RANKING. The 25 greatest golfers in history according to Dailysports

Golf News 05 sep 2024, 05:14

Lars Foster Dailysports's expert Translated by the editors

RANKING. The 25 greatest golfers in history according to Dailysports

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This week marks the conclusion of the competition that will crown the FedEx Cup champion at the TOUR Championship. Although the PGA season will continue until December, fans have already witnessed all the major tournaments and high-profile events.

The final major tournament of the season was the Open Championship, which was won by Xander Schauffele. Remarkably, he secured two major titles in 2024, having also triumphed at the PGA Championship in May. Additionally, Scottie Scheffler won the Masters, and Bryson DeChambeau claimed victory at the US Open.

These golfers have showcased exceptional skills and deservedly emerged as champions. However, the Dailysports team decided to delve deeper into the history of the game to identify the greatest players. We have compiled a list of the top 25 golfers in history.

25. Bernhard Langer (Germany)

Throughout his career, which began in 1972, the German golfer has won 123 professional titles. These include victories on the PGA Tour, European Tour, Asian Tour, and others. Additionally, Langer secured two major titles, winning the Masters Tournament in 1985 and 1993.

24. Mickey Wright (USA)

Our list wouldn't be complete without women. Mickey Wright was one of the early stars of the LPGA Tour, the women's equivalent of the PGA. She ranks second only to Kathy Whitworth in the list of winners, with 82 LPGA Tour victories. Mickey is also the only player in LPGA history to win all four major trophies at the same time.

23. Young Tom Morris (Great Britain)

The son of one of golf's pioneers, Old Tom Morris, Young Tom Morris was one of the first great players. He remains the youngest champion in golf history, winning four consecutive Open Championships. He claimed his first major title at the age of seventeen.

22. Lee Trevino (USA)

Lee Trevino is one of only four players to have won the US Open, the British Open, and the PGA Championship twice each. With Mexican heritage, he is an icon for Mexican Americans and earned the nicknames "The Merry Mex" and "Supermex." He won six major titles and 23 professional tournaments. In 1981, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

21. Greg Norman (Australia)

The golfer who spent 331 weeks atop the world rankings in the 1980s and 1990s. Norman won 88 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour events and two majors at The Open Championship. Norman was nicknamed "The Great White Shark" due to his blonde hair, physical fitness, aggressive playing style, and the native coastal animal in his homeland.

20. Scottie Scheffler (USA)

Although Scheffler doesn't have as many victories as other players on this list, he has held the top spot in the world rankings for over 100 weeks. He has 16 professional wins, including two majors—the Masters in 2022 and 2024. Moreover, this year he won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, becoming one of the few golfers to achieve this feat.

Also read: Seventh title of the season. Scottie Scheffler emerges as the FedEx Cup champion

19. Nancy Lopez (USA)

One of the most media-friendly golfers in history, Lopez was one of the first LPGA Tour players to attract widespread media attention. In her rookie season, she won nine titles. Overall, she has 51 professional wins and three major titles. Lopez is the only woman to have won the "LPGA Rookie of the Year," "Player of the Year," and "Vare Trophy" in the same season, in 1978.

18. Ernie Els (South Africa)

A golfer who led the world rankings, Els has won 70 professional titles. He also claimed four major victories. His achievement lies in being one of only six golfers to have won the U.S. Open and The Open Championship twice each. Els earned the nickname "The Big Easy" due to his height of 191 cm but with a very gentle swing.

17. Vijay Singh (Fiji)

The most successful golfer from Fiji and the most accomplished non-American in the sport. Singh won three majors, becoming the first South Asian athlete to win such a tournament. He also claimed 34 PGA Tour titles. In 2004, Singh had an incredible season, briefly dethroning Tiger Woods from the top of the world rankings. In May 2005, Singh was appointed as a Fiji goodwill ambassador.

16. Annika Sörenstam (Sweden)

The first European woman to successfully represent her continent, Sörenstam has 97 professional wins, including 72 LPGA victories. She also won ten major titles. Sörenstam was the first female golfer since Babe Zaharias to compete in a men's PGA Tour event. She holds a record eight "Player of the Year" awards and six Vare Trophies, given to the LPGA player with the lowest average score in a season. Annika Sörenstam is the only female golfer to have shot 59 in a competition.

15. Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)

Another active golfer, like Scottie Scheffler, McIlroy is one of three players, alongside Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, to have won four majors before the age of 25. He has 40 professional wins. McIlroy is the only golfer to have won the FedEx Cup three times, surpassing Tiger Woods, who has two titles. In 2011, at the age of 22, he became the youngest player to reach 10 million euros in career earnings on the European Tour. In 2012, he became the youngest player to reach 10 million dollars in career earnings on the PGA Tour.

14. Nick Faldo (England)

Remembered as one of the most dedicated golfers, Faldo held the top spot in the official world golf rankings for 97 weeks. He won 43 professional titles. From 1987 to 1996, he won six major titles. After retiring, Faldo became a television commentator for major golf championships. In 2006, he became the lead golf analyst for CBS Sports.

13. Byron Nelson (USA)

One of the most decorated and outstanding golfers. Despite a relatively short career of only 11 years, Nelson won 64 professional titles, including five major titles. However, he is best remembered for winning 11 consecutive tournaments and a total of 18 tournaments in 1945. Nelson was also the first golfer to lend his name to a PGA Tour event—the Byron Nelson Classic.

12. Billy Casper (USA)

One of the best golfers of the 1960s, though not as widely recognized in headlines due to the presence of other greats. Casper won 51 PGA Tour titles and a total of 72 professional victories. He also claimed three major titles. His greatest victory came in 1966 when he won the US Open after a playoff against Arnold Palmer.

11. Kathy Whitworth (USA)

The most successful female golfer not only in the LPGA but also in PGA Tours. She holds 88 titles and has won six major tournaments. Kathy Whitworth was named "Golfer of the Decade" by Golf Magazine multiple times and received seven "LPGA Player of the Year" awards. In 1981, she became the first woman to earn one million dollars in her LPGA Tour career.

10. Phil Mickelson (USA)

Dubbed "The Next Nicklaus," Mickelson is one of 17 golfers to have won three or more majors. He has 57 professional victories. Mickelson also became the oldest winner of a major tournament, triumphing at the 2021 PGA Championship at the age of 50 years, 11 months, and 7 days. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed play. Mickelson continues to compete in golf, now participating in the LIV Golf League.

9. Walter Hagen (USA)

Known as "The Father of Professional Golf," Hagen won 58 professional titles and 11 major championships. However, his most significant contribution was elevating the social status of golf, bringing popularity, prestige, substantial prize money, and lucrative endorsements to the sport.

8. Gene Sarazen (USA)

Sarazen won 48 professional titles, but more importantly, he is one of five golfers to have won all the major titles (U.S. Open, PGA Championship, The Open Championship, and Masters) at least once. He was the best golfer of the 1920s and 1930s. Notably, Sarazen invented the modern sand wedge in the early 1930s.

7. Gary Player (South Africa)

One of the greatest non-American golfers in the history of the sport, Player has 159 professional titles and nine major victories. This earned him recognition as the first major international ambassador of golf. Player is also the only non-American to have won all four majors in a single calendar year. He is nicknamed "The Dark Knight."

6. Bobby Jones (USA)

One of the most influential golfers in history, Jones was the first to achieve "The Double," winning the US Open and British Open in the same year. He was also the first to win the Grand Slam, capturing all four majors in a single calendar year, a feat achieved by only a few players. During his career, Jones won 34 titles, including seven majors as a professional and six as an amateur.

5. Ben Hogan (USA)

Hogan significantly influenced golf theory, particularly the concept of the golf swing, inventing the idea of training golf and mastering ball-striking. He won 71 professional titles, including nine major titles. Hogan is one of five players to have won all four majors.

4. Sam Snead (USA)

Throughout his career, Sam Snead won 142 titles, 82 of which were on the PGA Tour. Additionally, he claimed seven major championships. He is best remembered for his "perfect swing," a technique that many golfers sought to emulate. Gary Player remarked, "I have no doubt that Sam Snead had the best golf swing of anyone who ever lived." Jack Nicklaus described Snead's swing as "near perfect."

3. Arnold Palmer (USA)

One of the greatest and most charismatic golfers in history, Arnold Palmer remains etched in the memory of fans. He was one of the most popular golf stars and was considered a pioneer, being the first superstar of the television era of the sport, which began in the 1950s.

Throughout his career, Palmer won 95 titles (62 PGA tournaments) at the professional level, including seven majors. He was among the top three golfers of the 1960s and earned the nickname "The King." In 1998, he received the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award.

Palmer also founded his own PGA Tour event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, one of the premier tournaments in golf, with a prize fund of $20 million. Additionally, Arnold Palmer created his own drink, named after him—a non-alcoholic cocktail made of lemonade and iced tea.

2. Jack Nicklaus (USA)

We now arrive at the most difficult choice between first and second place, contested by Nicklaus and Woods. Nicknamed "The Golden Bear," Jack Nicklaus achieved 117 victories at the professional level. He holds the record for the most major championships won—18.

During his career, Nicklaus focused primarily on the majors: The Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship. Regarding the PGA Tour, he played only a selective schedule of regular events. Notably, he won The Masters at the age of 46, securing his 18th and final major, becoming the oldest champion of the tournament.

Today, Nicklaus leads Nicklaus Design, one of the largest golf course design and construction companies in the world. He also organizes a PGA Tour event, the Memorial Tournament, named in honor of the annual award he presents to individuals associated with golf.

1. Tiger Woods (USA)

At the top of the list, and considered the greatest golfer in history by Dailysports, is Tiger Woods. Although he does not hold the record for the most major championships—15, or PGA Tour victories—82, his most significant achievement is transforming golf into a global phenomenon in the 21st century.

Woods became the first athlete to earn one billion dollars, with the majority of his wealth (about 90%) coming from endorsements rather than on-course earnings. He was the face of brands such as Nike, the PGA Tour video game by 2K, Rolex, Monster Energy, and various automobile companies, among others. Despite his success, Woods has faced numerous challenges in his career, including multiple car accidents and legal issues related to driving under the influence.

However, he repeatedly made comebacks, winning The Masters in 2019, after which he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Trump, becoming the fourth golfer to receive this honor. Additionally, Woods has a foundation that supports children from underprivileged African American families in learning golf, and he hosts a charity tournament called the Hero World Challenge.

As a reminder, the legendary American golfer Tiger Woods has been granted lifetime access to all major golf tournaments.