The best golfer from every U.S. state
Fans of the sport know the all-time greats without even thinking, but who is ultimately the best golfer from each of the 50 states?
In a conversation about the greatest golfer of all time, the list of potential candidates that you could viably include in that argument truly aren’t that numerous. Frankly, it would likely come down to Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and, especially if he can complete a successful comeback as he’s attempting to in 2018 in his early 40s, Tiger Woods. After that, however, arguments can get torn apart relatively easily as most can’t compare to that trio.
That’s not to say, though, that there haven’t been other greats in the sport throughout the history of the PGA Tour. You’d be remiss to find a golfer in the southern United States that doesn’t have a bit of reverence for Bobby Jones. Meanwhile, there are plenty of fans who can rattle off the likes of Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and plenty of others.
In reality, those golfers simply aren’t mentioned as frequently as they should be though. Because they are put up against the Jack-Arnold-Tiger triumvirate, they ultimately fall short. So, why not do something to give more players of this great sport their due by measuring them using a different barometer outside of golf’s greatest?
That’s what we’ll attempt to do here, going through all 50 states in the United States of America and deciding who is the best golfer from there. Now, it should be noted that being “from” somewhere is a relative term. It could mean birthplace, where the person was raised, where they resided for most of their career or something in between. Regardless, each golfer can call the state they rule home.
And with that, we start with Alabama.
Note: The information in this article has been checked and is up to date as of Feb. 16, 2023.
PGA, LPGA or Amateur: The best golfer from every U.S. State
Alabama: Larry Nelson
Hubert Green indubitably has a claim to be called the best golfer hailing from Alabama. After turning pro in 1969, Green went on to enjoy a phenomenal career on the PGA Tour, notching 19 wins and two major victories — the 1977 U.S. Open and 1985 PGA Championship. Additionally, he also registered best finishes tied for second at The Masters and third at The Open Championship. However, Green is edged out by Larry Nelson for this list.
The Fort Payne, AL native Nelson may have spent much of his youth in Georgia, but he was born in the state in question. He turned pro in 1971, finally reaching the PGA Tour three years later. But, it wasn’t until the end of the decade when he really started to make some noise on tour. In 1979, Nelson won twice on the PGA Tour, two of what would be 10 victories overall throughout his time on the tour.
However, there are two things that ultimately give Nelson the nod over Green in the state of Alabama. First, Nelson has had tremendous success on the Champions Tour after his prime, winning 19 times throughout his time with the senior group. What’s more, he also has a leg up on Green in terms of majors — albeit just by one. Nelson also won the U.S. Open and PGA Championship each, but won the latter twice, doing so in 1981 and 1987. And with those three majors and 41 overall pro victories, he takes the cake for the Yellowhammer State.