Before “Tiger” became a household name, Eldrick Tont Woods was already dreaming of chasing down the Golden Bear. The son of Earl Woods used to compare his personal achievements to those of Jack Nicklaus as he ascended up the ranks, ensuring that he stayed on track to one day become the greatest golfer who ever lived.

Here we are in 2020, and the debate is as real and genuine as can be. Is Tiger Woods the best golfer of all time, or does Jack Nicklaus still stake claim to that honor?

Let’s take a look.

Tale of the Tape: Tiger vs. Jack

Tiger Woods heads into 2020 fresh off an outstanding year in which he captured his 5th Green Jacket and 15th major overall. As impressive as that is, he still trails Jack in both categories.

*As of (1/22/20)

Tiger Woods Jack Nicklaus PGA Tour Starts 358 633 PGA Tour Wins 82 73 Majors Won 15 18 Runner-Ups in Majors 7 19 Top 5s at a Major 33 56 Top 10s at a Major 41 73 % of Time Inside Top 10 at a Major 48.8% 44.5%

While Jack may have the edge in the totality of his performance at the majors, Tiger’s winning percentage on the PGA Tour is baffling. To think that 150 or so guys tee it up every single week and Tiger has won 23% of the time throughout his career is hardly feasible, to be honest.

Then again, men, women, and children all lie.

The numbers don’t.

Why Tiger Woods Is the Greatest Golfer of All Time

If you aren’t dazzled by Tiger’s 23% clip of winning PGA Tour events, maybe I should discuss some of his most dominant stretches in golf.

After finishing 3rd at the 1999 U.S. Open and 7th at the 1999 British Open, Tiger won the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah Country Club. Woods then proceeded to finish 5th at the 2000 Masters, marking his fourth-straight top-7 at a Major.

But that’s when he really started to heat up and stick his foot on the gas pedal.

Woods went on to win the final three majors in 2000 and completed the “Tiger Slam” at the 2001 Masters. Tiger was the defending champion at all four majors and had finished inside the top-7 in eight consecutive majors.

And how about 2005?

Tiger went 1st-2nd-1st-4th at the four majors and won six tournaments overall. Apparently, Woods was just warming up, because in 2006, he remarkably won eight times in just 15 starts on the PGA Tour. Plus, he won the 2006 Dubai Desert Classic — a marquee event on the European Tour. Tiger ended the 2007 campaign with seven victories and added four more wins (in just six starts) in 2008.

The dude won 25/58 PGA Tour starts in the four-year period (2005-2008), and Paul Azinger was quoted as saying that 2019 was the best he has ever seen Tiger Woods swing the golf club.

In some eyes, Woods has already passed up his boyhood idol in terms of being the greatest golfer to ever live. The only question they have left is when Tiger Woods will win his 83rd PGA Tour event.

Why Jack Nicklaus Is the Greatest Golfer of All Time

Jack’s excellence is simply undeniable. The Golden Bear won the Masters six times and the PGA Championship five times — both of which are long-standing records. Nicklaus’ four U.S. Open trophies are tied for the most of all time, and he’s got three Claret Jugs sitting on mantles at home. One might look at those numbers and assume the British Open was his “least successful” major, so allow me a moment to enlighten those individuals.

Check out Jack’s finishes at the Open Championship from 1966-1980. It’s actually quite mind-boggling.

By the Numbers – Jack Nicklaus’ Finishes Across the Pond Year Finish 1966 1st 1967 2nd 1968 2nd 1969 6th 1970 1st 1971 5th 1972 2nd 1973 4th 1974 3rd 1975 3rd 1976 2nd 1977 2nd 1978 1st 1979 2nd 1980 4th

Jack also finished 3rd in 1963 and runner-up in 1964. Sorry, I didn’t want his 12th-place showing at the 1965 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale to get in the way of displaying 15 consecutive years finishing inside the top 6!

See, people fail to realize that while Jack Nicklaus won 18 majors, he finished 2nd at a major a whopping 19 times. Talk about putting yourself into contention; Jack’s reign at the Majors during his extended prime is unrivaled. For example, in the ten Masters he played during the 1970s, Nicklaus never finished worse than 8th. He did, however, log eight top-5s at Augusta during that stretch.

Jack hoisted his first trophy at a Major in 1962 at age 22 and won #18 at Augusta at the age of 46 (1986).

Add everything up, and perhaps Tiger still has some catching up to do.

Who Is the Greatest Golfer of All Time?

I am a golf enthusiast who follows the PGA Tour religiously and loves betting golf online.

At the same time, I enjoy looking back at history and studying the legends of the game.

It’s true I grew up in the day and age when Tiger Woods was transcending the game of golf from a gentlemen’s game into a global sport, so it’d be easy for me to give the nod to Tiger in this argument.

Nevertheless, I can compartmentalize the different eras as I’m fully aware of how good some of Nicklaus’ competitors were in the 1960s and 1970s. I’m fairly certain names like Arnold Palmer and Gary Player could hold their own in any time period. I’m confident that guys like Tom Watson and Lee Trevino are two of the all-time greats.

So while the fields are undoubtedly deeper now than they have been before, don’t be confused into thinking Jack Nicklaus “cakewalked” his way through his generation.

Quite frankly, there is no right or wrong answer in this debate that lives on — only opinions and perspectives. If I had to declare who is the greatest golfer of all time, I’d ever-so-slightly lean toward Tiger. As a golf fanatic who loves to compete in tournaments, the sheer dominance Woods has displayed in my lifetime is hard for me to fathom.

Fans get caught up in Tiger’s number of wins and how good he is at holding a lead, but here’s what I think is his most extraordinary achievement to date.

Tiger Woods’ streak of 142 consecutive cuts made (1998-2005) isn’t just a PGA Tour record. It’s a number that no other golfer will ever come even close to touching.