Who is better, Matsuyama or Nicklaus?
Jack Nicklaus leads with a GOAT score of 95.0 against 86.9 for Hideki Matsuyama — a gap of 8.1 points on GOAT Rank's weighted model.
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Matsuyama vs Nicklaus
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Quick answer
GOAT Rank currently ranks Jack Nicklaus above Hideki Matsuyama: 95.0 vs 86.9. Jack Nicklaus leads on Longevity, Honours, Dominance.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →GOAT verdictgoatrank.world
NicklausWinner
95.0Nicklaus wins: Dominance, Longevity, Honours
Matsuyama
86.9Matsuyama wins: no category outright
Candidates
Locked to GolfShareable URL · /compare/hideki-matsuyama-vs-jack-nicklaus
Time range
Showing full careers. Pick a window to recalculate the selected period.
Category radar
Verdict
Weighted GOAT score
🇺🇸 Jack Nicklaus
95.0
Nicklaus leads in 5 of 5 weighted categories.
1. Jack Nicklaus
2. Hideki Matsuyama
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
Through age 22 · Form index per season
1. 🇺🇸 Jack Nicklaus3 wins
1 season by age 22 · 3 per season
Setting the pace at age 22
No verified birth date for Matsuyama — 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 | MatsuyamaActive | NicklausRetired |
|---|---|---|
| Major titles | 1 | — |
| PGA Tour wins | 11 | 73 |
| Olympic medals | 1 | — |
| Presidents Cup appearances | 6 | — |
| Career-high world ranking | 2 | — |
| 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% | 84 | 94 |
| Peak w20% | 92 | 92 |
| Longevity w20% | 84 | 99 |
| Honours w20% | 86 | 99 |
| Statistics w15% | 90 | 90 |
Fan vote — data vs the people
GOAT Rank · the data
Nicklaus95.0
Matsuyama86.9
FAQ
Where does Matsuyama beat Nicklaus?
Matsuyama does not lead any of the five categories; Nicklaus is ahead or level on all of them.
How is the Matsuyama vs Nicklaus score calculated?
Both are scored on peak, dominance, honours, statistics, longevity within their sport. Matsuyama: 86.9, Nicklaus: 95.0.
What do you think?
0 commentsMake your case for Matsuyama vs Nicklaus. 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.