The Greatest GOATS: Nicklaus, Woods, Hagen (and Jones)

The endless debate over who was the greatest golfer of all time, Nicklaus or Woods, is a debate over who was the greatest golfer of the TV era. In the case of Woods, it is who was the greatest golfer four decades into the TV era. As Nicklaus once remarked about the courses in the Tiger era: remember, your fairways are like our greens were. Which only goes to prove the near futility of trying to compare across the eras of golf. Would Tiger or Jack have been able to best Vardon at his peak? I do not know. Would the Great Triumvirate of Vardon, Braid, and Taylor best the American Triumvirate of Hogan, Nelson, and Snead or the Big Three of Nicklaus, Palmer, and Player? I do not know.

Comparisons may generally be useless, if fun.

But, as they say, let’s look at the numbers. The majors are called majors for a reason—the best golfers tend to win them. Repeatedly.

The Open Championship:

Hagen: 4

Nicklaus: 3

Woods: 3

The US Open:

Hagen: 2

Nicklaus: 4

Woods: 3

PGA Championship:

Hagen: 5

Nicklaus: 5

Woods: 4

S…