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Golf is one of the most popular sports globally, and that popularity comes with a big list of legendary athletes. Here are five great golfers of all time, each of whom has significantly influenced the game and set a standard for future athletes to strive for.
The Best Male Golfers Ever
While today’s leading golfers like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are likely to be honoured as the best players for years to come, the question remains: who is the greatest golfer of all time? Most fans and experts would agree that the following top five players are undoubtedly the greatest golf has ever produced.
The Golden Bear claimed 18 majors (and ended up second 19 more times in majors!) out of his 73 Tour wins. He won a record six Masters titles and boasts 56 top-five major finishes. Nicklaus also led the tour in scoring average eight times, matching his money title wins. While he didn’t click with the crowd as much as Palmer, Nicklaus set the bar for physical and mental excellence. His first and last major victories spanned 24 years—the 1962 U.S. Open and 1986 Masters—showing staying power that we might never witness again.
Arnold Palmer ranks fifth in PGA Tour career wins with 62, including seven Major championships. His major record will stand forever. Palmer earned PGA Tour Player of the Year honours twice and topped the money list four times. His nickname "The King" came with good reason. Sports Illustrated featured him on its cover in 1960, naming him "Sportsman of the Year." People will always remember him, even after his death. Children will keep enjoying drinks that are half lemonade and half iced tea labelled as "Arnold Palmer."
Mr Snead topped the PGA Tour earnings list in the years before Palmer and Nicholson became rivals. With 82 PGA wins to his name, he shares the world's top golf player spot with Tiger Woods. Sam's trademark Snead squat gave him a unique bow-legged stance. This allowed him to hit the ball in a different way, using his knees to snap through impact and rotate. So why doesn't he rank number one on our list? "Slammin' Sammy" earned his titles before the PGA Tour was established and played under different rules. In 1998, he received the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award, and his influence in the golf community lasted until his death in 2002.
Regarded as one of the greatest ball strikers in golf history, The Hawk secured nine major championships and 64 Tour events, making him one of only five players to win all four majors. He is the only golfer to have won the Masters, U.S. Open, and Open Championship. In 1948, he set the U.S. Open scoring record, which remained unbroken for 52 years. Hogan also holds the record for the most consecutive top-10 finishes in the major golf tournaments. Remarkably, Hogan went on to win six majors in just eight major starts after the car accident during World War II. He played only one Open Championship in his lifetime, setting records in the 1953 event at Carnoustie.
Eldrick Woods, the most recognized name in golf, consistently ranks among the all-time “greats”. His accolades speak for themselves: he held the title of the number one player in the world for the most consecutive weeks. Eldrick Woods was named PGA Player of the Year 11 times and boasts 15 major championships with 82 PGA Tour wins. He is one of only four golfers to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Looking ahead, he has expressed his intention to participate in "maybe a tournament a month" in 2024.
Related: List of Players with Most PGA Tour Wins
The Best Female Golfers Ever
Golf used to be male-dominated, and women struggled to play for many years. Things have changed now, and the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) has made it easy for women golfers to compete for prize money. Also, don’t forget when seven women got a chance to play in the PGA with men. Women's golf is at its best, and these 5 stand out as the greatest female golfers of all time.
Louise Suggs, one of the LPGA's founders, had a big impact on the future of women's golf. She won 58 LPGA Tour events and 11 major championships. Her steady play, persistence, and golf skills got her into both the World Golf Hall of Fame and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. The Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award honours her legacy by spotlighting the best new player in the LPGA each year.
Check Out: The Women's Golf Revolution.
A natural golfer and a strategist on the course, Carner was one of the most consistent players on the ladies’ professional golf tour during the 1970s. She is the only woman to have won the U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Women’s Amateur, and U.S. Women’s Open. While she secured only two major victories, she finished as an impressive runner-up ten times. Despite those near wins, she consistently ranked as the highest earner. In 2021, she made history by becoming the oldest participant in a USGA-sanctioned event at the age of 82.
Known for striking some of the greatest ever golf shots, Berg's impressive career included 15 major championships and 60 tour wins. Her efforts revolutionized women’s golf and opened the door for future female athletes. As a founding member and the first president of the LPGA, her influence on the growth of women’s golf is still felt today. In her honour, the LPGA awards the Patty Berg Award each year to a female golfer who has made excellent contributions to the sport.
Mickey Wright concluded her remarkable career with 82 LPGA Tour wins, including 13 Majors. She received one of the highest accolades in golf when the legendary Ben Hogan said that Mickey Wright had the best golf swing he had ever witnessed. Being praised by a golfer who was dedicated to perfecting the swing is proof of Wright's great skills. And she accomplished all this in just 13 years on tour. Interestingly, 13 was also a lucky number for her, as Wright won 13 tour events in 1963, a single-season record that still stands today.
Find Out: Why Are More Women Than Ever Playing Golf.
Annika Sorenstam is often regarded as the greatest female golfer of all time. She held the top position in the Women's World Golf Rankings for a remarkable 60 weeks and collected a total of 93 international tournament victories, including ten major championships. Sorenstam also made history as the first woman to compete in a PGA Tour event since Babe Zaharias in 1945, further leaving a lasting legacy as one of the best female strikers ever.