The Written Word
for September 13, 2000

How good is Tiger Woods?

Well, the term "the best of all time" is now being heard more and more. I happen to think he is if the evaluation is made on a relatively short term basis. And the question begets another question – what is the time frame in making such a judgment? Jack Nicklaus won 18 majors over a 25 year span. Ben Hogan won 9 over about 20 but he did war service and was out of action for over a year because of a car accident. Moreover, Hogan was a pioneer in developing the kind of swing that Nicklaus and his generation were taught from the start. In fact, "Butch" Harmon, Tiger’s mentor, essentially teaches the Hogan method.

There are some who would consider Byron Nelson but his big years were the war years when Snead, Hogan, the Mangrums and others were in the service. Bobby Jones was an amateur and though the national amateur championships of that day were quality events, there was no Masters and the PGA was just for pros. A "great", of course, but not the greatest of all time.

What argument could you make that Tiger Woods is, despite his few years, the greatest?

Well, let’s not forget that he won three straight US Amateurs and lest anyone deride them because they ain’t what they used to be in Jones’ time, remember that golf is now a huge college sport and the competition, while generally younger than in days of yore, is still pretty good.

In just four years on tour, and at the age of 24, Woods has won five majors, three of them in a row, and is the youngest to have won all four in a career. (Only Hogan, Sarazen, Player and Nicklaus have won all the majors). What is more telling, he has on three occasions simply demolished the opposition. If you believe as I do that the average PGA tourist is better than in Nicklaus’ day and in Hogan’s before that, winning the Masters by 12, the US Open by 15 and the British Open by 9 are substantial arguments favouring his claim to be the greatest.

And look what he’s done to his major competitors. Davis Love III and David Duval have clearly been badly affected by the lickings they have taken at the hands of young Mr Woods. So has Colin Montgomerie. So, perhaps, has Ernie Els. In his last two tournaments it has been "no-names" who have extended him leading one to believe that only those with nothing to lose can stand up to him.

But if a mere four years of major league play entitles a man to be considered the "best ever" – and I think it does – the best evidence comes from this year’s US Open. This was, in my opinion, the best field ever assembled. The course, Pebble Beach, one of the top two or three in the world, especially when the wind blows as it did.

At the end of three rounds Tiger was 10 shots clear of the field. He vowed that he would not make a bogey the next day, reasoning that if he could do that, no one could catch him. He made no bogeys the last day and increased his lead by 5 strokes! It was as if there were two tournaments going on.

I suppose, when all’s said and done, we should wait a couple of more years to make our judgment. But I don’t think Tiger has to win 19 majors to be the best – that is a record which is a testimony not just to greatness but longevity. I think, though, that Tiger wants to win 19. And if he stays in shape, who says he won’t?

Not even Jack Nicklaus himself.