Tiger Woods vs Jack Nicklaus
The greatest debate in golf — Tiger Woods vs Jack Nicklaus. Majors, tour wins and dominance compared in full.
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Tiger Woods
American · Born 1975
15-time major champion who transformed golf globally.
View Full Profile →Jack Nicklaus
American · Born 1940
18 major championships — the all-time record in golf.
View Full Profile →Career Statistics
| Statistic | Tiger Woods | Jack Nicklaus |
|---|---|---|
| Major Championships | 15 | 18 |
| PGA Tour Wins | 82 | 73 |
| Weeks at World No.1 | 683 | 0 |
| Masters Wins | 5 | 6 |
| Us Open Wins | 3 | 4 |
| Open Championship Wins | 3 | 3 |
| Pga Championship Wins | 4 | 5 |
| Scoring Average | 68.17 | — |
| Olympic Gold | Rio 2016 (individual) | — |
| Champions Tour Wins | — | 10 |
| Oldest Major Winner | — | 46 years (1986 Masters) |
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont Woods was born in Cypress, California in 1975, son of an African American Vietnam veteran and Thai mother, and entered golf as a child prodigy — shooting 48 for nine holes at age 3. He turned professional in 1996 after winning 3 consecutive US Amateur Championships. His 15 major championships — Masters (5), US Open (3), The Open Championship (3), PGA Championship (4) — are second only to Jack Nicklaus's 18 and were won across a career spanning 1997 to 2019. His 82 PGA Tour victories equal Sam Snead's all-time record. He has spent 683 weeks as world number one — the most in history…
Full Tiger Woods biography →Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1940 and won 18 major championships — the most in the history of golf, a record that has stood since 1986 and that Tiger Woods, the closest challenger, has not surpassed. His majors span Masters (6), US Open (4), The Open Championship (3) and PGA Championship (5). He won 73 PGA Tour titles. His first major came at the 1962 US Open at Oakmont, defeating Arnold Palmer in a playoff. His final major came at the 1986 Masters at age 46 — when he shot 30 on the back nine on Sunday, completing a round of 65 that remains the most celebrated final roun…
Full Jack Nicklaus biography →The Verdict
Nicklaus has 18 majors to Woods's 15. Woods has more tour wins (82 tied) and spent far more weeks at world number one (683 vs 0 — rankings didn't exist in Nicklaus's era). Woods was more dominant at his peak; Nicklaus was more consistent across his career. The debate remains genuinely unresolved.