Golf's G.O.A.T.: Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and More
The first Masters was in 1934 Here Craig Wood drives during the Masters on April 1 1937 TEEING OFF Millions of people play golf Some play for fun and exercise while others compete for millions of dollars So how do you choose the greatest of all time G.O.A.T. It helps to know about the sport’s history 4
SAM SNEAD and TIGER WOODS are tied for most victories in the PGA Professional Golfers Association of America with 82 wins Jack Nicklaus follows with 73 wins KATHY WHITWORTH ranks first in the LPGA Ladies Professional Golf Association with 88 wins That’s more victories than anyone else in the PGA or LPGA ANNIKA SÖRENSTAM led the LPGA in wins for two decades She ranks third in the LPGA with 72 wins JACK NICKLAUS won the Masters six times In 1986 at the age of 46 he became the oldest golfer to win the Masters For many years people thought golf began in Scotland But no one knows for certain where golf started Some experts trace it to a Roman stick-and-ball game in the first century By the 12th century people played games similar to golf in Europe Asia and Africa The Open Championship often called the British Open began in Scotland in 1860 Golfers competed for a champion’s belt In 1863 the tournament began giving cash awards to top players FACTS AT A GLANCE 5 5
The US Open started in 1895 In 1916 US athletes and businesspeople formed the PGA The group trained golfers organized events like the PGA Championship and helped grow the sport The Masters tournament began in Augusta Georgia in 1934 The Masters British Open US Open and PGA Championship are the majors the most important events in men’s golf Winning all of them is a Grand Slam In 1950 the LPGA formed The LPGA hosts events around the world It has five major tournaments the US Women’s Open Women’s PGA Championship Women’s British Open ANA Inspiration and Evian Championship On March 24 1934 Bobby Jones golfs as an amateur at the Masters 6 6
Initially people of color were not allowed to be PGA members People of color were able to join the PGA for the first time in 1961 That year Charlie Sifford became the first person of color to play regularly on the PGA Tour Two years later Althea Gibson became the first person of color in the LPGA With golf’s history in mind read on to learn about some of the sport’s greatest players Then choose your own G.O.A.T. Althea Gibson lines up a shot at Pleasant Valley Country Club in 1966 7
