drove, chipped and putted at Augusta, St. Andrews etc., that would qualify them for the best of anything, no? Fred Funk? Tiger's horrible, erratic driving has won 14 majors and 3 US Amateurs, so I'm guessing he was good at some other things. But one list has him best at NOTHING?

Your question has me thinking about a discussion I had recently about Jordan. There were guys who could jump higher, guys who could shoot better, guys who were better ball handlers, etc. But no one combined them into a better package than Jordan. Maybe Tiger is similar in that regard? He doesn't have to be the best at any one skill statistically in order to be the best player in the game...

 

[DCgolf]

AND...we are are not listing the HEART and MIND; the core of every great athlete. Best ever? Not even close, Tiger Woods. I like the Jordan comment...His legacy was showing what "I want the ball with the game on the line" is all all about! Same with Tiger (and Jack) with the majors on the line.

 

[Bigwill]

In my case, I haven't been involved in golf long enough to form an informed opinion regarding the GOAT. Chipping in is all I got

 

[mb6606]

Sam Snead had to be spectacular ball striker as he struggled with the flatstick yet won more PGA events than anyone.

Michael Jordan was easily the quickest dude for his size when he played just as Tiger was the longest when he arrived on the scene only JD could hit out there with TW. JD hit a big draw and never controlled it like TW. Tiger averaged 316 off the tee in 2005 this year 294 yards.

 

[DCgolf]

Best ever

Some of you guys chipping in .. how about you actually LIST your opinions??!!

Because comparing Bobby Jones swinging a wooden-shafted 35 degree mashie, putting on greens about a 6 on the Stimp, and playing from fairways that are like todays "first cut" to Tiger hitting a steel shafted, 28 degree 5-iron to greens that are a perfect 12, from fairways that are WAY better than greens of yore, seems SILLY at best. Best performance ever? How about Chick Evans shooting 286 (2 over par) in the 1916 US Open with SEVEN (7) wooden-shafted clubs and a putter in his bag?

BUT...I'll digress a bit. Five best players ever: Vardon, Jones, Hogan, Nicklaus and Tiger; Second five: Hagen, Snead, Nelson, Palmer and Player. Criteria used: Dominating the era you played in and performance in Major tournaments. Thoughts?