Curious who the top golfers in the world are? While it might not seem so at a first glance, golf is a very difficult and demanding sport. It requires a lot of skill, technique, and strategizing. It is not only hard to make it as a professional golfer, but it is even more of a feat to actually become famous for it. We have compiled a list of the 8 most renowned and skilled golfers of all time.
Let’s take a look, in a style similar to our rankings of the best European NBA players.
No. 8: Gary Player
Over the span of 5 decades, the South African Player managed to win over 150 tournaments around the globe and he is one of four players to have won both the British Open and the Masters three times.
No. 7: Tom Watson
Tom Watson dominated the British Open like no other, winning 5 tournaments in just 9 years. He could have won the tournament a sixth time in 2009, but his nerves took the best of him, losing the shot that could have made him even more of a legend…if that’s even possible. Nonetheless, his impressive golfing career more than merits a spot in our countdown.
No. 6: Bobby Jones
Prodigy Jones started his career in golf at only 14 years old. Between the ages of 20 and 28, Jones pretty much won every tournament in sight, culminating with his biggest accomplishment: winning the 1930 Grand Slam. Bobby Jones is also the only legend in sport to retire at just 28 years old.
Continue reading to discover the rest of the top golfers in the world:
No. 5: Ben “The Hawk” Hogan
To this day, Hogan is considered the best shot-makers in golf history. The charismatic player became the only golfer to win the US Open, the British Open, and the Masters in the same year. Unfortunately, health-wise, Hogan’s life was somewhat of a struggle: after managing to survive a car accident, he became ill with cancer and Alzheimer’s before he ultimately succumbed to a stroke.
No. 4: Arnold “The King” Palmer
Arnold Palmer’s greatest feat? Popularizing the Masters with viewers worldwide. He is also credited with one of the biggest comebacks in golf history: in the 1960 US Open, in the final round against Nicklaus and Ben Hogan, he managed to reduce a 7 stroke deficit and win the whole tournament.
No. 3: Sam Snead
Sam Snead is credited with being the golfer with the most victories under his belt, a total of 81 PGA wins, to be more exact, as well as about 150 other victories worldwide. His victories spanned over four decades and made him one of the most prolific golfers ever. Despite this impressive track record, Snead never managed to win the US Open.
No. 2: Jack Nicklaus
Dubbed the “Golden Bear”, Nicklaus has a long list of achievements in his track record. He’s won a total of 18 titles, the most for any golfer, which include 3 Open Championships, 4 US Opens, 6 green jackets, and 5 PGA Championships. He’s also the first player to ever win all four championships twice.
No. 1: Tiger Woods
One of the most famous – and infamous – sportsmen on the globe, Tiger Woods certainly deserves the title of the world’s greatest golfer. He is credited with introducing several trends in the world of golfing and he is the richest sportsman worldwide.
