Gary Player said what American newspapers will never tell you about his record against Jack Nicklaus

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Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus were fierce rivals on the golf course during their prime years, but now they are the best of friends.

Player won 159 tournaments worldwide including nine major championships, while Nicklaus earned 73 PGA Tour victories, with a record 18 majors to his name.

Nicklaus and Player are both often critical of the modern-day game, citing how easy golfers in this day and age have it regarding their equipment and the condition of the courses they are playing.

Player and Nicklaus hold many PGA Tour records between them, and they are two of the most famous names in the sport.

During their heydays, it was common to see them going head-to-head during the final rounds of tournaments.

And now Player has made a very big claim about something we, as fans, have never been told about his record against the Golden Bear.

Gary Player comments on his record against Jack Nicklaus

Player is never shy when it comes to voicing his sometimes controversial opinions.

During a video filmed for The Average Golfer YouTube channel back in 2024, Player was asked if there was anyone he played against who made him feel beaten before he had even teed off.

He said: “Jack Nicklaus and I went down the line a lot and I think I beat him as many times as he beat me.

“American newspapers won’t ever put that in, but it’s a fact. I played him in South Africa, I annihilated him, played him in Australia, I beat him, I won more Australian Opens, won more senior majors.

“He is my best friend, he and Palmer were my best friends, but whenever we played, I never felt he was going to beat me.

“I can honestly say whenever I played against anybody I felt I was going to beat them and secondly I never choked.

“Now, I didn’t always win, I finished second in seven majors but I didn’t choke. Somebody played a better shot than me or I didn’t play the right shot, but I never choked.“

Gary Player vs Jack Nicklaus: Official records compared

There is no question that Player and Nicklaus have two of the very best records in the history of the professional game.

Here is how they officially stack up against one another:

Nicklaus’ record is superior to Player’s in every single metric apart from one – worldwide victories.

However, many of Player’s 159 wins came against weaker fields on the South African Tour.

Despite what Player says, it’s hard to argue against the fact that Nicklaus enjoyed the better career out of the two.