Can You Name the Famous Golfer from a Hint?

SPORTS

By: Gavin Thagard

6 Min Quiz

Image: shutterstock

About This Quiz

These are the golfers you grew up watching. They made all of the tough shots, won the tournaments, and achieved National fame. How much do you actually know about them, though? 

Golf has been around since the 15th century when it was played with sticks and pebbles in Scotland. Over the course of history, the sport developed and changed with the times. The first major national championship was played in Britain in 1860, and the three other major tournaments were added later. As tournaments formed and the sport developed, so did the golfers, and through the sport, many golfers have risen to National and even World fame, as their legacy continues even after their swing is long gone. These are the golfers you remember when you think about the longest putts in the toughest moments, the trophies year after year, and those backache commercials. These golfers seized imaginations with their endless ability to surprise. They are the greatest golfers the game has offered. 

Do you believe you know these famous golfers? Did you grow up watching them, or do you pride yourself on being a golf historian? If you think you have what it takes, try out this quiz and see if you can name these famous golfers from a single hint!

His nickname was "The King."

Arnold Palmer's golfing career spanned from 1954 until 2006. He quickly became one of golf's biggest stars, especially with the rise of television.

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He helped found the Masters Tournament.

Bobby Jones was never actually a professional golfer. However, he was extremely successful as an amateur, competing against the best competition from his time.

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His nickname is "The Golden Bear."

Jack Nicklaus turned professional in 1961. He would win his first major the following year.

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He is second all-time in PGA Tour wins and major championships.

Tiger Woods has 79 PGA Tour wins. He also has 14 major championships, giving him one of the most accomplished careers in golf.

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In 1953, he won three of the four major championships.

In 1953, Ben Hogan completed what is known as the Triple Crown in golf by winning three major championships. While accomplishing this feat, he also won five of the six tournaments he entered that year.

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He's from South Africa.

Gary Player has been influential in spreading the sport of golf around the world. As an ambassador for the sport, he has helped design golf courses and co-written books on golf.

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He had 82 PGA Tour wins.

Sam Snead is still first all-time in PGA Tour wins. He accomplished this record during a career that lasted from 1931 until 1987.

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She is from Sweden.

Annika Sorenstam began her professional career in 1992. However, she failed to qualify for the LPGA Tour her first year and joined the Ladies European Tour instead.

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He worked as a lawyer.

Bobby Jones retired from golf when he was only 28 years old, but continued to be involved in the sport even after he retired.

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In 1997, he became the youngest golfer to be ranked No. 1 in the world.

Tiger Woods has not won a major championship since 2008. His lack of success since then can be credited to several injuries that have kept him off the course.

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He won the 1977 Masters Tournament, defeating Jack Nicklaus.

Tom Watson was a fierce rival of Jack Nicklaus. Watson managed to defeat Nicklaus, who was runner-up, in three major championships; the 1977 Masters, the 1977 Open Championship, and the 1982 U.S. Open.

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He has 11 major championships, which is third all-time.

Walter Hagen turned professional in 1912. He won his first major championship two years later at the 1914 U.S. Open.

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He completed a career Grand Slam after winning the Master's Tournament in 1935.

Gene Sarazen was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year in 1932. This was only the second year the award was given out.

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He won 18 major championships.

Jack Nicklaus has the most major championships of any golfer. He also completed three career Grand Slams, winning each major tournament at least three times.

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She helped found the LGPA Tour.

After a successful amateur​ career, Patty Berg turned professional in 1940. A little over a year later, her career nearly ended after she was involved in a car wreck. She managed to recover and returned to the course.

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He was nicknamed "The Wee Iceman" by the Scots.

Ben Hogan won nine major championships during his career. His first victory came at the PGA Championship in 1946, sixteen years after he turned professional.

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In the 2009 Open Championship, he lost in a four-hole playoff against Stewart Cink.

Tom Watson finished his career with eight major championships. He also had 39 PGA Tour wins.

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He was twice named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, in 1944 and 1945.

During his career, Byron Nelson won five major championships. However, despite a great career, he was unable to win the Open Championship. The closest he got was fifth place in 1937.

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She won two gold medals in track and field during the 1932 Olympics.

Prior to the Olympics, Babe Zaharias competed in the U.S. women's track and field championship. Despite competing alone while everyone else competed on teams, Zaharias won five of the eight events in which she competed.

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He has a drink named after him.

Arnold Palmer won seven major championships. However, he was never able to achieve a career Grand Slam because he didn't win the PGA Championship.

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She was Rolex Player of the Year eight times.

From 1992 until 2008, Annika Sorenstam racked up 93 professional wins. She also won ten major championships.

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His nickname is "The Black Night."

Gary Player is first all-time for wins in the Sunshine Tour. He also has a total of 165 professional wins in tournaments across the world.

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He played golf at Stanford University.

Tiger Woods turned professional when he was 20 years old. At that time, he left Stanford University to join the PGA Tour.

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In 1996, he was the first golfer to earn the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award.

Gene Sarazen finished his career with 39 PGA Tour wins. That is tied for 11th all-time.

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She had 88 LPGA Tour wins.

Kathy Whitworth holds the record for LPGA Tour wins. She also won six major championships during her career.

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He was the first American to win the British Open.

Walter Hagen never won the Masters Tournament, which wasn't established until later in his career. However, he won every other major tournament at least twice.

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She won 15 major championships.

Patty Berg has the most major championships of any female golfer with 15. She also has 60 LPGA Tour wins.

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He was given the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998.

Sam Snead was distinguishable by the straw hat he always wore. For his success on the golf course, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

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She was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year six times.

Later in her career, Babe Zaharias was diagnosed with cancer, which would eventually take her life. Despite the disease, she continued to compete as a professional golfer.

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He won five PGA Championships, which is tied for most all-time.

Walter Hagen finished his career with 75 professional wins. 45 of those were PGA Tour victories, which ranks him eighth all-time.

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He was runner-up four times in the U.S. Open but never won the tournament.

Sam Snead was never able to complete a career Grand Slam. However, he won seven major championships during his career.

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He's the only non-American player to achieve a career Grand Slam.

Gary Player achieved his career Grand Slam in 1965 when he won the U.S. Open. That was only his fourth career victory at a major championship. He would go on to win five more.

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She was the first woman to win more than $1 million in her career.

Kathy Whitworth had her first career victory in 1962 at the Kelly Girl Open. Her final victory came in 1985 at the United Virginia Bank Classic.

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He wrote Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf.

Ben Hogan was known as a hard ball-striker throughout his career. His technique led him to develop a golf swing theory that could be taught to others.

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He achieved a Grand Slam in a calendar year.

No other golfer has achieved a Grand Slam in a calendar year. At the time, there was no Masters Tournament, so Jones had to compete in the U.S. Amateur to complete his Grand Slam.

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