10 Best Golfers of All Time

The game of golf originated in Scotland in the fifteenth century and over the centuries, many players have taken up the game of golf and considered themselves certified legends of the game due to their many achievements. But we often wonder who are the best golfers to have played the game. Let’s take a look at them:

10 Best Golfers of All Time

Rank Golfer Name
1        Tiger Woods
2        Jack Nicklaus
3        Sam Snead
4        Arnold Palmer
5         Ben Hogan
6         Bobby Jones
7         Tom Watson
8         Gary Player
9         Gene Sarzan
10       Phil Mickelson

Best Golfer: Phil Mickelson

Starting off the list, we have Phil Mickelson. A man who has achieved many successes in his career. His name is included in the list of best golfers because he has won 45 PGA Tour wins, six majors, and three Masters. His victory at the 2013 British Open can be considered his most glorious win as he became the oldest player in the history of the game to win the prestigious championship at the age of 50 years, 11 months, and seven days.

Some of his achievements are as follows:

Winner of six major championships (3 Masters, 1 British Open, 2 PGA Championships)
One of only eight players to win three Masters titles
One of only 15 men to win at least three legs of the Career Grand Slam
Runner-up at the US Open for a record sixth time
24 top-3 finishes in major championships, 39 top-10 finishes
Winner of 45 PGA Tour events, eighth all-time
Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012

Best golfer of all time: Gene Sarzan

Next, we have Gene Sarzan. He won his first professional title at the age of 19. After that, he never looked back. He won 37 more in his career, which spanned almost four decades. Gene is often credited with the invention of the popular shot called the ‘sand wedge’. His accomplishments include:

Winner of seven major titles and a Career Grand Slam
Owner of 38 PGA titles
Inventor of the sand wedge
AP Male Athlete of the Year in 1932

Best Golfer: Gary Player

At number eight, we have another player who is considered one of the best golfers of all time, Gary Player. The South African native is widely regarded as the sport’s first international ambassador. A man whose work ethic was unmatched, he also had a phenomenal level of physical fitness. In a career that spanned nearly five decades, he accomplished a lot:

One of five players – Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, and Tiger Woods – to win a Career Grand Slam.

One of four players – Nicklaus, Woods, and Nick Faldo are the others to have won the Masters and the British Open three times each.
Won on the PGA or Senior Tour in five decades – the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

Greatest Golfer of All Time: Tom Watson

He won a total of eight majors in his career and dominated the British Open circuit like no one else, winning five times in nine years. This Hall of Famer has many accomplishments to his name, and some of his victories are as follows:

39 career PGA Tour wins, including eight major championships

5 British Open wins, trailing only Harry Vardon

6-time PGA Tour Player of the Year

Made the cut at least once per year from 1971-2007, a streak that lasted 37 years.

Greatest Golfer of All Time: Bobby Jones

Considered an icon in the sport, Bobby was never likely to be included on a list of the best golfers of all time. One of the most successful golfers in the golden age of the sport, he was truly a prodigy. He started playing golf at the age of fourteen. Bobby won a total of 13 major championships, a record that stood for forty years.

Winner of the 1930 Grand Slam – US and British Open and US and British Amateur
Participated in 31 Major tournaments, won 13, and finished in the top 10 27 times
Founder of Augusta National Golf Club and The Masters

Best golfer of all time: Ben Hogan

He was a man of few words, but his focus and skill were beyond anything. Nicknamed ‘The Hawk’, he is one of the greatest shot makers the game has ever seen. Throughout his life, he had to endure a lot. A car accident almost took his life and he even had to battle Alzheimer’s and colon cancer, but he overcame it all and emerged victorious.

Winner of 64 PGA Tour events including 9 majors
One of five players to win the modern career Grand Slam
The only player to win the Masters, US Open, and British Open in the same year

Best golfer in the world: Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer is still considered one of the greatest golfers of all time. From 1958 to 1968, he dominated the golf circuit and managed to win almost every tournament.

60 PGA Tour wins
7 major championships
4-time PGA Tour money champion
First PGA Tour millionaire
At least one win for 15 consecutive years

Greatest golfer of all time: Sam Snead

At number three on the list of 10 Best Golfers of All Time, we have another golfer who is considered the greatest of all time. If winning is the determining factor of talent, there is no greater golfer than Snead. His great skills helped him win many tournaments. He won a total of 82 PGA Tour titles from 1936 to 1965.

Seven major championships, including three Masters and 3 PGA Championships
The oldest player to win, make the cut, and shoot in the history of the PGA Tour
Top 10 finishes in majors in five different decades

The Greatest Golfer of All Time: Jack Nicklaus

In third place of the list of 10 Best Golfers of All Time is Jack Nicklaus. With mental strength and the highest level of excellence, Jack Nicklaus is called the pioneer of the game. The strategy with which he played his games is still amazing today. Known for bringing out the best in his opponents, he played his game with a great style. Known as the Golden Bear, his records are a testament to the level of player he is.

Winner of 73 PGA Tour events, including a record 18 major championships
Winner of a record six Masters titles
Finished in the top 5 in major events, a record 56 times
Finished in the top 10, a record 73 times
Recorded the lowest scoring average on the Tour eight times
Won the PGA Tour money title eight times
Won at least two PGA Tour events in 17 consecutive seasons (1962-78)

Best Golfer of All Time: Tiger Woods

And at the top of that list of 10 Best Golfers of All Time is Tiger Woods. Never before has an individual made such a big impact that he changed the entire landscape of the sport. A man of immense skill, temperament, and commitment, he was truly a wizard of the game. While it is true that controversies surrounded him, there is no doubting the level of impact he made and the achievements he made.

82 PGA Tour wins, tied for most wins with Sam Snead
15 major championships, second only to Jack Nicklaus
The only player to win four consecutive majors
Lowest scoring average in PGA Tour history
67.79 scoring average in 2000, the lowest single-season average in Tour history
Won PGA Tour Player of the Year title a record

Best Indian golfer of all time

S.N. Golfers
1      Jeev Milkha Singh
2     Arjun Atwal
3     Jyoti Randhawa
4     Anirban Lahiri
5     Shubhankar Sharma

ALSO READ: Donald Trump’s WWE Enemy Wishes Him Luck