Which golfer has the most runner-up finishes in PGA Tour history?

Jack Nicklaus has the most runner-up finishes in PGA Tour history, with 58 second-place finishes. The record reflects not only his extraordinary winning ability but also how often he remained in contention across a long career.

Nicklaus won 73 official PGA Tour events, including a record 18 professional major championships. His runner-up total covers the full Tour record, so it is much larger than his total of 19 second-place finishes in major championships. Those major runner-ups are a separate record often confused with his overall PGA Tour figure.

Nicklaus’s consistency was especially striking during the 1960s and 1970s. He won at least one PGA Tour event in 17 consecutive seasons, from 1962 through 1978, and regularly finished near the lead even when he did not win. The combination of 73 victories and 58 runner-up finishes illustrates why he was a dominant presence for more than two decades.