re: Jack Nicklaus Or Tiger Woods?

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Here's another one. The was no significant Senior Gold Tour that kept aging golders competitive. In the Nicklaus era, you hit the 40's, stop playing , design courses and do TV if you are a big enough name.

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...or do what Nicklaus did and play 10-13 events on the Senior PGA Tour a year for 5-6 years. Exactly how old do you think Jack is? He wasn’t eligible for the senior tour until he turned 50 in 1990. There was most definitely a significant senior tour and Jack played in it. He won 10 tournaments, 8 of them majors.

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Did steroids exist during Jack's prime?

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Jacks prime was the 70s

Which was also the prime for anabolic steroids. You didn’t think that one through

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Golfers during Nicklaus era was pretty much done one they hit their 40's because the equipment didn't compensate for age and diminishing skills. A

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Huh?

I have a much closer connection to Jack. Having worked with him and his crew when building CCL I found him to be very gracious and humble for a superstar . I like watching Tiger now but Jack was a more classic GOAT .

Jack/Tiger is splitting hairs

However. I will say that Tiger has played against the worlds best every time he enters a Major.

That wasn’t the case in Jacks career.
In 62 when Jack won the US Open the first time 48 of the top 50 finishers were from the US.

Then in 66 when he won the British for the first time 42 of the top 50 finishers were from Europe.

All the top players didn’t travel all the time.

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However. I will say that Tiger has played against the worlds best every time he enters a Major.

That wasn’t the case in Jacks career.
In 62 when Jack won the US Open the first time 48 of the top 50 finishers were from the US.

Then in 66 when he won the British for the first time 42 of the top 50 finishers were from Europe.

All the top players didn’t travel all the time.

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The biggest reason why 15 > 18

Are you under the impression this matters? Jack isnt playing against players that had the advanced technology.

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People who support Jack tend to say he had more elite competition he had to contend with. People who support Tiger argue the competition is way deeper. I have no idea which way technology arguments cut.

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I'd say this is spot on. The elite players of Jack's Day like Trevino, Watson, Ray Floyd, Gary Player, Palmer were better than the elite of Tiger's prime IMHO, they didn't fold nearly as conveniently...heck Trevino and Watson excelled and played their best golf to take at least 5 majors from Jack that I can recall. At Turnberry in '77 for example Jack bested the No. 3 guy Hubert Green by 8 strokes but fell one short of Watson in that epic dual.

But the depth of competition was better for Tiger no question.

My theory is Tiger in his prime probably gets the better of Jack more times but I think Jack would get his share.

Early in Jacks career he only ever faced half of the best golfers in the world at any one major.

At Augusta and the US Open he faced the best US players with a sprinkling of Europeans and Gary Player. The first European to win the Masters wasn’t until 1980 when Seve won.

At the British he faced the best Europeans and Gary Player with a sprinkling of US players.

And thru the sixties (most of Jacks high point) the PGA was held the week after the British making it damn near impossible for most non US players to make it both weeks. Also in the mid seventies the PGA players complained enough that the PGA changed the rules of the championship to lessen the invites of all the PGA pros at CCs around the US and actually invite more of the best 100 or so players in the world. It was dominated by US players and Gary Player until the 90s.

Tiger plays the best 100 or so players in the world EVERY time he competes in a major.

Jack didn’t.

A lot of great posts. GOAT is very subjective. While Tigers overall stats are better except for majors, I'm still giving the nod to Jack by a very slim margin.

To me, GOAT is more than stats. I think Nicklaus has had a much greater impact on the game and still does today by simply being Jack Nicklaus. One poster stated that there would not be a Tiger had there not been a Jack.

I'm also a fan of Tiger and hopes he overtakes Jack's major record. I think having to endure a lengthy period of humility has been a good thing for Tiger. Like Jack in his time, golf is a better sport when Tiger is playing.

For me, one doesn't have to fail for the other to prevail.