In the game's history, it's safe to say that there have been quite a few legendary golfers. But who is the best of the best when comparing these golfers and their achievements against each other? That's a question that Jack Nicklaus recently set out to answer by revealing the four golfers who make up his Mount Rushmore for the sport.
Nicklaus himself is a legendary golfer, so it's safe to say that he's in competition for a spot right off the bat, even though it's his own list. That doesn't matter in his eyes, as he includes himself as part of this prestigious group, while also selecting Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, and Tiger Woods to fill in the final three spots.
Is Jack Nicklaus' golf Mount Rushmore accurate?
![Jack Nicklaus answers questions at a press conference during a practice round for the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club.](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Jack-Nicklaus.jpg)
It's clear that each of these four guys are great choices for this list. Jones and Hogan were major influences on the game of golf back in the early days, while Nicklaus and Woods have become two of the games greatest winners of all-time, as they are the two players with the most major championship wins in the history of the sport, with Nicklaus having 18 and Woods having 15.
And yet, as is always the case with these sorts of lists, fans were quick to point out potential snubs. Easily the biggest snub that fans noted was Arnold Palmer, who also had an extremely big impact on the game during his time as the PGA's biggest star. These fans were of the belief that Palmer should have replaced Hogan, although you truthfully can't go wrong with either guy.
You could get technical with it and say that Nicklaus shouldn't have included himself, but it's clear he's deserving of a spot on the list. Nicklaus is one of golf's greatest winners, and his record of 18 major championships is likely going to stand for quite some time. Woods is in striking distance, but he hasn't been playing well enough as of late to really show any indication that he can catch Nicklaus in that category.
Regardless, each of these guys is well-qualified to make it on this Mount Rushmore list, and there are certainly quite a few others who have great cases to make it too. That's the beauty of these sorts of lists, as everyone has their own opinion. And while some fans may have a bone to pick with one of two of Nicklaus' selections, there's no doubt that this is still a very solid list.