Nicknames Of The Game

By Cliff Schrock Photos by AP Photo
August 23, 2010
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Gene Sarazen (aka The Squire) at the 1932 British Open.

As we saw at the British Open in July, there are cute nicknames being coined for tour players these days -- Louis Oosthuizen, aka Shrek -- but they're short of being classic or timeless, like a Golden Bear. The great nicknames we've grown accustomed to from golf's past have been memorable and longstanding, derived by both player and caddie alike. Nicknames go beyond turning left-hander Phil Mickelson into Lefty or using the truncated form of a proper name, such as Robert Tyre Jones to Bobby. By and large, getting a nickname is a sign of endearment and can indicate a number of things: you're well-liked, you've "made it," and you have a place in golf history as a memorable figure, especially if mention of the nickname immediately brings the real name and face of the person to mind. The best monikers are inspired by a physical, attitudinal or behavioral trait; sometimes you grow into one, like Tiger; sometimes it's insulting, such as Porky; and sometimes you get someone else's name, such as Chi Chi Rodriguez, who stopped using Juan for the name of Chi Chi Flores, a favorite baseball player.

The editors of Golf Digest ranked their top-10 all-time nicknames, plus honorable mentions, which is followed by an expanded list of nicknames created over the last several decades.

Top 10

The Golden Bear: Jack Nicklaus

The Walrus: Craig Stadler

Boss of the Moss: Loren Roberts

Little Poison: Paul Runyan

The Big Easy: Ernie Els

Big Momma: Joanne Carner

Great White Shark: Greg Norman

Mr. X: Miller Barber

Champagne Tony: Tony Lema

The King: Arnold Palmer

Honorable Mention

The Squire: Gene Sarazen

The Hawk: Ben Hogan

The Silver Scot: Tommy Armour

Lord Byron: Byron Nelson

The Gilroy Cowboy: George Archer

Two Chip: T.C. Chen

Thunder: Tommy Bolt

Boom Boom: Fred Couples

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Photo: Getty Images

Master list of Golfer Nicknames

Brian Allin: Bud; Buddy

George Archer: The Gilroy Cowboy

Tommy Armour: The Silver Scot

Woody Austin: Aquaman

Paul Azinger: Zinger

Aaron Baddeley: Badds; Dresses

Fred Baird: Butch

Michael Jancey Baird: Briny

Severiano Ballesteros: Seve

Carl Jerome Barber: Jerry

Miller Barber: Mr. X; Precious

Jim Barnes: Long Jim

Dave Barr: Hands

Charles Henry Beck: Chip

Rich Beem: Beemer

Al Besselink: Bessie

Tommy Bolt: Thunder Bolt; Tempestuous Tommy; Terrible-Tempered Tommy

Julius Boros: Moose; Julie; Jay; Old Man River; The Bull

Gay Brewer: Hound Dog

Mark Brooks: Brooksiev

Brad Bryant: Dr. Dirt

Johnny Bulla: Boo Boo

George Burns III: The Shah

Angel Cabrera: The Duck

George Cadle: Cuddles

Mark Calcavecchia: Calc

Rex Caldwell: Sexy Rexy

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JoAnne Gunderson Carner: The Great Gundy; Big Momma

Billy Casper: Buffalo Bill

Greg Chalmers: Snake

T.C. Chen: Two Chip

K.J. Choi: Tank

Bobby Clampett: Harpo

Jim Colbert: Discipline

John Cook: Cookie

Harry Cooper: Light Horse

Henry Cotton: The Maestro

Fred Couples: Boom Boom

Bruce Crampton: The Iron Man

Paula Creamer: The Pink Panther

Ben Crenshaw: Gentle Ben

Bobby Cruickshank: Wee Bobby

Rod Curl: Indian

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Photo: Getty Images

John Daly: Wild Thing

Glen Day: All Day

Jimmy Demaret: Sunny Jim; The Singing Texan; Wardrobe; Crooner

Jim Dent: Big Boy

Gardner Dickinson: Chicken Hawk

Andy Dillard: Bib

Mike Donald: Stats; Stat-Man

Dave Eichelberger: Berger

Steve Elkington: Elk

Ernie Els: The Big Easy

Bob Estes: Robo-Pro

Charles Evans: Chick

Nick Faldo: Sir Nick

Brad Faxon: Fax; Bradley

Keith Fergus: Fergie

Vicente Fernandez: Chino

Dow Finsterwald: Finstie

Ed Fiori: The Grip

Raymond Floyd: Pretty Boy; Raymondo; Tempo Raymondo

David Frost: Frosty

Ed Furgol: Wingy

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Little Man; Bantam Ben; Blue Blades)

Photo: Getty Images

Jim Furyk: T-4; The Grinder

Sergio Garcia: El Nino

Frank Webb Gardner Jr.: Buddy

Al Geiberger: Skippy; Mr. 59

C.L. Gilbert Jr.: Gibby

Bob Gilder: Glider

Marvin Giles III: Vinnie

Wayne Grady: Mate; Grades

Hubert Green: The Doberman

Jay Haas: Jaybird

Walter Hagen: The Haig; Sir Walter

Gary Hallberg: Berger

Dan Halldorson: Labatt's

Melvin Harbert: Chick

Paul Harney: Boston Blackie

Ernie Joe Harrison: E.J.; Dutch

Dudley Hart: Mini Volcano

Morris Hatalsky: Morris the Cat, Mo-Cat

Lionel Hebert: Lionel from Montreal

George Henry: Bunky

Tim Herron: Lumpy

Bryant Hiskey: Babe

Ben Hogan: The Hawk; Wee Ice Mon; Little Man; Bantam Ben; Blue Blades

Joe Inman: Oh, No, Joe

Ryo Ishikawa: Hanikami Oji (Bashful Prince)

Tony Jacklin: Jacko

Peter Jacobsen: Jake

Barry Jaeckel: Hollywood

Don January: Slim; Tex; Old Bones

Miguel Angel Jimenez: The Mechanic

Robert Tyre Jones: Bobby; Emperor

Anthony Kim: A.K.

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Photo: Getty Images

Tom Kite: Mr. Consistency

Harold Kneece: Catfish

Robert Landers: The Farmer

Bernhard Langer: Fritzie; The Red Baron

Tony Lema: Champagne Tony

Wayne Levi: Wayne the Drain

Bruce Lietzke: Basset Hound; Leaky

Gene Littler: The Machine

Arthur D'Arcy Locke: Bobby; Muffin

Davis Love III: 3-D; Trip

Liang Huan Lu: Mr. Lu

Alexander Walter Barr Lyle: Sandy

Hunter Mahan: H

Roger Maltbie: Rogo

Lloyd Mangrum: Mr. Icicle

Don Massengale: Bugs Bunny

Gary McCord: Magic

Jack McGowan: Dead Man

Pat McGowan: McGoo

Benson Rayfield McLendon Jr.: B.R.; Mac

Robert Lynn McRoy Jr.: Spike

Harold McSpaden: Jug

William Mehlhorn: Wild Bill

Steve Melnyk: Fluffy; Deity

Phil Mickelson: The Thrill; Lefty

Cary Middlecoff: Doc; Cavity

Larry Mize: Kindness

Colin Montgomerie: Monty

Orville Moody: Sarge

Gil Morgan: Doc

Thomas Morris Sr.: Old Tom

Thomas Morris Jr.: Young Tom; Tommie

Bob Murphy: Murph

Byron Nelson: Lord Byron

Jack Nicklaus: The Golden Bear

Mike Nicolette: Clouseau

Greg Norman: Great White Shark

Tim Norris: Pac-Man

Andy North: Andy South

Christy O'Connor Sr.: Wristy Christy

Jose Maria Olazabal: Chemma

Ed Oliver: Porky

Peter Oosterhuis: Oyster House; Oosty

Louis Oosthuizen: Shrek

Masashi Ozaki: Jumbo

Naomichi Ozaki: Joe

Tateo Ozaki: Jet

Arnold Palmer: The King; Arnie; Bull

Steve Pate: The Volcano

Corey Pavin: The Bulldog

Henry Picard: The Hershey Hurricane

Gary Player: The Black Knight; Finest; Laddie

Dan Pohl: Pohl Cat

Dana Quigley: Iron Man

Edward Ray: Ted

William Chesney Reavie: Chez

Victor Regalado: Pancho

Mike Reid: Radar

Jack Renner: The Prince; Prince Valiant

Robert Riegel: Skee

Larry Rinker: Rink

Loren Roberts: Boss of the Moss

Juan Rodriguez: Chi Chi

Barbara Romack: L'il Tiger

Andres Romero: Pigu

Eduardo Romero: The Big Cat

Bob Rosburg: Rossie

Mason Rudolph: Spy

Paul Runyan: Little Poison

Doug Sanders: Peacock of the Fairways

Gene Sarazen: The Squire

Gene Sauers: Gino

Charles Sifford: Charley; Little Horse

Jim Simons: The Chipper

Scott Simpson: Disco

Vijay Singh: The Big Fijian

Jeff Sluman: Slu

Horton Smith: The Joplin Ghost

Mike Smith: Smitty

Sam Snead: Slammin' Sammy; The Slammer; Nude Knob

Ed Sneed: Answer Man

Mike Souchak: Sooch; Smokey the Bear

Craig Stadler: The Walrus

Payne Stewart: Knickers; Avis

Curtis Strange: Curtis Weird

Ron Streck: Streaker

Mae Louise Suggs: Miss Sluggs

John Henry Taylor: J.H.

Alvin Clarence Thomas: Titanic Thompson

Hugh Thompson: Rocky

Peter Thomson: Five Times

Bob Toski: Mighty Mite; Mouse

Walter Travis: Old Man

Lee Trevino: The Merry Mex; Super Mex

Bob Tway: Brillo

Howard Twitty: Tweety-bird

Brett Upper: Downer

Ken Venturi: Silks

Jerry Lanston Wadkins: Lanny

James Joseph Waldorf Jr.: Duffy

Gerry Watson Jr.: Bubba

Tom Watson: Huck

Thomas Brent Weekley: Boo

Tom Weiskopf: The Towering Inferno

Mark Wiebe: Weebs

Francis Winninger: Bo

Willie Wood: Wee Willie

Eldrick Woods: Tiger

Ian Woosnam: Woosie

Lew Worsham: The Chin; Jaw

Robert Wrenn: Eskimo Pie

Mary Kathryn Wright: Mickey

Mildred Didrikson Zaharias: The Babe

Kermit Zarley: The Pro from the Moon

Frank Urban Zoeller: Fuzzy