Talking about greatness: Who are the 4 legends on your Mt. Rushmore of golf?

Golf is a sport with a very long history and an endless list of great stars. From Old Tom Morris and Willie Park Sr. to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the pages of history are barely long enough to mention them all.

To name just four of them to complete a hypothetical Mt. Rushmore of golf is a task destined to never find consensus. It is a quartet that must have achieved sporting glory through their results, but also exemplify what golf represents, the highest values of camaraderie, honesty and sportsmanship.

With that in mind, my ultimate version of golf’s Mt. Rushmore consists of four players who have been trailblazers in terms of how much they have contributed to the sport, both through their own triumphs and the visibility they have given it over the years.

1

The first statue on Mt. Rushmore is dedicated to Mr. Arnold Palmer. Winner of 95 professional titles, 62 on the PGA Tour (7 majors), Arnold Palmer won everything there is to win in professional golf except the career Grand Slam (he finished second in the PGA Championship three times).

Nevertheless, Jack Nicklaus called Palmer an “icon. Nicklaus added the following:

“He [Palmer] took the game from one level to a higher level, virtually by himself.”

And that is what keeps him at the top of the golfing world.

2

The second statue on my Mt. Rushmore is dedicated to Jack Nicklaus. The Golden Bear has won everything that can be won in golf, both amateur and professional. He has 117 professional victories, 73 on the PGA Tour, and the unbeaten record of 18 majors. He has also achieved the career Grand

Slam several times and has received all kinds of sports and government awards.
Nicklaus is also one of the most influential figures in the history of golf, as he has encompassed many spheres within the sport. To one of the most successful sports careers, he has added experience in course design, as a golf entrepreneur and as an author.

No one has said it better than Chi Chi Rodriguez:”Jack Nicklaus is a legend in his spare time.”

3

The third statue is for Tiger Woods. It is useless to list all the results, records and recognitions received by Woods, as he is probably the best known golfer of all times. Suffice it to say that he has achieved 110 professional victories (82 on the PGA Tour, leader) and 15 majors, without forgetting his meteoric passage through the junior and amateur categories.

Woods has also achieved the career grand slam several times and is the only player in history to win the four majors consecutively, although he did not do it in the same year (PGA Championship, US Open and The Open Championship in 2000, and The Masters in 2001). This feat is known as the ‘Tiger Slam’.

(It is fair to remember that Bobby Jones did something similar in 1930, when he won the four tournaments that at that time were considered majors: the US Open, The Open Championship, the US Amateur and the British Amateur).

Yes, we know Tiger Woods has had his run-ins with the law and his bedroom scandals. But here we do the Mt. Rushmore of golf. On the courses and inside the ropes, no one has been able to point to Woods for unsportsmanlike or dishonest conduct. At least not seriously.

Of Woods, Arnold Palmer said:

“We can argue about major championships and whether Tiger will ever surpass Jack’s 18 majors, but what can’t be argued is this: Tiger Woods is the most dominant, most skilled player we’ve ever seen.”

4

The fourth and final statue of my Mt. Rushmore goes to Annika Sorenstam. No, it’s not that a woman has to be included in order to win the sympathy of the ladies, or because I’m looking for the “representativeness” that’s in vogue these days. I simply consider Sorenstam to be on the same level as the other three stars who accompany her on this list.

Annika Sorenstam made her professional golf debut in 1992 and played at the highest level until 2008. During that span, she won 96 tournaments, 72 on the LPGA Tour and 10 majors. She won four of the five women’s golf majors (multiple times each except for the Women’s British Open). The one she missed was the Canadian Open, which was only considered a major until 2000. (By the way, Sorenstam won it in 2001).

Like Palmer, Nicklaus and Woods, Sorenstam is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, but she is also one of only 25 women to earn a spot in the ultra-exclusive LPGA Hall of Fame since its inception more than 70 years ago.

The Mt. Rushmore of golf: Alternatives

For those who feel more comfortable designing a men’s and women’s Mt. Rushmore, I suggest Ben Hogan join Palmer, Woods and Nicklaus in the first variation. Mr. Hogan doesn’t need much introduction: 71 professional wins, 64 on the PGA Tour, 9 majors, career Grand Slams and overall one of the greatest players of all time.

On the women’s side, Annika Sorenstam would be joined by the following stars:

• Mildred Ella “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias: 48 professional victories, 41 on the LPGA Tour, 10 majors, the only woman to make the cut against men on the PGA Tour.
• Mary Kathryn “Mickey” Wright: 90 career wins, 82 on the LPGA Tour, 13 majors.
• Karrie Webb: 56 career wins, 41 on the LPGA Tour, 7 majors.

So what is YOUR Mt. Rushmore of golf?