Mount Rushmore of Golf

[cdnglf]

Steve Elkington

Rory Sabatini

Patrick Reed

Grayson Murray

[Hawkeye77]

@Hawkeye

Ali is the GOAT to most but would he beat Tyson or Klitschko? Most likely not.

 

Well, he's dead, so there's that, but it's part of the larger point.

 

The rest - apples to grapefruit - it's not Star Trek and you can't magically transport people to different eras to square off.

 

If that's your view of how you determine best ever, have at it, that's your view and fine, but there is a lot more to it IMNSHO. ;-)

 

Steve Elkington

Rory Sabatini

Patrick Reed

Grayson Murray

 

So 4 giant you know whats? Eeewwwww.

[Hawkeye77]

Just don't ever tell me Lebron could handle Connie Hawkins, lol!

[mosesgolf]

@Hawkeye

Ali is the GOAT to most but would he beat Tyson or Klitschko? Most likely not.

 

Well, he's dead, so there's that, but it's part of the larger point.

 

The rest - apples to grapefruit - it's not Star Trek and you can't magically transport people to different eras to square off.

 

If that's your view of how you determine best ever, have at it, that's your view and fine, but there is a lot more to it IMNSHO. ;-)

 

Steve Elkington

Rory Sabatini

Patrick Reed

Grayson Murray

 

So 4 giant you know whats? Eeewwwww.

 

Last I heard so was Patton and Napoleon. :D

 

Now that you're talking Star Trek I'd take Alexander the Great over Patton. :D

 

And don't get me started on Lebron or MJ. :D

[Hawkeye77]

Well Alexander the Great was able to repel Persian elephants! Enjoy the RC!

[Dano golf]

Steve Elkington

Rory Sabatini

Patrick Reed

Grayson Murray

 

"A Hats" of Golf Mount Rushmore. Thats a fine first ballot.

[disco111]

Roy McAvoy

Shooter McGavin

Happy Gilmore

Chubbs

[wildcatden]

Roy McAvoy

Shooter McGavin

Happy Gilmore

Chubbs

 

Honorable mention Gary Potter

[cdnglf]

Who cares who's on it. Who can hit over it?

 

[playa]

For impact on the game's popularity:

 

Jones

Tiger

Palmer

Seve

 

Best players:

 

Jones

Hogan

Nicklaus

Tiger

I highly doubt you would get much support for Jones. He was an amateur and got schooled by Hagen when he tried to play with the big boys.

Wouldn't be top 50 on ability based on his scores and the very limited competition (see rich white guys) he played against. Palmer, Snead, Nelson, Watson, Trevino, Miller, Norman (Moe and Greg), Seve, Phil, Player are just a few who come immediately to mind as way better players than Jones. Even if you acknowledge Jones dubious 'majors', Trevino, Seve and Phil's 5 real majors are way higher than Jones 13 considering depth of fields and talent levels of competition.

Tiger, Jack, and Hogan are givens on any Mt Rushmore of golf, and I couldn't imagine a golf Mt Rushmore without Arnie.

 

Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen came from relative poor families. And there were a bunch of poor Scotsmen and Englishmen who came to the US in order to try to make a living at golf.

 

To dismiss Jones is to dismiss the best 8 years of competing in the US Open and Open Championships - ever. During those 8 years (1923 - 1930), Jones won 4 US Opens and finished second 3 times. He also won the Open Championship in the only 3 times that he played the tournament in those years. His win percentage in those two tournaments during that time period was 64%. I find it impossible to dismiss that record - and so does Tiger and Jack Nicklaus.

 

Yes, Hagen beat him in 1927 in a home and home match play situation, but it was during the winter when Jones wasn't playing much.

Tiger is pretty much obliged to praise former players, it's part of being the goat. I'd bet if Bobby Jones hit the circuit now he would be a one tournamennt win every second year, and top 50 but outside top 10 type of player. Maybe with modern gear he would be a better player, and but 290 plus isn't winning many US Opens these days.

 

If Bobby Jones were playing today, he would be Rory McIlroy long, but with a putter and a killer instinct - a guy who hated to lose.

Maybe, maybe not. His scores and the quality of his opposition doesn't suggest he would match it with today's fields, but it's all speculation. From a pure numbers perspective, howany people played golf in Jones day compared to today? More competition always equates to a higher standard, the more guys that play golf the harder it is to get to the top of that pile. I'd bet that more than half the field during Jones US Open wins were club pros who had the means to take time off for a tournament. How many golfers now nominate for the Open? How many qualifying events are held?

It's just illogical to say Jones would be winning majors now like he did then, the two eras can't be compared.

[playa]

@Hawkeye

Ali is the GOAT to most but would he beat Tyson or Klitschko? Most likely not.

All three in their prime Klitchsko wouldn't be worthy to be a sparring partner for Ali or Tyson. Ali and Tyson were so fast and so skilled, they would both make Klitchsko look like a lumbering oaf in the ring. Ali vs Tyson would be hard to say, but even though Ali beat Liston and Foreman and Shavers, he never faced a guy with Tysons speed and aggression combined with punching power. But Tyson didn't face anyone with Al's speed, footwork and ability to land punches from the outside. They were also the best combination punchers in heavyweight history. When you look at both in their early 20s they both look unbeatable. Klitchsko was very good, but prime Ali and Tyson are in a different world.

[lowheel]

@Hawkeye

Ali is the GOAT to most but would he beat Tyson or Klitschko? Most likely not.

 

He beat Foreman who was certainly the most feared fighter of his era a la tyson.

[playa]

@Hawkeye

Ali is the GOAT to most but would he beat Tyson or Klitschko? Most likely not.

 

He beat Foreman who was certainly the most feared fighter of his era a la tyson.

Ali also beat Frazier and Liston who were also feared wrecking machines. Ali was also well past his best when he beat Foreman but to be fair Ali dodged him after that fight so it could be argued Ali got lucky and knew it.

But in his prime before being banished for political beliefs, Foreman wouldn't have laid a glove on him. Ali and Tyson at their best are the best heavyweights I've ever seen, and I've seen em all over the last 40 years.

[TreyWingbat]

My Saturday morning foursome.

[PALS-SSA]

This is the third Mount Rushmore of XXX thread. Apparently, it's the new "unicorn" on this site.

 

As for the topic:

Old Tom Morris

Bobby Jones

Arnold Palmer

Jack Nicklaus

 

If they carved a 5th head in, Tiger would probably be next.

[smashdn]

Roy McAvoy

Shooter McGavin

Happy Gilmore

Chubbs

 

Honorable mention Gary Potter

 

Rannulph Junnah

[Pure745]

Tough one.. but:

 

97 Tiger

2000-2002 Tiger

2006 Tiger

2018 Tiger

[shotmark]

Below are a few reasons that I would choose Woods as a better and more accomplished golfer than Jack. Jack is GOAT to many because of his 18 majors. However getting to 18 in Jack's era was much easier than Tiger's path to 14 and near impossible odds of getting to 19.

 

1. Tiger won 3 US Jr. Ams in a row

2. Tiger then won 3 US AMs in a row

3. Tiger had the single greatest season year 2000 (3 majors in 1 year) plus the other wins

4. Tiger WON 4 MAJORS in a row

5. Tiger won 14 of 14 majors after having the 3rd round lead (this record will never be broken)

6. He has 80 wins in a deeper era

7. Remained #1 for what seemed like forever

8. 90% plus closing rate after holding 3rd round lead

9. His current comeback from oblivion

 

When we talk about Jack as GOAT most usually just talk about 18 majors as the only real argument.

 

Jack came 2nd in another 19, Tiger had I believe 3 second places. Jack came top 10 in 31 out of 33 consecutive majors so not the only real argument. Personally though Byron Nelson is the GOAT with Jack and Tiger at 2 & 3 respectively.

These stats pretty much support the argument that Jack played in an easier era. Tiger's record is far superior when taking depth of talent into account. Jack feasted on shallow fields. The top end talent Jack faced was elite, and hence the 19 runner ups, but during his career there was only a dozen or so with a chance of winning the majors.

 

No, those stats show that Nicklaus was much better and for much longer. Even accepting the rather tenuous argument that fields are much stronger now, that doesn’t mean Nicklaus would have been any less dominant if fields had been stronger.

If Tiger played in Jack's era how many majors would Tiger have and how many for Jack?

Tiger wouldn't have feasted on Jack's field? Undoubtedly Jack, Arnold, Gary would've gotten their fair share but a prime time Tiger Woods would've gotten the Lion's share. :D

 

We’ll never know. I don’t think Tiger would have got the Lion’s share - or the Bear’s share for that matter.

[jdl]

Molinari, Fleetwood, Rose, Poulter.

[Colonel_Steelhead]

Roy McAvoy

Shooter McGavin

Happy Gilmore

Chubbs

 

Honorable mention Gary Potter

 

Rannulph Junnah

 

Luke Chisholm says hello

[iBanesto]

1. Paige Spiranac

2. Elise Lobb

3. Lucy Robson

4. Chelsea Pezzola

[Qqq123xx]

Kathy Whitworth

 

Jack

 

Arnie

 

Snead

[PenetratingWedgeStinger]

Ben Hogan's face already looked like it was carved out of stone, so he'd be the easiest.

 

[Bigjim1022]

Mt Rushmore isnt about who is the greatest, its about who had the biggest impact on the birth of the country at the time it was done

 

IMO it would be done pre TW....if you wanted to do it from here on out it would be Jack, Arnie, TW, and Jones

 

I agree 100%. My first thought was Arnie,Jack & Tiger. I wasn’t sure about the 4th but Jones makes sense. You could also make a case for Babe Zaharias.

[Swingman420]

COUNT YOGI

MIKE AUSTIN

HOMER KELLEY

RBLM GUY

 

If they had a fifth...

 

SEAN FOLEY

[shotmark]

1. Paige Spiranac

2. Elise Lobb

3. Lucy Robson

4. Chelsea Pezzola

 

What? You’d leave out Anna Rawson?