The greatest golfer of all time debate is one that has lasted for some time, and it doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon.
Countless factors must be considered when naming the greatest golfer ever, if indeed one player can be separated from the rest
Major championship wins undoubtedly play a crucial role, with legendary figure Jack Nicklaus topping the all-time list.
He boasts 18 major championship wins from his unforgettable career, three more than 15-time major winner Tiger Woods.
With 11, Walter Hagen is the only other player on double figures, with Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Tom Watson following closely behind.
Who Tom Watson said was the greatest golfer ever in 2005
For Watson, there was a clear frontrunner for the honour back in 2005, when he played alongside Nicklaus at The Open Championship at St Andrews.
In his final tournament before retiring, Nicklaus received raucous applause as he stepped onto the Swilcan Bridge at the Old Course.
And as per The Open, his old nemesis Watson said of the occasion: “Here’s the greatest player who has ever played the game in his final Championship of his career and I had the privilege of being able to play with him. I joined him on his last walk, the last hole of his Championship career and I lost it.
“I was walking up the fairway, over the bridge crying and Jack finally grabbed me and said, ‘Tom, come on, get a hold of yourself, you have a golf tournament to play here.’
“I had to par the last hole to make the cut, he knew my position, it wasn’t all about him – he had concern for me and that’s something he always had – I appreciated that very much.”
What Jack Nicklaus said of Tom Watson during his farewell at The Open in 2005
Watson indeed made par as Nicklaus drained a stunning birdie to fittingly call time on his phenomenal career.
Sharing his take on the situation, the 18-time major champion said: “Tom was far more emotional than I was.
“Tom was on the bridge with tears running down his face and I’m like, ‘Watson!’ – but he was doing it on Tuesday in the practice round.”
Whether Watson still feels the same about Nicklaus and his status as the best ever is perhaps unknown, with Woods having gone on to mount a real challenge to his major tally.
| Player | The Masters | US Open | The Open | PGA Championship | Total |
| Jack Nicklaus | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 18 |
| Tiger Woods | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 15 |
| Walter Hagen | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 |
| Ben Hogan | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| Gary Player | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| Tom Watson | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 8 |
| Harry Vardon | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| Bobby Jones | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Gene Sarazen | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Sam Snead | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Arnold Palmer | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
Unfortunately due to his latest injury setback, Woods seems very unlikely to add another major title to his honours list, let alone three, but his hat is obviously well in the ring in the greatest of all time debate.
Nicklaus retired as he was no longer competitive, which is now seemingly the case for the man just behind him in the all-time majors list.
Woods underwent a seventh back surgery shortly after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon earlier this year, with his return date unknown.