Arguably the most common debate amongst golf fans over the majority of the last 25 years has centred on whether Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods is the greatest player of all-time – and Bryson DeChambeau has now provided his answer to that question.
Of course, some will always have an issue with placing one of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods above the other, with the pair playing in completely different eras. There were 11 years between Nicklaus’ final major win – at the 1986 Masters – and Woods’ first, which also came at Augusta National.
Equipment and technology were vastly different for the two men at their respective peaks, while you also have to factor in the players that they were up against when they were winning major titles. But that does not stop fans arguing over who the best to have ever played the game really is.
No player – male or female – has won as many majors as Nicklaus, with the Golden Bear winning 18 titles during his career. But Woods is just three behind following his incredible victory at The Masters back in 2019.
Bryson DeChambeau picks between Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods
Had it not been for injury, it is hard to imagine that Woods would not have caught Nicklaus at some stage, and perhaps surpassed him. But Nicklaus finished second in majors on 19 occasions – which is staggering when you consider that he was playing in the same era of the likes of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd and slightly later, Tom Watson.
Few players seem to take the history of the game more seriously than Bryson DeChambeau, so perhaps the LIV Golf star’s view on the debate is particularly significant.
And in a video on LIV’s X account, DeChambeau was asked to pick between a number of the best players of all-time, with the debate ultimately boiling down to Nicklaus and Woods – and the US Open champion opted for the latter.
“That’s got to be Tiger,” he said.
The debate which will never be settled
Obviously, DeChambeau’s view settles little, with the Crushers GC captain growing up at a time when Woods was absolutely dominant. He has also played plenty of golf alongside the 48-year-old, with the two even paired together during the 2018 Ryder Cup.
Woods arrived in an era when golf was crying out for a fresher image; and he completely changed the perception of the sport during his time at the top.
It is impossible to argue with anyone who falls on one side of the fence, but people around the same age as DeChambeau are surely much more likely to opt for Woods because he may have even been the reason that many picked up a set of clubs in the first place.
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