- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Who is the greatest golfer ever: Tiger or Jack?
Posted on 4/13/18 at 12:32 pm
Posted on 4/13/18 at 12:32 pm
Using 6 criteria, this writer lays out a pretty good case for who he thinks is the GOAT golfer.
LINK
quote:
6. The competition
Jack's contemporaries included Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Watson and Lee Trevino, each of whom won six or more majors. Tiger's biggest rival is Phil Mickelson, a guy best known for his collapses who not only failed to outduel Tiger on a Sunday, he failed to even duel him.
Phil won five majors but none with Tiger in the picture. Aside from him, there are just two other players with three major wins during the Tiger era: Ernie Els and Vijay Singh. The evidence suggests Tiger was beating up on inferior competition.
Now, you can make two counterpoints to that statement - the same ones people use to defend Serena Williams against similar criticism.
First, Tiger has played against a deeper, more international field. When Nicklaus was in his prime, golf was dominated by Americans. In the 1975 Masters, for instance, the entire top 10 was from the United States. From 1962-1978, Jack's prime, just two foreign players (Gary Player and Tony Jacklin) won at the Masters, U.S. Open or PGA Championship.
During his career, Tiger has seen winners come from Fiji, Spain, Canada, Argentina, Australia, Ireland, Northern Ireland, South Korea, England, Germany, New Zealand and South Africa - a United Nations of major champions. It's a testament to the wider reach of golf that both Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer help usher in. And now, with Tiger making his comeback amidst more international winners than ever, the field is even deeper because of the wider reach that Tiger brought to the game.
Second, could it be that Tiger's competition is inferior because of Tiger? After all, there weren't many majors to be had when Woods was taking seven in three years.
I don't buy that one. (And the first is debatable too.) Nicklaus played against four of the greatest golfers ever and not only won 18 majors but had 19 second-place finishes, proving there was plenty for everyone. His rivals were killers too - Palmer got him at Cherry Hills, Trevino took him down four different times including on an 18-hole playoff at Merion and Tom Watson won three majors over Nicklaus, all in heartbreaking fashion.
LINK
40
Posted on 4/13/18 at 12:35 pm to L.A.
Jack
Posted on 4/13/18 at 12:35 pm to L.A.
quote:Is it not also possible that the talent pool back then was not nearly as deep, so the most talented golfers on the tour could clean up and win the lion's share of majors?
Jack's contemporaries included Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Watson and Lee Trevino, each of whom won six or more majors.
Kind of like with women's college basketball with Tennessee and UConn winning constantly over the past 30 years due to the more shallow talent in women's basketball compared to the men where the competition is much more even due to a much deeper talent pool.
This post was edited on 4/13/18 at 12:38 pm
Posted on 4/13/18 at 12:36 pm to L.A.
Jack had longevity and consistency on his side but Tiger Woods at his peak is the best golfer in history and I do not believe there's a close second.
Career: Jack > Tiger
Comparing the two when both have their A+ games: Tiger >> Jack
Career: Jack > Tiger
Comparing the two when both have their A+ games: Tiger >> Jack
Posted on 4/13/18 at 12:36 pm to L.A.
Depends on what you are asking. Best career...probably Jack.
Best golfer?
If you had to pluck one golfer from his absolute prime. If Jack showed up and played his best 4 rounds and Tiger showed up and played his best 4 rounds...Tiger would win.
Best golfer?
If you had to pluck one golfer from his absolute prime. If Jack showed up and played his best 4 rounds and Tiger showed up and played his best 4 rounds...Tiger would win.
Posted on 4/13/18 at 12:48 pm to Hester Carries
I was watching a documentary on the British Open and Tiger was the first Episode. Tiger won 4 majors with Jack playing in them as he was retiring.
Posted on 4/13/18 at 12:49 pm to Hester Carries
Jack was the GOAT.
But I have zero doubt that the press will ultimately do everything possible to create the narrative that Woods was the best.
But I have zero doubt that the press will ultimately do everything possible to create the narrative that Woods was the best.
Posted on 4/13/18 at 12:50 pm to L.A.
Overall Jack... not only did he win 18 majors, he came in 2nd 19 times... nobody will ever touch that....
But the 6 or so year run that Tiger has will also never be topped.... if thanksgiving 2009 doesn’t happen we would be looking at a completely different picture IMO....
But the 6 or so year run that Tiger has will also never be topped.... if thanksgiving 2009 doesn’t happen we would be looking at a completely different picture IMO....
Posted on 4/13/18 at 12:51 pm to L.A.
Tiger w/roids = GOAT
Tiger w/o roids = JAG
Tiger w/o roids = JAG
Posted on 4/13/18 at 12:58 pm to Bonkers119
What was the documentary? Sounds interesting.
Posted on 4/13/18 at 12:58 pm to TigerAlum93
It's Tiger, and it isn't close.
Compare them at their very best. Tiger, for a 4-5 year period, was the finest golfer that we've ever seen, and maybe that we ever will see. No one will ever be that far ahead of the competition for that period of time.
Compare them at their very best. Tiger, for a 4-5 year period, was the finest golfer that we've ever seen, and maybe that we ever will see. No one will ever be that far ahead of the competition for that period of time.
Posted on 4/13/18 at 1:03 pm to David Ricky
Almost like the LeBron/Jordan argument, LeBron had the longevity and consistency from an overall career standpoint, MJ’s prime was one of the most dominant and lethal primes sports has ever seen. I support your analysis in that regard.
Posted on 4/13/18 at 1:04 pm to cypressbrake3
quote:
Jack was the GOAT.
But I have zero doubt that the press will ultimately do everything possible to create the narrative that Woods was the best.
Jack won more majors than Tiger but you can very easily argue that 3 of Tiger's seasons (2000, 2005, 2006) were back than Jack's very best (1972).
Iirc, Jack only ever won two majors by more than 3 strokes, while Tiger had 6.
IMO, his performances at the '97 Masters, 2000 US Open and 2000 British Open are possibly the three most dominant major performances any of us will ever see.
When Tiger won the 2002 US Open, at that point he had won 7 of the most recent 11 majors played. Think about that. In 2.75 seasons, Tiger won the same amount of majors as Arnold Palmer, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Harry Vardon, and Bobby Jones did in their entire CAREERS.
This post was edited on 4/13/18 at 1:05 pm
Posted on 4/13/18 at 1:07 pm to ThePTExperience1969
MJ, TW and JN aren’t cry babies that make excuses. Please leave that other name out of any conversation with them.
Posted on 4/13/18 at 1:07 pm to L.A.
For career: Jack
At peak: Jack
Compare the clubs and technology that went into design and manufacture of them in Jack's era to Tiger's era. For example: Nicklaus shot 17-under par 271 in 1965 for a 72-hole record lasting 32 years until Tiger Woods shot 18-under par 270 in 1997. So, 32 years of advancement in the tools of goldf and Tiger at his best was one stroke better than Nicklaus.
Also, go to this link and look at Jack for the Masters - he was the Saban of golf.
List of career achievements by Jack
At peak: Jack
Compare the clubs and technology that went into design and manufacture of them in Jack's era to Tiger's era. For example: Nicklaus shot 17-under par 271 in 1965 for a 72-hole record lasting 32 years until Tiger Woods shot 18-under par 270 in 1997. So, 32 years of advancement in the tools of goldf and Tiger at his best was one stroke better than Nicklaus.
Also, go to this link and look at Jack for the Masters - he was the Saban of golf.
List of career achievements by Jack
This post was edited on 4/13/18 at 1:18 pm
Posted on 4/13/18 at 1:08 pm to L.A.
Tiger is the most talented golfer while Jack had the best career.
It’s basically the Jordan vs Safety Pin discusssion.
It’s basically the Jordan vs Safety Pin discusssion.
Posted on 4/13/18 at 1:13 pm to David Ricky
Jack 18 majors to Tiger's 14. Jack 19 second place finishes in majors to Tiger's 6. Jack 56 top 5s in majors to Tiger's 30.
It's a wider gap than just 4 major wins. That being said, Tiger isn't done. He can 100% finish higher than Jack.
It's a wider gap than just 4 major wins. That being said, Tiger isn't done. He can 100% finish higher than Jack.
Posted on 4/13/18 at 1:16 pm to JJ27
quote:I like how you dont bring up total wins at all
Jack 18 majors to Tiger's 14. Jack 19 second place finishes in majors to Tiger's 6. Jack 56 top 5s in majors to Tiger's 30.
Posted on 4/13/18 at 1:17 pm to starsandstripes
quote:
Compare the clubs and technology that went into design and manufacture of them in Jack's era to Tiger's era. For example: Nicklaus shot 17-under par 271 in 1965 for a 72-hole record lasting 32 years until Tiger Woods shot 18-under par 270 in 1997. So, 32 years of advancement in the tools of gold and Tiger at his best was one stroke better than Nicklaus.
If you are going to bring this up, you should also mention that the phrase Tiger-proofing became a thing as courses started to try to prevent Tiger from embarrassing them.
Page 1 of 18
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News