How many majors would Tiger have won...

I'm fairly new to following golf. I've watched it sporadically for 25 years, but I can probably only name a handful of players from the 90s. Then Tiger came along and set the golf world on fire. He made it fun to watch for the modest fan, and forced aspiring golfers to step up their games. Fast forward to today... Perhaps it's because I watch a lot more golf, or perhaps it's because of the various media outlets, but I feel like there are a lot more superstars in the field. So, is the competition more stiff? Are there a greater number of better players in the field today (thanks to Tiger) than there were decades ago? If so, would Tiger have won as many majors against today's field? Will anyone sniff double digits in major championships in the foreseeable future?

If Tiger would have stuck with the Butch Harmon swing he had at the 2000 US Open at Pebble he would have won 25 majors.

If Tiger would have stuck with the Butch Harmon swing he had at the 2000 US Open at Pebble he would have won 25 majors.

I agree with this. He won 14 from 97-08, he easily could have reached 20 if you take away the injuries and multiple swing changes. Oh well, it is what it is.

Yes, the competition is stiffer today, but they'd be competing for 2nd place. Tiger would've won 25 majors had he stayed healthy.

As for today's guys and double-digit majors, there was a time I thought Rory McIlroy had what it takes to make it to 10, but I'm now beginning to have my doubts. Rory doesn't have the drive and determination; he has grown soft.

I can't see Jason Day or Jordan Spieth winning 10 majors either, although Jordan may end up doing it. He's in it for the long haul.

Stick with Butch: 18-20

Remove the personal stuff: 20-22

Healthy, Butch and no personal stuff: 20-24

Yes, the competition is stiffer today, but they'd be competing for 2nd place. Tiger would've won 25 majors had he stayed healthy.

 

As for today's guys and double-digit majors, there was a time I thought Rory McIlroy had what it takes to make it to 10, but I'm now beginning to have my doubts. Rory doesn't have the drive and determination; he has grown soft.

 

I can't see Jason Day or Jordan Spieth winning 10 majors either, although Jordan may end up doing it. He's in it for the long haul.

Agreed (almost) on all counts. I think Tiger would have probably gotten to 20. No more than that. The stars of today have a much tougher road to climb with all the competition out there. Additionally, the demands on your time. The focus has to be lasered in, at the expense of so much. The cost was high for Tiger to reach where he got to. Too high as it turned out. And the fact his knees and back were beaten up in the process was a product of the drive to be the absolute best in his day.

I personally don't see ANY of the players out there reaching double digits. Not one.

A BILLION!

I'd say between 22-25 majors. If you think of all the personal stuff, and the courses in rotation some of the years he missed, and some of the years he came close but had very little game on the weekends, he would have eaten them up if he just stayed with his swing and stayed with his girl.

As for today's players, I think with the "Tiger" influence and the influx of these monster athletes playing golf, any of them getting to say 6 or 7 majors would be like past eras 10 or 12. Competition is just soooooo much stiffer than it has ever been.

Who cares.

He was amazing...

Appreciate Tiger for what he was....79 wins in the modern era is bananas especially considering he only played the toughest events outside majors...

Btw, Nicklaus could've won 35 Majors...he finished second 19 times and like 75 top tens or something ludicrous!!!

Look at Jack in the 70s at the majors below[pictured]....good lord he was in contention at almost every single major...wtf

Anyhow, I still think Tiger, at the height of his power, was the most dominant, greatest golfer to ever lace up cleats for a time...

But the all time GOAT can be argued as Lord Byron, Jack, or Tiger IMHO....u can argue any and I wouldn't disagree...

-Chris

Yes, the competition is stiffer today, but they'd be competing for 2nd place. Tiger would've won 25 majors had he stayed healthy.

 

Interesting. Again, I didn't watch a lot back then, but I would've compared DJ's game right now (before the Masters) to Tiger's younger game. Maybe I'm not giving enough credit to the players 15-20 years ago.

How many times does this thread have to exist?

Tiger was good, made millions, married the model and then couldn't keep his pecker in his pants and ruined his own career.

Him not being able to tee it up now is called karma

If he started playing in 2010 or around there?

First, TW would have "grown up" with the current driver/shaft set up and modern ball. Without question, the transition from the steel shaft driver he played as an amateur was very difficult, had a huge impact on his driving numbers and ultimately led to a sequence of events that had a big material impact on his career.

The unwillingness and poor handling of the driver transition may have even led to him leaving Butch>

How many times does this thread have to exist?

 

Tiger was good, made millions, married the model and then couldn't keep his pecker in his pants and ruined his own career.

 

Him not being able to tee it up now is called karma

We miss The Tiger. We miss his passion for the game. We miss the thrill he brought to tournaments. We miss the way the press would interview other players and ask them about Tiger.

During his tenure, many of us played early rounds on Sunday just so we could be home, on our sofas, to watch him WIN.

Not just play, but win.

Many of us (including me) think he still has some juice left in the tank for a comeback.

Hope is what drives these threads.

He is one of a kind.

He would have won five majors a year until he was at least 47 years old.

If Tiger would have stuck with the Butch Harmon swing he had at the 2000 US Open at Pebble he would have won 25 majors.

Tiger might not have even won 14 with that swing, or would have but would have been done even earlier. He was having serious knee issues because it required him to snap his knee each time to generate that outrageous power. That was not sustainable and was one of the main reasons why Tiger went to Hank Haney - to create a swing that was easier on his body.

Woods won 31 times on the PGA Tour from 2005 to 2009 with Haney, including six majors. He won 7 times in a row from 2006–2007, and 5 times in a row from 2007-2008 with Haney. Do you really think Butch was the key?

If Tiger would have stuck with the Butch Harmon swing he had at the 2000 US Open at Pebble he would have won 25 majors.

 

Tiger might not have even won 14 with that swing, or would have but would have been done even earlier. He was having serious knee issues because it required him to snap his knee each time to generate that outrageous power. That was not sustainable and was one of the main reasons why Tiger went to Hank Haney - to create a swing that was easier on his body.

 

Woods won 31 times on the PGA Tour from 2005 to 2009 with Haney, including six majors. He won 7 times in a row from 2006–2007, and 5 times in a row from 2007-2008 with Haney. Do you really think Butch was the key?

BH was the foundation.

There will be another "great" player coming. Currently there doesn't seem to be a "great" on tour. There are many strong players but to be a "great" you have to have the extra gear mentally. All of these guys can hit all the shots but the ability to be able to bear down without getting tight is rare.

There will be another but they are generational players.

You take DJ now and put him in with TW then and who knows? I don't know TW...don't want to either. However, I don't see him wanting to give a "coach" credit for anything...at all. Can you see him actually saying "team" like Mr. Spieth does now?

Just as impressive to me is how many Nicklaus good of won...still consider him and his record the best ever.

Who cares.

He was amazing...

 

Appreciate Tiger for what he was....79 wins in the modern era is bananas especially considering he only played the toughest events outside majors...

 

Btw, Nicklaus could've won 35 Majors...he finished second 19 times and like 75 top tens or something ludicrous!!!

Look at Jack in the 70s at the majors below[pictured]....good lord he was in contention at almost every single major...wtf

 

Anyhow, I still think Tiger, at the height of his power, was the most dominant, greatest golfer to ever lace up cleats for a time...

 

But the all time GOAT can be argued as Lord Byron, Jack, or Tiger IMHO....u can argue any and I wouldn't disagree...

 

-Chris

Agree 100% with this. Why bother with the would've should've could've game? He won 14 (yes, past tense). How many could Hogan have won if he had the financial backing Tiger had from age 1-18? Or didn't get nearly killed by a bus? Or if camcorders had been invented and he could've dissected his swing early on? How many could Jones have won if he didn't retire at age 28 to be a lawyer? Or Nelson at age 34 to be a farmer? Or what about if Snead doesn't take a few years off in his prime for WWII? Or what if Larry Nelson took up the game at age 2 instead of 21? Or what if Jack was raised by a borderline psychopath who beat a "winning is the only thing that matters" attitude into him? How many of those 2nds turn into W's? Or how many does Phil win if Tiger never came along? 10? 15? What about VJ or Els? Heck, might as well put Chris DeMarco in the hall of fame for winning two majors while we're at it.

Agree with what others have said that the equipment transition was hard on Tiger....but he did figure it out.

The injuries were inevitable - maybe not to the degree we've seen - but with that much torque, twisting and knee snapping with the early swing.

I really think leaving Butch was more about style, personality and Tiger perceiving Butch as getting too big for his britches. Not because he was injured.

My guess is a healthy Tiger wins 20 and would've called it a career. Played occasionally and enough to keep his name viable to benefit his Foundation and other business interests.

Had he stayed healthy and the whole scandal never came to light, I'd comfortable saying he'd win somewhere between 16-22 majors. He likely would've stayed healthy (in my opinion) if the scandal didn't come out as that leave of absence led him to Sean Foley who most people believe f***** his back up. Even though many people hated his Haney swing, he still won a lot of tournaments with it.

Lots of what if's here.

Instead of all the swing/instructor questions, the equipment changes, especially with the driver and the golf ball are an overlooked factor. I know everyone has access to the same equipment, but I think equipment changes over the years have been more helpful to the average, below average pro then to the top guys. I bet if the game still used a balata ball, top players like Tiger and Phil would both have more wins more majors.

There will be another "great" player coming. Currently there doesn't seem to be a "great" on tour. There are many strong players but to be a "great" you have to have the extra gear mentally. All of these guys can hit all the shots but the ability to be able to bear down without getting tight is rare.

 

There will be another but they are generational players.

I must disagree with you, somewhat. In order to play at such a high level, you must have three things:

1. a great mind for golf (to outthink the other players, without overthinking your own game)

2. the burning desire to win (not just a "want" and not for the money)

3. a razor sharp focus and discipline (on results and getting it done, not just the process)

Jack and Tiger didn't learn this stuff - they had these three things woven into their very being,

I doubt we will ever see anything like these two guys again in our lifetimes.

The question to me, was if he could have LISTENED to Butch and allow his swing to evolve with the changes in his body.

His knee was part injuries, part swing imo.

The bigger question is if his dad had stopped smoking and taken care of himself, and been able to hang around. Few more years,what would the difference be.

I'm not a TW fan, and I sometimes catch myself smiling at his struggles. Not my best trait I admit, but it's true. That said - if the guy doesn't get caught slamming pigs then he has 20 majors by 2012 and the latest series of injuries and surgeries is a lead up to a heartwarming goodbye tour.

On the other hand, if he isn't banging out waitresses and pancake cooks on the side maybe he only wins a handful of times to begin with? Getting caught was his demise, not the actual Roman lifestyle.

Tiger was a generational player, as was Jack. The "what if" game is endless, but Tiger might still have hit the major wall at age 34. To the OP's question, yes, there were great players always, but none who would be considered the type of player that Jack and Tiger were.

Yawn...

There will be another "great" player coming. Currently there doesn't seem to be a "great" on tour. There are many strong players but to be a "great" you have to have the extra gear mentally. All of these guys can hit all the shots but the ability to be able to bear down without getting tight is rare.

 

There will be another but they are generational players.

 

 

I must disagree with you, somewhat. In order to play at such a high level, you must have three things:

 

1. a great mind for golf (to outthink the other players, without overthinking your own game)

2. the burning desire to win (not just a "want" and not for the money)

3. a razor sharp focus and discipline (on results and getting it done, not just the process)

 

Jack and Tiger didn't learn this stuff - they had these three things woven into their very being,

 

I doubt we will ever see anything like these two guys again in our lifetimes.

I think we are saying the same thing as far as what makes the greats great.

I guess we just disagree on if there will be another.

He isn't out there on tour now, but he will emerge at some point down the road.

I don't think he could of surpassed Jacks record. When Tiger burst on the scene equipment development was slow. Tiger brought the SHAZAM! factor to a sport the was waining. With his arrival, interest grew through the media and equipment research and development boomed. Physical fitness became part of a sport that had never been associated with it before. A whole new industry was born due to the arrival of Tiger. With that new era in golf came the largest interest from the collegiate level, mini tours to professional golf. Grooming players became a standard at many golf clubs, so much to the point that media was doing pieces on "The Next Tiger" with youth golfers from all over the country (world). Tiger may never win a PGA major again because of the seeds that he has sown. Today competition at the level they play at is so tight,so fierce that if you miss a season your out. The best thing for Tiger to do is continue to support the golf industry with his designs and make youth golfers his priority.

I think 2012-2013 said a lot. You had most of the guys around, DJ, Rory, Scott, Stenson. And still he came back from having had trouble for ages and bounced up to #1. 5 big wins in 2013, OK not Majors but big wins. He would have won loads of majors if he had kept out of the fooling around and had been more fortunate with all those injuries. But anyhow, 14 aint bad for a career.