Best Golf Players of All Time
Who are the greatest Golf Players of all time? Explore the leading golf players in Sport Ranking’s historical golf ranking, based on results from major international competitions across different eras.
Greatest Men’s Golf Players
Golf Men
| # | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Nicklaus | United States | 357 |
| 2 | Tiger Woods | United States | 296 |
| 3 | Phil Mickelson | United States | 172 |
| 4 | Tom Watson | United States | 165 |
| 5 | Rory McIlroy | Northern Ireland | 145 |
| 6 | Sam Snead | United States | 142 |
| 7 | Ben Hogan | United States | 137 |
| 8 | Arnold Palmer | United States | 136 |
| 9 | Walter Hagen | United States | 131 |
| 10 | Gary Player | South Africa | 129 |
Greatest Women’s Golf Players
Golf Women
| # | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patty Berg | United States | 82 |
| 2 | Louise Suggs | United States | 81 |
| 3 | Mickey Wright | United States | 73 |
| 4 | Annika Sörenstam | Sweden | 63 |
| 5 | Inbee Park | South Korea | 54 |
| 6 | Karrie Webb | Australia | 52 |
| 7 | Betsy Rawls | United States | 50 |
| 8 | Lydia Ko | New Zealand | 49 |
| 9 | Babe Zaharias | United States | 48 |
| 10 | Pat Bradley | United States | 43 |
How the All-Time Ranking Works
The men’s ranking is primarily based on the equally weighted Major tournaments. The system also places significant importance on The Players Championship, the Olympic Games, the Tour Championship, and the year-end ranking. Winners of Signature Events tournaments also receive points within the system.
To preserve comparable scoring potential across different eras, selected historically prestigious tournaments are also included. In men’s golf, these include the Colonial National Invitation, Doral Open, St. Jude Championship, Western Open, WGC Championship, and the World Championship of Golf.
In women’s golf, the ranking is primarily based on the Major tournaments, complemented by the Olympic Games and the year-end ranking. Winners of other elite tournaments also receive points within the system.
Learn more about Golf scoring →