Golf records unlikely to ever be broken

[lowheel]

I thought I saw recently that Tiger had some rediculous record for most consecutive cuts made? I remember saying to myself wow, don't see anybody ever even coming close to that number again... I feel like it was 160 something? No time to google right now.

 

It is a ridiculous record. But the name is misleading. His 141 "cuts made" includes events where there was no cut. So it's better described as 141 events where he did not miss the cut. You can't make a cut if there is no cut.

 

The increasing number of no-cut events may make this record a lot more achievable in the future. At the very start of Tiger's career, I think there were two no-cut events on the schedule (Tour Championship and Tournament of Champions). When he set the record, I think there were 5. Today, there are 9 (4 WGCs, 2 Fedex events... although maybe the TC won't count anymore?, Tournament of Champions, 2 Asia events). Who knows how many there will be in the future.

For some reason RK likes to remind us every couple days that some weren't really cuts made. Similar to some, including myself, adjusting career wins for players of the past for team wins and such. Though that one has taken a recent hit with the Zurich to man event now being official. :( Shouldn't be an official win imho.

 

His argument is actually based on facts though... ;)

 

Doesnt diminish his record but does artificially inflate it

[lowheel]

^^Does Jack's streak also included the team events?

 

From what I see, here are the highlights.

 

"31 of the tournaments in which Woods competed were "no-cut"....

 

"this would leave Woods's final consecutive cuts made at 111"

 

 

"at least ten of the tournaments in which Nelson played did not have modern-day cuts"

 

" leaving Nelson's consecutive cuts made at 103 (or possibly less) "

 

 

"A more relevant comparison on cut streaks is the 105 consecutive cuts made by Jack Nicklaus between 1970 and 1976"

 

"most events in Nicklaus' streak, except for the Tournament of Champions (now the SBS Championship), the World Series of Golf (now the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational), and the U.S. Professional Match Play Championship (10 events for Nicklaus) had a cut made after 36 holes."

 

 

So, based on this it looks like it's

 

TW with 111

Nelson with 103 or less

JN with 95

 

 

Tiger made 111 straight cuts in events with a cut over 6+ years. Very hard to see anybody doing any better. I'd be surprised if anybody in the past decade has even gone more than one season, maybe two without missing a cut.

 

It unfortunately doesnt work that way as the events are sprinkled around the schedule but i get what youre saying

[lowheel]

Byron Nelson's record gets mentioned alot but imo there should be an asterisk.

 

1. 1945

2. No Ben Hogan, Lloyd Mangrum, Sam Snead in any of the fields

3. Many top players away on fighting a war

4. Done with a very very weak field

 

Not true. Snead played 28 PGA Tour events during 1945 compared to Nelsons 30. Snead won 4 consecutive tournaments before Nelson ran off his 11 event win streak. While it appears that Hogan did not play during the Nelson win streak he did play 18 events in 1945, winning 5. Nelson won multiple events (6) in 1945 with Hogan in the field. Not certain what the first event was that Hogan played in 1945. Tried to find an accurate PGA Tour schedule from 1945 but have come up empty.

 

http://www.byronnels...com/tournaments

 

https://www.golf.com...never-be-broken

 

When Nelson arrived at the Miami Four-Ball Championship in early March, he had already won three times on the season, but he was unhappy. The week before he’d played below his standards in Jacksonville, finishing sixth, while his rival of the day, Sam Snead, won his fourth straight event. Nelson planned to turn the tide, and he did.

 

https://golfweek.com...n-or-ben-hogan/

 

True, with Hogan in the service, Nelson in 1944 won eight times. But nonsense to suggestions that the epic ‘45 season came minus Hogan; in six of Nelson’s 18 wins, Hogan played.

 

In his PGA Tour career, Nelson finished second to Hogan in only two stroke-play events. One came late in 1945, in Portland, Ore. Having won by 14, Hogan reportedly said, “I guess that takes care of this ‘Mr. Golf’ business.’ ” Hogan acolytes love that. Only their blind loyalty ignores this: Two weeks later, Nelson shot a then-record 259, won by 13 and beat Hogan by a whopping 20 in Seattle.

 

A lasting sense of symmetry? In the 1927 caddie championship at Glen Garden Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, Nelson edged Hogan in a playoff. Eighteen years later at Glen Garden, Nelson earned the last of his 18 victories in that unforgettable ’45 season by six strokes; Hogan finished a whopping 14 back.

 

I dont think Hogan knew how good he could be until 46. He said his swing started grooving in 45 and his left miss was all but gone and he found a serviceable putting stroke. he always had the talent and work ethic but many biographers believed he lacked the confidence and may have even had stage fright. Didnt like playing in front of people.He peaked later while nelson was the player he finished as a 30 yeard old.I believe nelson would have had a prolific career in his 30s if he continued to play. he would not play all year and show up to augusta and easily top 10 and sometimes contend right into the 50s. lets not forget nelson won 18 in 45 and hogan won 6. the following year hogan won 13 and nelson won 6.Snead won 6 in each of those years as well. Between the 3 they won 55 events in 45-46. insane

[Finbarr Saunders]

Byron Nelson's record gets mentioned alot but imo there should be an asterisk.

 

1. 1945

2. No Ben Hogan, Lloyd Mangrum, Sam Snead in any of the fields

3. Many top players away on fighting a war

4. Done with a very very weak field

 

IMO Tiger's streak of 7 is more impressive. Way way more impressive.

 

Would Nelsons record be better than woods if Hogan Snead or Mangrum played

Folks make fun of the Hero Challenge getting ranking points and that has the best 18 players in the world, or damn close to it. Did any event Nelson and the lads from 1945 played in ever have anything close to the best 18 in the world? At best they had most of the best the US had to offer. And filled the events with club pros.

 

The reason i asked the question was that i knew he wasn't going to answer it because he just concocted a story trying to lessen Nelsons achievement. The facts being Snead played in most of Nelsons victories, Hogan also played in good few Snead won 6 times in 1945 and Hogan 5 times

[Shilgy]

Byron Nelson's record gets mentioned alot but imo there should be an asterisk.

 

1. 1945

2. No Ben Hogan, Lloyd Mangrum, Sam Snead in any of the fields

3. Many top players away on fighting a war

4. Done with a very very weak field

 

IMO Tiger's streak of 7 is more impressive. Way way more impressive.

 

Would Nelsons record be better than woods if Hogan Snead or Mangrum played

Folks make fun of the Hero Challenge getting ranking points and that has the best 18 players in the world, or damn close to it. Did any event Nelson and the lads from 1945 played in ever have anything close to the best 18 in the world? At best they had most of the best the US had to offer. And filled the events with club pros.

 

The reason i asked the question was that i knew he wasn't going to answer it because he just concocted a story trying to lessen Nelsons achievement. The facts being Snead played in most of Nelsons victories, Hogan also played in good few Snead won 6 times in 1945 and Hogan 5 times

The understanding most folks seem to have is that Hogan's season in '45 started after the end of the Nelson streak. Do you have tournament results that prove otherwise? Were there no good Europeans in those years that survived the war? Americans were the only good players? My point is that even if Hogan Nelson Snead McSpadden played every event that's four guys. McSpadden finished second 13 times in 1945! So who else played is the question. Lowheel pointed out the big three won 55 times in two years. That is fantastic! But my point is that if the Hero is derided for having just 18 of the best in the world as not even worthy of ranking points how in the world is an event with at most a half dozen of just the best Americans considered an official win?

[Darth Putter]

Lloyd Mangrum went from wounded at the Battle of the Bulge to US Open Champion in 18 months.

 

4 Battle Stars

2 Purple Hearts and

1 US Open Trophy

 

That record may be tough to top.

 

 

Honorable Mention to Bobby Locke who went from bomber pilot to runner up in the 1946 British Open in less than a year.

[Hawkeye77]

Byron Nelson's record gets mentioned alot but imo there should be an asterisk.

 

1. 1945

2. No Ben Hogan, Lloyd Mangrum, Sam Snead in any of the fields

3. Many top players away on fighting a war

4. Done with a very very weak field

 

IMO Tiger's streak of 7 is more impressive. Way way more impressive.

 

Would Nelsons record be better than woods if Hogan Snead or Mangrum played

Folks make fun of the Hero Challenge getting ranking points and that has the best 18 players in the world, or damn close to it. Did any event Nelson and the lads from 1945 played in ever have anything close to the best 18 in the world? At best they had most of the best the US had to offer. And filled the events with club pros.

 

The reason i asked the question was that i knew he wasn't going to answer it because he just concocted a story trying to lessen Nelsons achievement. The facts being Snead played in most of Nelsons victories, Hogan also played in good few Snead won 6 times in 1945 and Hogan 5 times

 

Need to be careful about how things are described and you are not being as accurate as you could be.

 

Snead played in most of the events Nelson was playing in 1945.

 

Hogan played in only 2 events of "the streak" - the Miami Four Ball (joke this is counted) and in late July on leave for a few days he played in the Tam O'Shanter, 10th win in the streak. Otherwise, he didn't play until on leave again in August and then continuing to play up to and after his discharge on September 5, 1945.

 

In Nelson's autobiography he is less forthcoming than I would like to see about the streak and it was disappointing to me. He suggests that Hogan was released from service early in 1945, that just isn't true at all, and talks about Hogan playing lots of events, as well as Snead. Given he kind of talked around the truth of his direct competition with Hogan, I took it as a bit defensive. Now maybe that was real writer's choice to enhance/protect his subject a little bit, or just very, very sloppy fact checking, at least as far as the service record goes, or consistent with the way Nelson liked to talk about it. Hogan wasn't on terminal leave until August 15 (ooh, my birthday! - not 1945, lol). It is obviously meant to be interpreted in the context of the streak that he competed against Hogan quite a bit and that is false. Kind of a sour note for me, I guess.

 

I haven't reviewed American Triumvirate for a long time, but that would be the best resource for all things Hogan, Snead and Nelson.

 

In the end, he played who showed up and he beat them.

[Hawkeye77]

Lloyd Mangrum went from wounded at the Battle of the Bulge to US Open Champion in 18 months.

 

4 Battle Stars

2 Purple Hearts and

1 US Open Trophy

 

That record may be tough to top.

 

Honorable Mention to Bobby Locke who went from bomber pilot to runner up in the 1946 British Open in less than a year.

 

Mangrum was a stud.

 

Wouldn't be whining his courtesy car was the wrong color, he didn't get enough free shoes and the water in the locker room needed some lemon!

[bscinstnct]

^^Does Jack's streak also included the team events?

 

From what I see, here are the highlights.

 

"31 of the tournaments in which Woods competed were "no-cut"....

 

"this would leave Woods's final consecutive cuts made at 111"

 

 

"at least ten of the tournaments in which Nelson played did not have modern-day cuts"

 

" leaving Nelson's consecutive cuts made at 103 (or possibly less) "

 

 

"A more relevant comparison on cut streaks is the 105 consecutive cuts made by Jack Nicklaus between 1970 and 1976"

 

"most events in Nicklaus' streak, except for the Tournament of Champions (now the SBS Championship), the World Series of Golf (now the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational), and the U.S. Professional Match Play Championship (10 events for Nicklaus) had a cut made after 36 holes."

 

 

So, based on this it looks like it's

 

TW with 111

Nelson with 103 or less

JN with 95

 

 

Tiger made 111 straight cuts in events with a cut over 6+ years. Very hard to see anybody doing any better. I'd be surprised if anybody in the past decade has even gone more than one season, maybe two without missing a cut.

 

It unfortunately doesnt work that way as the events are sprinkled around the schedule but i get what youre saying

 

Over a span of 141 consecutive events, TW made the cut in all 111 events that had a cut.

 

Or put it this way.

 

Tiger never missed a cut for a span of 7 years.

 

Nobody is touching that. Especially in light of the fact that even the best players these days miss cuts every year for the most part. Most of them miss a few cuts a year.

 

Take Rory. In his entire career, he has only gone 1 full year without missing a cut. Spieth has missed cuts every year he has played.

 

TW went over 7 years.

 

Can't discount how significant a statement that is. And it's no surprise that only Jack (as far as the "modern era") is right there and then basically nobody else is close.

[Caddykev]

Lloyd Mangrum went from wounded at the Battle of the Bulge to US Open Champion in 18 months.

 

4 Battle Stars

2 Purple Hearts and

1 US Open Trophy

 

That record may be tough to top.

 

 

Honorable Mention to Bobby Locke who went from bomber pilot to runner up in the 1946 British Open in less than a year.

Mr. Icicle!!!

[doublehans]

top10 on money list record may/may not get broken and no one will realize it. with advent of world rankings and fed ex cup, money list place is just not a thing like it used to be.

[Darth Putter]

Lloyd Mangrum went from wounded at the Battle of the Bulge to US Open Champion in 18 months.

 

4 Battle Stars

2 Purple Hearts and

1 US Open Trophy

 

That record may be tough to top.

 

Honorable Mention to Bobby Locke who went from bomber pilot to runner up in the 1946 British Open in less than a year.

 

Mangrum was a stud.

 

Wouldn't be whining his courtesy car was the wrong color, he didn't get enough free shoes and the water in the locker room needed some lemon!

 

Fortunately, he doesn't have to put up with a pack of slack jawed yokels on an internet golf forum deriding his era of golf and questioning if his wins and those of contemporaries should even count.

[Naptime]

After TW breaks Sam Snead's victory total I doubt anyone will get within 30 of whatever that number will be. If TW doesn't break Sam's record I doubt anyone else will ever get close. Phil has had as good a run as anyone whose father wasn't Earl Woods, and he's about 40 behind Sam.

[doublehans]

Tiger's overall conversion rate when he held the lead after 54 holes.

 

One was in his rookie season, the other with yang in 2009, so from the time he won his first major in 1997 until he won his last in 2008 he never coughed up an outright lead.

 

Its a crazy conversion rate.

[doublehans]

Total Driving is a stat that has faded in importance, but Jack's total of 23 in 1980 (10th in distance, 13th in accuracy) would be hard to beat today.

 

Also, in 2000-2001, Tiger had 52 straight rounds of par or better. Good luck with someone beating that.

[playa]

Byron Nelson's record gets mentioned alot but imo there should be an asterisk.

 

1. 1945

2. No Ben Hogan, Lloyd Mangrum, Sam Snead in any of the fields

3. Many top players away on fighting a war

4. Done with a very very weak field

 

Not true. Snead played 28 PGA Tour events during 1945 compared to Nelsons 30. Snead won 4 consecutive tournaments before Nelson ran off his 11 event win streak. While it appears that Hogan did not play during the Nelson win streak he did play 18 events in 1945, winning 5. Nelson won multiple events (6) in 1945 with Hogan in the field. Not certain what the first event was that Hogan played in 1945. Tried to find an accurate PGA Tour schedule from 1945 but have come up empty.

 

http://www.byronnels...com/tournaments

 

https://www.golf.com...never-be-broken

 

When Nelson arrived at the Miami Four-Ball Championship in early March, he had already won three times on the season, but he was unhappy. The week before he’d played below his standards in Jacksonville, finishing sixth, while his rival of the day, Sam Snead, won his fourth straight event. Nelson planned to turn the tide, and he did.

 

https://golfweek.com...n-or-ben-hogan/

 

True, with Hogan in the service, Nelson in 1944 won eight times. But nonsense to suggestions that the epic ‘45 season came minus Hogan; in six of Nelson’s 18 wins, Hogan played.

 

In his PGA Tour career, Nelson finished second to Hogan in only two stroke-play events. One came late in 1945, in Portland, Ore. Having won by 14, Hogan reportedly said, “I guess that takes care of this ‘Mr. Golf’ business.’ ” Hogan acolytes love that. Only their blind loyalty ignores this: Two weeks later, Nelson shot a then-record 259, won by 13 and beat Hogan by a whopping 20 in Seattle.

 

A lasting sense of symmetry? In the 1927 caddie championship at Glen Garden Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, Nelson edged Hogan in a playoff. Eighteen years later at Glen Garden, Nelson earned the last of his 18 victories in that unforgettable ’45 season by six strokes; Hogan finished a whopping 14 back.

 

I dont think Hogan knew how good he could be until 46. He said his swing started grooving in 45 and his left miss was all but gone and he found a serviceable putting stroke. he always had the talent and work ethic but many biographers believed he lacked the confidence and may have even had stage fright. Didnt like playing in front of people.He peaked later while nelson was the player he finished as a 30 yeard old.I believe nelson would have had a prolific career in his 30s if he continued to play. he would not play all year and show up to augusta and easily top 10 and sometimes contend right into the 50s. lets not forget nelson won 18 in 45 and hogan won 6. the following year hogan won 13 and nelson won 6.Snead won 6 in each of those years as well. Between the 3 they won 55 events in 45-46. insane

Either they were that good, or the rest were that bad. Stronger argument for weak fields than some here who say Tiger played against weak fields, despite the fact that wins were very evenly spread outside Tiger.

[playa]

Tiger's overall conversion rate when he held the lead after 54 holes.

 

One was in his rookie season, the other with yang in 2009, so from the time he won his first major in 1997 until he won his last in 2008 he never coughed up an outright lead.

 

Its a crazy conversion rate.

The greatest front runner in the history of sports.

[Roadking2003]

Tiger's overall conversion rate when he held the lead after 54 holes.

 

One was in his rookie season, the other with yang in 2009, so from the time he won his first major in 1997 until he won his last in 2008 he never coughed up an outright lead.

 

Its a crazy conversion rate.

 

What was his conversion rate and How does that compare with others?

[dropkicked]

Tiger's overall conversion rate when he held the lead after 54 holes.

 

One was in his rookie season, the other with yang in 2009, so from the time he won his first major in 1997 until he won his last in 2008 he never coughed up an outright lead.

 

Its a crazy conversion rate.

 

What was his conversion rate and How does that compare with others?

Here you go Pro

@JustinRayGC

Converting outright 54-hole leads on the PGA Tour:

Tiger Woods' career: 95% (42-for-44)

Entire Tour since 2013: 42%

 

@JustinRayGC

Tiger Woods will take a 3-shot lead into the final round. He is 23-for-23 converting 54-hole leads of 3+ shots in his PGA Tour career.

Thats 100% (One Hundred Percent)

[bscinstnct]

Tiger's overall conversion rate when he held the lead after 54 holes.

 

One was in his rookie season, the other with yang in 2009, so from the time he won his first major in 1997 until he won his last in 2008 he never coughed up an outright lead.

 

Its a crazy conversion rate.

 

What was his conversion rate and How does that compare with others?

Here you go Pro

@JustinRayGC

Converting outright 54-hole leads on the PGA Tour:

Tiger Woods' career: 95% (42-for-44)

Entire Tour since 2013: 42%

 

@JustinRayGC

Tiger Woods will take a 3-shot lead into the final round. He is 23-for-23 converting 54-hole leads of 3+ shots in his PGA Tour career.

Thats 100% (One Hundred Percent)

 

Nice.

 

Everybody know TW 1.0 the best to ever tee it up.

 

Nobody close to that caliber of play ever.

 

Dont make me say it....

 

 

; )

[grm24]

Tiger's overall conversion rate when he held the lead after 54 holes.

 

One was in his rookie season, the other with yang in 2009, so from the time he won his first major in 1997 until he won his last in 2008 he never coughed up an outright lead.

 

Its a crazy conversion rate.

 

What was his conversion rate and How does that compare with others?

PGA Tour wise Tiger is 54-4 when holding outright/sharing the lead after 54 holes after winning the 2018 Tour Championship.

.... Is 43-2 after 54 holes when holding the lead outright after the third round on the PGA Tour.

.... And is 24 for 24 when holding a 3+ shot lead after the third round of a PGA Tour event.

 

Nobody else on the current PGA Tour is close to any of those numbers. I would like to see the same type of numbers as how Jack, Sam, BH, Byron, Arnie and other tour greats are in comparison.

[Golfnutgalen]

PGA Tour wise Tiger is 54-4 when holding outright/sharing the lead after 54 holes after winning the 2018 Tour Championship.

.... Is 43-2 after 54 holes when holding the lead outright after the third round on the PGA Tour.

.... And is 24 for 24 when holding a 3+ shot lead after the third round of a PGA Tour event.

 

Nobody else on the current PGA Tour is close to any of those numbers. I would like to see the same type of numbers as how Jack, Sam, BH, Byron, Arnie and other tour greats are in comparison.

 

I would like to know those numbers as well, it's a very difficult stat to search for even for current players and pretty much impossible for anything pre 1980.

 

One I did find was that Rickie Fowler has gone 1-5 with at least a share of the lead and 1-4 with a solo lead. For comparison Fowler has a 17% conversion rate with at least a share of the lead vs Tiger at 93%.

 

Oh wait, somebody did some of the work for us! This article states that Jack had a 60% win rate (38-25). Jack fared significantly better in the majors at 83% (10-2). A couple other notables:

 

https://golfweek.com...n-54-hole-lead/

 

--Article is from 2016, so this may be slightly off, so I will be fixing these numbers-

 

Phil Mickelson 64% (25-14)

Ernie Els 75% (12-6)

[grm24]

PGA Tour wise Tiger is 54-4 when holding outright/sharing the lead after 54 holes after winning the 2018 Tour Championship.

.... Is 43-2 after 54 holes when holding the lead outright after the third round on the PGA Tour.

.... And is 24 for 24 when holding a 3+ shot lead after the third round of a PGA Tour event.

 

Nobody else on the current PGA Tour is close to any of those numbers. I would like to see the same type of numbers as how Jack, Sam, BH, Byron, Arnie and other tour greats are in comparison.

 

I would like to know those numbers as well, it's a very difficult stat to search for even for current players and pretty much impossible for anything pre 1980.

 

One I did find was that Rickie Fowler has gone 1-5 with at least a share of the lead and 1-4 with a solo lead. For comparison Fowler has a 17% conversion rate with at least a share of the lead vs Tiger at 93%.

 

Oh wait, somebody did some of the work for us! This article states that Jack had a 60% win rate (38-25). Jack fared significantly better in the majors at 83% (10-2). A couple other notables:

 

https://golfweek.com...n-54-hole-lead/

 

--Article is from 2016, so this may be slightly off, so I will be fixing these numbers-

 

Phil Mickelson 64% (25-14)

Ernie Els 75% (12-6)

Had not come across that article before. Thanks. Here is another one from early 2016 that shows some interesting numbers.

 

https://www.golf.com/golf-plus/yes-sergio-garcia-one-pga-tours-worst-closers

[ChillyDipper]

Lloyd Mangrum went from wounded at the Battle of the Bulge to US Open Champion in 18 months.

 

4 Battle Stars

2 Purple Hearts and

1 US Open Trophy

 

That record may be tough to top.

 

Honorable Mention to Bobby Locke who went from bomber pilot to runner up in the 1946 British Open in less than a year.

 

Mangrum was a stud.

 

Wouldn't be whining his courtesy car was the wrong color, he didn't get enough free shoes and the water in the locker room needed some lemon!

 

Fortunately, he doesn't have to put up with a pack of slack jawed yokels on an internet golf forum deriding his era of golf and questioning if his wins and those of contemporaries should even count.

 

some folk'll never lose a toe, but then again, some folk'll.

[halliedog]

I apologize for not reading through all of this thread, but if we are talking about things never likely to be accomplished again, has anyone mentioned Jack's runner-ups in Majors?

 

If being the best comes down to major championships, Nicklaus is the all-time greatest and it isn't even a contest. Along with his record 18 major wins, Nicklaus was runner-up in majors on 19 occasions and was third nine times. He finished among the top 10 at 73 of the 164 majors he played.

[doublehans]

I apologize for not reading through all of this thread, but if we are talking about things never likely to be accomplished again, has anyone mentioned Jack's runner-ups in Majors?

 

If being the best comes down to major championships, Nicklaus is the all-time greatest and it isn't even a contest. Along with his record 18 major wins, Nicklaus was runner-up in majors on 19 occasions and was third nine times. He finished among the top 10 at 73 of the 164 majors he played.

 

OP mentioned top3 finishes which is the same thing. ultimately, its gonna be hard for anyone to match Jack’s consistency/longevity playing at a high level. and similarly, its gonna be hard for anyone to ever match Tiger’s peak.

[lowheel]

Tiger's overall conversion rate when he held the lead after 54 holes.

 

One was in his rookie season, the other with yang in 2009, so from the time he won his first major in 1997 until he won his last in 2008 he never coughed up an outright lead.

 

Its a crazy conversion rate.

 

What was his conversion rate and How does that compare with others?

PGA Tour wise Tiger is 54-4 when holding outright/sharing the lead after 54 holes after winning the 2018 Tour Championship.

.... Is 43-2 after 54 holes when holding the lead outright after the third round on the PGA Tour.

.... And is 24 for 24 when holding a 3+ shot lead after the third round of a PGA Tour event.

 

Nobody else on the current PGA Tour is close to any of those numbers. I would like to see the same type of numbers as how Jack, Sam, BH, Byron, Arnie and other tour greats are in comparison.

 

Other than phil nobody has 25+ wins on tour so of course not

[lowheel]

Byron Nelson's record gets mentioned alot but imo there should be an asterisk.

 

1. 1945

2. No Ben Hogan, Lloyd Mangrum, Sam Snead in any of the fields

3. Many top players away on fighting a war

4. Done with a very very weak field

 

Not true. Snead played 28 PGA Tour events during 1945 compared to Nelsons 30. Snead won 4 consecutive tournaments before Nelson ran off his 11 event win streak. While it appears that Hogan did not play during the Nelson win streak he did play 18 events in 1945, winning 5. Nelson won multiple events (6) in 1945 with Hogan in the field. Not certain what the first event was that Hogan played in 1945. Tried to find an accurate PGA Tour schedule from 1945 but have come up empty.

 

http://www.byronnels...com/tournaments

 

https://www.golf.com...never-be-broken

 

When Nelson arrived at the Miami Four-Ball Championship in early March, he had already won three times on the season, but he was unhappy. The week before he'd played below his standards in Jacksonville, finishing sixth, while his rival of the day, Sam Snead, won his fourth straight event. Nelson planned to turn the tide, and he did.

 

https://golfweek.com...n-or-ben-hogan/

 

True, with Hogan in the service, Nelson in 1944 won eight times. But nonsense to suggestions that the epic '45 season came minus Hogan; in six of Nelson's 18 wins, Hogan played.

 

In his PGA Tour career, Nelson finished second to Hogan in only two stroke-play events. One came late in 1945, in Portland, Ore. Having won by 14, Hogan reportedly said, "I guess that takes care of this 'Mr. Golf' business.' " Hogan acolytes love that. Only their blind loyalty ignores this: Two weeks later, Nelson shot a then-record 259, won by 13 and beat Hogan by a whopping 20 in Seattle.

 

A lasting sense of symmetry? In the 1927 caddie championship at Glen Garden Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, Nelson edged Hogan in a playoff. Eighteen years later at Glen Garden, Nelson earned the last of his 18 victories in that unforgettable '45 season by six strokes; Hogan finished a whopping 14 back.

 

I dont think Hogan knew how good he could be until 46. He said his swing started grooving in 45 and his left miss was all but gone and he found a serviceable putting stroke. he always had the talent and work ethic but many biographers believed he lacked the confidence and may have even had stage fright. Didnt like playing in front of people.He peaked later while nelson was the player he finished as a 30 yeard old.I believe nelson would have had a prolific career in his 30s if he continued to play. he would not play all year and show up to augusta and easily top 10 and sometimes contend right into the 50s. lets not forget nelson won 18 in 45 and hogan won 6. the following year hogan won 13 and nelson won 6.Snead won 6 in each of those years as well. Between the 3 they won 55 events in 45-46. insane

Either they were that good, or the rest were that bad. Stronger argument for weak fields than some here who say Tiger played against weak fields, despite the fact that wins were very evenly spread outside Tiger.

 

Greatness is greatness.

[Steele47]

This thread looks like homework.

[lowheel]

Lloyd Mangrum went from wounded at the Battle of the Bulge to US Open Champion in 18 months.

 

4 Battle Stars

2 Purple Hearts and

1 US Open Trophy

 

That record may be tough to top.

 

Honorable Mention to Bobby Locke who went from bomber pilot to runner up in the 1946 British Open in less than a year.

 

Mangrum was a stud.

 

Wouldn't be whining his courtesy car was the wrong color, he didn't get enough free shoes and the water in the locker room needed some lemon!

 

Fortunately, he doesn't have to put up with a pack of slack jawed yokels on an internet golf forum deriding his era of golf and questioning if his wins and those of contemporaries should even count.