18 majors or 82 PGA Tour titles? Holding all four majors at the same time or completing a grand slam in two different decades? Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? The debate has been raging for over two decades. And by the looks of it, it’s a never-ending one. But what do the pros think? Well, they are also divided. But here are four players who had a clear answer: Tiger Woods. Who are they, and what were their reasons? Let’s find out.

Bryson DeChambeau picked Woods over Jack Nicklaus

The reigning US Open champion was asked a similar question twice. On the first occasion, Bryson DeChambeau said Tiger Woods was the greatest in his era. But if we look at the entire history of golf, that honor might go to Jack Nicklaus for his four-decades-long career and 18 majors.

DeChambeau, however, is a Tiger Woods fan. Several times, the two-time US Open winner has spoken about Woods’s influence on the game, how he changed its dynamics, and how Woods’s mentality brought something new to the game. Recently, when asked to make a pick between the two, the Crushers captain picked Tiger Woods over Jack Nicklaus. For the reasons mentioned above.

Dustin Johnson said Tiger Woods made golf ‘cool’

“Especially in high school, you were a dork if you played Golf. But you know Tiger [Woods] actually made it a cool sport to play,” Dustin Johnson said at a press conference in 2022. When DJ was in school, in the late 90s to early 2000s, golf didn’t have any superstars like it did some 20 years ago.

Jack Nicklaus was in his last leg, as were the other two from the triumvirate, Gary Player and Arnold Palmer. Tiger Woods’s arrival was a much-needed spark. Having said that Johnson’s take was based on Woods’s impact, not about their career achievements, where Nicklaus might have an edge.

Rory McIlroy calls Tiger Woods the best of all time

Tiger Woods is Rory McIlroy’s GOAT. The Ulsterman said in 2019, “In the history of our game no one played better golf than Tiger Woods…. No one has played the caliber of golf that he played then.” Now that’s as hot as a take can be. Woods had 163 top-five finishes from 378 tournaments. That’s a staggering 43.12%. Comparably, Nicklaus’s record reads 35.78% top-five finishes from 584 events. 

At his peak, Golden Bear managed 41 top-three finishes in the majors between 1962 and 1980. That’s a whopping 54% of the time, which is still unmatched by anybody. Woods had 26 top-three finishes in majors. So, if it’s a debate about domination, you can’t ignore the 84-year-old gentleman from Ohio.

Max Homa makes his feelings known on the Tiger Woods vs. Jack Nicklaus debate

Max Homa’s take is nearer to Dustin Johnson’s than it is to Rory McIlroy’s. In a recent interview, the six-time PGA Tour winner said Tiger Woods made a dark sport look cool. Which he is right about. Woods’s flamboyance, athleticism, and all the signature moves—you know, those fist pumps, club twirls, etc.—definitely added to the charm and enigma of the 15-time major winner. Woods brought an electrifying energy with a red-hot form that can only be compared to Arnold Palmer. But then Jack Nicklaus is one golfer whose legacy Tiger Woods wanted to match. 

So for these four, Tiger Woods is the ultimate ‘GOAT’. Is there a recency bias? Well, you shouldn’t expect someone to pick Nicklaus over Woods when it’s the latter they grew up watching. The opposite is also true.

An objective assessment sans the stats is hard to make because of multiple factors. Firstly, these two giants never played against each other at their peak. Secondly, they teed off with different equipment in two massively different eras. And most importantly, Tiger Woods’s career was plagued by injuries that cut short his longevity. What’s your take?