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When it comes to golf, all players dream of making the prestigious PGA Tour, but only a few qualify. It’s an honor to participate in such a high-level event, let alone take home the glory, and only the best of the best can consistently come out of these tournaments on top.
Golf tourneys have been around since the early 20th century, although Open Championship wins were only included in the PGA Tour events in 1995 (they included event wins before this too). When a player wins 20 separate events recognized by the PGA Tour, the golfer receives lifetime membership to the PGA Tournament and doesn’t need to requalify.
Out of all competitors, only 53 have won 17 or more money events included within the PGA Tour, which is why in this article, we highlight the best golfers of all time to participate in the PGA Tour, how many wins they have in the tour and how many Major wins they have.
Golf fans have most certainly heard of Jack Nicklaus within their lifetime. Out of all golfers on the list of most PGA Tour wins, no one has more Majors victories than Nicklaus, with a whopping 18 trophies along with his 73 PGA-recognized wins.
His major championship victories include: winning the Masters in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975 and 1986, winning the U.S. Open in 1962, 1967, 1972 and 1980, the Open Championship in 1966, 1970 and 1978 and the PGA Championship in 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1980. He competed in more tournament events than anyone in history, with 164 events played, going through one incredible spell where he made 105 consecutive cuts. To this day, Nicklaus, at 84 years old, holds the golf record for most Majors wins in PGA Tournament history, solidifying his spot on this list of the best golfers of all time and rightly so.
Here’s a table with some of the key career stats for Jack Nicklaus, one of the greatest golfers of all time.
| Full Name | Jack William Nicklaus |
| Nickname | The Golden Bear |
| Birthdate | January 21, 1940 |
| Professional Career | 1961–2005 |
| PGA Tour Wins | 73 |
| Major Championship Wins | 18 |
| Masters Tournament Wins | 6 |
| U.S. Open Wins | 4 |
| The Open Championship Wins | 3 |
| PGA Championship Wins | 5 |
| Runner-Ups in Majors | 19 |
| Top-10 Finishes in Majors | 73 |
| PGA Tour Player of the Year | 5 times |
| Total Professional Wins | 117 |
| Ryder Cup Appearances | 6 |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | Inducted in 1974 |
| Longest Winning Streak on PGA Tour | 17 years (1962-1978) |
Tied for the first place spot with 82 wins but behind Tiger Woods in Majors wins is Sam Snead, a 30-year legend to the game. Over his memorable career, Snead has accumulated 82 PGA Tour wins with his seven Majors wins. Surprisingly, Sam Snead never claimed a U.S. Open, finishing 2nd multiple times in 1937, 1947, 1949 and 1953.
Born in 1912, Snead led the PGA in money wins in 1938, 1949 and 1950 while also earning PGA Golfer of the Year in 1949. In 1942, he set off his career of triumphant Major victories by winning the PGA Championship, which he won two more times in 1949 and 1951. He claimed three Masters tournament wins in 1949, 1952 and 1954 and would win the Open Championship once in 1946. There’s no doubt that with stats like these, Sam Snead belongs on the list of best golfers of all time to ever swing a club.
| Full Name | Samuel Jackson Snead |
| Nickname | Slammin’ Sammy |
| Birthdate | May 27, 1912 |
| Professional Career | 1934–1987 |
| PGA Tour Wins | 82 |
| Major Championship Wins | 7 |
| Masters Tournament Wins | 3 |
| U.S. Open Wins | 0 |
| The Open Championship Wins | 1 |
| PGA Championship Wins | 3 |
| Runner-Ups in Majors | 8 |
| Top-10 Finishes in Majors | 46 |
| PGA Tour Player of the Year | N/A (not awarded during his era) |
| Total Professional Wins | 165 |
| Ryder Cup Appearances | 4 |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | Inducted in 1974 |
| Oldest PGA Tour Victory | Age 52 (1965 Greater Greensboro Open) |
Barely edging out Sam Snead for the number one spot on the list of best golfers of all time is the revered Tiger Woods, with 15 Majors wins, more than double that of Snead. Along with his 82 PGA Tour wins, it’s hard to debate that there has been a better golfer than Tiger, especially considering his 11 time PGA Player of the Year award.
Woods won his very first Major in 1997, which was the Masters. Since then, he won four more Masters in 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2019, four PGA Championships in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007, three U.S. Opens in 2000, 2002 and 2008 and three Open Championships in 2000, 2005 and 2006. Realistically, Tiger Woods is the most modern greatest golfer with the most recent major golf tournament trophy in 2019, and with so many other stats to back up his successful career, it’s no surprise Woods is widely considered to be the greatest golfer of all time.
| Full Name | Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods |
| Nickname | Tiger |
| Birthdate | December 30, 1975 |
| Professional Career | 1996–present |
| PGA Tour Wins | 82 |
| Major Championship Wins | 15 |
| Masters Tournament Wins | 5 |
| U.S. Open Wins | 3 |
| The Open Championship Wins | 3 |
| PGA Championship Wins | 4 |
| Runner-Ups in Majors | 7 |
| Top-10 Finishes in Majors | 41 |
| PGA Tour Player of the Year | 11 times |
| Total Professional Wins | 110+ |
| Ryder Cup Appearances | 8 |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | Inducted in 2022 |
| Longest Winning Streak on PGA Tour | 6 consecutive tournaments (2006-2007) |
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.