Sports: Column

Woods needs to win from behind

Tiger Woods started the year out by claiming on his website that winning the Grand Slam this year was “easily within reason.”

He then went out and made people believe he could win four majors in one calendar year by winning his first four tournaments worldwide on his way to tying Ben Hogan for third place on the all-time career wins list with 64 career wins.

However, Woods didn’t allow the Grand Slam talk to grow when he finished three shots behind winner Trevor Immelman. Even though he was six shots back entering the final round, Woods still had a chance to win — and should have won — the tournament.

Tiger Woods is without a doubt the greatest golfer of our generation. He is also one of the greatest athletes of our generation, but if he wants to claim himself the greatest golfer of all time, he needs to do something he has never done before: win at least one major coming from behind.

He had the perfect opportunity to do that Sunday and failed. Yes, he was six shots back, but the four players ahead of him (Immelman, Brandt Snedeker, Steve Flesch and Paul Casey) had a combined six wins between them and zero wins in a major. Immelman even admitted Saturday night that if Tiger started out with a couple of birdies it would have put even more pressure on him.

Despite being six shots back, you had a feeling that if Woods applied a little pressure out of the gate, the field would come back to him, and he would have won his fifth green jacket. But instead of applying the pressure, Woods came out and played one over for the first five holes. And his putting — a strength during the five-tournament winning streak earlier in the year — was un-Tiger-like all weekend long. Normally anything inside 10 feet is almost a sure make for Woods, but on Sunday he missed five putts around that length, including two that were inside 4-feet.

What makes this weekend so disappointing for Woods is that the field did come back to him as he earned his second-straight runner-up finish at the Masters by shooting an even par 72. But had Woods made a few of the putts he normally makes we more than likely would be talking about his Grand Slam chances.

All his life, Woods has set his sights at Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors. With 13 already, he is well on his way to breaking that record, but unless he is able to win at least one major coming from behind on Sunday, he can’t be considered the best golfer in history. He would be, as Skip Bayless calls him, “the greatest frontrunner in the history of the sport.”

Nicklaus won seven of his majors coming from behind on the final day, including his improbable win at the 1986 Masters in which he shot a back nine 30 to win by a stroke. The Golden Bear was four shots back entering the final round and had much more experienced competition ahead of him. Greg Norman (2 career majors) was the leader with Seve Ballesteros (5), Tom Watson (8), Tom Kite (1) and Nick Price (3) all ahead of Nicklaus.

In his prime, Nicklaus also battled with Arnold Palmer (8), Gary Player (9) and Lee Trevino (6). Tiger’s competition hasn’t been that strong as Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh have the most major wins among Woods’ competition with three apiece.

If Woods gets a lead after three rounds in a major, it is a slam dunk that he will win, but it is almost getting to the point that if he doesn’t have lead, it is a sure thing he won’t win.

Until he proves otherwise, he can’t lay claim to being the greatest golfer in history.

 

Greg is a senior majoring in communication arts. Let him know what you think of Woods’ performance this weekend at gschmitz@badgerherald.com.