The debate over whether Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer of all time is never going to be settled once and for all.
You could certainly make a compelling case for either Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods to be considered the greatest golfer to ever live.
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Nicklaus won 18 majors, while he finished second 19 times at what we now think of as the four biggest events of the year.
Meanwhile, Woods has 15 major victories. However, there is an argument that better golf has never been played than what the 50-year-old produced in 2000.
Jack Nicklaus voted the greatest golfer of all time over Tiger Woods
With that, The Golfing Gazette asked our readers to vote in a poll on whether Nicklaus or Woods is the greatest to have ever played the game.
Interestingly, it was the Golden Bear who picked up nearly twice as many votes as Woods.
Why many still put Jack Nicklaus ahead of Tiger Woods
Nicklaus definitely has the edge when it comes to longevity. He won his first major in 1962 and his last, of course, in 1986.
Meanwhile, Nicklaus’ record in the 1970s is arguably one of the most staggering achievements in the game. In 40 major appearances in the decade, he finished in the top 10 35 times.
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Some may have expected Woods to at least get a lot closer to Nicklaus in the voting. Ultimately, the large majority of Woods’ career has played out on camera.
We could all spend all day debating our favourite shots from Woods’ career, whether it is from a bunker on the 72nd hole at the Canadian Open, from the side of 16th green at Augusta National, or a putt to make it into a playoff at Torrey Pines.
Nicklaus’ most iconic shot, meanwhile, is almost certainly the putt he holed on 17 on his way to winning The Masters in 1986.
Obviously, the debate is going to rumble on regardless of what the poll results say. But it seems that most right now still give the edge to Nicklaus.
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