Best iron player.... Tiger or Stenson?

Stenson is SG approach #1 for the last several years, but IMO I'd take Tiger for irons or for any approach for that matter. An argument can be said for Justin Rose perhaps, but would take Stenson ahead of him.

Stenson plays straight or a slight draw, whereas tiger is able to work the ball all the ways he wants. There are a number of solid ball striker out there, theres one thing that separates the superb from the greats, is that how their iron play held under pressure of a sunday afternoon in the last two play groups. Tiger wins that category.

You talking about all time or just today?!

Tiger all time - easily.

Love Stenson, but Tiger is in a class all his own among Tiger era players.

All those W’s reflect many layers of talent.

gonna go with 82/15 vs 15/1 ...

I'm sorry, Tiger & who? In his era, it's Tiger & nobody.

Tiger is the best In the game right now at hitting the ball pin high with irons. Distance control is the hallmark of great iron play.

Stenson might hit the ball extremely flush, but I’m not sure anyone has had control over a ball with irons like Tiger Woods, not for an extended period of time.

Tiger can also work the ball better than anyone in the game, which means he can always hit the high percentage shot. I do marvel at how high Henrik can hit a ball though.

Tiger's 6 from the bunker at the 2000 Canadian Open should really shut down any argument that there's ever been a better irons player.

Not only could no one actually pull off that shot, no one - not even Phil and his heroic attempts - would even try.

Today, yesterday, tomorrow, whenever - as long as Tiger can swing a club; he'll be the best irons player.

No contest. Stenson doesn't even use blades.

Tiger is the greatest iron player the game has ever seen.

A cool topic of discussion but Tiger. Like by a mile. Henrik flushes it for sure but Tiger can do things that no one else would even try.

When Lee Trevino won at Glen Abbey, first or second one, he hit a ONE IRON from that same bunker and then two putted for a birdie to win. And yes, I was right there beside the bunker to watch it. Lee was playing a set of Golden Ram blades that he got from Caesar Sanudo(sp).

Anyone can hit a one iron in a bunker. Not many can hit one OUT of a bunker, though...

That must have been impressive to see.

I do remember reading that Seve could hit bunker shots with a 3i, though. If I remember correctly, in Seve Lore, a 3i was the only club he had growing up.

Any 10 handicapper can hit an occasional great iron shot. Anybody with a tour card can hit several great iron shots in a round.

But nobody but Tiger can win the friggin British Open hitting only irons. Hoylake settled the question for all time.

This wasn’t bad ; )

It’s not lore, it’s just facts.

you have to keep this context in mind, from 200 yards and in NO ONE was better than TW, but then again from 200 yards and in, TW was hitting 7 or 8 iron....in the 70's the players were hitting mid irons maybe even as much as a 4 iron...HUGE advantage to TW

Bingo. ( aware it was sarcasm) And his flight is one dimensional. Ever see him flight a low one in? Nope. Horses for courses. Stenson owns a home on that course and lives there most of the year. Has to be worth 3-4 shots over 4 days.

Definitely Tiger. His control with irons is astronishing

2006 Open Championship was the greatest iron play the world has ever seen...

it’s not even close.

-Chris

Woods. It's not even a debate.

Johnny Miller, in his prime was REALLY good, so were Hogan and Nelson. Jack was awesome withe the middle and long irons. Trevino hit it so pure but didn’t have the high shot. Tiger might be the best through the bag though, although not by a large margin. I actually think JM was the best during his prime, it just didn’t last all that long.

all these guys were better than Stenson, the big difference being they all had more shots, and did it under major championship pressure more often.

TW by miles...but Faldo would come close. Even Hogan said Faldo was the best iron player he’d seen...including himself. Faldo had fantastic control of the ball, TW has the advantage of control allied with power.

Obviously Stenson is the better iron player according to the SG number's from the last few years. Ole Tiger won't be inviting the Iceman to any more of his tournaments after that display of ball striking by Henrik.

And there’s the Broadie ^^ point of view. Kind of shows it’s flaws no ?

Kinda askin for trouble I was, but couldn't help myself.

Yes!

But he monetized it well.

No doubt Akin to PT Barnum if you catch my drift.

I would be a broken record to agree....he was ungodly good with his irons...

can u imagine Trevino and he in the 67 us open for each of their first majors....

Johnny said he was shocked how good pros hit it not realizing Trevino would go on to become one of the best iron players to ever walk the earth...

And lee was equally shocked wondering if he could make it on tour if a barely out-of-teenage-years amateur was so dang good...

-Chris

And just have to toss in there that although he always referred to a couple of others as great ball strikers, as most great ball strikers have seemed to do, and some try to downplay his ball striking, Nicklaus knew how to find the middle of his irons and was one of the best drivers of the golf ball ever - if it's possible to be underrated in ball striking, lol, even as the GOAT, sometimes it sure seems fashionable for him to be underrated, lol. That Weiskopf guy hit it pretty good, too.