Golf is one of the most popular sports in the world. Given its popularity, there have been several creations in relation to the sport. These mostly come from people inspired by the sport which form part of the media or computing industries, such as book authors, movie directors, artists, game developers, game designers and many more. This can be seen in books like ‘Golf is Not a Game of Perfect’ by Bob Rotella, and video games like PGA 2K22. However, this is not only the case for the sport of golf. For example, there are games created that were inspired by other sports, such as those that EA Sports developed and published throughout the years, or even online casino games like those found at Platincasino. Additionally, there have been several authors and artists that were inspired by other sports, like football, and basketball. One thing that most of these creators have in common is that they were inspired by the best athletes of the sport they love.
Phil Mickelson has been an inspiration to several industries and upcoming golfers for instance. However, apart from him there are several others. Let’s look at 5 other great golf players to ever play the game.
Tiger Woods
Professional golfer, Tiger Woods, was born on 30th December 1975 in Cypress, California. He is considered by many to be the greatest golfer of all time. He has a lengthy list of sporting achievements. He has won the U.S. Amateur title three times. This title is common amongst the best golfers in history of the game. Apart from these, he has won 82 PGA Tours throughout his career. He’s tied with Sam Snead for the most PGA Tour wins in history. That’s impressive!
Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan, born on 13th August 1912 in Texas, USA, is one of the giants of golf history. He is one of only five men who won all four major tournaments at least once. He was even introduced into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1971. He was famous for his beautiful golf swings and ball striking. In 1953, he set an incredible achievement for himself, where he won The Masters, The U.S. Open, and The Open Championship – Three major victories.
Walter Hagen
Walter Hagen is yet another golfer considered to be one of the greats. He who won eleven major championships throughout his career. He was born on 21st December 1982 and influenced several golfers throughout their careers. His distinctive good nature and confident character raised the standard of professional golfers. He won the U.S. Open twice, was the first American to win the British Open, which he won 4 times, won the PGA Championship on 5 separate occasions, and won 45 PGA Tours throughout his career.
Jack Nicklaus
Yet another great, Jack Nicklaus was born on 21st January 1940. Throughout his career he won 73 PGA Tours and was referred to as The Golden Bear. Along with PGA Tour victories, he also won several Tournaments, including 6 Masters Tournaments, 3 British Opens, 4 U.S. Opens, and 5 PGA Championships. Nicklaus was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2005. This must have been a proud moment for him. Moreover, he is part of ‘The Big Three’ in Golf, together with Arnold Palmer and Gray Player. These were the 1960s golf players that are known for popularizing the sport.
Arnold Palmer
Champion golfer Arnold Palmer AKA The King, was born on 10th September 1929 in Pennsylvania. He won Masters Tournament 4 times, the British Open twice, and the U.S. Open on 1 separate occasion. He also won the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1988 and was introduced to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. As mentioned, he is known to be one of the 1960s golfing greats to popularise and commercialise the sport worldwide.
Conclusion
Golf is undoubtedly a great sport and has come an exceptionally long way in the sporting world. The names mentioned above are of some of the world’s best golfers of all time. This is based on their wins in major championships, personal achievements, and influence on the world.
