The Top 10 Best Golfers of All Time
By
Richard Janvrin
Contributor Updated: 27 September 2024
Richard Janvrin Contributor
Richard has been writing about sports since he was a teenager. Still, his first professional role came in 2015, covering all things NFL and fantasy football-related. From there, in December 2018, he started in the sports betting industry, covering sportsbook reviews before arriving to where he is today.
The Greatest Pro Golfers
When we wager at sportsbooks with live golf wagering today, we witness many of the game’s greats like Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, and more.
However, the PGA Tour as we know it today started in 1968 (originally started in 1929) and since then, there’s been a number of legendary golfers.
Below, I’ll be examining the best golfers of all time, ranking the top 10.
Let’s check it out.
- 10. Phil Mickelson
- 9. Seve Ballesteros
- 8. Bobby Jones
- 7. Tom Watson
- 6. Sam Snead
- 5. Gary Player
- 4. Ben Hogan
- 3. Arnold Palmer
- 2. Tiger Woods
- 1. Jack Nicklaus
10. Phil Mickelson
Mickelson, one of the modern golf legends, turned pro in 1992 and is currently part of the LIV Golf Tour but was previously part of the PGA Tour.
Over his career, Mickelson has posted 57 wins (and counting) and became the No. 2 player in the world on February 11, 2001.
Of his 57 wins, 45 came on the PGA Tour (tied eighth-most), 11 on the European Tour, one on the Challenge Tour, four with PGA Tour Champions, and four others.
Mickelson has won the Masters Tournament three times (2004, 2006, 2010), two PGA Championships (2005 and 2021), won one Open Championship, and finished second or tied for second six times at the U.S. Open.
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012 and has three Haskins Awards and three Jack Nicklaus Awards.
Is Mickelson the greatest golfer of all time? Not quite, but he’s among the top 10.
9. Seve Ballesteros
Ballesteros, who died in 2011 of brain cancer, is one of the greatest golfers of all time. One of the many golf legends, Ballesteros turned pro in 1974 and played for the PGA Tour and European Tour.
He racked up 90 wins in his career and hit the No. 1 ranking in the world on April 27, 1986, and was there for 61 weeks.
Of his 90 wins, he won nine on the PGA Tour, 50 on the European Tour, six on the Japan Golf Tour, two on the PGA Tour of Australasia, and 28 other wins.
He won two Masters Tournaments (1980 and 1983), finished fifth in the PGA Championship in 1984, finished third at the U.S. Open in 1987, and has won three Open Championships (1979, 1984, 1988).
Ballesteros was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999, won six European Tour Order of Merit awards, and is a three-time European Tour Golfer of the Year.
8. Bobby Jones
Jones turned pro in 1930, and during his career, he won seven major tournaments, including four U.S. Opens and three Open Championships. Additionally, he won the U.S. Amateur five times and the British Amateur once.
He was one of the first “most famous golfers” in the sport and co-founded Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament.
His efforts have single-handedly shaped the game today.
7. Tom Watson
Watson ended his professional career with 70 wins, including eight major tournament victories.
The eight wins included two Masters, one U.S. Open, and five Open Championships. Watson also finished second at the PGA Championship in 1978.
Of those 70 wins, 39 came at the PGA Tour, tied for tenth all-time.
He won a litany of awards, including the following:
- Vardon Trophy
- Bob Jones Award
- Old Tom Morris Award
- Payne Stewart Award
- Two-time Champions Tour Charles Schwab Cup winner
- Champions Tour money list winner
- Champions Tour Player of the Year
- Champions Tour Byron Nelson Award
- Six-time PGA Player of the Year
- Five-time PGA Tour money list winner
- Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame
6. Sam Snead
Shortly after Jones turned pro in 1930, Snead followed in 1934. He had an eye-popping 142 wins, including 82 on the PGA Tour, tied for the most all-time. He also, interestingly, had one win on the LPGA Tour in what was dubbed the “Battle of the Sexes.”
Snead won seven major tournaments, including three Masters, three PGA Championships, and the Open Championship.
He also finished or tied for second at the U.S. Open four times.
Snead was enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974, won the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award, was named the PGA Golfer of the Year, won four Vardon Trophies, and was a three-time PGA Tour leading money winner.
He is, hands down, one of the best golfers ever.
5. Gary Player
Hailing from South Africa, Player turned pro in 1953 and has 159 professional wins. He was part of the PGA Tour, Southern Africa Tour, and Champions Tour.
He had 24 PGA Tour wins and is tied for seventh all-time in PGA Tour Champions wins with 22.
Player won nine majors, including three Masters, two PGA Championships, one U.S. Open, and three Open Championships.
He was enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Famer in 1974, received the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award, and was a four-time Southern Africa Tour Order of Merit winner.
4. Ben Hogan
Not only did 1930 introduce Jones, but it was also the year Hogan turned pro.
He racked up 71 career professional wins, including nine major tournaments. These wins include the Masters twice, the PGA Championship twice, four U.S. Opens, and one Open Championship.
His 71 wins include 64 on the PGA Tour, which is fourth all-time.
Hogan was enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974, was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year in 1953, won three Vardon Trophies, was the PGA Player of the Year four times, and was also a five-time PGA Tour leading money winner.
3. Arnold Palmer
Often considered one of the best golfers of all time, Palmer turned pro in 1954, and over his career, he accumulated 95 professional wins.
He had 62 PGA Tour wins, which is fifth all-time.
Palmer had seven major tournament wins, including four Masters, the U.S. Open, two Open Championships, and tied for second at the PGA Championship three times.
He was enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 and received numerous other accolades, including the following:
- Four-time PGA Tour money list winner
- Two-time PGA Player of the Year
- Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year
- Four-time Vardon Trophy winner
- Bob Jones Award
- Old Tom Morris Award
- PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award
- Payne Stewart Award
2. Tiger Woods
Some, including me, would argue that Woods is at the top of the best golfers of all time list, but I’ll rank him second.
He was well on his way to being No. 1 but has only won a major tournament once since 2008.
Woods is still active today, but he’s racked up 110 professional wins.
He was the No. 1 player in the world on June 15, 1997, and he held that position for an astonishing 683 weeks, which is more than 13 years.
Of his 110 wins, 82 came in the PGA Tour, which is tied for first all-time.
He’s won 15 majors over his career, including five Masters, with the most recent in 2019, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Opens, and three Open Championships.
Woods is enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame and has a mind-boggling number of accolades.
He’s an 11-time PGA Player of the Year, nine-time Byron Nelson Award, nine-time Vardon Trophy winner, the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, and much more.
1. Jack Nicklaus
Atop my list of the best golfers of all time is Nicklaus. In his career, he accumulated 117 professional wins, including 73 on the PGA Tour, which is third all-time.
What puts him at No. 1 for me are his 18 major tournament wins.
He’s a six-time Masters Tournament, a five-time PGA Championship, a four-time U.S. Open, and a three-time Open Championship winner.
Nicklaus is enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame, is a five-time PGA Player of the Year, won the Bob Jones Award, Payne Stewart Award, and received the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award and Congressional Gold Medal.
