For the record: Jack Nicklaus boasts an 18-major title win, including 73 top-tens across all four majors. Aside from that, Nicklaus boasts 72 PGA Tour wins, including 57 runner-up finishes in his career and 269 top-10s. But if you asked him who’s the greatest golfer of all time, he’d reply, “Jones is the greatest golfer who ever lived and probably ever will live. That’s my goal. Bobby Jones. It’s the only goal.” The thing is, when it comes from Nicklaus, that sounds humble, but when others do that, golf fans (rightfully) get enraged.
Here’s what transpired: Recently, Luke Elvy shared a picture of “all the GOATs in one image” on his X account with his followers. The picture does include a number of great performers in sports, including Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Mohammad Ali, Serena Williams, Lionel Messi, Babe Ruth, and Wayne Gretzky. However, there’s one face that doesn’t appear in this picture – you guessed it right: Jack Nicklaus.
And that’s quite shocking, if you keep in mind Jack Nicklaus’ unbeatable records in golf. Starting from his rookie season, Nicklaus achieved victories on the PGA Tour for 17 straight seasons. Notably, between 1971 and 1973, despite making only 52 appearances, he secured 19 wins and finished in the top 10 nine times, showcasing a rare level of dominance. That’s just one of many records Jack Nicklaus has up his sleeve.
This is it right? All the GOATs in one image. pic.twitter.com/LZB70EwiL0
— Luke Elvy (@Luke_Elvy) July 2, 2025
Take another amazing stat: Jack Nicklaus participated in every major tournament from the 1962 Masters to the 1998 U.S. Open, setting a record of 146 consecutive appearances. To break this record, Adam Scott would need to play in every major without a break until 2038. There are several such records Jack Nicklaus has made over the years, thus further cementing his legacy in the sports. Perhaps that’s why his omission from this picture has enraged the golf fans.
“Where’s Jack Nicklaus?” ask upset golf fans
Two fans couldn’t help but express their surprise at the omission, asking, “Where’s Jack Nicklaus?” and “I don’t see Jack!” Jack Nicklaus’ major record is impressive: 18 titles in 164 appearances. Aside from that, he finished second 19 times in majors, meaning he was in contention on Sunday 37 times and came out on top 18 times!
One fan highlighted the contrast between Tiger Woods’s mention and Jack Nicklaus’s omission, stating, “As others have said, you’re missing Jack Nicklaus to replace Tiger! Tiger’s brilliance is undeniable, but he’s not the GOAT in the golfing world!” While many recognize Tiger Woods as a legend, he still falls short when we compare his track record to Nicklaus‘. Let’s take another look at their major stats—not just their wins, but also their third-place finishes in majors.
Tiger Woods has 26 top-three finishes in majors, while Jack Nicklaus has 46 – a significant gap that makes it tough to argue against Nicklaus being the Greatest of All Time based solely on his major record.
Another fan said, “In golf Nicklaus is still the GOAT.” Aside from Tiger Woods surpassing Jack Nicklaus in Tour wins (82 to 72), Nicklaus dominates in other categories, recording 57 runner-up finishes to Woods’ 31 and 269 top-10s to Woods’ 199. With the exception of total wins, Nicklaus beats Woods in every category, solidifying his status as the GOAT, even at 85.
The other sports fans felt unimpressed by the omission of some of the GOATs as well. One fan said, “Interesting choice in Messi And not Pele.” Messi deserves a mention, but Pele was the GOAT for a reason. Take a couple of his records, for instance. Pele holds a Guinness World Record for scoring 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, and he stands as the all-time leading scorer for the Brazilian national team, with 77 goals in 92 appearances!
The post Tiger Woods In, but No Jack Nicklaus? Golf Fans Cry Foul appeared first on EssentiallySports.
