No number better sums up the sheer greatness of Jack Nicklaus than 18, with the Golden Bear out on his own when it comes to major championship victories during his career.
While it is impossible to settle the debate over whether Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods is the greatest of all-time, any of Nicklaus’ supporters can point to the fact that he is three clear of Woods when it comes to major wins to make a very valid argument.
But that is obviously not the only remarkable record Nicklaus holds.
And unlike his record for major championship wins, there is one record Nicklaus holds which is guaranteed to remain his until 2038 at the very earliest.
The major record Jack Nicklaus is guaranteed to keep for at least another 13 years
Nicklaus made his debut in a major at the 1957 US Open, where he would miss the cut. It would take a few years before he was a regular in the events, with three top 10s coming in four appearances in 1960 and 1961. Nicklaus would finish second at the 1960 US Open despite leading at the turn during the final round.
Things would change in 1962 as he won his first major at the US Open. But that was also the year where Nicklaus would begin a run of consecutive major appearances which would only end in 1998.
That meant that he appeared at 146 majors in a row. Nicklaus would be asked about the key to his longevity ahead of the 1998 US Open – which would prove to be the final event of the streak.
“I think that I have been fortunate from a health standpoint that I have never really, you know, been injured to the point where I couldn’t play. I always pointed and prepared myself for these events and was always ready to play when I got there. In other words, even if I had injuries, or I had something, I figured a way to rest myself or get myself ready so I could play in those events,” he said.
“If I were playing golf to play golf everyday and play a lot of tournament golf, I would have probably been injured more. Only one tournament that I had to withdraw from, which was The Masters, and that was after the first round. But, that – I don’t know what to attribute it to other than that. I have been very lucky.”
The player best placed to overtake Nicklaus’ record
It is hard to put that run into perspective. However, it should be noted that it is exactly 100 major appearances more than Tiger Woods’ longest streak. Meanwhile, it is a run which lasted longer than the entire time Rory McIlroy has been alive, with the Northern Irishman only turning 36 in 2025.
The current PGA Tour player best placed to catch Nicklaus is Adam Scott, with the Australian appearing in the last 93 major championships. However, Scott would need to keep that run going until the second major of 2038 to overtake Nicklaus. Scott will be approaching his 58th birthday by that stage.
Elsewhere, Jordan Spieth is the next name in line. And the three-time major champion is yet to even reach his half-century of appearances.
When you consider how far ahead Nicklaus and Woods are of everyone else when it comes to major championship wins, you would assume that his record for consecutive starts will go first. But it says everything about how impressive the run is that the record is guaranteed to stand for at least another 13 years.
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