Gary Player has a clear favorite when it comes to Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, and his latest comments prove he might have a point.

Gary Player Critiques Tiger Woods’s ‘Choices’ in Latest Comparison With Jack Nicklaus

Time and again, Gary Player has criticized Tiger Woods’s major run. In a mixed way. He has always said that Tiger would have won majors had he made the ‘right choices.’ By that, he means not changing coaches frequently. Now, when the question of the greatest golfer comes into play, Gary has his list sorted.Days before his 90th birthday, while speaking to Golf Week, he didn’t have to think twice to name his buddy, Jack Nicklaus [https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/jack-nicklaus/], as the ‘greatest.’ “How I judge the best players of all time is I say, ‘There’s the record book.'” Player started. He followed this remark with his evergreen TW advice.”If Tiger Woods had made the right choices, he would have been the greatest player who ever lived. But the worst saying in athletics, in sports, is if. Because it is immaterial. It’s the bottom line,” Player said sharply. Now, this wasn’t the first time Player had talked about Tiger’s game or “choices.” “Look at Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods had his career ruined, completely ruined. Tiger Woods won 14 majors, and then he won the 14th major at Pebble Beach, the US Open; he won by 15 shots. It’s like running the 100m in seven seconds,” Player has said previously. “The next week, he’s having a lesson from a man who, if he played in the Masters, I don’t know if he could break 80. Then he goes to another guy who couldn’t break 85 in any major. And he’s having lessons from them. Why did Tiger do that? He was so good. I know he wanted to get better. But if he’d just gone along, he’d have won 22, maybe even more, and gone down as the greatest athlete we’ve ever seen, man or woman.” As per the records, Nicklaus indeed tops Tiger Woods [https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/tiger-woods/]. Beyond his major wins, Nicklaus had an impressive 55 additional top-10 finishes, including 19 runner-up spots. Woods has 26 top-10s in majors, with seven second-place finishes. In fact, when it comes to top 10 finishes at the PGA Tour, Nicklaus (286) is far ahead of Woods (199). But that does not mean Woods hasn’t got a competitive edge. For instance, their overall wins. Nicklaus has 73 PGA Tour titles and 27 other wins, totaling 100 professional wins. Woods has 82 PGA Tour wins and 28 international wins, totaling 110 professional victories. Indeed, the numbers would’ve looked different had it not been for the many injuries Woods dealt with [https://www.essentiallysports.com/flagship-golf-news-inside-tiger-woods-years-of-pain-every-injury-surgery-comeback-mapped-out/] or his obsession with getting “perfect,” at least according to Player.Regardless, the debate can swirl around many times, even if Player has decided who wins the race. If Nicklaus tops the list, Woods comes next, then who is the third greatest golfer? Player names himself, thanks to his 9 major wins and more. “Jack is number one, Tiger is number two, and I’m number three. There’s not even a question.” While that can be a debate for another day, President Donald Trump can attest that Player indeed has an edge. Even at 90. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SINGS PRAISES FOR GARY PLAYER’S INCREDIBLE FORM Just three years ago, Gary Player maintained a clubhead speed of 88 mph. That’s pretty impressive, especially when you compare him to other pro golfers like Tiger Woods (41 years younger than Player!). But how about now, three years since that claim? Well, if anyone can know how Player’s game is holding up, it’s President Donald Trump. As per reports, not only are they good friends, but they also often play together. After one such game together, Trump said of Player before boarding Air Force One, “I play with Gary Player. You know Gary’s 90 and he shot 70 with me the last time we played, which is pretty amazing from 6,800 (yards).” Nevertheless, when it comes to Player, the praise is not unfounded. Despite his old age, Player has often been lauded with praise when it comes to his obsession of being fit. Or the intense fitness regime he follows. Nonetheless, if Player is hitting anywhere 200 yards at nearly 90, that’s an incredible feat in and of itself. And let’s not even talk about him shooting lower than his age. So, yes, aside from Player’s 159 worldwide wins, these things probably make him a strong contender for one of the “greatest golfers to live.” 

Riya Singhal is the Senior Golf Editor at EssentiallySports, heading coverage of all things golf, from the DP World Tour, <a href="https://humansof.essentiallysports.com/embracing-the-fairway-a-journey-of-personal-and-professional-evolution-at-essentiallysports-e32eac6bb6ac">LIV Golf</a>, and major women’s events. She has reported live from some of Asia’s largest courses and interviewed rising stars like <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/golf-news-keita-nakajima-finds-silver-lining-despite-narrow-dp-world-tour-defeat-in-singapore-still-feel-positive-hero-indian-open/">Eugenio Chacarra</a>, offering readers exclusive insights.

Her work highlights standout talents such as <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/riya-singhal-6a1099145_golf-lottiewoad-womeninsports-activity-7355922024583647232-dPJ6?utm_source=social_share_send&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop_web&amp;rcm=ACoAACVUjSQBqwUOWvtFsNn3sXJuofOow42lsQA">Lottie Woad</a>, from her victories at the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur and Irish Women’s Open Championship to her historic pro debut win at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open. By incorporating perspectives from Charley Hull and Madelene Sagström, Riya crafts stories that truly stand out.

Within the EssentiallySports newsroom, she plays a key role in mentorship and quality production, helping shape the voice and standards of the golf desk. With a background in education, she brings strong people-management skills to her editorial leadership.

Riya Singhal

https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Jack-Nicklaus-Gary-Player-Tiger-Woods-Collage.png

Home

Golf

EssentiallySports is a U.S.-based sports media platform built for modern fandom. We go beyond headlines to create storylines powered by athletes, fans, data, and culture, giving equal energy to the mainstream and the overlooked.

Harit Pathak

Suryansh Tibarewal

Jaskirat Arora

EssentiallySports

Sudha Kumari is a Golf Writer at EssentiallySports, where she brings over 700 bylines of in-depth coverage on the sport’s biggest stages. With a Master’s in English Literature and a storyteller’s eye for detail, she thrives on translating leaderboard drama into compelling narratives. Her live reporting during the 2025 Masters, when Rory McIlroy stumbled on the cusp of his career Grand Slam, remains one of her defining contributions to golf journalism. A close student of both historical rivalries and present-day momentum shifts, Sudha makes sure her readers are never just informed, but immersed in the action. A lifelong golf fan who grew up analyzing swings as closely as sentences, Sudha believes today’s “dark horses” are tomorrow’s legends. She balances coverage of icons with sharp observations on emerging talent, keeping her finger firmly on the pulse of golf’s future. When she isn’t dissecting tournament trends, she’s digging into player backstories, convinced that the heart of golf lies not only in the numbers on the scorecard but also in the resilience behind each shot.

https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Sudha-Kumari-150x150.png