Jim McCabe

Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.

No matter which way you order it, the two will always be linked.

Nicklaus, the all-time leader in major victories with 18, exited the majors scene at golf's birthplace, St. Andrews in Scotland.

Nicklaus, 68, may have won "only" three British Opens (his fewest total among the four majors), but two of those victories were at the Old Course.

Woods, who is more than three-quarters of the way to Nicklaus' amazing record, was there, switching the spotlight to himself in the final round by joining the Golden Bear as the only Americans to win twice at St. Andrews with a dominating performance for his 10th major (he's at 14 now).

There we go again, Nicklaus and Woods, linked like few other athletes.

It's simply hard to avoid.

(Did we mention that Nicklaus and Woods are the only two to win each major at least twice?).

Click below to see how today's Tiger Woods compares to Jack Nicklaus in his prime. Ball-striking Creativity Level of competition Pressure Course management Driving Popularity Putting

What has made these two, arguably the two greatest golfers of all time, so exceptional?

Is it their skill?

Love of the game?

Determination?

Imagination?

As it turns out, it's a bit of all of those, and much, much more.

Follow along as MSNBC.com takes a detailed look at Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus in key categories that have helped defined their careers.

Part 1: Ball-striking

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