The debate over who is the best player in the history of golf is one you might hear in the clubhouse regularly, and it can be extremely difficult to decipher. When you compare across generations of top professionals, the only thing you can really rely on is the cold, hard facts.
In this article, I dig deep into the PGA Tour data to share my top 5 truly spectacular streaks, which may even strengthen your argument on your next visit to the 19th hole...
5. The most consecutive seasons with the highest win total
Tiger Woods won more than 30 tournaments in two separate, consecutive five year streaks on the PGA Tour
So, here is a name you might have to get used to seeing in this list. Tiger Woods is one of the prime candidates for the greatest golfer of all time, and had it not been for Vijay Singh in 2004, he would have had the record for the most wins each season for 11 consecutive years.
Despite Vijay's 9-win haul spoiling my narrative slightly, you can't ignore the fact that between 1999 and 2003, Tiger won 32 tournaments in total and as a result the most wins by a single player in each of the five consecutive years.
You could argue that Tiger was also unhappy with Vijay's interjection, as he then went on to match his own record and secure another 31 tournament haul as the most prolific winner each season for the next five years. Insanely good golf!
4. Longest consecutive individual tournament win streak
Gene Sarazen at the Miami Open, a tournament he won in four consecutive years
The phrase 'horses for courses' is a popular expression in sport, but that statement has never been more true than for the five people to joint-hold this streak.
Tiger Woods, Byron Nelson (Tam O'Shanter Open, 1941-45), Gene Sarazen (Miami Open, 1927-30), Walter Hagen (PGA Championship, 1924-27) and Tom Morris Jr. (The Open Championship, 1868-72) all won a specific PGA Tour event four consecutive seasons on the bounce.
In typical Tiger fashion he actually did it at two different tournaments, dominating both the Buick Invitational (2005-2008) and the Bay Hill Invitational (2000-2003).
3. Longest winless streak
Gamez holds the 2005 Valero Texas Open trophy, his first PGA Tour win for more than 15 years
Now bear with me on this one. I know it seems bizarre to choose a winless streak as part of my top 5 most impressive in PGA Tour history, but this is all a matter of perspective.
In order to be a golfer at the top level you need to have grit, resilience and an unbreakable resolve in the face of unfriendly odds to win a golf tournament each week. Robert Gamez has all of the above.
Gamez won twice in 1990, securing the Nestle Invitational and the Northern Telecom Tucson Open by seeing off stiff competition from the likes of Greg Norman, Jay Haas and Mark Calcavecchia. Despite this early career success, Gamez had to wait a staggering 15 years and six months before taking the Valero Texas Open in 2005. In that time he played in 15 Majors, had six runner-up finishes, and never once gave up. Hero.
2. Longest consecutive tournament win streak
Byron Nelson holds the record for most consecutive tournament wins
This is quite a well-publicised record, but it doesn't make it any less impressive. The legend that is Byron Nelson won on 11 consecutive career starts, starting with the 1945 Canadian Open and ending with the 1945 Miami Four-Ball.
The roll-call in this category is a who's who of golf legends, including Tiger Woods (7) and Ben Hogan (6). When you consider that this record beats the second best attempt (Tiger Woods, 2006-07) by four tournament wins, you truly get a feel for the gargantuan nature of this achievement.
1. Most consecutive seasons with a win
Arnold Palmer (L) and Jack Nicklaus (R) won every year for an impressive 17 consecutive seasons
Riding a hot run of form can happen to anyone, but sustaining elite performances over a long period of time is the true mark of class. The names at the top of this list will come as no surprise to true golf fans, with the likes of Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Sam Snead and Ernie Els meeting that standard.
But the longest consecutive streak of seasons with a win is shared by another two legends of the game, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Over a record 17 seasons, spanning most of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Palmer and Nicklaus demonstrated that class is permanent by collecting at least one win per year and firmly cementing their position as golfing royalty.
