The Five Best Golfers Of The 20th Century

Gary Player

One of the best non-American golfers of the century was the South African Gary Player. Player won a total of nine majors during his playing career, and that included all four of the major titles. Consistently ranked as one of the top 10 golf players, Player’s consistency in the major championships was only bettered by Nicklaus.

Arnold Palmer

Palmer was a great golfer who had a significant impact on the sport during his playing career. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he was the best player in the world, and he won several majors, including four Masters titles and the US and UK Open Championships. Overall, he won a total of six major championships. During this time, Palmer gained plenty of fans for the exciting golf played during the majors. Aside from the majors, Palmer also played in six Ryder Cup teams and was the last playing captain in 1963.

Ben Hogan

Hogan is said to have been the best ball striker ever to have played golf. Indeed, his overall record in the majors and other PGA Tour events is certainly comparable to that of Woods and Nicklaus, with a total of nine major wins, including four US Opens. That included a watershed Hogan slam season in 1953, where he won three of the four majors, although he did not play in the PGA Championship, which might have made for a grand slam. Hogan gained admirers such as Nicklaus, who rated his ball striking as the best in the game. Today, his “Five Lessons” golf instruction book is regarded as one of the best golfing tutorial guides.

Tiger Woods

Woods burst onto the PGA Tour in quite spectacular fashion in the late 20th century. First, he became the youngest winner of the US Masters in 1997, winning that tournament by a record 12-stroke margin. Then, he won the PGA Championship in 1999. Of course, Woods won most of his majors in the 21st century, but he was already the world’s finest golfer in 1999. His major trophy haul of 15 is only eclipsed by the great Jack Nicklaus. Many expected Woods would eclipse Jack’s major record, but that looks unlikely today, with the fading star of golf currently ranked 2048th in the world.

End of My Greatest Golfers Of The 20th Century Rant

So, those were the best golfers of the 20th century. Nicklaus, Palmer, Woods, Player, and Hogan won a multitude of major titles between them. They took golf to new heights and set records in the sport.