Jack's Record Is Safe

[pietasterp]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

He needs to fix his tee shots with driver and other clubs.....that is where he is losing the most strokes, IMO.

It's not so much an opinion as it is a pretty clear fact. His strokes-gained on tee shots must be really poor right now. It's a near-miracle he was even in contention after missing every fairway on the front-9 during the final round.

Having said that...I continue to eat crow about how I thought Tiger would never get back to this level. Even if he never wins another major, he's coming a hell of a lot closer than I ever would have thought at this point. I had thought he'd have a shot at maybe one more Masters at some point, but never thought he'd hold a lead with 9 holes to go in a British Open (sic) or be right there at the end of a PGA. I especially didn't think he'd do it THIS year. Consider me amazed.

[DivotMaker]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

It's not so much an opinion as it is a pretty clear fact. His strokes-gained on tee shots must be really poor right now. It's a near-miracle he was even in contention after missing every fairway on the front-9 during the final round.

Having said that...I continue to eat crow about how I thought Tiger would never get back to this level. Even if he never wins another major, he's coming a hell of a lot closer than I ever would have thought at this point. I had thought he'd have a shot at maybe one more Masters at some point, but never thought he'd hold a lead with 9 holes to go in a British Open (sic) or be right there at the end of a PGA. I especially didn't think he'd do it THIS year. Consider me amazed.

You and a whole bunch of other folks.

I have always maintained if he got healthy again, he would be back....not Tiger of 2000 back, but he would be relevant and would compete at a very high level if that is what he wanted to do.

Obviously, the desire to succeed and get to 19 Majors is still there.

[pietasterp]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

You and a whole bunch of other folks.

I have always maintained if he got healthy again, he would be back....not Tiger of 2000 back, but he would be relevant and would compete at a very high level if that is what he wanted to do.

Obviously, the desire to succeed and get to 19 Majors is still there.

Yeah, I think clearly as long as he stays healthy, he'll be a threat for another 3-4 years at least. I severely underestimated how much raw talent and single-minded focus would carry him after so many physical and personal setbacks. Even Tiger thought he was done a year ago (according to Sir Nick, and he has no reason to embellish a story like that).

Having said that, I still say 4 more majors is not reasonable. I'm willing to amend my position and say maybe he gets 1 more, but this year is done already, and he needs to keep getting better as he keeps getting older. In the meantime, the younger rivals are getting better, and the fields are just more talented than ever before. I think it's not realistic.

Of course, I said him coming back to be competitive in majors this year was not realistic, so what do I know?

[GreenLightning]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Which younger rivals are you talking about? The only one who has really stepped up on a consistent basis in the majors is Koepka.

Yeah there are a bunch of young guns coming up but I think a few who might have been considered serious threats have shown cracks and an inability to perform on a consistent basis. Day and Fowler are two that come to mind.

I give Tiger a shot at 5 more majors if he can win at the Masters next year. His showing at the PGA was remarkable considering he can't hit driver. The 64 on Sunday was amazing.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Rory and Jordan have 4 and 3, and are not even 30. That is nothing to sniff at whatsoever. Hell Speith just won one last year! Sure they aren't perfect, but that many majors is already an incredible career and I'd be willing to bet they'll both win at least one more. I think sometimes those of us who watched Tiger absolutely obliterate golf for a while tend to forget how hard it is to win these things.

[GreenLightning]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

The more I watch Tiger the more I get the feeling that he is at least as good if not better than any of them

Rory hasn't been the same since the soccer incident. DJ since the bizarre fall before the Masters. Spieth can be a train wreck at times no idea what is up there.
Woods is as good as any of them and if he could find a club he could hit 275 off the tee and put it in the fairway he would be impossible to beat week in and week out despite the physical problems. He's mentally stronger than all of them.

[GreenLightning]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Obviously age is against him winning many more majors. There is a list on this page showing how old each player was when they won their last major. But if anyone can do it Woods can.

https://www.thoughtco.com/these-are-the-oldest-golfers-to-win-1565917

[pietasterp]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Which younger rivals are you talking about? The only one who has really stepped up on a consistent basis in the majors is Koepka.

Yeah there are a bunch of young guns coming up but I think a few who might have been considered serious threats have shown cracks and an inability to perform on a consistent basis. Day and Fowler are two that come to mind.

I give Tiger a shot at 5 more majors if he can win at the Masters next year. His showing at the PGA was remarkable considering he can't hit driver. The 64 on Sunday was amazing.

Koepka, DJ, Spieth, Rahm, Thomas, Rory, Reed, Fleetwood, Finau….I mean, the list is long. Jason Day has had injury problems, but prior to that he was on a pretty impressive trajectory.

The more I watch Tiger the more I get the feeling that he is at least as good if not better than any of them

Rory hasn't been the same since the soccer incident. DJ since the bizarre fall before the Masters. Spieth can be a train wreck at times no idea what is up there.
Woods is as good as any of them and if he could find a club he could hit 275 off the tee and put it in the fairway he would be impossible to beat week in and week out despite the physical problems. He's mentally stronger than all of them.

The point is that while Tiger might be better than any one of them on any given day, he has to be better than all of them for 4-straight days to win. I would take the combination of all the under-35 golfers vs. Tiger in every major from now until he retires. I would NOT have taken that bet from 1999-2008.

Obviously age is against him winning many more majors. There is a list on this page showing how old each player was when they won their last major. But if anyone can do it Woods can.

https://www.thoughtco.com/these-are-...to-win-1565917

I think age is less of a factor in the modern game, because guys are in better shape and equipment/technology has lessened the disadvantages that come with age. The issue with Tiger isn't age, it's injury. Lacking any major surgeries and injuries, I'd definitely like Tiger's chances until he's at least in his late 40's. But the guy has had multiple knee surgeries, multiple back surgeries, neck surgery, spinal fusion....I mean, I'm beyond impressed that he's even out there playing golf, let alone a serious threat to win in the last 2 majors of the year.

I have admitted that I underestimated Tiger, and it's quite possible I continue to do so. But it's just asking a lot - too much, in my opinion - to say that a guy that is getting into his mid-40's who spent the better part of 2+ years on the rack convalescing from serious injuries and who, less than a year ago, thought he was done ever playing competitive golf, is going to regain the dominance of his prime for even a short period of time.

For me, step 1 for Tiger is his playing a full season's worth of tournaments (for him). He doesn't have to play every week, and to some extent, he's always been a pick-and-choose tournaments and focus his efforts on the majors type of player, but if he can stay healthy for a whole season, then I think that changes how I think about his odds. There's no questioning his talent, focus, and desire, but his body has taken an awful beating for such a young man. Frankly, I just hope he's healthy enough to enjoy life beyond golf, because for a while there, it wasn't clear he ever would be.

[lowpaiddonkey10]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

I would have to say that Woods being able to win 5 more major tournaments in the next 8 years when he turns 50 is at best a long shot. However I think anyone on the tour winning 5 major tournaments in the next 8 years is a stretch as well.

[DivotMaker]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

I would have to say that Woods being able to win 5 more major tournaments in the next 8 years when he turns 50 is at best a long shot. However I think anyone on the tour winning 5 major tournaments in the next 8 years is a stretch as well.

I don’t think it is a stretch for Brooks Koepka.

[lowpaiddonkey10]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Bottle this swing.

[pietasterp]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Wow.

While the Sunday round was a bit anti-climactic (because everyone just kinda stunk up the course), that Saturday round could have been Tiger in 2004. I continue to be amazed by how quickly he's gotten back to this level, given where he was 12 months ago. I mean, we're talking about a guy that could barely walk, and who was (by accounts) actively considering never playing golf again.

I always thought he might win again (if - big "IF" - healthy), but I thought it would be on a track that suited his game perfectly, like the Farmer's Insurance at Torrey Pines or something. I did not think his health and his game would hold up for 4 intense rounds at a major. But whatever I thought was clearly wrong (excepting the part about being healthy).

Barring injury, I now see no reason he couldn't win another major or more. I continue to worry about the "barring injury" part, but he's looked great so far during the comeback, and hopefully his new swing will keep him in good health. Let's just hope his Navy SEAL obsessions are behind him at this point...

[DivotMaker]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Wow.

While the Sunday round was a bit anti-climactic (because everyone just kinda stunk up the course), that Saturday round could have been Tiger in 2004. I continue to be amazed by how quickly he's gotten back to this level, given where he was 12 months ago. I mean, we're talking about a guy that could barely walk, and who was (by accounts) actively considering never playing golf again.

I always thought he might win again (if - big "IF" - healthy), but I thought it would be on a track that suited his game perfectly, like the Farmer's Insurance at Torrey Pines or something. I did not think his health and his game would hold up for 4 intense rounds at a major. But whatever I thought was clearly wrong (excepting the part about being healthy).

Barring injury, I now see no reason he couldn't win another major or more. I continue to worry about the "barring injury" part, but he's looked great so far during the comeback, and hopefully his new swing will keep him in good health. Let's just hope his Navy SEAL obsessions are behind him at this point...

Since he has admitted he can no longer run, I think he has learned to let the Seals be Seals and Tiger stick with professional Golf.

[lowpaiddonkey10]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Tough loss yesterday in the wind. Tiger looks as good as anyone else coming into the Masters.

[binga30]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Tough loss yesterday in the wind. Tiger looks as good as anyone else coming into the Masters.

When he has the driver in play, he is as dangerous as anyone. That and his knowledge of Augusta make him a favourite every year. I hope he can wind back the clock at Augusta, would be awesome to see him versus Speith/Reed/Rory on the back 9 Sunday.