Greatest Golfers of All Time
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Arnold Palmer popularized golf with his hard-charging style and incomparable charisma.Grow the game. That’s the saying, isn't it? Despite the stigma golf players get as spoiled, country-clubbing brats who are spoon-fed privilege, the reality is that golf has been an inclusive and inspiring sport throughout history.
While the cliche of a golfer may be true in some instances, it’s far from the norm. True champions conquer any mental block, triumph over traps set by course designers and silence cheers from the galleries of their competitors.
The best players have always sought to master their own shortcomings and leave the game in a better place. Golf is where it is today because of the hard work of these men and women. They are the greatest golfers to ever tee it up.
50. Young Tom Morris
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Old Tom Morris, left, with Young Tom Morris, in the 1870s.Career: 1868-1875
Country: Scotland
Pro wins: 4
Major championships: 4
Bottom Line: Young Tom Morris
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Young Tom Morris was the first superstar of golf.The first prodigy in golf history, Young Tom Morris was instrumental to the early success of the sport. He was the son of the greenskeeper and head pro at St. Andrews, and golf flowed through the family's veins.
The younger Morris won the Open Championship for the first time at age 17 and is still the youngest to ever win a major. He went on to win the next three.
He met a tragic end at 24 years old, just days after his wife and newborn both died during childbirth.
49. Jimmy Demaret
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Jimmy Demaret was a triple Masters winner.Career: 1927-1959
Country: United States
Pro wins: 36
Major championships: 3
Bottom Line: Jimmy Demaret
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Jimmy Demaret was born in Houston, Texas.The first three-time Masters champion, Jimmy Demaret also came within an eyelash of winning a U.S. Open as well, falling short to Ben Hogan.
In 1947, during an era of unprecedented dominance by Hogan, Demaret won six times and was the leading money earner.
Demaret contended until late in his career at Augusta, finishing in a tie for fifth in 1962, 27 years after his Masters debut.
48. Nancy Lopez
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Nancy Lopez won three majors.Career: 1977-2003
Country: United States
Pro wins: 52
Major Championships: 3
Bottom Line: Nancy Lopez
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Nancy Lopez was a fan favorite.Nancy Lopez was a fan favorite in four decades on the LPGA Tour.
Golf magazine named her player of the decade for the 1980s during its centennial "Golf in America" celebration.
She also paved the way for Hispanic women to play the game and was always a class act on the course in victory or defeat.
47. Jordan Spieth
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Jordan Spieth has won over $40 million in career earnings.Career: 2012-present
Country: United States
Pro wins: 14
Major championships: 3
Bottom Line: Jordan Spieth
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Jordan Spieth turned pro in 2012.OK, this may be an early call. Jordan Spieth crumbled to pieces at the 2018 Masters, and he hasn’t been the same since. However, the early returns for the young Spieth have been unprecedented.
At just 23 years old, he was a three-time major champion. He nearly pulled off the Grand Slam two years before that.
We are betting he figures it out and winds up with double-digit majors 20 years down the road.
46. Juli Inkster
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Juli Inkster has over $13 million in career earnings.Career: 1983-present
Country: United States
Pro wins: 45
Major championships: 7
Bottom Line: Juli Inkster
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Juli Inkster went to San Jose State University.Juli Inkster proved women’s sports skeptics wrong — she had a family and continued to win tournaments.
Winning before and after becoming a mother, Inkster is a role model for all women athletes who worry about starting a family.
Add on her seven major championships, an ESPY for Best Female Golfer and the LPGA’s Patty Berg award, and it cements her legacy.
45. J.H. Taylor
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J.H. Taylor was a pro for over six decades.Career: 1890-1946
Country: England
Pro wins: 19
Major championships: 5
Bottom Line: J.H. Taylor
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J.H. Taylor is a golfing legend.J.H. Taylor, Harry Vardon and James Braid comprised the "Great Triumvirate" in the early 20th century, and while Taylor didn’t have the red-hot streak of Braid or the sustained success of Vardon, he did pretty well for himself.
Five Open Championship victories in 20 years made him a golfing legend in the early years of the game.
Then, he went on to design several world-famous courses, such as Royal Birkdale.
44. Betsy King
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Betsy King was a force on the LPGA Tour.Career: 1977-2005
Country: United States
Pro wins: 39
Major championships: 6
Bottom Line: Betsy King
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Betsy King is in the World Golf Hall of Fame.Late bloomers are a pretty stark rarity in golf, especially in the modern age, but something clicked for Betsy King seven years into her LPGA career.
After failing to win once nearly a decade into her pro career, King caught fire in 1984, and she never cooled off, winning 28 times over the next eight years.
To those who play golf hoping their next round will be the one, King provides a glimmer of hope that the process will pay dividends.
43. Karrie Webb
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Karrie Webb was the first player to win the LPGA Super Slam of majors.Career: 1994-present
Country: Australia
Pro wins: 57
Major championships: 7
Bottom Line: Karrie Webb
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Karrie Webb is used to celebrating.Karrie Webb is the greatest Australian women’s golfer of all time and went toe-to-toe with Annika Sorenstam as the top golfer on the LPGA throughout the early 2000s.
From 1999-2002, Webb won six of 16 majors, finished in the top five of three others and only finished outside the top 15 twice.
She’s slowed down lately, but is still a lingering factor in major championships.
42. Johnny Miller
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Johnny Miller was one of the top golfers in the world during the 1970s.Career: 1969-1994
Country: United States
Pro wins: 36
Major championships: 2
Bottom Line: Johnny Miller
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Johnny Miller won two majors.This generation knows Miller as the cantankerous color commentator for NBC’s golf coverage, unafraid to call out a bad shot or a perceived choke by any player.
Prior to that, Miller was a top-notch pro with both a U.S. Open and Open Championship crown to his name.
He was No. 2 behind Jack Nicklaus for a sustained period in the 1970s.
41. Amy Alcott
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Amy Alcott has a long and accomplished career.Career: 1975-2008
Country: United States
Pro wins: 34
Major championships: 5
Bottom Line: Amy Alcott
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Amy Alcott won a major in three different decades.A winner of at least four tour events in three separate seasons (1979, 1980, 1984), Amy Alcott was a dominating force throughout the 1980s on the LPGA.
Her most impressive victory came at the 1980 U.S. Women’s Open, where she won by nine strokes.
She also won a major in three different decades.
40. Cary Middlecoff
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Cary Middlecoff puts his all into golf.Career: 1947-1961
Country: United States
Pro wins: 41
Major championships: 3
Bottom Line: Cary Middlecoff
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Cary Middlecoff chose golf over dentristy.Cary Middlecoff left his full-time dental practice at the age of 26 to pursue a career in pro golf. Savvy move.
He was one of the best on tour during his time, and one wonders what might have been had he gone pro sooner. He had three six-win seasons and won a tournament in 13 of the 15 years he played.
Middlecoff’s shining moment was a seven-stroke win at the 1955 Masters, topping Ben Hogan and Sam Snead.
39. Se Ri Pak
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Se Ri Pak was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2007.Career: 1996-2016
Country: South Korea
Pro wins: 39
Major Championships: 5
Bottom Line: Se Ri Pak
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Se Ri Pak won five majors.Se Ri Pak opened the floodgates for Korean golfers succeeding in the United States.
At 22 years old, she was already among the best on the LPGA Tour, winning four times in her rookie season, including a pair of major championships.
A clutch-putting machine, Pak went undefeated in six playoff matchups throughout her career, winning with a birdie on five of those occasions.
38. Bobby Locke
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Bobby Locke won four majors.Career: 1938-1978
Country: South Africa
Pro wins: 74
Major championships: 4
Bottom Line: Bobby Locke
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Bobby Locke was a prolific winner.Bobby Locke might have turned the "Big Three" into the "Big Four" had things broken differently. Among the greats of his time, Locke was talented and dominant.
He had limited action on the PGA Tour, but when he did, he took no prisoners, winning 10 times in two years with an average margin of four strokes.
The tour controversially banned him in 1949. The history is murky whether this had to do with a series of no-shows by Locke, or if it was because he was simply embarrassing American golfers.
37. Bernhard Langer
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Bernhard Langer was one of the world's best golfers in the 1980s and 1990s.Career: 1972-present
Country: Germany
Pro wins: 116
Major championships: 2
Bottom Line: Bernhard Langer
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Bernhard Langer was born in Germany.Bernard Langer had a fine career in his prime, winning 42 times on the European Tour (second all-time) and claiming two victories at Augusta National. That alone might not warrant an inclusion on this list, but Langer’s second act has been as dominant as Tiger Woods' first.
Langer has racked up win after win on the PGA Tour Champions, leading the tour in money won 10 times and scoring average seven times.
His 41 wins on the senior circuit place him within four of all-time leader Hale Irwin.
36. Old Tom Morris
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Old Tom Morris is one of the fathers of modern golf.Career: 1860-1896
Country: Scotland
Pro wins: Unknown
Major championships: 4
Bottom Line: Old Tom Morris
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Old Tom Morris loved the game.Old Tom Morris is one of the fathers of modern golf, and his impact cannot be overstated. Before golf could be a job, Morris worked as a ballmaker, instructor, clubmaker, designer and greenskeeper.
He came in second at the inaugural Open Championship in 1860, and avenged that with wins in 1861, 1862, 1864 and 1867.
He had the record for margin of victory at the Open for nearly 150 years, until Tiger Woods won by 15 strokes in 2000.
35. Ernie Els
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Ernie Els is known as "The Big Easy."Career: 1989-present
Country: South Africa
Pro wins: 71
Major championships: 4
Bottom Line: Ernie Els
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Ernie Els supports golf among underprivileged youth in South Africa.Dubbed "The Big Easy" for his 6-foot, 3-inch frame and smooth, repeatable swing, Ernie Els continued in the long line of stellar players from South Africa.
He recently made his debut on the PGA Tour Champions and wasted no time getting his first victory.
The former world No. 1 has plenty left in the tank.
34. Hale Irwin
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Hale Irwin won three U.S. Opens.Career: 1968-2004
Country: United States
Pro wins: 83
Major championships: 3
Bottom Line: Hale Irwin
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Hale Irwin excels under pressure.Hale Irwin’s signature moment came in the 1990 U.S. Open, when he took an enthusiastic lap around the green at 18 after getting into the playoff. He went on to win that day, which ended his 11-year drought in majors.
Add in another couple U.S. Opens and 45 victories on the senior circuit, and Irwin cemented his place in golf history as a winner throughout several decades.
33. Tommy Armour
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Tommy Armour was nicknamed "The Silver Scot."Career: 1924-1948
Country: Scotland
Pro wins: 27
Major championships: 3
Bottom Line: Tommy Armour
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Tommy Armour won three majors.Tommy Armour broke some ground for being one of the first Euorpeans to play almost exclusively in the United States, winning 25 of his 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour.
His wins at the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, in particular, marked the end of an era for Scotish golfers in the U.S, as he’s the last Scot to win either event.
32. Raymond Floyd
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Raymond Floyd topped a lot of leaderboards.Career: 1961-2010
Country: United States
Pro wins: 65
Major championships: 4
Bottom Line: Raymond Floyd
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Raymond Floyd was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1989.Raymond Floyd was known for his intense look in the heated moments of competition, also known as "The Stare," and was a fierce competitor against the "Big Three" of the 1960s and '70s.
A near Grand Slam winner for his career, Floyd came within two strokes of pulling off the rare feat in 1978, falling short to Jack Nicklaus.
Floyd also scored the final win at the Players Championship before the Tour moved it to its permanent home at TPC Sawgrass.
31. James Braid
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James Braid won five majors.Career: 1894-1928
Country: Scotland
Pro wins: 19
Major championships: 5
Bottom Line: James Braid
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James Braid designed golf courses after his playing career.James Braid was a key piece to the first of many dominant trios of golf. Long before there was Arnie, Jack and Gary, there was the "Great Triumvirate" of J.H. Taylor, Harry Vardon and Braid.
Braid dominated golf’s top prize in the early aughts, taking five Open Championship crowns between 1901 and 1910. He had a second career designing courses and is credited with the remodeling of Carnoustie in the 1920s.
30. Greg Norman
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The Shark.Career: 1976-2009
Country: Australia
Pro wins: 89
Major championships: 2
Bottom Line: Greg Norman
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Greg Norman won two majors.Greg Norman is one of golf’s biggest what-if stories, known for his monumental collapses in major championships.
A modern-day comparison might be Dustin Johnson, who has plenty of such moments of his own — despite his U.S. Open win in 2016.
The legacy for Norman was cemented in the 1986 season. In a feat since known as the "Saturday Slam," Norman held the 54-hole lead in all four major championships, and only won the Open.
29. Kathy Whitworth
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Kathy Whitworth was the first woman to reach $1 million in career earnings on the LPGA Tour.Career: 1958-2005
Country: United States
Pro wins: 98
Major championships: 6
Bottom Line: Kathy Whitworth
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Kathy Whitworth is one of golf's greatest winners.Kathy Whitworth was simply put a groundbreaker.
Her 88 wins are tops on the LPGA, and the nearest active player, Karrie Webb, has 41. Whitmorth also was the first woman to break the $1 million mark in LPGA earnings.
She’s won more times worldwide than Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer.
28. Peter Thomson
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Peter Thomson won five majors.Career: 1949-1979
Country: Australia
Pro wins: 95
Major championships: 5
Bottom Line: Peter Thomson
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Peter Thomson was born in Australia in 1929.If there was an originator of the term "horses for courses," it has to be Peter Thomson. The Aussie great won five Open Championships in his career, including four in the 1950s.
He left his stamp on Australian golf and pioneered the wave of great players coming from down under.
He also captained the lone International Team victory in the Presidents Cup with the 1998 squad.
27. Nick Faldo
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Nick Faldo was ranked No. 1 for 97 weeks in his career.Career: 1976-2015
Country: England
Pro wins: 41
Major championships: 6
Bottom Line: Nick Faldo
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Nick Faldo was a perfectionist on the course.A three-time European Tour Golfer of the year and former PGA Player of the Year, Nick Faldo was part of the first wave of Europeans to bring their greatness stateside.
An utter perfectionist, Faldo remade his swing time and time again to try to gain an edge.
Post-playing career, he’s settled into a role as golf’s No. 1 color commentator.
26. Betsy Rawls
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Betsy Rawls was a golfing pioneer.Career: 1951-1975
Country: United States
Pro wins: 58
Major championships: 8
Bottom Line: Betsy Rawls
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Betsy Rawls, left, won eight majors.Betsy Rawls made her debut on the LPGA Tour in 1951 and made a lasting impact — winning a tournament every year from her debut until 1970.
She served as the LPGA’s president for a year during the 1960s and was one of the inaugural LPGA Hall of Fame inductees, going into the World Golf Hall of Fame, as well.
25. Dustin Johnson
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Dustin Johnson made his pro debut in 2007.Career: 2007-Present
Country: United States
Pro wins: 26
Major championships: 2
Bottom Line: Dustin Johnson
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Dustin Johnson was born in South Carolina and went to Coastal Carolina University.An absolute marvel of flexibility and strength, the lanky Dustin Johnson from South Carolina harnessed supreme raw ability to become one of the best in the world.
Johnson might be one of the more eccentric players off the course, but his work ethic stands above all others.
His sheer consistency has been remarkable, winning a tournament in every season from 2008 to 2020.
24. Gene Littler
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Gene Littler was known as "Gene the Machine."Career: 1954-1983
Country: United States
Pro wins: 54
Major championships: 1
Bottom Line: Gene Littler
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Gene Littler won one major.Dubbed "Gene the Machine" for his even-keel temperament and smooth-as-butter swing, Gene Littler was one of golf’s first true prodigies.
He won the U.S. Amateur and California State Amateur in the same year and followed that up with a PGA Tour win as an amatuer, one of the few to accomplish that feat.
He didn’t quite live up to the amatuer hype and frequently had trouble closing the door in majors — winning a lone U.S. Open in 80 major championship appearances.
23. Babe Zaharias
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Babe Zaharias was a legendary athlete.Career: 1947-1956
Country: United States
Pro wins: 48
Major championships: 10
Bottom Line: Babe Zaharias
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Babe Zaharias won 10 majors.An absolute pioneer in women’s sports, Babe Zaharias is only woman to make the cut in a PGA Tour event. In fact, she did it three times — the Los Angeles Open, Phoenix Open and Tuscon Open. She also attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open, but the USGA denied her entry.
A stellar athlete, she pitched in a handful of spring training games in the 1930s and is still recognized as the world-record holder for longest baseball throw by a woman.
Colon cancer ended her life far too soon.
22. Louise Suggs
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Louise Suggs, right, won 11 majors.Career: 1948-1962
Country: United States
Pro wins: 61
Major championships: 11
Bottom Line: Louise Suggs
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Louise Suggs is one of the LPGA founders.Only after winning 11 major championships and being widely recognized as the best women’s golfer in the world did Louise Suggs make her true lasting impact on the game — being one of the founders of the LPGA.
She also made headlines for beating some of the men in exhibition competitions, topping both Sam Snead and Ben Hogan in head-to-head matchups.
21. Vijay Singh
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Vijay Singh is known as "The Big Fijian."Career: 1982-present
Country: Fiji
Pro wins: 64
Major championships: 3
Bottom Line: Vijay Singh
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Vijay Singh won three majors.One of the very, very few to be ranked No. 1 in the world while Tiger Woods was in his prime, Vijay Singh stayed in that No. 1 spot for 32 weeks.
The big man from Fiji racked up nine worldwide wins during that 2004 season, winning his last major championship in a playoff for the PGA Championship.
He’s recently transformed his body and fitness regimen and has been a solid competitor on the PGA Tour Champions.
20. Rory McIlroy
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Rory McIlroy turned pro in 2007 at the age of 18.Career: 2007-present
Country: Northern Ireland
Pro wins: 28
Major championships: 4
Bottom Line: Rory McIlory
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Rory McIlroy became the youngest player to reach $10 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour in 2012.Rory McIlory has one blemish on his resume as he enters his 30s, and that’s his epic collapse at Augusta National. However, he seems to be playing better than ever, and may soon avenge that final-round 80 he shot back in 2011.
He’s only 31 years old, and he may already be among the greatest iron players ever. A force of competitive nature and a workout fiend, he’s poised to be one of the few to dominate the sport as he enters his prime years.
19. Seve Ballesteros
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Seve Ballesteros won 90 tournaments.Career: 1974-2007
Country: Spain
Pro wins: 90
Major championships: 5
Bottom Line: Seve Ballesteros
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Seve Ballesteros, left, won the Masters twice.Seve Ballesteros was a short-game wizard, winning tournaments on the back of his exquisite wedge play and putting.
He holds the record for wins of the European Tour with 50, and was a Ryder Cup hero for Europe, helping the squad to four wins as a player and one as a captain.
18. Harry Vardon
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Harry Vardon won the Open Championship a record six times.Career: 1890-1929
Country: Great Britain
Pro wins: 49
Major championships: 7
Bottom Line: Harry Vardon
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Harry Vardon has been referred to as the greatest golfer who ever lived.His greatness is forever commemorated by the Harry Vardon trophy, which is given to the top golfer on the European Tour each season.
Vardon was a pioneer, dominating before there was a tour to dominate, winning 70 exhibition matches in 1900. He also is the first to have reportedly used the overlapping grip, which is the main grip utilized today.
He was part of the initial World Golf Hall of Fame class in 1974.
17. Annika Sorenstam
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Annika Sorenstam was as consistent as they come.Career: 1992-2008
Country: Sweden
Pro wins: 94
Major championships: 10
Bottom Line: Annika Sorenstam
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Annika Sorenstam won 10 majors.A pioneer in women’s golf, Annika Sorenstam broke through the glass ceiling with authority, becoming the first woman to compete in a PGA Tour event in nearly 60 years when she teed it up at Colonial in 2003.
"Annika" became a rare one-name star in the world of golf, along the lines of, "Arnie," "Jack," "Tiger," and "Phil."
Her story may not be done, as she retired initially to raise a family but has not ruled out a potential comeback.
16. Lee Trevino
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Lee Trevino won six majors.Career: 1960-2000
Country: United States
Pro wins: 92
Major championships: 6
Bottom Line: Lee Trevino
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Lee Trevino had a killer instinct.Lee Trevino was golf’s "everyman" of the 1970s, but with a killer instinct. Never seemingly in a foul mood, Trevino was frequently chatting up other players and fans in the gallery.
He epitomized the cliche of "it’s just a game." Despite this, he racked up an impressive number of PGA Tour titles with 29 and another 29 on the PGA Tour Champions.
15. Mickey Wright
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Mickey Wright won 13 majors.Career: 1954-1969
Country: United States
Pro wins: 90
Major championships: 13
Bottom Line: Mickey Wright
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Mickey Wright is in the World Golf Hall of Fame.Mickey Wright doesn't have the longevity of many other golfing greats, but for a period in the 1960, she absolutely torched the competition on the LPGA Tour.
She won all 13 of her major championships in a span of eight years, with multiple major wins in three straight years.
14. Gene Sarazen
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Gene Sarazen won all four of golf's majors.Career: 1920-1973
Country: United States
Pro wins: 49
Major championships: 7
Bottom Line: Gene Sarazen
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Gene Sarazen taught himself how to play golf.One of golf’s first celebrities, Gene Sarazen frequently traveled with famous friend Howard Hughes, and following one particular flight, Sarazen said he was inspired to invent the sand wedge — based loosely on the stick that was used to control altitude changes.
He took his new invention to the 1932 British Open and won his first major. Sarazen also was the first to win the modern Grand Slam with his victory at the 1935 PGA Championship.
13. Billy Casper
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Billy Casper won a lot.Career: 1954-2001
Country: United States
Pro wins: 70
Major championships: 3
Bottom Line: Billy Casper
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Billy Casper still might be underrated.A Ryder Cup captain, a two-time PGA Player of the Year and the fifth-most wins in PGA Tour history place Billy Casper among the best to ever tee it up.
Despite the outstanding resume, Casper’s name tends to get lost in the GOAT conversation. He was not considered one of the "Big Three" of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, but in their primes, he was right in the thick of it with all of them.
He’s considered by many to be the best putter of his era.
12. Tom Watson
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Tom Watson won eight majors.Career: 1971-2019
Country: United States
Pro wins: 70
Major championships: 8
Bottom Line: Tom Watson
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Tom Watson had a long career.Tom Watson had the distinct disadvantage of playing in Jack Nicklaus' heydey, but Watson still managed to rack up major championships and was particularly strong across the pond, winning five Open Championships and coming within an eyelash of another one in 2009.
He was one of the first to dominate on the PGA Tour Champions, as well, racking up six majors and another 14 wins.
11. Phil Mickelson
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Phil Mickelson is still going strong.Career: 1992-present
Country: United States
Pro wins: 51
Major championships: 5
Bottom Line: Phil Mickelson
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Phil Mickelson is known as "Lefty."It’s worth noting that without Tiger Woods, Mickelson may have a resume along the lines of a Sam Snead or Jack Nicklaus. Even despite competing against the most dominant player ever, Mickelson has racked up a staggering amount of wins, and given the level of competition in today’s game, there may never be another player to approach 50 victories. Often more known for his tragic collapses than emotional victories, Lefty has found a place in many fans’ hearts as a real-life Tin Cup, profoundly human in his faults but with an undying belief in himself.
10. Bobby Jones
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Bobby Jones won seven majors.Career: 1922-1930
Country: United States
Pro wins: 9 (all wins came with amateur status)
Major championships: 7
Bottom Line: Bobby Jones
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Bobby Jones was one of the most influential players in golf history.Bobby Jones' legacy is inextricably entwined with the ascension of the Masters and Augusta National to the premier major championship in the game.
Jones co-founded the Masters in 1934 and gave it mainstream attention by coming out of retirement to play in the event. For the next 12 years, it was the only place in the world fans could see Jones play.
His extraordinary popularity, and his relationship with other pros, vaulted the Masters into a must-see event, growing to be what it is today.
9. Walter Hagen
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Walter Hagen was a towering figure in golf.Career: 1912-1942
Country: United States
Pro wins: 57
Major championships: 11
Bottom Line: Walter Hagen
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Walter Hagen won 11 majors.The often-forgotten Walter Hagen ranks third all-time in major victories, a number which is open for some debate as he played prior to the standard four-major era.
Regardless, Hagen elevated the game in the early 20th century and did it with a unique sense of fashion and style, becoming one of the pioneers in endorsement money around apparel and equipment.
He also elevated the status of golf professionals, who had previously been looked down upon by the game’s amateur-heavy environment.
8. Byron Nelson
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Byron Nelson won five majors.Career: 1932-1966
Country: United States
Pro wins: 64
Major championships: 5
Bottom Line: Byron Nelson
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Byron Nelson had one of golf's greatest seasons in 1945.Byron Nelson’s career is another one of golf’s greatest "what if" stories. Although he certainly racked up numbers that place him among the greats, Nelson battled a series of health issues throughout of his career that held him back. Blood clots, back injuries and a variety of other ailments limited his prime.
But in his prime, it was something to behold. In 1945, Nelson won 18 PGA Tour events, including 11 consecutive. Many write this off as him dominating a weakened field due to the war, ignoring the fact that Sam Snead and Ben Hogan played full seasons.
Tiger Woods referred to the year as "one of the greatest years in the history of the sport."
7. Gary Player
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Gary Player has authored or co-written 36 golf books.Career: 1953-2001
Country: South Africa
Pro wins: 163
Major championships: 9
Bottom Line: Gary Player
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Gary Player, right, won nine majors.A pioneer of physical fitness for golfers, Gary Player was ahead of his time with his workout regimen, and all that hard work paid dividends on the course.
Player’s consistency allowed him to play the game well into his latter years, and he holds a Masters record with 52 appearances, which is unlikely to be bested.
He’s one of just five players with the career Grand Slam (winning all four majors), a list that includes Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan.
6. Patty Berg
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Patty Berg holds the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer.Career: 1940-1979
Country: United States
Pro wins: 63
Major championships: 15
Bottom Line: Patty Berg
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Patty Berg was the first president of the LPGA.A natural athlete, Patty Berg played football at an early age, quarterbacking her local team in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Taking up golf at 13 years old, she was a natural and racked up 29 amateur titles. Her dominance in women’s golf made the game popular for girls worldwide.
She won multiple times each year on the LPGA Tour from 1946 to 1958, racked up 77 top-25 major finishes in 93 appearances and didn’t miss a cut until 1969.
5. Arnold Palmer
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Arnold Palmer was known throughout the golf world as "The King."Career: 1954-2006
Country: United States
Pro wins: 95
Major championships: 7
Bottom Line: Arnold Palmer
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Arnold Palmer won seven majors.There are plenty of on-course accomplishments that we could list to demonstrate Arnold Palmer’s place among the greats of the game, but his biggest impact (by far) was as an ambassador for golf.
Never before, or since, has a player so connected with the galleries as did Arnie. Phil Mickelson is the only one that even comes close. The galleries embraced and rooted for Arnie. There was just something about his charisma and natural and genuine love of life and golf that drew people to him.
It's why Arnold Palmer was known as "The King" and is credited by golf historians with bringing the game into the mainstream of social consciousness.
4. Sam Snead
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Sam Snead was known as "The Slammer."Career: 1934-1987
Country: United States
Pro wins: 141
Major championships: 7
Bottom Line: Sam Snead
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Sam Snead won a lot of tournaments.The greatest winner the game has ever seen, Sam Snead racked up an almost inconceivable amount of wins over his career. Only recently did Tiger Woods pull even with Snead in PGA Tour wins with 82.
Despite his dominance, Snead, aka "The Slammer," had the Phil Mickelson curse and couldn’t pull off a U.S. Open victory in his career and had five second-place finishes. That notwithstanding, his consistency set marks that aren’t likely to fall for some time.
He was the first player to win in six decades, the oldest player to win a PGA Tour event (52 years, 10 months) and oldest player to make the cut at a major championship (67 years, 2 months).
3. Ben Hogan
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Ben Hogan had a picture-perfect swing.Career: 1930-1971
Country: United States
Pro wins: 69
Major championships: 9
Bottom Line: Ben Hogan
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Ben Hogan won nine majors.Possessing the sweetest swing this Earth has ever witnessed, Ben Hogan has become the teaching model for nearly every golf pro in the world. Anyone looking to play the game should watch Hogan as much as possible.
Despite losing three years of his prime to World War II, Hogan didn’t miss a beat in majors, making the cut in 53 of the 58 events he played in with 40 top-10 finishes.
2. Jack Nicklaus
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There's no one like "The Golden Bear."Career: 1961-2005
Country: United States
Pro wins: 92
Major championships: 18
Bottom Line: Jack Nicklaus
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Jack Nicklaus won 18 majors.A force of competitive nature, Jack Nicklaus didn’t dominate in the way Tiger Woods did with victories, but his consistency is unequaled in the sport’s history.
For 20 years, "The Golden Bear" was a mainstay on the frontpage of the leaderboard in major championships, posting 17 victories and 62 top-10 finishes in 80 tournaments.
Staggering consistency backed up by an improbable Masters victory in 1986 cements Nicklaus’ status as the only challenger to Woods as the greatest the game has ever seen.
1. Tiger Woods
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Tiger Woods was born to golf.Career: 1996-present
Country: United States
Pro wins: 109
Major championships: 14
Bottom Line: Tiger Woods
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Tiger is the GOAT.The dominance of Tiger Woods from the moment he burst on the scene in 1996 was captivating. Never had anyone dominated the sport with such attitude, focus and a fierce sense of competitive spirit.
His four green jackets in eight years at Augusta led them to Tiger-proof the course. His second act has been special to watch, as he continues to flash glimpses of the player who spent a record 264 consecutive weeks as the No. 1 golfer in the world.
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