Even if his putter comes back, the USGA has
"Tiger Proofed" golf courses so much over the last 10 years that Tiger doesn't have the advantage of length anymore. And the fairways are narrower. Like I said, the depth of the PGA Tour is his biggest obstacle after his health. I look at it this way. How many more teams would have Superbowl trophies if there were only 10 teams in the NFL as opposed to 32? Depth is a big issue. He can still win the minor tournaments. But the big boys from all over the world come out for these majors. The only major that I think Tiger will have his best chance to win year after year is the Masters because of it's limited field. But even there, the field is limited to the best.
My problem with all the "Tiger talk" over the years has been a familiar problem.
People were so anxious to promote him as the next coming of Jesus Christ, they lost all track of how to be rational. With the far too many outlets for sports news.... fans become more and more likely to want to recognize someone as the greatest of all time. Here's the thing people.... ALL TIME IS A LONG TIME!!!!
I have no problem admitting that Tiger has been an outstanding player in his own time and against the available competition. It was always way too soon to hear all the crap about how he was gonna pass Jack's record number of majors. "Premature jocularity" as Keith Olberman says.
Tiger apparently got to believing his own press clippings, letting his hose misbehave, and unfortunately there you have it. He blew up the life he had. Even as big of a prick as I am sure he has been..... all this still may have had an effect on him to just piss away his life as it was with his wife and children. Who knows if he took roids (which I think there is very little doubt ... HE DID), even if he did run with a litany of hookers and such.... whatever the reasons his body is starting to break down more and more.
He was NEVER really in position to challenge Jack's record anyway.... at least not yet as of the time years ago when all the morons started insisting it would happen.
People were so anxious to promote him as the next coming of Jesus Christ, they lost all track of how to be rational. With the far too many outlets for sports news.... fans become more and more likely to want to recognize someone as the greatest of all time. Here's the thing people.... ALL TIME IS A LONG TIME!!!!
I have no problem admitting that Tiger has been an outstanding player in his own time and against the available competition. It was always way too soon to hear all the crap about how he was gonna pass Jack's record number of majors. "Premature jocularity" as Keith Olberman says.
Tiger apparently got to believing his own press clippings, letting his hose misbehave, and unfortunately there you have it. He blew up the life he had. Even as big of a prick as I am sure he has been..... all this still may have had an effect on him to just piss away his life as it was with his wife and children. Who knows if he took roids (which I think there is very little doubt ... HE DID), even if he did run with a litany of hookers and such.... whatever the reasons his body is starting to break down more and more.
He was NEVER really in position to challenge Jack's record anyway.... at least not yet as of the time years ago when all the morons started insisting it would happen.
It's not really as much about length as it is well placed bunkers around 300 yards out and narrower fairways. Tiger's -21 at Augusta embarassed the bluebloods who run the Masters. They made sure we would probably never see that kind of score again. I also doubt we'll ever see a 15 strokes win in the U.S. Open again either. "Tiger Proofing" has brought the fields of long knockers closer together.
Point is, they brought fields closer together by Tiger Proofing. They don't want to see the Bubba Watson's and Adam Scott's overpowering the majors and shooting another -21. That will most likely never happen again. Even McIlroy's -12 a couple years ago was very embarassing to the officials who set up that course. BUT, they weren't expecting all of those rains and soft greens. Plus it wasn't exactly the toughest US Open venue.
[ I don't think Tiger will break Jack's mark, but Jack is still publicly saying that he thinks Tiger will... ]
Nicklaus: Tiger will break mark
Updated: April 8, 2014, 11:26 AM ET
<cite class="source"> </cite>
Nicklaus Says Tiger Will Break His Record
Tiger Woods has been stuck on 14 majors since winning the 2008 U.S. Open, and that won't change anytime soon as he won't compete in the Masters and into the summer after having back surgery late last month.
But Jack Nicklaus -- who holds the record of 18 victories in golf's Grand Slam events -- still thinks Woods eventually will break that mark and get to his goal of 19.
"I feel very bad for Tiger. He's really worked towards my record," Nicklaus said Tuesday on "Mike & Mike" on ESPN Radio. "I still think he'll break my record.
"As long as he is physically able to do it. ... He's 38 years old and he's probably got another 10 years at least of being able to compete -- that's 40 more majors to win five of them. It shouldn't be too difficult.
More from ESPN.com
Tiger Woods would have been better off learning from the life that Jack built, not his game, Rick Reilly writes. Story
"But then again, I've always said he's just gotta do it. It's gonna be difficult, but if I said anything different I think I would be a jerk. So I think I better say he will do that ... and I actually believe that."
Woods had microdiscectomy surgery to alleviate discomfort caused by a pinched nerve March 31. His schedule for the summer -- including the U.S. Open and Open Championship -- is still very much in doubt. Woods is also just three wins shy of tying Sam Snead's career mark for PGA Tour victories (82).
"It's tough right now, but I'm absolutely optimistic about the future," Woods said in a statement after the surgery.
"There are a couple of records by two outstanding individuals and players that I hope one day to break. As I've said many times, Sam [Snead] and Jack [Nicklaus] reached their milestones over an entire career. I plan to have a lot of years left in mine."
Nicklaus: Tiger will break mark
Updated: April 8, 2014, 11:26 AM ET
<cite class="source"> </cite>
Nicklaus Says Tiger Will Break His Record
Tiger Woods has been stuck on 14 majors since winning the 2008 U.S. Open, and that won't change anytime soon as he won't compete in the Masters and into the summer after having back surgery late last month.
But Jack Nicklaus -- who holds the record of 18 victories in golf's Grand Slam events -- still thinks Woods eventually will break that mark and get to his goal of 19.
"I feel very bad for Tiger. He's really worked towards my record," Nicklaus said Tuesday on "Mike & Mike" on ESPN Radio. "I still think he'll break my record.
"As long as he is physically able to do it. ... He's 38 years old and he's probably got another 10 years at least of being able to compete -- that's 40 more majors to win five of them. It shouldn't be too difficult.
More from ESPN.com
"But then again, I've always said he's just gotta do it. It's gonna be difficult, but if I said anything different I think I would be a jerk. So I think I better say he will do that ... and I actually believe that."
Woods had microdiscectomy surgery to alleviate discomfort caused by a pinched nerve March 31. His schedule for the summer -- including the U.S. Open and Open Championship -- is still very much in doubt. Woods is also just three wins shy of tying Sam Snead's career mark for PGA Tour victories (82).
"It's tough right now, but I'm absolutely optimistic about the future," Woods said in a statement after the surgery.
"There are a couple of records by two outstanding individuals and players that I hope one day to break. As I've said many times, Sam [Snead] and Jack [Nicklaus] reached their milestones over an entire career. I plan to have a lot of years left in mine."
Tiger Woods: I can still beat Jack Nicklaus' major record
By Rob Hodgetts, CNN
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<cite class="el-editorial-source" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: CNN, 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700;">(CNN)</cite>He still thinks he can pass Jack Nicklaus as the most successful golfer ever, but Tiger Woods has no idea when he will return to competitive action.
The 14-time major champion maintains he is "progressing nicely" after a third back operation in October, but says he won't resume his career until he can practice, play and recover with no ill effects.
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And despite not having won a major since 2008, the 40-year-old still believes he can overhaul Nicklaus' record of 18 major titles. The "Golden Bear" won his final three majors past the age of 40, including his famous 1986 Masters title as a 46-year-old.
READ: When I met Tiger Woods...
"I think his major championship record is certainly still attainable," Woods told reporters at a media day for the PGA Tour's Quicken Loans National tournament that he hosts at Congressional Country Club in Maryland.
Woods is also keen to beat Sam Snead's record of 82 PGA Tour wins -- he lies second on the list with 79 titles, the last of which came in August 2013.
"It would be nice to end up at No. 1 on both lists," he said. "That's a long way away and it's going to take time to get to that point but hopefully I can get back out here and play to that level."
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"It would be fun to know. But I don't know."
Tiger's return ... still unknown.
10:36 AM - 16 May 2016
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Woods has not played since last August, but sparked rumors of a return with a series of public demonstrations at various engagements over the last month.
But he admitted Monday he didn't know whether his return would be "next week or a year from now" -- and proved his rustiness by hitting all three of his wedge shots into the water during a mini par-three competition.
READ: Why Jason Day has been described as 'Tiger-esque'
'More focused'
"People have written me off, I'm not that part, you know, I'm not fertilizer," he said. "I'm getting better, just give it a little time. I'm looking forward to getting out here and competing.
"I'm hoping to play. I don't know when -- that's the overriding question I keep hearing. If I knew, I would tell you. It would be fun to know. But I don't know.
"I'm still trying to get stronger, more pliable. I am hitting the ball better. Everything about my game is coming around. It's just a matter of being consistent with it, not just at home at Medallist but out here (on the PGA Tour). It's just a completely different deal."
Woods is well known for a punishing practice and fitness regime, but he said his injury has forced him to reassess his training schedule.
"I'm one of those guys used to practicing eight, 10 hours a day -- I won't be doing that," he said. "I won't be running 10 miles a day, either.
"My practices will be more focused. They have to be. I can't hit 500 golf balls in a row. I need to be able to go out and play and recover every day. Until I feel comfortable doing that, I'll make that decision (to return) then."
</section>
By Rob Hodgetts, CNN
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<cite class="el-editorial-source" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: CNN, 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700;">(CNN)</cite>He still thinks he can pass Jack Nicklaus as the most successful golfer ever, but Tiger Woods has no idea when he will return to competitive action.
The 14-time major champion maintains he is "progressing nicely" after a third back operation in October, but says he won't resume his career until he can practice, play and recover with no ill effects.
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And despite not having won a major since 2008, the 40-year-old still believes he can overhaul Nicklaus' record of 18 major titles. The "Golden Bear" won his final three majors past the age of 40, including his famous 1986 Masters title as a 46-year-old.
READ: When I met Tiger Woods...
"I think his major championship record is certainly still attainable," Woods told reporters at a media day for the PGA Tour's Quicken Loans National tournament that he hosts at Congressional Country Club in Maryland.
Woods is also keen to beat Sam Snead's record of 82 PGA Tour wins -- he lies second on the list with 79 titles, the last of which came in August 2013.
"It would be nice to end up at No. 1 on both lists," he said. "That's a long way away and it's going to take time to get to that point but hopefully I can get back out here and play to that level."
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"It would be fun to know. But I don't know."
Tiger's return ... still unknown.
10:36 AM - 16 May 2016
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Woods has not played since last August, but sparked rumors of a return with a series of public demonstrations at various engagements over the last month.
But he admitted Monday he didn't know whether his return would be "next week or a year from now" -- and proved his rustiness by hitting all three of his wedge shots into the water during a mini par-three competition.
READ: Why Jason Day has been described as 'Tiger-esque'
'More focused'
"People have written me off, I'm not that part, you know, I'm not fertilizer," he said. "I'm getting better, just give it a little time. I'm looking forward to getting out here and competing.
"I'm hoping to play. I don't know when -- that's the overriding question I keep hearing. If I knew, I would tell you. It would be fun to know. But I don't know.
"I'm still trying to get stronger, more pliable. I am hitting the ball better. Everything about my game is coming around. It's just a matter of being consistent with it, not just at home at Medallist but out here (on the PGA Tour). It's just a completely different deal."
Woods is well known for a punishing practice and fitness regime, but he said his injury has forced him to reassess his training schedule.
"I'm one of those guys used to practicing eight, 10 hours a day -- I won't be doing that," he said. "I won't be running 10 miles a day, either.
"My practices will be more focused. They have to be. I can't hit 500 golf balls in a row. I need to be able to go out and play and recover every day. Until I feel comfortable doing that, I'll make that decision (to return) then."
</section>
