The greatest golfers of all time

During an era when online betting and sports now go hand in hand, it is easy to forget that many sporting legends chose to not even turn pro and actually played solely for the love of the game. Granted, the occasional flutter can certainly add to the excitement, and sites like casinopilot.ca are perfect for those looking for the best Canadian online sports betting sites. But, is this the reality of how sport will be in the future, where we can not only just rely on the entertainment provided by the athletes but the need for monetary reward?

We’ve compiled our list of golfs top five all time players to remind ourselves that although the modern era has changed golf, there was still plenty of magic on the course back in the day.

Arnold Palmer

His 7 major wins and 62 PGA Tour victories are topped by other professionals, but what you got with Arnold Palmer was more than that. The first superstar of televised golf, Palmers rather humble up-bringing brought golf to the people rather than just the privileged. He was simply spoken, handsome and wore his heart on his sleeve, perfect for TV. His talents on the green aside, no one did more for golf than this man and he was one of the original 13 players inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Ben Hogan

Widely acknowledged (and debated) as having the best swing in the business, Hogan certainly had a lot of distractions in his otherwise amazing career. World War Two saw him serve as lieutenant in the Air Force for two years but it was a car accident in 1949 that nearly took his life. At the prime age of 36, the two months spent in hospital with multiple fractures including his pelvis, collar bone and ankle led doctors to believe he may never walk again. He did and famously returned to the sport the same year, but the accident would always offer up limitations to his game. His 9 major wins will always provide speculation as to what could have been with this superstar of golf.

Bobby Jones

For a golfer to not only be the best of his era but to retire at a mere 28 years young, Bobby Jones’ 13 majors in 7 years is another for the record books. And he did all this without ever turning professional, meaning he did it for the love of the game rather than the coin. During a time before the modern era of golf majors, Jones was the first to complete the grand slam of all 4 majors and went on to co-found the Masters. Of the 31 majors he attended, he won 13 times but only finished outside the top ten on four occasions. You can’t debate the early days of golf without Bobby Jones getting decent mention.

Tiger Woods

Undoubtedly the worlds most recognised golfer, what Woods has done for the sport can not be argued with; he propelled golf into the mainstream. Woods is the reason why modern-day golf is in contention for popularity amongst NFL and basketball, and why the modern golfer is more of an athlete than ever before. With 15 majors under his belt, the record was sure to be his if not for an unfathomable last decade drought saw him plateau. But watch this space for Tiger’s 2019 Masters win. He has not just proved he still has what it takes, but he also just may be the greatest of all time.

Jack Nicklaus

The all-time majors winning record holder at 18, Nicklaus dominated the sport throughout the 70s in a 17 year span that saw him runner up a staggering 19 times. The very epitome of consistency, he also holds the record for the oldest Masters champion when he pulled on the green jacket for the sixth time in 1986. A pure gentleman of the game who oozes class, Jack Nicklaus is the true golfers champion.