I am sure that this topic has been the source of debate and argument in golf clubhouses and pubs worldwide for generations.
I am going to give my opinion and I don’t expect you all to agree with me but I hope this re-ignites the debate once again.
Here are a few of the likely candidates:
Walter Hagan – winner of 11 majors and 45 USPGA tour events
Ben Hogan – winner of 9 majors despite a life threatening car accident
Bobby Jones – winner of 7 majors while still an amateur
Arnold Palmer – winner of 7 majors and 62 USPGA tour events and made golf what it is today.
Sam Snead – winner of 7 majors and 142 other events worldwide.
Phil Mickelson – winner of 6 majors and 56 other events and considered the best left handed golfer in history.
Nick Faldo – winner of 6 majors and 43 other events worldwide
Seve Ballesteros – winner of 5 majors and 90 other events worldwide
Bernhard Langer – winner of 2 majors and 118 other events worldwide and now dominating the USPGA Seniors tour.
Colin Montgomerie – No majors but 54 other wins and 7 consecutive European Order of Merits wins which may never be repeated.
Lee Westwood – possibly the best player to never win a major but with 44 wins on every continent and tour.
This leaves Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus and while Tiger Woods took modern golf to a new level, including physical conditioning some of his off-course activities detract from his position as an ambassador for golf and his place in history but his record is as follows:
Tiger Woods – winner of 15 majors and 109 other events worldwide.
Jack Nicklaus still hands head and shoulders above everyone else in terms of his major wins and in his role as an ambassador of golf taking into account ‘Arnies Army’ of fans gave him a hard time in his early years for carrying a little extra weight but he honours the history and tradition of golf as shown with his ‘gimmie’ to Tony Jacklin in the 1969 Ryder Cup and his record is as follows:
Jack Nicklaus – winner of 18 majors, numerous runner-up spots and 117 other events worldwide.
Who would make up a fourball with me for one last game of golf?
Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros and my dad.