Jack Nicklaus isn't conceding every part of his legacy to Tiger Woods. In a recent podcast, the 18-time major champion talked about one area of his game he believes is superior.

In a short clip, Jack Nicklaus once compared his game to Tiger Woods, going beyond the records. Nicklaus discussed it during a light moment and explained what he thinks gives him the edge over Woods.

“I think I was a better driver of the golf ball than Tiger. I think we were both good iron players. I think he had a better short game. We were both good putters..."

Tiger likely had the distance advantage, peaking at 316.1 yards in average driving distance on the PGA Tour in 2005.

However, Nicklaus may get the edge overall because he paired distance with accuracy. The PGA Tour’s driving stats begin in 1980, when he was 40, and he still ranked 10th in distance at 269 yards while also ranking 13th in accuracy. Combining those rankings gives him a total driving score of 23, which remains one of the best all-around driving seasons on record.

However, Tiger Woods Still Has a Chance to Go Beyond Jack Nicklaus

At the Masters Champions Dinner, Nicklaus recalled Woods asking about his Senior Tour wins and senior majors to set a future goal.

"I sit next to Tiger every year at the Masters dinner. We're sitting there and we venture to say, well, the Senior Tour, you're not far away. About a minute later, he says, 'How many Senior tournaments did you win? How many majors?' And that question came out for one reason. He wanted to know what his goal was. I love that. I got a big kick out of that."

After turning 50, Nicklaus joined the senior tour in 1990 and won eight senior majors, despite a limited schedule. 

Woods became eligible for the PGA Tour Champions when he turned 50 on Dec. 30, 2025, but his schedule remains uncertain due to injuries, and he has not played a senior event yet.

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar