Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are widely regarded as the two greatest golfers to have ever played the game.
Nicklaus leads the way with 18 major championship wins, while Woods has 15 major titles to his name.
However, the 50-year-old has the edge when it comes to PGA Tour titles, with 82 to the Golden Bear’s 73.
Comparing any sportsmen from different eras is always an incredibly difficult thing to do, and it’s almost impossible to separate Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
Nicklaus was aware that Woods was set to threaten his records back in 2000, after playing with him during the first two rounds of the PGA Championship.
The 15-time major champion went on to dominate the sport for a decade and more.
But who is the greatest golfer to have ever lived? Is it Nicklaus, or Woods?
Who Tiger Woods really thinks the greatest golfer of all time is
Highly regarded golf journalist Bob Harig was a guest on the Dan on Golf Show on Wednesday.
Discussion centered around which golfer is actually the greatest of all time.
Harig was asked about the ‘GOAT’ debate and he provided some fascinating insight into Tiger Woods’ opinion on the matter.
“I think Tiger answers this question by saying Jack is the greatest champion,“ Harig said.
“And that’s sort of maybe where he leaves it, and that’s fine.
“I think, certainly, you can argue that. I mean, Jack’s got the most majors.
“But I think deep down, Tiger probably feels like he was the greatest player, and he might not ever say that.
“There are so many aspects of this that point to that. You know, as great as Jack was, Jack never won a major by 15 or, frankly, by 12 or 8.
“You know, Tiger did that at three different majors! Tiger did it in an era when I think it was harder to do.
“I think it’s harder for Scottie Scheffler to win now than it probably was for Tiger 20 years ago.
“Well, certainly it was tougher for Tiger to win than it was for Jack.
“And that’s no knock on Jack or any of the people he beat. That’s just how sports evolve, how fitness evolves, how equipment, how courses, how athletes get better.
“So, that’s all part of the debate.“
Jack Nicklaus vs Tiger Woods is an impossible debate
If Tiger Woods really does think he was better than Jack Nicklaus, that’s a more than fair stance to take.
After all, had the 50-year-old managed to remain injury-free throughout his entire career, there’s a very good chance he would have gone on to win 100 PGA Tour tournaments and 20 majors.
The bottom line is that both golfers should be appreciated for what they achieved in the game.
Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championship wins is unlikely to ever be beaten, while the same can be said for Woods’ haul of 82 PGA Tour titles.
Everyone has their opinions on who is the greatest golfer of all time, and while many may disagree on the matter, what cannot be debated is that Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are the best two to ever play the game.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
