Jack Nicklaus believes he and Tiger Woods are not the best golfers of all time

Jack Nicklaus is widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all-time having won a record 18 major championships, but he believes that another icon is superior to him.

The legendary Jack Nicklaus gave his verdict on the credentials of one golfing icon in the all-time stakes (Image: Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

Golfing legend Jack Nicklaus, known as “The Golden Bear”, has an impressive record that puts him in the running for the title of the greatest golfer of all time – but he himself believes there is one better.

With 18 major championship wins, 117 professional tournament victories, and 73 PGA Tour triumphs, his career is one of the most celebrated in the sport. But despite his major tally beating Tiger Woods by three and retiring from tournament golf in 2005 with a legacy that’s hard to match, the 84-year-old believes Bobby Jones was a superior talent.

Jones, who retired at the peak of his career at just 28, had already achieved a unique Grand Slam of major tournament wins, including both open and amateur championships in the U.S. and the U.K. He also co-founded the Masters and designed the Augusta National Golf Club.

Expressing his admiration for 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 admitted that he believes contemporary superstar Woods could have surpassed his own record of major championship victories if not for 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 continued, expressing sympathy for his fellow 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 at the Masters in 2019. A car accident in 2021 seemed to derail his hopes of adding to his tally as he continues to wait for his 16th major career win.

Meanwhile, Gary Player – who won nine majors during his career – previously suggested that Jones “played with a walking stick as a shaft,” and claimed that the “ball went 80 yards less.”

He confessed that he was not convinced by the argument that Jones is the greatest golfer of all time. When choosing between Nicklaus and Woods, he said: “So I’d have to say, Jack Nicklaus,” before later adding: “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.”