Nicknames Of The Game

Golf Digest's top-10 all-time nicknames, plus an expanded list of historical nicknames

As we saw at the British Open in July, there are cute nicknames being coined for tour players these days -- Louis Oosthuizen, aka Shrek -- but they're short of being classic or timeless, like a Golden Bear. The great nicknames we've grown accustomed to from golf's past have been memorable and longstanding, derived by both player and caddie alike. Nicknames go beyond turning left-hander Phil Mickelson into Lefty or using the truncated form of a proper name, such as Robert Tyre Jones to Bobby. By and large, getting a nickname is a sign of endearment and can indicate a number of things: you're well-liked, you've "made it," and you have a place in golf history as a memorable figure, especially if mention of the nickname immediately brings the real name and face of the person to mind. The best monikers are inspired by a physical, attitudinal or behavioral trait; sometimes you grow into one, like Tiger; sometimes it's insulting, such as Porky; and sometimes you get someone else's name, such as Chi Chi Rodriguez, who stopped using Juan for the name of Chi Chi Flores, a favorite baseball player.

The editors of Golf Digest ranked their top-10 all-time nicknames, plus honorable mentions, which is followed by an expanded list of nicknames created over the last several decades.

Top 10

The Golden Bear: Jack Nicklaus
The Walrus: Craig Stadler
Boss of the Moss: Loren Roberts
Little Poison: Paul Runyan
The Big Easy: Ernie Els
Big Momma: Joanne Carner
Great White Shark: Greg Norman
Mr. X: Miller Barber
Champagne Tony: Tony Lema
The King: Arnold Palmer

Honorable Mention

The Squire: Gene Sarazen
The Hawk: Ben Hogan
The Silver Scot: Tommy Armour
Lord Byron: Byron Nelson
The Gilroy Cowboy: George Archer
Two Chip: T.C. Chen
Thunder: Tommy Bolt
Boom Boom: Fred Couples