Most Underrated Player of All-Time??

[smokeyjoewood]

I think I can see the grass poking through the snow? Watching the Match Play and thinking of being back in AZ.

Give us a couple of players you think are underrated, historically speaking.

My top:

1. Walter Hagen
The guy won 11 majors! The Haig was the ultimate showman. He gets no respect.

2. Jr.

I think the guy would have close to 10 Open Championships if had lived. He dominated. Pure speculation of course.

3. Billy Casper
Outshined by his contemporaries, still the guy was perhaps the best putter in history! 51 wins, 5 Vardon Trophies, 3 majors.

There are a few more I have in mind...others?

[bijoem]

Great thread Paul.

I don't know that I agree with your 1 and 2 - - - only because I hold them in high esteem. So, personally I don't underrate them.
(edit: just wanted to clarify that I disagree only because I really like those two. But as far as the general public.... they probably are very underrated).


I would like to mention:

Gary Player -
9 majors! and he played during the Arnie and Nicklaus years. Just an absolutely elite golfer.

Phil Mickelson -
4 majors. 38 PGA tour victories (wow!) - all during the Tiger years. I'm guessing he has a few majors left in him and maybe another 15 tour victories.

Lorena Ochoa -
I feel a little gipped. She retired in her prime. I am holding out hope that she decides to come back and play sometime soon. I won't call her the best - - - - but I think 'underrated' fits.

[Writehooks]

Lee Trevino.
Besides being an all-time great (29 Tour wins and 6 majors, including PGA Championships 10 years apart, in 1974 and '84), "SuperMex" was almost single-handedly responsible for transforming televised golf from dreary, mind-numbing formality to a what it is today: colorful, exciting ... and often full of spontaneous fun. One of the few golfers to be named sports personality of the year by both Sports Illustrated and The Associated Press in the same year (1971).

[Ease]

Great Topic! Here are my entries:

Chick Evans - Won the 1916 US Open and had a stellar career but was overshadowed by Ouimet and Bobby Jones.

"Old Man" Walter Travis - Didnt play until age 35, won 3 US Amateurs and was the first American to win the British Amateur.

Se Ri Pak - 5 major championships and the reason Korean women rule ladies golf right now.

[Mikehealer]

This is a good topic.
I agree with Casper, he would be on very few lists of all time greats, but his record suggests he probably should.

Another underrated one Hubert Green-although maybe not a truly great player
he was very good and won quite a few tournaments from the mid '70s to the mid '80's and a couple of majors. Also had one of the best short games ever.

[Ease]

Originally Posted by Mikehealer

Another underrated one Hubert Green-although maybe not a truly great player
he was very good and won quite a few tournaments from the mid '70s to the mid '80's and a couple of majors. Also had one of the best short games ever.

He won the 77 US Open under a sniper's death threat too. They said they were going to shoot him on the 15th and Green didnt find out about it until he was walking off of the 14th green. Talk about pressure!!

[Mikehealer]

I remembered the death threat, but did not remember the specifics. Thanks for the refresher.

[Golfcollector]

Hagen should be credited with more majors. The Western Open was considered a major during the time Hagen played and if you count those tournaments, that makes 16 majors.

[Ease]

Was looking up the Western Open and came across Willie Anderson a 4-time US Open winner, who is still the only man to win three consecutive US Open titles. He also won four Western Opens. Unfortunately he died at age 30. He supposedly played with only 8 clubs in days when there was no limit.

[smokeyjoewood]

Good stuff guys.

Joe,

That's what I was going for, underrated by the general public...

How about Jim Barnes?

4 Majors( 2 PGA, 1 Open, 1 US) + 3 Western

Pretty much had the career grand slam, as he never played in the Masters. Plus, he won the US Open by 9 in 1921. That record stood until Tiger torched Pebble.

[Golfcollector]

I would vote for J E Laidley. Can't believe this guy is not in the world golf hall of fame. He won two British Amatuers and was the one that first used the interlocking grip.....Vardon is credited with this "grip" but Laidley used it first, it never got attached to his name however since Vardon was much more successful and popular in his day.

[bijoem]

I just wanted to post some cards to accompany my selections (thought it would be fun if we added some card images for the choices we mentioned).....