Tiger, in my opinion, was the greatest player of all time starting in 2000 and continuing through the U.S. Open in 2008. The scandal rocked his world, shocked the country and also the rest of the world. A perceived hero fell on very hard times. Now he’s fighting to get back to where he once was. The big question is will he catch Jack at 18 majors and can he pass him? Tiger is at 14. He is 36 and will be 37 in December. He noted Jack won the ’86 Masters at the age of 46. Using that math, Tiger will have 40 more chances, beginning at next year’s Masters, to get four, and possibly five more. I’d put his chances at 50 percent right now. If he doesn’t get one next year, that percentage drops to 45, and will continue to decline as the years progress and he’s major-less. He’s not the dominant player he once was. From 200o all the way to 2008 he was virtually unstoppable. The competition was intimidated by him; scared really. That’s not the case today. Maybe it’s kind of a good thing actually. He’s a nicer guy, and that is a very good thing. He was drug through the mud by the media and many in the public for his highly dishonorable acts to his wife and his children. Some of it was richly deserved; some may have been over the line. It has humbled him and made him a better person. He’s more patient with the media, and nicer to the fans, more respectful of them and appreciative of them. He should be and I’m liking that about him. That is a very likeable quality. He’s still got a fiercely competitive spirit; it’s just tougher out there than it used to be. With Rory a superstar, guys like Dustin Johnson, Keegan Bradley, Nick Watney, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan and Brandt Snedeker along with the veterans like the always solid Jim Furyk, who leads the tour championship, and despite what some say, should definitely have been a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup, Phil and Ernie, there’s a deep field out there. There are so many others who can win any given weekend. So it’s definitely tougher sledding for Tiger than it used to be.
In 2000, he was the greatest golfer that ever lived. He kept it up through most of that decade. Can he get it back? That’s a tough question. His swing is not reliable right now and he’s not the same putter he was five, 10 years ago. That may have come with age. The putts that always fell when he was 25 are not falling now that he’s 36.
But it’s still enjoyable to watch him compete. I like the person Tiger Woods has become and is still evolving into. I hope he sees his kids a lot and can provide them with fatherly guidance and support. They need that from him. I’d like to see him win a major next year and make it even more interesting in his chase for Jack’s coveted 18. He plays Augusta so well having won there four times. Next year’s Masters will be the 77th playing of the event. Tiger always has a shot at Augusta. The 113th U.S. Open is at the famed Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania, which has hosted United States Opens before. The 146th Open Championship is at Muirfield next year, and the 95th PGA will be held at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. Certainly some good opportunities for Eldrick Tiger Woods.
He’s still got time. The question is: will he have that drive to reach Jack’s record? I think he still does. He still seems like he cares a lot, and I know he wants that record. He’s an intensely hard worker. He’s still a type A competitor, which is a good thing in many ways. But he’s also humbled, and while some may say that will hold him back, I’d say you know what that’s OK. He can be a nicer guy and still win. There are a lot of nice guys who win; who are intense competitors. The great ones rally back from tough times. Tiger certainly still has greatness. He’s shown it this year with wins at the Arnie Invitational, the Memorial and the AT&T with some brilliant play. Those are courses that he’s owned through the years, but you still have to win’em. That’s not easy by any stretch of the imagination. Still think 50 percent is reasonable for Tiger and Jack’s record. Get a Masters next year and the percentage increases by five to eight percent, maybe even 10. Heck, knowing him he could get more than one. There is a still a lot of greatness left. Thirty six is not old even by golf standards.
What I like most though is his humility. He’s a better person now than he once was. And that is definitely a good thing.