Two-man teams: Top 10 classic favorites
7 Min Read
Written by Tom Alter
These are indeed some strange days. Naturally, the health of the world is the highest priority for everyone, but it doesn’t make the cancellation of sporting events and golf tournaments any less disappointing. Perhaps because of its unique two-man team format, the one tournament that might be missed the most by fans is the Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Given the time, it’s fun to look back and reminisce (and imagine) some of the best two-man teams in golf history. There’s no secret that the best players often make the best teams.
Among the 10 Classic teams listed below are some of the greatest champions the sport has ever seen. Tournament winners with great resumes who dominated when they combined their superpowers. There are 18 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame included among the 20 names selected. But sometimes the chemistry between two players make the sum of their games even better. Their ability to complement each other’s personality or playing style provided an ideal winning formula.
Here’s one man’s opinion to the 10 best teams in golf history, along with an explanation for each, including how the teams performed as teammates in Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup competitions or fared in other team tournaments, such as the World Cup (nee Canada Cup). All the players considered were either retired or deceased. OK, I fudged a little by including Davis Love III and Fred Couples, who are both active on the PGA TOUR Champions and still play the occasional TOUR stop.
There is no particular order to our list of 10. Let the debate begin …
With this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans canceled, PGATOUR.COM writers will publish a series of our favorite two-man partnerships in honor of the tournament’s unique team format. Each day, we’ll focus on a specific category. Use the comments section to let us know which two-man teams you’d most enjoy seeing:
Classic teams. Tom Alter picks out his 10 favorite teams from former PGA TOUR and golf greats.
FRIDAY: ShotLink teams. PGA TOUR’s ShotLink crew picks out its 10 best partners utilizing analytics from the ShotLink Era (since 2003).
1. Arnold Palmer-Jack Nicklaus
These all-time greats had one of the most famous rivalries in sports history. But as a team, these “frenemies” excelled. They won the World Cup as teammates in 1963, ’64, ’66 and ’67. They also won three PGA Team Championships when that tournament existed in 1966, ’70 and ’71.
Of course, because they combined to win 25 major championships, they had success with other teammates; Palmer won two World Cups in the early 1960s with Sam Snead, while Nicklaus won two of his own in the early 1970s with Lee Trevino and Johnny Miller. The World Golf Hall of Fame members were paired together only twice in the Ryder Cup. Naturally, they won their Foursomes match in 1971 and their Fourball match in 1973.
The King and The Bear were a perfect pair.
2. Ben Crenshaw-Tom Kite
These two members of the World Golf Hall of Fame grew up butting heads at Austin CC in Texas. Before their individual play on the PGA TOUR, which would include major championships, Crenshaw and Kite combined forces to carry the University of Texas golf team to the very top. The Longhorns won consecutive national championships in 1971 and ’72. Crenshaw won the individual title for a record three consecutive seasons from 1971 through ’73 and shared the title with Kite in 1972.
3. Bobby Jones-Walter Hagen
One can only speculate how awesome Jones and Hagen would be taking on all comers during the Roaring Twenties. Both were masters of match play; Jones won a record five U.S. Amateur championships while Hagen won a record five PGA Championships, including four in a row (all at match play). And it’s even fun to imagine what these all-timers would wear. I guess the film “The Legend of Bagger Vance” gave us a peek at what playing against them would be like, but it’s doubtful there would be any Hollywood endings when facing these two all-timers.
4. Byron Nelson-Harold “Jug” McSpaden
During World War II, Nelson couldn’t serve in the military because he had issues with blood clotting. Nonetheless, he wanted to contribute to the cause. So, together with McSpaden, they barnstormed around the country playing in exhibitions. Crisscrossing the country in a beat-up car on terrible roads, they were labelled “The Gold Dust Twins.”
Not only did they help raise several million dollars for the war effort, they kept their games razor sharp. When the war was over and the 1945 season rolled around, they were ready to go. They teamed up to win the Miami Four-ball; it was the start of Nelson’s 11 consecutive victories … in a season when he finished with 18 titles. Both PGA TOUR records that are likely to stand forever. Meanwhile, McSpaden finished second 13 times.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of that historic season; the “Gold Dust Twins” left their mark as a team for the ages.
5. Davis Love III-Fred Couples
Given their unique last names, it seems destiny that Love and Couples would make a great pair. They set the golf world afire in 1992 when they each won three times in March and April, including Love at THE PLAYERS Championship and Couples at the Masters. In November that year they teamed up to win the World Cup in Madrid, Spain. Then they created World Cup history when the tandem won four consecutive titles. In addition, they were a part of four winning Presidents Cup teams, going 5-2-1 as teammates.
6. Hale Irwin-Lanny Wadkins
Irwin and Wadkins were two of the toughest competitors in the history of the game. What’s surprising is that they didn’t play together more often. Both won at least 20 PGA TOUR tournaments in their respective careers.
Although they both made several Ryder Cup squads, they only teamed up one time, playing two Foursome matches together in the 1991 Ryder Cup. They won both matches handily: 4 & 2. Not surprising. Nobody wanted a piece of those guys.
7. Lee Trevino-Mike Hill
Trevino couldn’t be any more different than Hill. The “Merry Mex” was outgoing, funny, a real chatterbox -- and a Hall of Fame member. Hill didn’t say much … or do much as a career journeyman on the PGA TOUR, albeit winning three times.
When they got to the PGA TOUR Champions (then known as the Senior PGA TOUR), Trevino kept on winning. He duplicated his 29 TOUR titles with 29 more on the senior circuit. Meanwhile, Hill excelled in the greatest mulligan in sports. Both players finished in the top 20 on the money list for the first 10 years of their second careers.
They were ideal complements for each other as a team. Together they won four Legends of Golf team tournaments (on two different venues), the most in event history.
8. Nick Faldo-Ian Woosnam
These two dominating Ryder Cup teammates make an interesting pair. One is tall, dark and handsome; the other is short and stocky … and looks like he’s ready to punch your lights out. But Faldo and Woosnam were part of the spectacular wave of European players who snatched the Ryder Cup away from the United States in the late 1980s.
In the 1985 and ’87 matches, both won by Europe, Sir Nick and “Wee Woosie” combined to go 5-1-2. Although they did struggle to a 0-2-0 record in ’89, these World Golf Hall of Fame members must be acknowledged as one of the great teams of all time.
9. Sam Snead-Ben Hogan
Snead and Hogan were archrivals with very different personalities, so it might come as a surprise that they should be included among the greatest teammates of all-time. What they had in common more than made up for their differences; they both grew up hungry during the Depression and had incredible talent. Oh, and they liked winning.
Two of the four players with the most PGA TOUR victories in history (82 + 64 = 146 titles!), Snead and Hogan dominated as teammates. Look no further than the 1956 World Cup at Wentworth in England. They won by 14 strokes. (The runner-up South African team featured fellow future World Golf Hall of Fame members Bobby Locke and 20-year-old Gary Player.)
10. Seve Ballesteros-Jose Marie Olazabal
This team of Spaniards is recognized as the best Ryder Cup duo in history. Their record together is a remarkable 11-2-2, including 6-1-1 in Foursomes and 5-1-1 in Four-ball. all Ryder Cup records.
Although one could argue that Seve was so good he could win with anybody (he did win the 1976 and ’77 World Cups with compatriots Manuel Pinero and Antonio Garrido, respectively), that assumption would sell Olazabal short. Like Seve, Ollie was a two-time Masters champion and a World Golf Hall of Fame member.
Together, though, they were even better … maybe the best ever.
Longtime PGA TOUR employee Tom Alter is the Vice President of Editorial Development.
