Worst rivalry in the game of golf, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson
Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson are no doubt two of the greatest players the game of golf has ever produced. Both the players have variations in their work ethics. However, they still have a lot in common. In the meantime, they are also regarded as worst rivals in the game.
Whenever rivalry between the both players is mentioned, fans are reminded of an intense face-off that took place in the 1977 British Open at Turnberry. The tough battle saw Tom Watson win the Open, making him one of the golfers who could give Nicklaus a run for his money. The victory was so remarkable that it later received an honorific title "The Duel in the Sun."
Nicklaus claimed that the match, though he lost, was the greatest ever. Nicklaus fired 65-66 in the final rounds. On the other hand, Watson carded a 65-65 to win one of the most prestigious events. "There are those in golf who would argue into next month that the final two rounds of the 1977 British Open were the greatest head-to-head golf match ever played. It was the most thrilling one-on-one battle of my career."
Despite the impressive win in the British Open, Tom Watson is definitely not considered better than Nicklaus, who stunned his fans with most wins in the major championships. However, the 63-year-old Watson does have something to upset his arch rival.
Jack Nicklaus, often called "The Golden Bear," is best known for his massive wins in the major championships. Nicklaus has racked up 18 major wins in his career and beating his remarkable record will be tough for any player.
However, American Watson seemed to pose some threat to the 72-year-old Nicklaus in terms of PGA championships when he won the senior PGA Championship in May 2011. The win was so impressive that even Nicklaus acknowledge the performance of his long-time foe. Nicklaus complimented Watson for his rigorous efforts, saying he managed to ride out tough times and it was not surprising to see him win tournaments at this age.
"Here he is 61 years old and he's still out there beating everybody," the 18-time grand slam winner said of his rival success. He admitted that Watson has what it takes to confront the best golfers. "His ability to coil, and the flexibility of his body to fully wind up and be able to have -- without effort -- the ability to finish his backswing has been to me the secret of his game.”
Nicklaus is well aware of Watson's capabilities, as he had to face some headline-grabbing defeats. For instance in the 1977 Masters, Watson defeated him by 2 strokes, completely outshining his profile in terms of PGA wins.
Regardless of how Tom Watson fared against his long-time friend in some events, Nicklaus seems to enjoy the upper hand in terms of major wins. Nicklaus is regarded as the best golfer of all times due to the way he played.
Comparing Watson to Nicklaus on the basis of major championships makes no sense at all. Other events, in which the 61-year-old American fared amazingly well, should be taken into consideration. For instance Watson, PGA statistics of Watson point out that he remains ahead of his rival.
When it comes to making scores in PGA championships, Watson is much better. However, Jack Nicklaus managed to win more events, with relatively lower scores. An important factor that highlights Nicklaus’s ascendency over Watson is that there is massive different in the number of events both players participated in. Watson participated in the 597 matches and won 39. On the other hand, Jack Nicklaus took part in 12 events.
Since Nicklaus has most major championship wins, which is considered the most important yardstick for comparing players, Watson’s good scores in the PGA events do not seem to make much difference.
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