Tiger Woods at the 1997 Masters (Stephen Munday/Allsport/Getty Images)

3. Tiger Woods

PGA Tour victories in 1990s: 15 (of 80 total)

Major titles in 1990s: two (of 14 total)

After turning professional in 1996 on the heels of three U.S. Amateur victories, a still young Woods played some of the best golf ever seen at the end of the ‘90s, and he was just getting started. He quickly won twice in 1996, then again early in ’97 before taking off in the Masters. He won his first major title that year in record fashion, shooting 18-under for a 12-shot victory over runner-up Tom Kite.

He added two more titles that 1997 season for a total of four, and he became the quickest ever to reach No. 1 in the world that year. While revamping his swing with noted instructor Butch Harmon, Woods had a relatively slow 1998 with just one PGA Tour title before winning eight times in 1999. That tally included the PGA Championship at Medinah, where Woods held off an even younger Sergio Garcia by one shot.

Woods would go on to win four consecutive majors in 2000-2001, and it seemed he was almost unbeatable whenever he climbed atop a leaderboard through the 2008 U.S. Open, where he won his last (as of this writing) major title. A series of serious injuries and personal problems plagued Woods through much of the 2010s until he rebounded for his first victory in more than five years at the 2018 Tour Championship.

For the 1990s, he was the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1996, the Player of the Year in ’97 and ’99, the leading money winner in ’97 and ’99, and the Vardon Trophy winner for lowest scoring average in 1999. He’s a lock for the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2026 after he turns 50.