In my new book, The Golf 100, in which I ranked the top 100 golfers of all time, men and women, I ranked — spoiler alert! — Jack Nicklaus No. 1 over Tiger Woods.
Yes, I know peak Tiger (2000 U.S. Open at Pebble, 2000 British Open at St. Andrews, etc.) was more dominant than peak Nicklaus, and if I were forced to bet on one over the other in an 18-hole match, I might very well pick Woods. But greatness is about a lot more than one match or bursts of dominance. Greatness is about the entire body of work, and that’s where Nicklaus has no peer.
Even so, during the course of my research — I interviewed roughly 100 sources, read dozens of books and pored over hundreds of magazines dating to 1950 (I didn’t have a life) — I began to think:
Maybe the GOAT wasn’t Jack or Tiger. Maybe it was Bobby Jones.
From 1923 until his retirement in 1930 at the age of 28, Jones won 13 majors in just 21 appearances, a staggering win rate of 62%.
While having a day job.
Still, even with the bonus points that I awarded Jones for his impact on and contributions to the game — about 30 players received such points — Jones finished third, just ahead of Ben Hogan. At No. 5 was Arnold Palmer, who also got bonus points, followed by the top female golfer on the list, Mickey Wright. Rounding out the top 10, in descending order, were Sam Snead, Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson and Harry Vardon.
Now, back to the topic at hand: Jack vs. Tiger.
In the end, my algorithm — I awarded 2,000 regular points for each major victory; 500 for second; 250 for third; 100 for fourth; and 50 for fifth — favored Nicklaus, who, in addition to his 20 major titles, registered 19 seconds and nine thirds compared to Woods’ seven seconds and four thirds. (Yes, 20 major titles. Before Nicklaus’ professional career took flight in the early 1960s, both the U.S. Amateur — which Nicklaus won twice — and British Amateur were considered majors. So, for the purposes of my ranking, I awarded them full “major” status up until that period and, in terms of point value, “half-major” status thereafter.)
Woods coulda-shoulda been the greatest golfer of all time. When he won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in 2008 for his 14th major, it was not a question of if but when he would surpass Nicklaus.
Woods’ injuries, of course, are a big reason he fell short. So was the scandal that broke in late 2009. As one esteemed golf writer told me, “Tiger imploded, and Jack never did.”
The other day, Nicklaus was giving a speech at an event in Newport Beach, Calif. I handed him one of the first copies of my book, which left the warehouse in early March. I hadn’t spoken to Nicklaus in person since 2000 when I wrote for Golf World magazine.
He was as kind and gracious as ever, signing a book and agreeing to a photo.
I didn’t ask what he thought about my ranking him in the top spot. That’s because I know what matters to him most.
