Nelson vs Nicklaus
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Nicklaus wins: Dominance, Longevity, Honours
Nelson wins: Peak
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Showing full careers. Pick a window to recalculate the selected period.
Category radar
Verdict
Nicklaus leads in 4 of 5 weighted categories. 18 majors and 19 runner-up finishes — unmatched major consistency.
Category breakdown
Season form · Wins per season
Career timeline · Wins per season
Cumulative output season by season — the shape of each career against the other.
GOAT pace tracker
Setting the pace at age 22
No verified birth date for Nelson — shown in the pro-debut view instead.
Every career is cut at the season the athlete turned 22, so a rookie today is measured against exactly what a legend had banked by the same birthday.
| Metric | NelsonRetired | NicklausRetired |
|---|---|---|
| Major titles | 5 | — |
| PGA Tour wins | 52 | 73 |
| Consecutive wins | 11 | — |
| Wins in 1945 | 18 | — |
| Masters titles | 2 | — |
| Vardon Trophy | 1 | — |
| Major championships | — | 18 |
| Weeks at world No. 1 | — | 0 |
| Player of the Year awards | — | 5 |
| Career prize money (M$) | — | 5.7 |
| Major runner-up finishes | — | 19 |
| Dominance w25% | 86 | 94 |
| Peak w20% | 95 | 92 |
| Longevity w20% | 72 | 99 |
| Honours w20% | 84 | 99 |
| Statistics w15% | 90 | 90 |
Fan vote — data vs the people
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