(Copied from Wikipedia - The following is a list of all the occasions in which a golfer has won eight or more tournaments on the PGA Tour in a season. It is complete through 2024.[1]
Wins Player Year(s)
18 United States Byron Nelson 1945
13 United States Ben Hogan 1946
11 United States Sam Snead 1950
10 United States Ben Hogan 1948
9 United States Paul Runyan 1933
9 United States Tiger Woods 2000
9 Fiji Vijay Singh 2004
8 United States Horton Smith 1929
8 United States Gene Sarazen 1930
8 United States Sam Snead 1938
8 United States Byron Nelson 1944
8 United States Arnold Palmer 1960, 1962
8 United States Johnny Miller 1974
8 United States Tiger Woods 1999, 2006)
The era can mean more than anything else, even in an individual sport like golf. Much more so in a team sport where the strength of a team can completely overwhelm even the best individual player on other teams. Byron won 5 majors, 56 PGA tour titles, and retired in his prime at the age of 34. I doubt many would argue that he is greater than Tiger, or Jack (who didn't even make the specific list above), but it certainly is possible that he was. I have little doubt that Byron Nelson and Jim Brown would also be great players today if they were in their prime now, but I don't think either would stand out way beyond the rest like they were able to in their time.