The Cutting Room Floor. (Last update: 2/25/25 Next update: December ’25)
Historically undervalued: 🔵
Rank | Player | Years | Country | ||
1 | Tiger Woods | Why? | 1999-active | USA | |
2 | Jack Nicklaus | 1957-2005 | USA | ||
3 | Phil Mickelson | 🔵 | Why? | 1990-active | USA |
4 | Ben Hogan | 1934-1967 | USA | ||
5 | Sam Snead | 1937-1983 | USA | ||
6 | Arnold Palmer | 1952-2004 | USA | ||
7 | Tom Watson | 1970-2016 | USA | ||
8 | Gary Player | 1956-2009 | S. Africa | ||
9 | Bobby Jones | 1916-1948 | USA | ||
10 | Rory McIIroy | 2007-active | N. Ireland | ||
11 | Ernie Els | 🔵 | 1989-active | S. Africa | |
12 | Nick Faldo | 1976-2015 | England | ||
13 | Seve Ballesteros | 1975-2007 | Spain | ||
14 | Lee Trevino | 1966-2000 | USA | ||
15 | Greg Norman | 🔵 | 1977-2009 | Australia | |
16 | Brooks Koepka | 2012-active | USA | ||
17 | Walter Hagen | 1913-1942 | USA | ||
18 | Gene Sarazen | 1920-1976 | USA | ||
19 | Byron Nelson | 1934-1966 | USA | ||
20 | Vijay Singh | 1989-active | Fiji | ||
21 | Nick Price | 1975-2006 | Zimbabwe | ||
22 | Dustin Johnson | 2008-active | USA | ||
23 | Bernhard Langer | 1976-2023 | Germany | ||
24 | Billy Casper | 1956-2005 | USA | ||
25 | Raymond Floyd | 1963-2009 | USA | ||
26 | Scottie Scheffler | 2016-active | USA | ||
27 | Jordan Spieth | 2012-active | USA | ||
28 | Ben Crenshaw | 1970-2015 | USA | ||
29 | Hale Irwin | 1966-2004 | USA | ||
30 | Payne Stewart | 1981-1999 | USA | ||
31 | Xander Schauffele | 2017-active | USA | ||
32 | Pádraig Harrington | 1996-active | Ireland | ||
33 | Jon Rahm | 2016-active | Spain | ||
34 | Justin Thomas | 2014-2024 | USA | ||
35 | Sergio Garcia | 1996-active | Spain | ||
36 | Jason Day | 2010-active | Australia | ||
37 | Justin Rose | 1998-acitve | England | ||
38 | Adam Scott | 2000-active | Australia | ||
39 | Julius Boros | 1950-1980 | USA | ||
40 | Harry Vardon | 1893-1929 | Jersey | ||
41 | John Henry Taylor | 1893-1929 | England | ||
42 | James Braid | 1894-1938 | Scotland | ||
43 | José MarÃa Olazábal | 1984-2018 | Spain | ||
44 | Johnny Miller | 1966-1994 | USA | ||
45 | Larry Nelson | 1976-2011 | USA | ||
46 | Davis Love III | 1986-2020 | USA | ||
47 | Fred Couples | 1979-2024 | USA | ||
48 | Jim Furyk | 🔵 | 1994-2022 | USA | |
49 | Cary Middlecoff | 1946-1971 | USA | ||
50 | Lanny Wadkins | 1970-2001 | USA | ||
51 | Tom Kite | 1970-2004 | USA | ||
52 | Tom Weiskopf | 1965-2004 | USA | ||
53 | Reteif Goosen | 1999-2012 | S. Africa | ||
54 | Louis Oosthuizen | 🔵 | 2004-active | S. Africa | |
55 | Henrik Stenson | 2001-active | Sweden | ||
56 | Lee Westwood | 🔵 | 1995-2022 | England | |
57 | Martin Kaymer | 2008-active | Germany | ||
58 | David Duval | 1990-2022 | USA | ||
59 | Steve Elkington | 🔵 | 1988-2011 | Australia | |
60 | Justin Leonard | 1993-2024 | USA | ||
61 | Hubert Green | 1969-1996 | USA | ||
62 | Curtis Strange | 1975-2002 | USA | ||
63 | Mark O’Meara | 1980-2018 | USA | ||
64 | Ian Woosnam | 1982-2021 | Wales | ||
65 | Fuzzy Zoeller | 1976-2009 | USA | ||
66 | Tom Lehman | 1986-2019 | USA | ||
67 | Collin Morikawa | 2019-active | USA | ||
68 | Bubba Watson | 2004-active | USA | ||
69 | Bryson DeChambeau | 2015-active | USA | ||
70 | Zach Johnson | 2004-active | USA | ||
71 | Angel Cabrera | 1997-2019 | Argentina | ||
72 | Sandy Lyle | 1974-2013 | Scotland | ||
73 | Lee Janzen | 1985-2015 | USA | ||
74 | David Graham | 1970-1995 | Australia | ||
75 | Jerry Pate | 1975-2011 | USA | ||
76 | Dave Stockton | 1968-1997 | USA | ||
77 | Paul Azinger | 1983-2009 | USA | ||
78 | Hal Sutton | 1980-2005 | USA | ||
79 | Leo Diegel | 1920-1939 | USA | ||
80 | Jimmy Demaret | 1935-1967 | USA | ||
81 | Denny Shute | 1926-1972 | USA | ||
82 | Tony Jacklin | 1963-2007 | England | ||
83 | Colin Montgomerie | 🔵 | 1990-2016 | Scotland | |
84 | Luke Donald | 1999-2024 | England | ||
85 | Craig Wood | 1925-1964 | USA | ||
86 | Ralph Guldahl | 1930-1973 | USA | ||
87 | Ian Poulter | 2000-2022 | England | ||
88 | Rickie Fowler | 2008-active | USA | ||
89 | Hideki Matsuyama | 2011-active | Japan | ||
90 | Matt Kuchar | 1998-active | USA | ||
91 | Tommy Fleetwood | 2014-active | England | ||
92 | Corey Pavin | 1981-2010 | USA | ||
93 | Darren Clarke | 1991-active | N. Ireland | ||
94 | Stewart Cink | 1996-active | USA | ||
95 | Peter Thomson | 1951-1984 | Australia | ||
96 | Steve Stricker | 🔵 | 1993-2021 | USA | |
97 | Craig Stadler | 1974-2014 | USA | ||
98 | Andy North | 1974-1995 | USA | ||
99 | John Daly | 1986-2024 | USA | ||
100 | David Toms | 1996-2019 | USA |
The rest of the best golfers of all time.
Hi Jake, I was preparing to come out in outrage over Mickelson at No 3. But honestly, I’m not sure who I prefer in that slot. Like you say there are probably 6 or 7 who you could make an argument for. I don’t really like the idea of a guy who was never really the best in the World as the third best of all-time, but he did face unheard of competition from Tiger. I supect Phil at 3 won’t age well if Tiger eventually gets supplanted at 1, but we’ll see.
I think Walter Hagen is a touch low, though obviously he played a long time ago and I’m not sure McIlroy has delivered enough on his immense promise to be a top 10 guy. I might have Seve higher just because of what he meant to European golf and he had a decent spell as the best player in golf.
I did not expect the argument for Phil at #3 to be there. I knew he’d be firmly in the top-ten, but once it became obvious that he has been the second best golfer of the last 50 years (let’s say, since 1975), the dial really started to point towards him. I’m not in love with him at #3, but I could not make a better argument for someone else. Certainly, there are arguments for others, but none as good as Phil, IMO.
I guess it depends on when Tiger would get supplanted. If it’s in 10 years, I agree. If it’s 25+ years, Phil probably keeps his relevance.
With respect to Rory, I think there are two things that are true at the same time: 1). He has underdelivered, and he’d probably admit that and 2). His resume has the ammo at #10. I’ll probably do a deep dive over the summer, but he has had a strong Ryder Cup career, won 5 majors, the career slam, three Fed Ex Cups, the TPC, and has been year-end #1 three times, and year-end top-3 nine times. It’s hard to find 10 better resumes. Based on the scalding start to 2025, I’m excited about the possibilities over the next decade.