Michael Jordan knows greatness when he sees it. The six-time NBA champion is widely regarded as the best basketball player to ever live. But when it comes to naming the greatest golfer of all time, not even MJ is willing to pick a side.

Jordan, a huge fan of golf himself, owns the exclusive Grove XXIII course in Florida, which he opened in 2019. Nicknamed ‘Slaughterhouse 23’, the club is designed specifically for how he likes to play and has become a popular hangout for elite sportstars such as John Elway, Wayne Gretzky, and many top-named golfers like Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson.

Yet, despite his passion for the game and admiration for Tiger Woods, Jordan refuses to crown him the undisputed GOAT of golf. That’s not because he doesn’t rate the 15-time Major winner, but because of something he relates to on a personal level.

What Michael Jordan Has Said About Tiger Woods

MJ has a different take in the GOAT debate for golf

“You’re never going to be able to say who’s the greatest of all time,” Jordan said in an interview with Cigar Aficionado. “To me, that’s more for PR and selling stories and getting hype.

“Jack and Tiger never played against each other; they never played in the same tournament, they never played with the same equipment, they never played the same length of golf course. I never played against Wilt Chamberlain and I never played against Jerry West. To now say that one is greater than the other is to be a little bit unfair.”

Jordan believes that comparing players from different generations is simply not a level playing field. As someone often pitted against the likes of LeBron James in GOAT debates of his own, he’s more interested in the impact a player makes than the trophies they win.

“This is one where you can judge the two: How much impact did each [have]? How did they change or evolve the game? Jack during his time vs Tiger during his time. Now, obviously, Jack won more during the time that he played, [but] Tiger evolved it to where it crossed a lot of different boundaries, to where it wasn’t just a white-guy’s sport anymore – Black guys, Afro-Americans, and all of the minorities were playing the game. And he played at a level where he generated so much interest financially; he grew the game from a financial standpoint.”

Stats Aren’t Everything, Says MJ

Trophies won shouldn’t be the only thing considered in GOAT debates, according to Jordan

Despite Nicklaus hauling in three more Majors than Woods, Jordan used a comparison from his own sport to explain why that doesn’t necessarily settle the debate. He highlighted how Bill Russell won five more championships than he did in the NBA, but argued that different eras make it impossible to fairly compare greatness across generations, stating that the rings don’t make Russell better than Jordan and vice versa.

“When you try to equate who is the greatest of all time, it’s an unfair parallel, it’s an unfair choice,” Jordan concluded. “Those are the demons that, obviously, Tiger has to live with, and he’s going to be challenged and graded upon that. But, for me, I think they’re both great. I would never say that one is greater than the other. That’s me. That’s my opinion.”

Jordan’s refusal to name a definitive golf GOAT is a surprisingly measured stance in a sporting world often obsessed with ranking greatness. His argument, that different eras can’t be directly compared, is not only fair, but refreshingly sensible, especially when it comes from someone who is constantly at the centre of GOAT debates himself.

With first-hand experience of how unrelenting and subjective these comparisons can be, Jordan’s on-the-fence approach feels more grounded than evasive, and that’s something that can be respected.