It’s official. The Streak is over thanks in part to the golf gods who smiled on Geoff Ogilvy all week long. I mean, how else can you explain a one bogey performance over 72 holes that featured 29 missed fairways off the tee, and a chip that was headed 10 feet past the cup on 13 when it rattled the center of the flag for a timely par.
As for Woods, he was the victim of numerous lips outs, four 3-putts, and an overanxious cameraman. In between Ogilvy and Woods, who finished in fifth, were former major winners Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, and Retief Goosen. Now it’s time for a little record keeping.
Tiger Woods wants the 2007 Target World and 2008 Dubai Classic to count in his streak. Let’s say we go with Tiger on this one, allowing unofficial and European Tour events to be part of a record streak. His latest streak would go in the books at seven straight.
That also means that we’ll have to go back and refigure his other two streaks. The first one that ran over the course of the 1999-2000 seasons is in the books at six straight. With the new rules, that streak would be reduced to four because of Tiger’s tenth place finish in the 2000 (1/9) Williams World Challenge, which became Target World Challenge in 2002.
As for his seven straight streak in 2007, that one becomes five straight thanks to his early ouster at the HSBC World Match Play and his seconds at the HSBC Champions and the Dunlop Phoenix, all European Tour events.
Everything Counts
1999 – 4 straight
2006 – 5 straight
2007-08 – 7 straight
PGA Tour Events Only
1999-2000 – 6 straight
2006-07 – 7 straight
2007-08 – 5 straight
Woods, as you can see from these tables, is better off using the PGA Tour’s accepted rules for win streaks. Although he latest streak ends up being two less than the media has been trumpeting, Woods’ previous streaks remain two tournaments longer.
One thing is for certain: the PGA Tour has little influence over the media when it comes to win streaks. For weeks the press and TV people have lumped the Target World and the Dubai Classic in with the recognized events. That they persist in this is a sign of the degree to which they are infected with Tigermania.
The European Tour recognizes certain PGA Tour events, such as the majors and this week’s WGC-CA as part of their tour. So I can see possibly including events like the Dubai Desert Classic in a streak. But the Target World? Puh-lease. It’s a sixteen player Silly Season event played just before Christmas when most players clubs are covered in rust.
Tiger’s Cloud has a Silver Lining
Tournament golf has plenty of pressure, even for someone like Woods who is supposedly immune to it. If you think back, however, it is not hard to find several majors when he could not produce the magic on the back nine, leaving him just short of the top spot. It happened twice just last year.
Winning the Masters has enough pressure on it, but it becomes all the greater when players like Jack Nicklaus and Woods realize that their hopes for the Slam rest on that first major. Adding perfect season pressure to an already Everest like task is counterproductive. Besides, we knew it was only a matter of time before the quest for a perfect season would end well short of the finish line.
Now we can put the streak and Byron Nelson’s 10 straight (yes, 10, that four-ball shouldn’t count) to bed till next time Tiger runs wild and begin to concentrate on the start of majors season. I do believe I can smell the Azaleas.
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4 responses so far ↓
1 BD // Mar 25, 2008 at 6:55 am
Rather than debate what events count toward “THE” streak, I think the better way to look at this is to say Tiger had two streaks going, both of which ended with his 5th place finish at the WGC-CA. One was consecutite PGA Tour wins and the other was consecutive all-purpose wins. As long as it’s clear what streak is being discussed, there’s no harm in noting the existence of multiple streaks. As for comparisons to Byron Nelson, it’s moot because Tiger never got to 11 or 10 anyway.
2 Phil // Mar 25, 2008 at 8:17 am
BD, thanks for your observations. There are so many factions ready to set the standards. The PGA Tour, the worldwide records camp (this opens a big can of worms), and media created records all are competing to be heard by their advocates, creating confusion among fans. Golf has so many issues with its records, which is one of many reasons why I like to emphasize a player’s record in the majors. The same four events each year, offering a player about 60-80 chances in their prime to carve out their place in history.
3 Aaron // Mar 28, 2008 at 3:13 am
Uh, Tiger doesn’t want it both ways. Tiger started very clearly, so clearly that he did not believe he had a streak going because he lost the HSBC Match play..So, Tiger has ALWAYS counted them all. It WAS the medea who acted like the other events didn’t matter…and in fact, they were right…They don’t count as far as the record books go..So, don’t say Tiger Woods can’t have it both ways, because he doesn’t want it both ways. It’s the media who can’t have it both ways you halfwit.
Give the man some credit. When Byron Nelson got his 12 straight, he had the Miami four-ball, and played in events where a the field was reduced drastically in size, and most of his main competitors were fighting in WWII…Tiger’s streak of 7 in a row is far superior to that 12 in a row record, considering the circumstances. It just won’t go down in the books that way.
4 Aaron // Mar 28, 2008 at 3:26 am
Aha - just read the rest of what you typed..so, Byron Nelson’s four-ball shouldn’t count, but the rest of them should? Tiger playing with 16 of the best players in the world shouldn’t count, but Byron playing with 30 of some of the worst players left SHOULD count?
I mean, I agree the Target World Challenge shouldn’t count, but your statements are riddled with contradictions. Left-and-right. It is clear where your intentions lay: and that is in undermining the achievements of the already Greatest Golfer in History. Tiger Wood’s could stop right now and his accomplishments would still be more impressive than what Jack Nicklaus has done considering field depth, and increased player skill.
Do you really need examples? Because if you doubt that the players nowadays are much much better than they were 30 years ago, I can’t help you. Hell, Phil Mickelson is a better golfer than Jack Nicklaus was. It’s just the way it is. Now, I am not saying that if Jack Nicklaus played during this era, that that would be the case. I am just saying, in comparison to how good Jack was, there are actually a few players now a days who are better than he was. It just has to do with increased practice hours, increased knowledge on the games mechanics, increased physical fitness, increased psychological training, etc. etc.. Players today have advantages that golfers back then did not. However, they also work a lot harder and longer than golfers did back then…but thats because they HAVE to to keep up. Thats why they are better. That doesn’t mean they have more talent, it just means they have more ability because of the era in which they grew up.
Tiger is the best so far in history, by far. However, one day, someone will come along and be better than Tiger. Does that mean he will have more talent? Not necessarily. Will he be more dominant? Almost certainly not. However, he will probably have more ability considering the way the game is moving. He will probably be in better physical shape, might practice more, have the benefit of advanced knowledge concerning golf mechanics, etc.. So, technically, he will be better. But only because of when he grew up.
So, the question should never be, who is better? It should always be, who was more dominant! That is the only question in which you have a chance in undermining Tiger Woods, which you seem to want to do. And, you will only have that chance for a little while longer, unless Tiger breaks a couple legs..and a couple arms…and..his neck! (from a lynching perhaps! LOL)
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