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.
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
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
Photo: Getty Images
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
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
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
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.
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
The best of Golf Digest delivered daily
Sign UpWill be used in accordance with our PRIVACY POLICY