Ben Hogan (1912-191997)
The legendary American golf player had an brilliant golf career which reached its height after a serious accident. He was told he might never walk again but he went on winning 9 major championships, 3 in the 1953 season which came to be known as the “Hogan Slam” season.
Jack Nicklaus (1940)
Also known as “The Golden Bear”, Jack Nicklaus is one of those golfers whose star continues to shine despite the fact that he retired from professional golf quite some time ago. He has won as many as 18 major championships but he has profoundly influenced the sport of golf off-course as well, especially with his instructional books which are considered as the best golfer’s guide to the game.
Arnold Palmer (1929)
“The King” as Arnold Palmer is popularly called isn’t only remembered for his outstanding golf career but his contribution to popularisation of the sport as well. He played an important role in the rise of golf as a popular television event and helped introduce the sport to China. Since the late 1970s, he is also hosting the Arnold Palmer Invitational, one of only five “invitational” PGA events.
Tiger Woods (1975)
Tiger Woods is the only still active professional golfer whose star will without a doubt continue to shine regardless of his future performance. Since 1996 when he turned professional, Woods broke a number of records including in the number of career major wins, career PGA Tour wins, both total and consecutive number of weeks at No. 1 and many others. And since he returned to World No. 1 in 2013, he will probably continue to write history in future as well.
Annika Sorenstam (1970)
The Swedish golfer had a relatively brief professional golf career but she has managed to establish herself as one of the best female golfers in history. With 93 professional wins, Sorenstam holds the record in most professional wins but she also holds records in many other “areas” including the money lists, lowest seasonal scoring average, the number of the Vare Trophies and much more. She retired in 2008 but she remains involved in golf through her brand ANNIKA which also includes a golf academy.