Nicklaus tops greatest player poll

Jack Nicklaus was the runaway winner of a readers’ poll in Golf Monthly to find the greatest player of the last 100 years.

Nicklaus, whose 18 major titles are a record, won 58 per cent of the votes from a list of 20 golfers with nearest challenger Tiger Woods way back on 16 per cent and Spanish star Seve Ballesteros, who died in May this year, third with eight per cent of the vote.

“To be chosen among the many talented golfers over that time period is humbling and greatly appreciated,” said Nicklaus when told the result of a poll published in the August edition of a magazine which celebrates its centenary this year.

However, Woods, won the greatest shot of the last 100 years for his chip-in from beside the 16th green at August National as he won the 2005 Masters.

Playing away from the hole, Woods saw his ball go up a steep slope, roll back down again and teeter on the lip of the cup before falling in.

Neither Nicklaus nor Woods, who’ve each won the tournament three times, are playing at this year’s British Open, which starts at Royal St George’s in Sandwich, south-east of London, tomorrow.

Nicklaus, 71, retired from competitive golf six years ago at the 2005 British Open at St Andrews in Scotland.