Columnist Peter Benton: End of major season signals time for debate

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2005 | 9:29 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

With the conclusion of the PGA Championship, the golf season is all but over and what we now have to look forward to are the numerous awards that will be handed out.

Speaking of awards, what are your thoughts on who is the greatest golfer over the past century? The difference in balls and equipment being but a moot point for this exercise.

In my opinion the only criteria should be the number of majors won, and with 18, Jack Nicklaus is, I believe, the obvious choice.

Some no doubt will argue for Ben Hogan, Sam Snead or Bobby Jones; others, for his impact on popularizing the sport, may choose Arnold Palmer.

But Nicklaus' rate of successes in the "big ones" is way too hard to deny.

Other titles will no doubt be fought out as this century progresses ... greatest course, greatest major, greatest comeback, greatest 18-hole round, greatest jerk, greatest putter, etc., etc.

Greatest putter, now there's a tricky category. There have been, and presently are, many wonderful putters and you can argue about the Faxons, Mickelsons, Irwins, Woods, and in his heyday, David Duval.

However, the Aussies would no doubt yell "foul" as they would proudly nominate Kel Nagle, winner of the 1960 British Open, as probably their best. Jim Ferrier, who won the 1974 U.S. PGA Championship and was nick-named "The Undertaker" for the way he buried his opponents on the green, could be another of their choices. A case could also be made for Ian Baker-Finch for his feat in breaking 30 on the front nine at Royal Birkdale to win the British Open in 1991.

How about the New Zealand's Bob Charles, the Kiwi's scream? He has to be up there somewhere, as in his prime, this left-hander was,without doubt, one of the world's premier putters.

To solve all arguments and to answer once and for all who the best putters over the years have been, listed below are the 10 greatest putters of the 20th century, according to a judging panel from a major American golf publication:

I fully realize that the above selections are open to argument as everyone has his and her own favorite(s) and opinions, but you must admit, those mentioned above are/were all standouts with a putter in their hands.