The 42 Greatest Professional Golfers of All Time

Spanning nearly a century of the sport, this lineup pits legendary major winners against modern dominant forces — each with a legitimate claim to the throne. Cast your vote!

1. 1
   Jack Nicklaus

   The Golden Bear won 18 major championships — the most of any golfer in history — along with 73 PGA Tour victories.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Tiger Woods

   Widely regarded as the most dominant golfer of his era, Woods holds 15 major titles and 82 PGA Tour wins.
   804pts
3. 3
   Vijay Singh

   The Fijian who won three majors and 34 PGA Tour titles, and took the world number one ranking from Tiger Woods in 2004.
   800pts
4. 4
   Raymond Floyd

   Won four majors across three decades, from the 1969 PGA Championship to the 1986 US Open at the age of 43.
   772pts
5. 5
   Mickey Wright

   Won 82 LPGA events and 13 majors, and her swing was called the best ever by Ben Hogan.
   738pts
6. 6
   Rory McIlroy

   The Northern Irish star completed the career Grand Slam at the 2025 Masters and defended the green jacket in 2026 for his sixth major title.
   738pts
7. 7
   Jimmy Demaret

   Three-time Masters champion of the 1940s and 1950s who won 31 PGA Tour events with a famously colourful wardrobe.
   676pts
8. 8
   Greg Norman

   The Great White Shark spent 331 weeks as world number one and won 2 Open Championships during his dominant 1980s run.
   658pts
9. 9
   Jon Rahm

   Spanish star who won the 2021 US Open and the 2023 Masters and reached world number one with a powerful, compact swing.
   658pts
10. 10
    Babe Didrikson Zaharias

    The Olympic champion turned golfer who co-founded the LPGA and won ten majors, including the 1954 US Women's Open after cancer surgery.
    611pts
11. 11
    Lorena Ochoa

    Mexican star who won 27 LPGA Tour events and two majors and spent 158 consecutive weeks as women's world number one before retiring at 28.
    567pts
12. 12
    Scottie Scheffler

    The dominant world number one of the 2020s, with four majors: the Masters in 2022 and 2024 and the PGA Championship and Open in 2025.
    559pts
13. 13
    Dustin Johnson

    Two-time major champion and 24-time PGA Tour winner who won the 2020 Masters with a record score of 20 under par.
    559pts
14. 14
    Sam Snead

    Owner of 82 PGA Tour wins and 7 majors, Snead's silky swing is still considered one of the purest in golf history.
    559pts
15. 15
    Peter Thomson

    The Australian who won five Open Championships between 1954 and 1965, including three in a row.
    559pts
16. 16
    Ben Hogan

    Known as the greatest ball-striker ever, Hogan claimed 9 major championships and set the standard for precision and practice.
    559pts
17. 17
    Pádraig Harrington

    The Irishman who won three majors in 13 months, the 2007 and 2008 Opens and the 2008 PGA Championship.
    559pts
18. 18
    Tom Watson

    Watson won 8 majors including 5 Open Championships, and was widely considered the best player in the world from 1977 to 1985.
    500pts
19. 19
    Arnold Palmer

    Palmer won 7 majors and 62 PGA Tour events while transforming golf into a mainstream spectator sport through his charismatic style.
    500pts
20. 20
    Ernie Els

    The South African 'Big Easy' who won two US Opens and two Open Championships with one of the smoothest swings in the game.
    500pts
21. 21
    James Braid

    The Scot who won five Open Championships between 1901 and 1910 as part of golf's Great Triumvirate with Vardon and Taylor.
    500pts
22. 22
    Nick Faldo

    The Englishman won 6 majors, including three Masters and three Open Championships, and was world number one for 97 weeks.
    433pts
23. 23
    Annika Sörenstam

    The Swede who won 72 LPGA Tour events and ten majors, and became the first woman to shoot 59 in competition.
    433pts
24. 24
    Hale Irwin

    Won three US Opens, the last in 1990 at 45, and dominated the senior tour with 45 victories.
    433pts
25. 25
    Payne Stewart

    Three-time major champion known for his plus-fours, who won the 1999 U.S. Open months before his death in a plane crash.
    433pts
26. 26
    Harry Vardon

    Holds the record of six Open Championships, won the 1900 US Open and gave his name to the overlapping grip most golfers still use.
    357pts
27. 27
    Gary Player

    South African who won nine majors, completed the career Grand Slam in 1965 and claimed more than 160 professional titles around the world.
    357pts
28. 28
    Gene Sarazen

    Won seven majors and became the first player to complete the career Grand Slam, sealed by his famous double eagle at the 1935 Masters.
    357pts
29. 29
    Old Tom Morris

    Won four of the first eight Open Championships in the 1860s and shaped St Andrews as its long-serving keeper of the green.
    357pts
30. 30
    Walter Hagen

    A pioneering professional golfer who won 11 majors and helped elevate the social standing of pro golfers in the 1920s.
    269pts
31. 31
    Jordan Spieth

    Won the 2015 Masters and US Open at 21 and added the 2017 Open Championship, three legs of the career Grand Slam.
    269pts
32. 32
    Young Tom Morris

    Won the Open Championship four times in a row from 1868, the first at 17, before dying at just 24.
    269pts
33. 33
    Byron Nelson

    Won five majors and set a record that still stands with 18 PGA Tour wins in 1945, including 11 in a row.
    269pts
34. 34
    Bernhard Langer

    The German who won the Masters in 1985 and 1993, then set the record for wins on the over-50 PGA Tour Champions.
    269pts
35. 35
    Phil Mickelson

    Lefty won 6 majors including 3 Masters titles and is celebrated for his creative shotmaking and crowd-pleasing style.
    269pts
36. 36
    J.H. Taylor

    Won five Open Championships between 1894 and 1913 and helped found the British professional golfers' association.
    269pts
37. 37
    Brooks Koepka

    A five-time major champion known for his exceptional performance under pressure at the game's biggest tournaments.
    167pts
38. 38
    Billy Casper

    Won 51 PGA Tour events and three majors, including the 1966 US Open after overturning a seven-shot deficit to Arnold Palmer.
    167pts
39. 39
    Cary Middlecoff

    The dentist turned golfer who won 39 PGA Tour events and three majors, including two US Opens, in the 1940s and 1950s.
    167pts
40. 40
    Lee Trevino

    The Merry Mex won 6 majors and was renowned for his natural flair, wit, and unconventional swing.
    167pts
41. 41
    Lloyd Mangrum

    Decorated World War II veteran who won the 1946 U.S. Open and 36 PGA Tour events, a total few players have matched.
    0pts
42. 42
    Seve Ballesteros

    The charismatic Spaniard won 5 majors and is credited with inspiring a generation of European golfers.
    0pts

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