Tiger’s Toast!
BY JOSH NELSON
There was a time when Tiger Woods was favored to win every major. Now, you’re lucky to see him play in a tournament. Woods, who was arguably the most dominant golfer to ever hit the links, has become a shell of himself, unable to stay healthy and to consistently play well enough to be successful. This is why he will never win another major in his career.
It’s not that Woods doesn’t have the talent, but at this point in his career, his body just doesn’t seem like it wants to cooperate anymore. Over the past several years, he’s suffered several knee injuries and major back problems. It’s difficult to predict whether those parts of his body will hold up long enough to win a major tournament, let alone another tournament.
The competition level for golf is so much better than it was when Woods was controlling the sport. Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth are either in their primes or heading into their primes with a greater likelihood of performing well all weekend. Woods has questions surrounding him on whether he can still consistently shoot under par.
Nick is going to tell you that Woods is the best player ever and his greatness guarantees him another major, but he’s not the best player anymore. Besides, Nick has some weird infatuation with Woods, so he has some bias in this situation. I wouldn’t trust his opinion.
He’s still got it!
BY NICK KONOW
Tiger Woods is making his first official PGA Tour start in 17 months at the Farmers Insurance Open, a tournament he has won seven times.
It is easy to see why Woods chose Torrey Pines as the site of his 2017 debut. The course where he has eight career wins as well as 11 top-five finishes and an amateur championship gives him a sense of comfort. One of those eight victories also was also his last major title, the 2008 U.S. Open.
This is just one crazy stat that shows just how good Woods was in his prime. I am not saying Tiger will return to his early 2000s form, but if he’s healthy, he can definitely compete on the tour and win a major.
Josh thinks that due to his age and injuries, Woods is washed up. However, golf is a different sport in that most players can be competitive into their late 50s. A great example of a player over the age of 40 is the man Woods is chasing. Jack Nicklaus won the Masters when he was 46 at Augusta National, a place where Woods has had great success. It’s not too late for Woods to grab another major.
Finally, Josh seems to think that the competition is better now than when Woods was in his prime. However, Woods holds a mental edge over the young guys on tour. It will be interesting to see how the likes of Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler will hold up on the back nine of a major on a Sunday with Tiger Woods wearing red chasing them down on the leaderboard.
