Men's Golf: Will There Ever Be Another Triumvirate?

Arnold Palmer was the founding member of the last Triumvirate in golf. For over a decade alongside Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, the trio dominated the game.

The word goes back to Roman times and means an association of three men sharing supreme power. It was introduced to golf around the 1870s to describe the influence of three great players of the era.

Harry Vardon, John Henry Taylor and James Braid, between them, won 16 British and one United States Open Championships, besides many other trophies. The former introduced "The Vardon Grip," still used by a majority of players today.

They were followed in the early part of the next century by Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones and Gene Sarazen, who also had their names inscribed on eight British and seven U.S. Open titles.

Walter Hagen claimed never to aspire to be a millionaire, but he loved to live like one. He preached that we all should take time to smell the roses.

Bobby Jones was the greatest amateur ever to grace the sport. Gene Sarazen played in The British Open at Troon, aged 71, holing-in-one at The Postage Stamp eighth. On the following day, he holed from the bunker for a birdie at the same hole.

The immediate pre-war years saw the advent of Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead, who between them asked and gave no quarter as they battled for domination.

Ben Hogan won four U.S. Opens and in spite of horrific injuries in a car accident, made his way to Troon to win The British Open in 1953. Sam Snead had many reservations in making the trip to St Andrews in 1946, nevertheless, he returned home with "The Auld Claret Jug."

Byron Nelson had only one U.S. Open to his name, but he holds the distinction of returning 19 consecutive rounds in tournament golf below 70.

The United Kingdom has also produced modern Triumvirates with a Scot, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam from Wales and an Englishman, Nick Faldo, all achieving success worldwide.

Proudly, Ireland can also claim fame with Fred Daly, Harry Bradshaw and Christy O'Connor Sr. to the fore.

The question is: Has the domination of Tiger Woods during the recent past made a Triumvirate obsolete for the present?