The Golf Blog: Tiger Woods wins 80th victory — is the chase to beat Jack Nicklaus’s 18 majors back on?
The scenes last night when Tiger Woods was walking to hole 18 en route to winning his 80th title.
Everyone loves the GOAT! ????
???? @PGATOUR pic.twitter.com/TSpwKnndVy
— TeamFA (@TeamFA) September 24, 2018
That’s what Tiger Woods is to golf. pic.twitter.com/s37emeDJrk
— Ches (@jesang_) September 24, 2018
The Golf Blog says: Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship by 2 shots, playing a conservative final round (+1) that ensured his first PGA Tour victory in 5 years. The scene on the 18th at East Lake Golf Course should have sent chills up the spine of every golf fan. It was electric. Tiger barely missed out on winning the entire FedEx Cup, which was won by Justin Rose, who birdied the 18th to secure the overall title.
But Sunday was the day, not for Rose, but Tiger. He’s back. After contending in the final round at both the Open Championship and PGA Championship this year, we have to return to the question that we thought had been put to bed: Is Tiger’s quest to beat Jack Nicklaus’s 18 majors back on?
Short answer: yes. But Tiger will be 43 years old next year. By that age, Jack had reached 17 majors, with his last coming at the historic 1986 Masters. So Tiger is effectively 3-majors behind Jack’s pace. Also, keep in mind: only 2 players above age 40 have won 1 major in the U.S. in the past 80 majors. Phil Mickelson won the Open Championship at age 43, but that’s the last major he has won.
Of course, Tiger Woods is in a different league, at least historically. He has one true rival: Jack Nicklaus for the title of GOAT. Tiger has a better chance now to make a final run at Jack’s record, but, as Brooks Koepka has shown, Tiger will have to beat competition that is now younger, stronger, and who hit it longer than he does. The glass is both half full, and half empty, for Tiger at soon to be age 43.
Tweet