The reason Gary Player would’ve struggled to be a great golfer in the modern era according to Jack Nicklaus

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Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player are two of the greatest golfers of all time, and their records in the game speak for themselves.

Nicklaus is the undisputed number one in most people’s eyes, while Player is unquestionably in the top five greatest golfers to ever have graced the game.

Player thinks he’s one of the top three of all time alongside Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, and while that is up for debate, what the South African achieved during his time in the professional game cannot be questioned.

The 90-year-old has 159 worldwide victories to his name, including nine major championships.

Meanwhile, Nicklaus won 117 professional tournaments, 73 of which were PGA Tour titles, as well as a record 18 majors.

Both Nicklaus and Player have been critical of the modern game, suggesting that it is far easier now to be successful than it was during their era.

In fact, the 18-time major champion believes professional golf has changed to such an extent that his good friend Gary Player would struggle to be one of the best in the business if he were at his peak now.

Jack Nicklaus said why Gary Player may have struggled in the modern era

Nicklaus and Player have a huge mutual respect for one another.

However, back in 2008, the American did make a case for why the South African may not have been quite as successful had he been in his peak years in the modern era.

When speaking to Golf Digest way back in 2008, Nicklaus delivered a really interesting take on the modern game and highlighted how certain legends of yesteryear may have struggled if they were at their peak in this day and age.

The Golden Bear said: “Today, when I barely play, I realize that the challenge of hitting the ball solid and straight — especially with a driver — is not what it was. I can go weeks and even months without hitting a ball — that’s often the case — and then after a few driver shots on the range, I’m hitting the ball fairly straight and far. I’ll play and might not miss many fairways. If I’d had that kind of a layoff 20 years ago, it would have taken me a month to get my golf game back.

“So why do I think this is bad for the professional or competitive game? Because modern players don’t have to develop the skills they used to and are not as well-rounded as they should be.

“The pro game used to be 80 percent shotmaking and about 20 percent power. There were certain courses where power was a bigger factor, when the rough was down or the fairways were wide, and I absolutely tried to take advantage of it, because I had that element. I remember one round in New Orleans I drove the ball on the green of three par 4s. I used power when it was prudent, and I could switch gears in the middle of a round.

“But from what I see, the pro game has switched to where it’s about 80 percent power and 20 percent shotmaking. Today, a Gary Player, a Ben Hogan, as talented as they were but with smaller statures, would have much less of a chance of being the best in the world.“

Was Jack Nicklaus’ claim about Gary Player unfair?

Nicklaus certainly had a point with his comments on Player.

A huge asset in the modern era is power, much more so than it was 30 years ago and more.

However, Player did possess two things which undoubtedly would have enabled him to compete – an incredible short game and an almost unmatched determination to win.

Of course, we will never know for sure how Player would have fared in the modern game, and realistically, the same can be said for Nicklaus.

However, his lack of distance may well have been a real problem. Back in 1970, Nicklaus led the Tour in the average distance category with 270 yards while Player was ranked in 128th, averaging just 231 (Lake County Record-Bee).

While the nine-time major champion would have been longer in the modern era with improved technology than he was back in the 1970s, he clearly would have been one of the shorter hitters.

The game has evolved into one whereby speed and distance are necessities rather than luxuries, and it’s fascinating to think about how some of the golfing legends of yesteryear would have been affected by that today.