Jack Nicklaus
Before Tiger Woods came along to re-define what golf dominance is all about, the man who used to stand head and shoulders over everybody else in the world of golf was Jack Nicklaus.
They called him "The Golden Bear" and his shadow loomed large over professional golf, specifically on the PGA Toiur for over two decades, from the sixties to the late-eighties.
After retiring from the Tour, he then lorded it over the Champions Tour for retired golf pros, from the late-eighties to the nineties.
Woods may be closing the gap fast but, for now, the Golden Bear is still widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time.
Born in Ohio, Nicklaus attended public schools as a young child and had to overcome a mild case of polio.
He started playing golf at the age of 10 and shot a score of 51 for his first nine holes, which is phenomenal for a first timer, whether adult of child.
He won the Ohio Junior State title at age 12 and went on to win the same title five more times.
He won the US Amateur title twice and an NCAA Championship once while he was still a student at Ohio State University.
He made his pro debut in 1962 and went on to win 18 major tournaments (three British Open Championships, four U.
S.
Opens, five PGA Championships, and six Masters) a record that still holds to this day, despite the recent assault of Tiger Woods on the record books.
Nicklaus is only one of five golfers to win all four majors golf tournaments in their career (the "Career Grand Slam" as it is known).
He is only one of two golfers (the other being Tiger Woods) who has won all four major tournaments more than once.
However, he stands alone as the lone golfer to ever win all four major tournaments at least three times.
Nicklaus also owns the distinction of being the oldest player to ever win The Masters which he set in 1986 at the age of 46.
Overall, Nicklaus won 46 top-3 finishes in major tournaments (including 19 second-place finishes and nine third-places), 56 top-5 finishes, and 73 top-10 finishes.
They called him "The Golden Bear" and his shadow loomed large over professional golf, specifically on the PGA Toiur for over two decades, from the sixties to the late-eighties.
After retiring from the Tour, he then lorded it over the Champions Tour for retired golf pros, from the late-eighties to the nineties.
Woods may be closing the gap fast but, for now, the Golden Bear is still widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time.
Born in Ohio, Nicklaus attended public schools as a young child and had to overcome a mild case of polio.
He started playing golf at the age of 10 and shot a score of 51 for his first nine holes, which is phenomenal for a first timer, whether adult of child.
He won the Ohio Junior State title at age 12 and went on to win the same title five more times.
He won the US Amateur title twice and an NCAA Championship once while he was still a student at Ohio State University.
He made his pro debut in 1962 and went on to win 18 major tournaments (three British Open Championships, four U.
S.
Opens, five PGA Championships, and six Masters) a record that still holds to this day, despite the recent assault of Tiger Woods on the record books.
Nicklaus is only one of five golfers to win all four majors golf tournaments in their career (the "Career Grand Slam" as it is known).
He is only one of two golfers (the other being Tiger Woods) who has won all four major tournaments more than once.
However, he stands alone as the lone golfer to ever win all four major tournaments at least three times.
Nicklaus also owns the distinction of being the oldest player to ever win The Masters which he set in 1986 at the age of 46.
Overall, Nicklaus won 46 top-3 finishes in major tournaments (including 19 second-place finishes and nine third-places), 56 top-5 finishes, and 73 top-10 finishes.