I don't think today's players are better, per se, just that they have had greater opportunity to benefit from the experience of previous generations. I can study the games of every great player of the last 40 years. Earl, Efren, Nick Varner, Buddy Hall, Mosconi, etc had a much more difficult time studying the game. How good would they have been had that knowledge base been available?
I'm sure he would be but current golfers have benefitted from improvements in coaching training and equipment that weren't available in his era. The players aren't intrinsically better, conditions have changed and that changes the game.