By now golf fans in outer Mongolia know that Tiger Woods is going to take the rest of the year off to recuperate from his upcoming surgery on the most famous knee on the planet. In a series of short essays below I’m going to provide my initial impressions on this not so surprising development and its ramifications. I expect to have more to say on this in the days and weeks to come.
Becoming the Best Ever
Following his double major winning season in 2002, Woods had won eight majors. At that point it became a question of when, not if, Woods would surpass Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18. His total (the most talked about stat in sports) has since climbed to 14. Still, it is far from certain whether he will be the old Tiger when he reemerges with a newly refurbished knee. And if he’s not, winning five more may be no cinch.
Sandy Koufax, the great Dodger pitcher and one of Tiger’s heroes, was done at age 30, his arm completely used up. In contrast, Tommy John, another Dodger pitching great, had a revolutionary surgery on his pitching arm at age 31 and went on to win another 164 games. Let’s hope that Tiger is another John, but with the human body, nothing is guaranteed.
Who’s the Best Ever if Tiger is Done?
For the sake of argument, what if Tiger retired today or his knee kept him from winning another major? How would he compare with Nicklaus? Using the majors as a yardstick, through 11.5 seasons as pros, Woods leads in wins, Nicklaus in top fours 29 to 24. (Note: In the last two majors of his twelfth season, Nicklaus finished fourth and first).
Victories: Nicklaus 11, Woods 14
Seconds: Nicklaus 11, Woods 5
Thirds: Nicklaus 5, Woods 3
Fourths: Nicklaus 2, Woods 2
Body Management Blunders
Tiger Woods is an expert in so many ways at game and self management. Woods goes all out in whatever he does and believes that anything is possible, a belief that one of his greatest strengths – and weaknesses. Throughout his career he’s chosen to swing in a way that is extremely stressful on his left knee. He’s also chosen to run long distances as part of his fitness regimen.
After last year’s British Open he ruptured his ACL while running. Then he compounded the problem by refusing to have surgery during the offseason. To recap, that’s three big career impacting blunders: 1) a stressful swing, 2) running, which is hell on a bad knee, and 3) delaying surgery.
Was Playing at Torrey Pines a Mistake?
After his surgery on April 15 of this year, and while he was getting ready for the Open, Woods suffered a double stress fracture of his left tibia. This should have set back his return to golf for another six weeks. If Woods had skipped the US Open, he would likely have been ready for the British Open, and possibly the rest of the season. But Tiger’s a stubborn cuss who, according to Hank Haney, told his doctor “I’m playing in the U.S. Open, and I’m going to win.” And so he did.
But those 320 yard drives and all of that grimacing at the Open was accompanied by additional damage to his knee. Now that six week timetable has been more than quadrupled thanks to reconstructive surgery, which will keep him sidelined for the rest of the year. This will cost him a shot at the two majors he’s dominated since 2005, winning four of six Opens and PGAs. It will also keep him from playing in the Ryder Cup and other assorted tour events.
Tiger Woods in the Future
In the long run, the question is whether that wear and tear at Torrey Pines will have a residual effect that extends beyond his upcoming operation and recovery. “My doctors assure me with the proper rehabilitation and training, the knee will be strong and there will be no long-term effects,” said Tiger.
I guess it pays to be optimistic. But it’s also for Tiger to get real. He’s an awesome golfer, but he’s not superman, and he better start believing it. It’s time he followed doctor’s orders. And when he’s ready to return to the game, it will be time to retire the running shoes and to can those 12-hour practice sessions. And it will be time to give up the long ball and the haymakers from the deep grass.
If Tiger’s really in this for the long haul, it’s time he started working smarter, not harder – just as Jack Nicklaus, the king of longevity, did from the very start.
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2 responses so far ↓
1 BD // Jun 18, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Was winning the Open worth it? I think it depends on whether or not he can come back 100% healthy next year. If he can, then I think getting his 14th major and 3d career grand slam (tying Nicklaus) was definitely worth passing up the chance to win the British Open and/or the PGA. I don’t think the Ryder Cup is all that important to Tiger’s career. I think he’ll still win Player of the Year, so no great loss there, either.
Of course, if it ends up hurting his future success in majors, because of additional damage that cannot be repaired, then that’s another story altogether.
2 BD // Jun 18, 2008 at 4:10 pm
On the Jack v. Tiger question, Nicklaus’ record in the majors is still better overall, despite Tiger’s greater dominance over his first 12 pro seasons. I can’t help but think, however, that a fair comparison of the greatness of these two giants needs to involve something more than simply adding up their respective finishes. The question ought to be, which one of them left a greater mark on the game?
I don’t presume to have a ready answer to that question, but if I were to answer it, I wouldn’t hesitate to include consideration of intangibles — such as Tiger’s amazing ability to make shots when he needs to — and subjective evaluations, such as a comparison of their respective skills.
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