🇺🇸

Jack Nicklaus

United States

18 Majors

VS
🇺🇸

Tom Watson

United States

8 Majors

A rivalry that produced some of the greatest major championship moments in history, spanning links and Augusta alike.

Career Stats Comparison

Jack Nicklaus Category Tom Watson
18 Total Majors 8
6 Masters 2
4 U.S. Open 1
3 The Open 5
5 PGA Championship 0
73 PGA Tour Wins 39
Yes Career Grand Slam No

Major Championships

Jack Nicklaus
18
Tom Watson
8

Masters

6 - 2

U.S. Open

4 - 1

The Open

3 - 5

PGA Championship

5 - 0

PGA Tour Victories

Jack Nicklaus
73
Tom Watson
39

Who Wins What

Nicklaus: 5
Watson: 1
Nicklaus
Total Majors
Nicklaus
Masters
Nicklaus
U.S. Open
The Open
Watson
Nicklaus
PGA Championship
Nicklaus
PGA Tour Wins

Key Head-to-Head Moments

1977 Masters: Watson edges Nicklaus by two strokes in one of the greatest Masters ever played, with both firing final-round 66s in what became known as a two-man shootout.
1977 Open (Duel in the Sun): At Turnberry, Watson and Nicklaus separate themselves from the field by 10 strokes, with Watson winning by one shot in what many call the greatest Open Championship ever.
1981 Masters: Watson claims his second Green Jacket while Nicklaus finishes tied for 2nd, another chapter in their Augusta rivalry.
1982 U.S. Open: Watson's iconic chip-in from the rough on the 17th at Pebble Beach denies Nicklaus yet another major in a moment that defines both careers.
1986 Masters: Though not head-to-head, Watson witnesses Nicklaus's magical final-round 65 at age 46 — the emotional apex of both men's Augusta journeys.

More Head-to-Head Matchups

🇺🇸 Nicklaus vs Palmer 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 Nicklaus vs Player 🇿🇦 🇪🇸 Ballesteros vs Faldo 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 Faldo vs Norman 🇦🇺 🇺🇸 Watson vs Ballesteros 🇪🇸 🇺🇸 Woods vs Mickelson 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 Woods vs Els 🇿🇦 🇺🇸 Woods vs Singh 🇫🇯 🇺🇸 Scheffler vs McIlroy 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 McIlroy vs Spieth 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 Koepka vs DeChambeau 🇺🇸 🇪🇸 Rahm vs Scheffler 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 Johnson vs Thomas 🇺🇸