Ranking the five best male Australian golfers of all time
Australian golfers have long been a major force in the sport, and throughout the professional era, Australia has produced a plethora of major champions.
To date, twelve men have brought Major glory back to Australian shores, and in this article, we will spotlight five of the very best players to have ever hailed from the land down under.
1. Peter Thomson
It’s only right that we start our list of best-ever Australian players by taking a look back at the achievements of Australia’s greatest-ever player, Peter Thomson.
Thomson stands alone at the top of the list when it comes to the number of majors won by Australian players, with five. All five of his majors came at the British Open, and throughout the 50s, he made the tournament his own, winning in 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1958. He then reminded the golfing public of his greatness seven years later, taking home the 1965 title.
As well as enjoying enormous Open success, Thomson racked up 6 PGA Tour titles, and throughout his career, won 98 professional events. To this day, Thomson remains the benchmark that all Australian golfers aspire to match.
2. Greg Norman
Throughout the 80s and 90s, Greg Norman dominated the world of golf, but due to the arrival of Tiger Woods, Norman’s supreme achievements in the game are often overlooked.
At the height of his career, Norman topped the golf world rankings for a staggering 331 weeks, with only Woods eclipsing that total.
Despite winning two Open Championships, Norman’s spectacular blow-up in the 1996 Masters is often what he is remembered most for. Holding a six-stroke lead in the final round, Norman would stutter and despite trying to roll the dice like players at just casino, one of Australia’s finest online casinos, he would ultimately be denied in his quest for victory by Nick Faldo.
A maverick in the way he played the game back then, Norman has lost none of his pioneering spirit and is the face of LIV Golf which has rocked the professional game. Backed by huge Saudi Arabian investment, Norman is taking a massive gamble that LIV will be able to reshape the golfing landscape, and he won’t stop until he achieves his goal.
3. Adam Scott
Following in Norman’s footsteps was Adam Scott, a supreme ball striker. Like Norman, Scott scaled the world rankings and became world number 1 back in 2014. A winner on the PGA Tour 14 times, Scott only trails Norman (20) when it comes to overall PGA victories.
A winner all over the world, Scott has amassed 32 victories and was the winner of the 2013 Masters when defeating Ángel Cabrera in a thrilling playoff.
Scott has played a major role in President Cup matches and will lead the international team into the 2024 edition of the tournament.
4. Jason Day
The next Aussie to showcase his talents to the golfing world was Jason Day. Hailing from Queensland, Day was a sensational amateur player and turned professional when he was just 17.
Showing that he belonged on the PGA Tour from an early age, Day has gone on to win 13 times on the PGA Tour, with his crowning achievement coming at the 2015 PGA Championship.
Although his victory in 2015 remains Day’s only Major, at just 36, there is still plenty of time for him to add to his major haul.
After a few years in the golfing wilderness due to poor form and bad health, Day has resurrected his career and now sits just outside the world’s top 20 and is a major force in the game once more.
5. Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith is this generation’s leading player. With a putting stroke to die for, Smith is rightly considered as one of the best players in the world, and he cemented his class when winning the 2022 Open at the home of golf, St Andrews.
With the world seemingly at his feet, Smith made the controversial move to join Greg Norman and LIV Golf. Signing for the breakaway tour for a reported $100 million, Smith is the face of Ripper GC, where he is joined by fellow Australian players Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, and Lucas Herbert.
Smith currently has two LIV victories that sit alongside his six PGA Tour victories.