Tiger Woods may be a legend in the golf world, but when it comes to Major victories, he still has some ground to cover. While Tiger has an impressive 82 PGA Tour wins, Jack Nicklaus, aka The Golden Bear, trails with 73. But here’s the kicker: Nicklaus has claimed 18 Majors, a record Tiger is still chasing down from his 15. While 3 more titles may be within reach for Woods, Jack Nicklaus believes he will struggle to surpass him.
Woods remains hopeful and thinks he can still push for more Major victories. But Nicklaus begs to differ. Reflecting on Woods’ struggles with injuries, the retired veteran feels that the record will stand for a while. “If he remained healthy, I think he would’ve gotten it, but he didn’t remain healthy,” Nicklaus said on the Golf Channel. He acknowledged the toll injuries have taken on Woods’ career, noting, “We all have injuries, we all have different things in our life which change things, and Tiger had his problems.”
Woods, however, believes that the race for Major dominance is far from over. In one of the recent episodes of ‘Walking Alongside Golf’s Greatest Players with Rick Shiels’, Shiels posted a question and asked if Tiger Woods had it in him to win another Major. To that, Terry Munde shared “I always used to say, because this question comes out before he came back last time. And I always used to say you can’t, if there’s anyone in the world, you can’t write off as him. But I think it might be one too many now, I think.”
Despite admitting Woods’ s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s, Munde politely said that he thinks another win might not be on the cards. That is when Billy Foster, who caddied for Tiger Woods at the 2005 Presidents Cup affirmed that he still believes the legend has got it in him. He went to talk about the 2024 US Open, where Tiger Woods missed the cut. However, his first round brimmed with hope, as he opened with an exceptional birdie. He carded another birdie on the fifth hole as well – raising Forster’s hopes.
via Imago
Foster still believes that Tiger Woods has better gameplay than other players. And given he has reduced his schedule to only Majors and Signature events, there is a good chance he could grab another win. However, that of course comes with its own terms and conditions – most of them concerning the limitations of his body.
Tiger Woods needs to work on his agility
Tiger Woods has gone through six back surgeries, and a major car accident in 2021, which has changed his physical stance towards the game. “If he can just get the strength to walk properly and play A10 Tom so he’ll win again,” added Foster. But according to Mundy, it is his physical condition that keeps backfiring against him.
At the age of 49, his body cannot take the stress anymore. “I mean, as strong as his mind is, I just think there’s certain golf courses he can’t get around. I mean, his body won’t allow him,” added Mundy. He even added how when Woods played the 2024 Open Championship, he ended with a disappointing 14-over, one of the worst scores in his entire career. The old course did not treat him very well, and not to forget that the course is flat. “It is, but it’s got those little tiny humps that are hard on your feet. You know, after a round, after you walk around Saint Andrews, you guys will know,” he added.
So, the debate as to whether Woods has got it in him to make another Major is still unsettled. What do you think? Whose opinion do you side with? Can the legend do it once again? Let us know in the comments section below!
