Decided to dig into golf history after watching The Masters this year. Was curious if today’s players really dominate like they say or if the old legends had it tougher. Grabbed my laptop and coffee around 9 PM – thought it’d be quick. Boy, was I wrong.
Finding Reliable Stats
Started by googling “golf major winners all time” and immediately regretted it. First five sites showed different numbers for Jack Nicklaus. Wikipedia said 18 wins but some golf forum argued it should be 20. Got so frustrated I almost threw my cold brew at the screen. Finally settled on the PGA Tour official records after cross-checking with three different sources.
Separating Eras (The Messy Part)
Figured pre-1980 would be “old era” and Tiger Woods onwards as “modern.” Made a spreadsheet with:
- Player names
- Majors won
- Years active
- Runner-up finishes (because close calls matter)
Took four hours just to get Arnold Palmer’s data right. Kept mixing up his US Open and Open Championship losses. Felt like my eyeballs were burning from spreadsheet glare.
Surprises in the Numbers
When I finally crunched everything:
- Old guys dominated longer: Nicklaus won majors over 25 seasons. Tiger’s spread is 22 years but with big gaps.
- Modern players peak higher but shorter: Rory’s 4 majors came in just 3 years. Spieth’s three happened in under 24 months.
- Runner-ups hurt my brain: Jack had 19 second-place finishes in majors! That’s more total than half the modern players’ wins.
The real kicker? When I calculated majors per season played, Ben Hogan actually beat Tiger. My whole “modern athletes are better” theory got wrecked.
Why This Mess Matters
Finished around 2 AM with messy hair and six empty coffee cups. Realized equipment changes make direct comparison stupid. Old players used wood clubs on bumpy greens. Modern players got space-age gear but face insane competition depth. Both eras amazing in different ways.
My takeaway? Stop arguing who’s better. Just appreciate Nicklaus grinding for 25 years and Rory trying to catch him while new kids like Rahm bite at his heels. Golf’s beautiful that way.
