Jack Nicklaus won 18 major championships during his illustrious career, but the American icon actually believes that his fellow countryman Bobby Jones was better than him
Golfing legend Jack Nicklaus, known as “The Golden Bear”, has an impressive record that puts him in the running for the title of greatest golfer of all time. The American star won a whopping 117 professional tournaments during his illustrious career, including 18 major championships – three more than Tiger Woods.
He retired from tournament golf in 2005, leaving behind one of the most storied legacies in sports history. However, despite his own remarkable achievements, the 84-year-old rates Bobby Jones, a 13-time major championship winner, as a superior talent.
Jones, who co-founded the Masters Tournament and designed the Augusta National Golf Club, retired at the peak of his career at just 28-years-old in 1930. By then, he had achieved a unique Grand Slam of major tournament wins, including the open and amateur championships in both the US and UK.
Speaking about Jones, Nicklaus once said: “Jones is the greatest golfer who ever lived and probably ever will live. That’s my goal. Bobby Jones. It’s the only goal.”
The veteran golfer confessed that he believes modern-day superstar Woods could have surpassed his own record of major championship victories if he had managed to avoid injuries. He stated: “If he remained healthy, I think he would’ve gotten it, but he didn’t remain healthy.
“We all have injuries, we all have different things in our life which change things and Tiger had his problems,” he added, expressing his sympathy for his fellow golfing legend. I feel bad for him about it, but it is what it is. He’s still a great influence on the game of golf.”
The iconic Bobby Jones enjoyed a glittering career between the years of 1923 and 1930 ( Image: Kirby/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)
As Nicklaus suggests, Woods’ career has been plagued by injury over the past decade, with his last major championship win coming at the Masters in 2019. However, a car accident in 2021 seemed to put a halt to his hopes of adding to his tally as he continues to wait for a 16th major win.
Meanwhile, Gary Player – who secured nine majors during his career – previously suggested that Jones “played with a walking stick as a shaft,” while also claiming that the “ball went 80 yards less”. He admitted that he was not convinced by the argument that Jones is the greatest golfer of all time.
When asked to choose between Nicklaus and Woods, he said: “So I’d have to say Jack Nicklaus. After that I think Tiger Woods. He was unfortunate. His knees and his back and his car accident. What would happen if that never happened? There’s the ‘if’ I guess.”
