Is Tiger Woods The Greatest Golfer Ever?
Dale King
August 06, 2006
On Sunday, Tiger Woods shot a final-round 66 to win the Buick Open and became the youngest player in history to amass 50 wins, surpassing the previous youngest, the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus by an amazing 3 years.
Woods became just the seventh member of the PGA Tour's exclusive 50-win club after improving to an astonishing 21-for-21 when leading by more than one stroke after three rounds. The 30-year-old Woods beat Jack Nicklaus' record pace to the milestone, which Nicklaus reached in 1973 at the age of 33.
Woods has won nearly a fourth of 210 PGA Tour events he has entered since turning pro in 1996. This year, as if on cue, his four victories have come in 11 events.
Which begs the question...is Tiger Woods the greatest golfer ever?
Well, let's take a look at the numbers:
11 Major Championships: He is tied with Walter Hagen for second on the all-time career list and is one step closer to the 18 professional majors won by Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus didn't win his 11th major until he was 32.
50 Career Wins: He beat Jack Nicklaus' record pace to the milestone by an amazing 3 years.
Perfection: Tiger is an astonishing 21-for-21 when leading by more than one stroke after three rounds.
Near Perfection: 36 for 39 when leading or sharing the lead heading into the final round of a tournament.
Tiger's Number 1: He spent a record 264 consecutive weeks at number 1.
Destiny's Child: the first golfer in history to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles.
Folks, the numbers are not only impressive, they're unprecedented.
Not to mention, he's also the smartest and mentally toughest golfer on the planet...and he's only 30 years old. Most golfers don't peak until their 30's. So if history is any indicator, Tiger's best golf is still ahead of him.
What's scary is, nothing seems to be able to slow him down. Not knee surgery. Not swing changes. Not the recent death of his father...nothing.
It appears only Tiger Woods can slow down Tiger Woods.
So is Tiger the greatest golfer ever? It's too soon to say, since he is still rewriting golf history.
But no one can argue, he is definitely the greatest frontrunner in sports history.
Woods became just the seventh member of the PGA Tour's exclusive 50-win club after improving to an astonishing 21-for-21 when leading by more than one stroke after three rounds. The 30-year-old Woods beat Jack Nicklaus' record pace to the milestone, which Nicklaus reached in 1973 at the age of 33.
Woods has won nearly a fourth of 210 PGA Tour events he has entered since turning pro in 1996. This year, as if on cue, his four victories have come in 11 events.
Which begs the question...is Tiger Woods the greatest golfer ever?
Well, let's take a look at the numbers:
11 Major Championships: He is tied with Walter Hagen for second on the all-time career list and is one step closer to the 18 professional majors won by Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus didn't win his 11th major until he was 32.
50 Career Wins: He beat Jack Nicklaus' record pace to the milestone by an amazing 3 years.
Perfection: Tiger is an astonishing 21-for-21 when leading by more than one stroke after three rounds.
Near Perfection: 36 for 39 when leading or sharing the lead heading into the final round of a tournament.
Tiger's Number 1: He spent a record 264 consecutive weeks at number 1.
Destiny's Child: the first golfer in history to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles.
Folks, the numbers are not only impressive, they're unprecedented.
Not to mention, he's also the smartest and mentally toughest golfer on the planet...and he's only 30 years old. Most golfers don't peak until their 30's. So if history is any indicator, Tiger's best golf is still ahead of him.
What's scary is, nothing seems to be able to slow him down. Not knee surgery. Not swing changes. Not the recent death of his father...nothing.
It appears only Tiger Woods can slow down Tiger Woods.
So is Tiger the greatest golfer ever? It's too soon to say, since he is still rewriting golf history.
But no one can argue, he is definitely the greatest frontrunner in sports history.
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