The debate over who stands atop the golf world – Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods – has been going on for years, and it does not look like it is stopping anytime soon.
Gary Player has now stepped in to offer his perspective, pointing out something interesting about what sets each apart.
Player has been open in the past about how tough it is to draw a fair comparison between the two, mainly because of how much the game has changed over time, especially with regard to course conditions.
This time around, he gave an answer that reflected both depth of thought and respect for their differences.
He spent nearly 20 years sharing fairways with Nicklaus and has always spoken highly of him.
At the same time, his respect for what Woods achieved during his career is clear.
Gary Player picks between Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus
Nicklaus racked up 73 PGA Tour victories, including a record 18 major championships. Woods, on the other hand, matched the all-time record with 82 PGA Tour wins and captured 15 majors along the way.
A nine-time major winner, Player shared his view in an interview with GOLF.com. When asked for his thoughts on who was the better player, he gave a clear answer.
“Tiger is the greatest golfer that ever lived. Except he isn’t. Because it’s not on paper. Jack has the greatest record on paper. Not only did Jack win 18 majors, he finished second in majors 19 times. That’s hard to believe.
“Let’s reverse the thought procedure with Jack and Tiger. If Jack Nicklaus had been chasing Tiger’s record, he would have changed his philosophy. Jack never prepared for majors like Tiger did. But if Jack had been chasing Tiger, he would have shifted his focus more to the majors and he would have won more of them.”
That is an excellent point. If Nicklaus had been actively pursuing a record, it is highly probable he would have accumulated even more major victories than his already impressive tally.
Comparing the major records of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods
Nicklaus and Woods are in a league of their own when it comes to golfing achievements.
Their numbers tell the story, so let us line them up side by side.
| Achievements | Nicklaus | Woods |
| Events played | 584 | 378 |
| Majors won | 18 | 15 |
| PGA Tour wins | 73 | 82 |
| Runner-ups | 58 | 31 |
| Top-5s | 209 | 163 |
| Top-10s | 286 | 199 |
| Cuts made | 495 | 339 |
Woods may have won more PGA Tour events, but Nicklaus leads in every other major category.
If injuries had not slowed Woods down, he might have reached or even surpassed Nicklaus’ major total.
As Player noted, Nicklaus still holds the best record on paper. This will not change until someone wins 18 or more majors.
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