Can you guess more than 11 of these professional golfers?

By: Gene' Hunter
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can you guess more than 11 of these professional golfers?
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About This Quiz

Before Tiger Woods became a household name, there was Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus but a real golf fan would know that. This quiz is all about the pro players that achieved fame for their magnificent golf swings. But it's not limited to the US, we've got notable players from Canada and South Africa so make sure your knowledge extends beyond America. 

Golf really began to rise in popularity in the '80s just as people were starting to watch TV broadcasts of the game. Golfers like Arnold Palmer became famous partly because of their booming careers and avid TV watchers who were devoted to tuning into the games. Let's also not forget the rise of female golf players who've proven their skills in a sport dominated by men for many years. Today's pro players like Tiger and Annika Sorenstam continue to keep people's attention on one of the most popular sports of the last century. 

Do you know the famous nicknames of some of the players? Do you know who has won the most championships? Do you know Tiger Woods' birth name?  You'll discover the answers to these questions and after you take this quiz! 





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In 1913, amateur golfer Francis Ouimet won the U.S. Open during the playoffs, which British golfer(s) did he defeat?
Jim Barnes
Harry Vardon and Ted Ray
John Henry "J.H." Taylor
Max Faulkner
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ouimet was a major underdog so his win against Harry Vardon and Ted Ray during this tournament put American golf on the front pages.

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What was Gene Sarazen's nickname?
The Squire
The Prince
The Jester
The King
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sarazen was known as "The Squire" due to his elaborate way of dressing.

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Who was the first golfer since Jack Nicklaus to win eight PGA events his first six years on tour?
Phil Mickelson
Arnold Palmer
Tom Watson
Ben Hogan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Phil Mickelson has won 43 events on the PGA Tour, including five major championships: three Masters titles, a PGA Championship, and an Open Championship.

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This golfer attended Stanford college, who is he?
Jack Nicklaus
Tom Watson
Byron Nelson
Seve Ballesteros
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Watson grew up in Kansas, attended Stanford, and went on to win 8 major titles including 5 British Opens.

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Golfer Sam Snead's nickname was what?
Slammin' Sammy
Sweet Swingin' Sammy
Sleek Swinger
Swingin' Slammin' Sam
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A long hitter for the times with a silky smooth swing, Snead dominated golf in the '40s and early '50s.

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This golfer won the 1958 Masters, 1960 U.S. Open, and 1962 British Open
Arnold Palmer
Gene Sarazen
Billy Casper
Tom Watson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Arnold Palmer was one of the first major golf superstars during the televised events. He had 7 major wins throughout his career including the 1960 U.S. Open.

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This South African golfer played his first British Open in 1936 then served in the air force before returning to palm in the tournament two years in a row.
Dennis Hutchinson
Bobby Locke
Ernie Els
David Frost
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bobby Locke hailed from the town Germiston east of Johannesburg. He was the first South African to win a major tournament when he pocketed the British Open in 1949.

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This golfer won the 1946 British Open, 1949 Masters, and 1951 PGA
Byron Nelson
Sam Snead
Bobby Jones
Ben Hogan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sam Snead had 7 major wins throughout his career. Snead was the first to get the coveted green jacket for a win at the Masters when the jacket was introduced in 1949.

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This golfer won the 1934 Masters and the 1936 Masters, who is he?
Horton Smith
Bubba Walton
Gene Sarazen
Byron Nelson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Horton Smith won the first and third Masters tournaments. In 1934, he won the first Masters, beating Craig Wood by one stroke.

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This golfer won the 1997 Masters, 2000 PGA, and 2005 British Open, who is he?
Sam Snead
Tiger Woods
Phil Mickelson
Rocco Mediate
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tiger Woods is one of the most prominent golf players. At the age of 20, he turned pro and won his first Masters a year later in 1997, beating Tom Kite by 12 strokes.

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He is the son of a 1948 Masters Champion. He played on the PGA Tour from 1969 to 1971, with one victory, the 1971 Broome County Open. He has a golf school in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Butch Harmon
Jim McLean
Tom Watson
Gary Player
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Butch Harmon was introduced to the game of golf by his father, Claude Harmon. Claude Harmon was an accomplished player and 1948 Masters Champion.

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This golfer won the 1994 U.S. Open, 2002 British Open, and 2012 British Open
Ernie Els
Horton Smith
Phil Mickelson
Juli Inkster
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Els is one of a number of South Africans who are successful professional golfers. In his 2002 win in the British Open, Els defeated Stuart Appleby, Steve Elkington and Thomas Levet.

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This golfer won the 2012 Masters and 2014 Masters, who is he?
Jack NIcklaus
Bubba Watson
Phil Mickelson
Tiger Woods
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

At the 2014 Masters he won by three strokes over Jonas Blixt and Jordan Spieth.

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What golfer, who won the 1995 US Open, has the nickname "Bulldog?"
Corey Pavin
Bernhard Langer
Tiger Woods
Jack Nicklaus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Corey Pavin's nickname refers to his tenacity on the golf course. He has a reputation of fierce determination and never giving up. After his 1995 victory, his game took a downturn, and he played 242 back-to-back tournaments without a victory.

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This famous golfer was known as Tiger
Eldrick Woods
Gene Littler
Bobby Jones
Billy Casper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Eldrick "Tiger" Woods was the youngest golfer to win the Masters tournament in 1997. He got the nickname "Tiger" after his dad's friend.

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This golfer is known as the "Golden Bear"
Gene Sarazen
Jack Nicklaus
Harry Vardon
Byron Nelson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jack Nicklaus was considered by many to be the greatest golf player. He received his nickname from his high school alma mater, The Golden Bears.

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This Japanese golfer is the only golfer to have won events on the PGA tour, Senior Tour, Japanese, and Australian Tours
Isao Aoki
Masashi Ozaki
Ryo Ishikawa
Shingo Katayama
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Isao Aoki is a Japanese professional golfer, he successfully won 9 PGA tournaments, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

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Which golfer won 9 tournaments during her rookie year in the 1978 LPGA Tour?
Paula Creamer
Nancy Lopez
Sandra Haynie
Amy Alcott
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nancy Lopez competed in her first full season on the LPGA Tour in 1978, Lopez won nine tournaments.

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What golfer had played 87 straight Grand Slam tournaments until a shoulder injury forced him to miss the 1996 British Open?
Ben Crenshaw
Tom Watson
Seve Ballesteros
Louise Suggs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Watson was one of the leading players in the world, winning eight major championships and heading the PGA Tour money list five times.

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In 2004, who became the oldest golfer to win PGA Tour Rookie of the Year?
Todd Hamilton
Carlos Franco
Chris Thompson
Nicholas Lindheim
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 2004, at the age of 39, Todd Hamilton became the oldest golfer to win PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

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This golfer was the first to reach one million dollars in career earnings on the PGA Tour?
Tiger Woods
Arnold Palmer
Harry Vardon
Sandra Haynie
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1967, Arnold Palmer became the first golfer to reach one million dollars in career earnings on the PGA Tour. During his career, he accumulated 62 PGA Tour wins, including seven major championships.

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What golfer set a PGA Tour record in 1945 by winning 18 tournaments?
Byron Nelson
Ben Hogan
Billy Casper
Betsy Rawls
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nelson won 54 PGA-sanctioned tournaments during his career, including the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, and the Masters. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

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What golfer replaced Tiger Woods at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings in 2004?
Tom Watson
Vijay Singh
Annika Sorenstam
Lee Trevino
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

On September 6, 2004, Vijay Singh replaced Tiger Woods at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings, ending Woods' reign of more than five years.

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This player was known as "The Black Knight"
Gary Player
Gene Sarazen
Sam Snead
Ben Hogan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gary Player had a preference for black golf apparel which earned him this title. Player is credited with more than 165 professional victories in his career.

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What famous Canadian golfer is also known by the nickname "Disco Dick"?
Richard Zokol
David Hearn
Moe Norman
Mike Weir
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the early 1980s, Richard Zokol used to play tournaments while listening to his walkman earning himself the nickname "Disco Dick".

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This South African golfer's career started when he was eighteen years old. In 1971 he won the Spanish Open, the World Cup three years later and the Spanish Open in 1979.
Dale Hayes
John Bland
Retief Goosen
David Frost
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dale Hayes was born in Pretoria. His career is truly international, including the Swiss, Columbian, Italian, and French Open. In 1975, he was awarded the European Order of Merit.

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Which of the following golfers is known by the nickname 'The Wild Thing'?
John Daly
Scott McCarron
Louis Oosthuizen
Se Ri Pak
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Daly is known primarily for his driving distance off the tee, his non-country club appearance and attitude, the inconsistency of his play, and his rough-and-tumble personal life.

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This professional golfer is known as "Fuzzy"
Fred Couples
Frank Zoeller
Harry Vardon
Harry Cooper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Frank Urban "Fuzzy" Zoeller Jr. is an American professional golfer who has won ten PGA Tour events including two major championships.

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Turning pro in 1969, this South African golfer from Mafikeng won the German Open seven years later. He won five titles between 1993 and 1995, among it the US Senior Open in 1994.
Simon Hobday
Ian Palmer
Tim Clark
Branden Grace
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Simon Hobday only turned pro at age 29. He was the SA Open Champion in 1971 and that of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) eight years later. As senior, he played mainly in the USA.

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This professional golfer became the first Canadian to win on the PGA Tour. Who was this Toronto native that won the Mayfair Open in 1955?
Al Balding
Nick Taylor
Stephen Ames
Adam Hadwin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Balding began play on the Canadian Tour by winning his first two tournaments. In 1957, he won three events on the PGA Tour and finished sixth on the money list.

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Which left-handed Canadian won the Masters in 2003?
Tom Watson
Mike Weir
Graham DeLaet
Moe Norman
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mike Weir spent over 110 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking between 2001 and 2005.

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Which golfer had the nickname 'The Silver Scot'?
Tommy Armour
Gary Cowan
Jack Nicklaus
Sam Snead
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Thomas Dickson Armour was a Scottish-American professional golfer. He was nicknamed The Silver Scot. He was the winner of three of golf's major championships, the 1927 U.S. Open, 1930 PGA Championship, and the 1931 Open Championship.

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Who was the 2001 US Ryder Cup captain?
Curtis Strange
Tiger Woods
Phil Mickelson
Ernie Els
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Curtis Strange is the winner of consecutive U.S. Open titles and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.

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Hailing from Kelowna, B.C., this Canadian turned pro in 1974 and managed two PGA Tour wins.
Dave Barr
Retief Goosen
Sandra Post
George Knudson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Barr had a solid career on the PGA Tour with more than three dozen top-10 finishes. He became the first Canadian to capture a Champions Tour event by winning the 2003 Royal Caribbean Classic.

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What South African golfer is known by the nickname "The Iceman?"
Ernie Els
Retief Goosen
John Bland
Trevor Immelman
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Goosen's ability of not giving into pressure has earned him "The Iceman" nickname. He's known for keeping his cool when the game becomes tense. Two of Goosen's forty-plus wins include the US Open in 2001 and 2004.

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Which famous golfer won his first career PGA Tour title event on Canadian soil?
Tiger Woods
Arnold Palmer
Tom Watson
Byron Nelson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Arnold Palmer won the Canadian Open in 1955 which was held at the Weston Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ontario. This was Arnold's first of many wins at a PGA Tour event.

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Which of these great Japanese golfers was referred to as 'Jumbo'?
Ozaki
Tanaguchi
Shigeki
Tsuneyuki
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ozaki is often known as Jumbo Ozaki on account of his height and length off the tee. He featured in the top ten of the Official World Golf Rankings for almost 200 weeks between 1989 and 1998.

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Which golfer said "Hold up a one iron and walk. Not even God can hit a one iron."?
Lee Trevino
Bob Hope
Tiger Woods
Annika Sorenstam
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Trevino was advising how to play on through a lightning storm. He was inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981.

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Which legendary American golfer has been called "The Hawk?"
Mike Weir
Ben Hogan
Seve Ballesteros
Gary Player
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hogan has been described as having the ability to intimidate other players with his "stony silence." Other sources mention his hawk-like habit of scoping out the course and then using his "precision attack" to outplay opponents.

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This golf legend is known simply as "The King"
Arnold Palmer
Tiger Woods
Gary Player
Jack Nicklaus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Golf's most popular icon, Arnold Palmer is given credit for invigorating the game during the 1960s and was known to the masses as "The King".

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