PGA Tour: Who’s the Best?

When it comes to the best who ever played the game, without a “golf medium” to contact the dearly departed, it’s hard to know who Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen or Bobby Jones thought were the best of their eras.   Most golf fans today, most golf reporters today don’t even have a good grasp of the skill level of golfers who hit their prime in the 1970s and 1980s, which would include the latter part of Jack Nicklaus’s career and the Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd and Tom Watson eras, to name just a few.

Looking back, no one was more deadly at attacking pins in the 1980s than Lanny Wadkins.  And it is hard to surpass Hale Irwin’s iron game.  Curtis Strange won two US Opens, and that’s not possible without dead-eye accuracy. But every pro had off weeks. Some even had off years.  To even guess who was the best back in the 1900s, the roaring ‘20s, between the wars or even in the post-war, pre-PGA Tour era, is impossible.  We only know who won the most.  We know that Byron Nelson was said to have hit into his own divots one day to the next, he was that accurate.  We believe Bobby Jones to be a good putter, but few alive today saw him putt, and no one alive saw him in his prime.  Hogan seldom talked to anybody, and the few who played with him and Nelson are now in their 80s. 

What we can do is identify who today’s best golfers think are the best at certain aspects of the game. 

We surveyed ten players from the BMW Championship and one anonymous caddie, who -- as it happens--  has seen the best from the last two decades.  Here are their opinions on the Best Drivers,  Best Mid-iron Players and Best Putters in the game.  Some names keep coming up, particularly Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker and Brad Faxon.  Woods in all categories, Sticker in all categories and Faxon in putting.  See whether you agree. 

Jim Furyk’s Picks

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

IRVING, TEXAS - MAY 11: Daivd Duval tees off the 5th hole during the third round of the Verizon Byron Nelson Classic at the TPC at Las Colinas at Cottonwood Valley CC in Irving, Texas on May 11, 2002. (Photo By Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

Best Driver: David Duval 

Best Mid-iron: Tiger Woods

Best Putter: Ben Crenshaw, Loren Roberts, Brad Faxon

Luke Donald’s Picks

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

NORTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 03: Steve Stricker putts on the 16th hole in the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston on September 3, 2010 in Norton, Massachusetts. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Best Driver: Charley Hoffman’s got to be right up there; Steve Sticker is pretty good -- I like his game all around; Paul Casey  

Best Mid-iron: Steve Stricker, Robert Allenby, Adam Scott

Best Putter:  Steve Stricker, myself, Tiger Woods.

Charley Hoffman’s Picks

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV - JULY 31: Boo Weekley watches his tee shot on the third hole during the third round of the Greenbrier Classic on The Old White Course at the Greenbrier Resort on July 31, 2010 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. (Photo by

Best Driver: Tiger Woods, early 2000

Best Mid-iron: Boo Weekley

Best Putter:  Tiger Woods, when it counts.

Camilo Villegas’ Picks

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

NORTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 06: Luke Donald of England tees off from the 11th hole during the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston on September 6, 2010 in Norton, Massachusetts. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Best Driver: Hunter Mahan is a pretty good one.

Best Mid-iron: Luke Donald.

Best Putter: Tiger Woods

Sean O’Hair’s Picks

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

PARAMUS, NJ - AUGUST 26: Hunter Mahan watches his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of The Barclays at the Ridgewood Country Club on August 26, 2010 in Paramus, New Jersey. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Best Driver: Hunter Mahan

Best Mid-iron: Me

Best Putter: Steve Stricker

David Toms’ Picks

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

LEMONT, IL - SEPTEMBER 12: Dustin Johnson tees off on the fifth hole during the final round of the BMW Championship at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club on September 12, 2010 in Lemont, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Best Driver:  Guys drive it farther and straighter now because of equipment. Charley Hoffman, Dustin Johnson.  As far as distance and accuracy goes, they both have a lot of control.  

Best Mid-iron:  Steve Sticker, Steve Elkington

Best Putter: Brad Faxon by far. Tiger Woods, when he really had to have it.

Geoff Ogilvy’s Picks

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

SUNNINGDALE, ENGLAND - JULY 23: Greg Norman of Australia hits his tee-shot on the tenth hole during the first round of The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard held on the Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Club on July 23, 2009 in Sunningdale, E

Best Driver  Greg Norman, when I was a kid in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s

Best Mid-iron: Nick Price, Colin Montgomerie

Best Putter: Tiger Woods

Tim Petrovic’s Picks

Hunter Martin/Getty Images

PARAMUS, NJ - AUGUST 28: Tim Petrovic watches his tee shot on the second hole during the third round of The Barclays at the Ridgewood Country Club on August 28, 2010 in Paramus, New Jersey. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

Best Driver: Steve Stricker

Best Mid-iron: me

Best Putter: Bobby Jones

Bo Van Pelt’s Pic

Hunter Martin/Getty Images

BEACHWOOD, OH - MAY 23: Scott Hoch hits his tee shot on the 1st hole during the third round of the 70th Senior PGA Championship at Canterbury Golf Club on May 23, 2009 in Beachwood, Ohio. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

Best Driver: David Duval in 1999

Best Mid-iron: Scott Hoch

Best Putter: Tiger Woods

Bubba Watson’s Picks

David Cannon/Getty Images

CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND - OCTOBER 01: Brad Faxon of the USA lines up his putt on the 14th green during the first round of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Carnoustie Golf Club on October 1, 2009 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty

Best Driver: Calvin Peete

Best Mid-iron: Tiger Woods

Best Putter: Brad Faxon

Anonymous Caddie’s Picks

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

SAMMAMISH, WA - JULY 31: Fred Couples hits out of the rough on the 6th hole during the third round of the U.S. Senior Open Championship on July 31, 2010 at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington.. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

East Lake Golf Club --- modification from Anoynmous Caddie

Best Driver: Tiger Woods  out.  Hunter Mahan in.

Best Mid-iron: Fred Couples

Best Putter:  David Toms