Who is better, Nelson or Middlecoff?
Cary Middlecoff leads with a GOAT score of 85.3 against 85.2 for Byron Nelson — a gap of 0.1 points on GOAT Rank's weighted model.
AthletesTeams
Nelson vs Middlecoff
Shareable comparison — send this exact matchup to anyone.
Quick answer
GOAT Rank currently ranks Cary Middlecoff above Byron Nelson: 85.3 vs 85.2. Cary Middlecoff leads on Longevity, Honours. Byron Nelson leads on Peak, Dominance.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →GOAT verdictgoatrank.world
MiddlecoffWinner
85.3Middlecoff wins: Longevity, Honours
Nelson
85.2Nelson wins: Dominance, Peak
Candidates
Locked to GolfShareable URL · /compare/byron-nelson-vs-cary-middlecoff
Time range
Showing full careers. Pick a window to recalculate the selected period.
Category radar
Verdict
Weighted GOAT score
🇺🇸 Cary Middlecoff
85.3
Middlecoff leads in 3 of 5 weighted categories.
1. Cary Middlecoff
2. Byron Nelson
Category breakdown
Season form · Form index per season
Career timeline · Form index per season
Cumulative output season by season — the shape of each career against the other.
GOAT pace tracker
Career stage · GOAT pace
Through season 5 · Form index per season1. 🇺🇸 Cary Middlecoff5 seasons played · career day 1,825231 wins
Setting the pace at this stage
2. 🇺🇸 Byron Nelson5 seasons played · career day 2,92112 wins
-94.8% vs Middlecoff at the same stage
| Ghost race · career day | 30 | 100 | 365 | 1000 | 1825 | 3650 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 Nelson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| 🇺🇸 Middlecoff | 0 | 0 | 30 | 68 | 231 | 563 |
Careers are aligned from debut; the first 5 season periods are measured against the same career window.
| Metric | NelsonRetired | MiddlecoffRetired |
|---|---|---|
| Major titles | 5 | 3 |
| PGA Tour wins | 52 | 40 |
| Consecutive wins | 11 | — |
| Wins in 1945 | 18 | — |
| Masters titles | 2 | — |
| Vardon Trophy | 1 | — |
| Vardon Trophies | — | 1 |
| Ryder Cup appearances | — | 3 |
| Top-10 major finishes | — | 22 |
| Dominance w25% | 86 | 84 |
| Peak w20% | 95 | 92 |
| Longevity w20% | 72 | 76 |
| Honours w20% | 84 | 86 |
| Statistics w15% | 90 | 90 |
Fan vote — data vs the people
GOAT Rank · the data
Middlecoff85.3
Nelson85.2
FAQ
Where does Nelson beat Middlecoff?
Nelson scores higher on peak, dominance. Middlecoff leads on honours, longevity.
How is the Nelson vs Middlecoff score calculated?
Both are scored on peak, dominance, honours, statistics, longevity within their sport. Nelson: 85.2, Middlecoff: 85.3.
What do you think?
0 commentsMake your case for Nelson vs Middlecoff. The scoring is published in full — if you can point at the pillar or the weight you disagree with, we read it. Read the methodology paper.