To mark the 50th playing of the Players Championship, the founding of which in 1974 coincided with the dawn of what we might call golf’s modern era, we crunched some numbers. Our goal was singular: to rank the 50 best players of the past five decades by their best single season.
Why, you say? Isn’t longevity and the breadth of a player’s accomplishments more important? Isn’t Jack Nicklaus placing fifth on any list of golfers inherently absurd? Sure, but finding new ways to identify greatness across eras is an inescapable part of being a golf fan.
Weighted most heavily toward performance in majors (acknowledging our “big-game hunters”), our formula also accounted for total wins, top-10s, scoring titles and player-of- the-year awards.
We also gave a slight advantage to players who won in multiple countries, denoted by our “global conqueror” icon. Strength of the competition was not factored because, after all, you can beat only what’s in front of you.
What follows are golf’s Roman candles. There’s something deeply compelling about considering who burned brightest when.
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At 41, O’Meara became the oldest to win two majors in a season, highlighting his remarkable 1998 hot streak.
Ballesteros scored seven wins in seven countries: Spain, England, the U.S., Sweden, Germany, France and Japan.
He was bombing-and-gouging before it was cool, launching 300-yard drives with a persimmon and balata.
Short-game wizardry helped Donald finish inside the top 10 in nearly 75 percent of his starts in 2011.
He was the first since 1989 to defend the U.S. Open and first since Tiger in 2000 to follow with a PGA win.
His 72nd-hole birdie made him Great Britain’s first Masters champ and the first Scot to win a U.S. major in more than 50 years.
The Spaniard paired his first green jacket in 1994 with a win at the European Tour’s flagship event.
He squeezed the most out of his career year, playing 37 tournaments—more than anybody else on this list.
He became the first player since Tiger Woods to win two majors in a season. Interestingly, those were Harrington’s only two wins that year.
Westwood ended Colin Montgomerie’s seven-year reign atop the European Tour’s Order of Merit money list.
With a 21-percent win rate, he shattered Nicklaus’ money record during a year he said he wouldn’t trade for another major.
Riding a hot putter, Day finished sixth in strokes gained/putting in 2015 and then led the tour in 2016.
His consistent power through the bag helped him lead the tour in par-5 birdies and par-4 bogey avoidance.
The ever-dependable ball-striker converted more than 35 percent of his birdie putts this season.
He won twice and finished second twice during the five weeks leading up to the Masters, then slipped on the green jacket.
He gained more strokes tee to green than any player since the stat was created.
His Masters-winning season began with three victories and five top-seven finishes in seven starts. Then he cashed in for LIV.
He shot 59 in January, 63 at the U.S. Open in June and lifted the PGA Championship trophy in August.
He won the Players and PGA, marking the high point of a career that included another Players win in 2000.
He was the first since Tiger Woods to win three consecutive tournaments and ascended to World No. 1 in 2011.
With the best putting average (1.68 per hole) on the PGA Tour, Smith won the 150th Open, then joined LIV.
The U.S. Open win was in the middle of a run with one international victory from 1995 to 2007 except for 1998.
After years of toiling on the satellite tours, Lehman had his hottest year with two of his five PGA Tour wins, including his lone major.
His seven-year run atop the Order of Merit money list was marked by many major near-misses.
Duval overtook Tiger Woods as World No. 1 while winning four times and shooting a 59 at the Bob Hope.
A Masters win and three near-misses in majors highlighted the greatest season of many for Mickelson.
Two wins in May and one in June—the U.S. Open—made him the first player to win more than $1 million in a season.
Scott snapped years of shoulda-coulda when his strokes gained/putting got to within a whiff of tour average.
Forced into a last-minute putter change when his gamer was declared nonconforming the week before, Furyk tied the U.S. Open’s 72-hole scoring record.
He won across four decades and claimed four majors in his career, with his 1981 Players victory coming during his most solid season in our 50-year snapshot.
Trevino’s early years didn’t make the 1974 cutoff date for our ranking, but his stellar 1980 season did.
McNulty’s career year came during a stretch when he spent 83 weeks inside the top 10 of the World Ranking.
Kite finished inside the top 10 in more than 80 percent of his starts during his most consistent season.
He grabbed the first of five runner-up finishes in majors before eventually winning one in 1984.
He hit more than 70 percent of his fairways and greens and gained 1.55 strokes from tee to green.
Three wins and a major was the zenith of a career that was soon sidelined by a cancer diagnosis.
Among the shortest drivers on tour at 254 yards, Pavin slayed mighty Shinnecock Hills for his U.S. Open win.
Stadler got putting advice from pal Dave Stockton, then nabbed four of his 13 career wins, including the Masters.
In an era of limited travel, Rogers won in England, the United States, Australia and Japan.
Three wins and four top-10s in majors left many wondering if Garcia would be Europe’s counterpart to Tiger Woods.
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