Jack Nicklaus

While the current or “new school” generation of golf fans are infatuated with what Tiger Woods can do on the links (and rightfully so given Tiger’s talents), true golf enthusiasts note that the best golfer of all time might be the “Golden Bear” Jack Nicklaus. 

No golfer has accumulated as many major championships (18) as Jack Nicklaus has. His 73 PGA Tour victories are second to only Sam Snead and Jack Nicklaus also holds the record for most wins at the Masters with six. He also topped the PGA Tour money list eight times and has 10 Senior Tour wins. 

Jack Nicklaus turned pro in 1961 and it didn’t take him long to establish himself as a great golfer. He won his first major championship in 1962 when he won the U.S. Open with a score of 283. Jack Nicklaus proceeded to win both The Masters and PGA Championship in 1963 and back-to-back Masters championships in 1965 and 1966. (He also won The Open Championship in 1966 and the U.S. Open in 1967). 

Jack Nicklaus didn’t slow down in the 1970s. He won The Open Championship for the second time in 1970, the PGA Championship for the second time in 1971, The Masters for the fourth time in 1972 and the U.S. Open for the third time in 1972. Jack Nicklaus also won two more PGA Championships in the 1970s (1973, 1975) and The Open Championship for the third time in 1978. 

Jack Nicklaus finished off his amazing career by winning the U.S Open for the fourth time in 1980, the PGA Championship for the fifth time in 1980 and The Masters for the sixth time in 1986. 

To date, no other golfer has won The Masters as many times as Jack Nicklaus, with Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods coming in a close second with four apiece. Jack Nicklaus is also tied with Walter Hagen for the most PGA Championship wins with five, and is tied with Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan for the most U.S. Open victories with four. 

If Jack Nicklaus wasn’t winning championships, he was finishing close to the top. In his 163 starts, he had 18 wins, 19 second-place finishes, 46 third place finishes, 57 top five finishes and 73 top ten finishes. He also holds the longest streak of top-10 finishes in major championship play with 13. 

Besides the hoards of achievements, Jack Nicklaus was mostly known as one of the greatest putters of all time. Rather ironically considering his short game was so good, he was also among one of the longest hitters on the tour in his prime. Jack Nicklaus perfected the term “course management” by only taking risks when he felt necessary and often relying on his strengths (putting) to keep his score low. He was also known for eating bananas on the course for what he noted as “energy food.” 

Tiger Woods has certainly become a golf legend, but before him, “The Golden Bear” Jack Nicklaus owned the links for two and a half decades.