Can you guess more than 11 of these professional golfers?
By: Gene' Hunter
4 min
Image: Pexels
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.Â
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.Â
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!Â
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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
Ouimet was a major underdog so his win against Harry Vardon and Ted Ray during this tournament put American golf on the front pages.
Who was the first golfer since Jack Nicklaus to win eight PGA events his first six years on tour?
Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson has won 43 events on the PGA Tour, including five major championships: three Masters titles, a PGA Championship, and an Open Championship.
This golfer won the 1958 Masters, 1960 U.S. Open, and 1962 British Open
Arnold Palmer
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.
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
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.
This golfer won the 1946 British Open, 1949 Masters, and 1951 PGA
Byron Nelson
Sam Snead
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.
This golfer won the 1997 Masters, 2000 PGA, and 2005 British Open, who is he?
Sam Snead
Tiger Woods
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.
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
Butch Harmon was introduced to the game of golf by his father, Claude Harmon. Claude Harmon was an accomplished player and 1948 Masters Champion.
This golfer won the 1994 U.S. Open, 2002 British Open, and 2012 British Open
Ernie Els
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.
What golfer, who won the 1995 US Open, has the nickname "Bulldog?"
Corey Pavin
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.
This golfer was the first to reach one million dollars in career earnings on the PGA Tour?
Tiger Woods
Arnold Palmer
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.
What golfer set a PGA Tour record in 1945 by winning 18 tournaments?
Byron Nelson
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.
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.
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
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.
Which of the following golfers is known by the nickname 'The Wild Thing'?
John Daly
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Hailing from Kelowna, B.C., this Canadian turned pro in 1974 and managed two PGA Tour wins.
Dave Barr
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.
What South African golfer is known by the nickname "The Iceman?"
Ernie Els
Retief Goosen
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.
Which famous golfer won his first career PGA Tour title event on Canadian soil?
Tiger Woods
Arnold Palmer
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.
Which of these great Japanese golfers was referred to as 'Jumbo'?
Ozaki
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.
Which legendary American golfer has been called "The Hawk?"
Mike Weir
Ben Hogan
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.