Where Greg Norman would rank Jack Nicklaus in the list of the best drivers of all time

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Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy certainly come to mind when it comes to the iconic drivers of the modern-day game, but what about back in the day?

Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman would perhaps like to be involved in such a conversation, with both legends having shone from the tee.

The former, a record 18-time major champion, was one of the longest drivers of his era, with the latter having ranked in the top 10 in driving distance for nine seasons during his prime.

It is, of course very difficult to compare eras, but McIlroy and DeChambeau can fairly launch a ball with their drivers.

Nicklaus once called Norman a ‘really good driver’, with his ability with that club certainly key to his two major wins, which both came at The Open Championship.

Greg Norman ranks Jack Nicklaus in the all-time best driver list

Norman, however, has not exactly returned the favour, having once been asked by the PGA Tour for his opinion on Nicklaus’s place among the top three drivers of all time.

“Look, Jack was a good driver, I don’t think he was a great driver,” said Norman, as quoted by the PGA Tour website.

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“I mean, a great driver of the golf ball is when you can put it out there and every time, there’s no fear, you’re just going at it. I’d put Jack in probably the top dozen.”

Which players top the 2024 PGA Tour season driving statistics?

Hitting the ball both long and straight from the tee is undoubtedly one of the most challenging aspects of the game.

And intriguingly, it does seem that certain players are now prioritising distance over accuracy, which is a risky but often rewarding strategy.

As per the official PGA Tour statistics, it is Cameron Champ who leads the way in that regard for the 2024 season, having posted an average distance from the tee of 322.8 yards, well ahead of the 300.2 Tour average.

READ MORE: Luke Donald shares what The R&A did before he teed it up with Jack Nicklaus in his final major appearance back in 2005

Aaron Rai meanwhile tops the list for driving accuracy, with the Englishman boasting a figure of 72.02%, again comfortably above the Tour average of 61.30%.

Certain competitions meanwhile definitely allow for bigger drives, with the top five longest drives of the 2024 PGA Tour season having all taken place at The Sentry, and specifically in round three.