When asked who the greatest golfers of all time are you probably immediately think of a few specific names. But we’re talking all-time greatest here, not just the best golfers in the last few decades. There are a few golfers that probably aren’t as well-known as they should be, which is exactly why we decided to make this list.

Tiger Woods

Let’s get the name out of the way because there is simply no comparison. Tiger Woods isn’t just the greatest golfer of all time, he is so good that he is in a league of his own. Interestingly, however, it really is like Woods experienced some sort of bizarre epiphany. Or perhaps the Golf Gods very suddenly granted him superhuman abilities.

Looking back to his start, few seem to remember how much Woods struggled in the 1997 Masters. As the tournament kicked off he didn’t seem to be anything special. During those early, after the front 9 of the 1997 Masters, Woods was 4 over par. Then it all seemed to click and he turned into a golfer that made other pros look bad. From that point Woods apparently couldn’t lose, racking up an absurd 82 PGA Tour wins and a gobsmacking 10 Player of The Year accolades. He has since faded into the background, but it really does seem like his winning streak will never be matched.

Jack Nicklaus

Now that Tiger Woods is out of the way, you might be tempted to stop reading and go check out online NZ pokies instead. But hold your horses. Tiger Woods has the record in every list worth mentioning, right? No, he doesn’t. In fact, Jack Nicklaus has more major championship wins than Woods. Surprised? Don’t be. Although Woods does dominate every golfing list in the world, and rightly so, Jack Nicklaus isn’t exactly a slouch. He boasts a number of accolades that are beyond even Woods, including finishing top 5 in the majors 56 times and in the top 10 72 times. He has also won the Masters a total of 6 times. These are all records that exceed Woods.

The reason that the world is talking about Woods and not Nicklaus is, simply, because as Nicklaus was ending his career Woods was just getting going. Woods also grabs headlines in a way that Nicklaus never could, stealing away the spotlight. To put it another way; Woods deserves the attention, but that doesn’t mean Nicklaus is anything less than a champion in his own right.

Sam Snead

Before millionaire pros like Woods and Nicklaus, there was Sam Snead. If counting accolades alone Snead doesn’t compare, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t tear up golf courses around the world between 1936 and 1965. Snead doesn’t get half as much praise as he deserves, largely forgotten since his years of glory. But, lest you forget it, in a time before Nicklaus and Woods Snead really did pave the way for golfing greatness. We put him on the list here as an acknowledgement of the man that put golfing in the public eye.