Ron Sirak on Golf and Journalism - IF THE GREATNESS WINDOW ...€¦ · Among men, Ben Hogan, Tom...
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IF THE GREATNESS WINDOW IS CLOSED FOR TIGER HE’D BE THE RULE RATHER THAN THE EXCEPTION By Ron Sirak • @ronsirak April 21, 2017 Word that Tiger Woods now has as many back surgeries – four – as he does Masters green jackets was sad, but it should not be surprising. The greatness window doesn’t stay open forever and if that window has closed for Woods it would be well within the normal career-span of a great golfer. Eleven men have won seven or more major championships. Throw out the two exceptions who prove the rule – Jack Nicklaus won majors 24 years apart and Gary Player 19 – and the average run for male major winners is 10.1 years. Nine women have won seven or more majors. Throw out three exceptions – Patty Berg, 21 years; Betsy Rawls and Juli Inkster both 18 years – and the average run for a female major winner is 10.6 years. Tiger won his 14 majors in an 11-year span. Maybe time simply ran out on him. Of course, Woods could become an exception to the longevity rule, but Nicklaus, Player, Berg, Rawls and Inkster did not face the physical issues of Woods, or the other components of the perfect storm that shipwrecked him. Check out these numbers: Among men, Ben Hogan, Tom Watson, Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Phil Mickelson and Byron Nelson won five to nine majors in six to nine years.
Transcript of Ron Sirak on Golf and Journalism - IF THE GREATNESS WINDOW ...€¦ · Among men, Ben Hogan, Tom...
IFTHEGREATNESSWINDOWISCLOSEDFORTIGERHE’DBETHERULERATHERTHANTHEEXCEPTIONByRonSirak•@ronsirak April21,2017
WordthatTigerWoodsnowhasasmanybacksurgeries–four–ashedoesMastersgreenjacketswassad,butitshouldnotbesurprising.Thegreatnesswindowdoesn’tstayopenforeverandifthatwindowhasclosedforWoodsitwouldbewellwithinthenormalcareer-spanofagreatgolfer.
Elevenmenhavewonsevenormoremajorchampionships.Throwoutthetwoexceptionswhoprovetherule–JackNicklauswonmajors24yearsapartandGaryPlayer19–andtheaveragerunformalemajorwinnersis10.1years.Ninewomenhavewonsevenormoremajors.Throwoutthreeexceptions–PattyBerg,21years;BetsyRawlsandJuliInksterboth18years–andtheaveragerunforafemalemajorwinneris10.6years.Tigerwonhis14majorsinan11-yearspan.Maybetimesimplyranoutonhim.Ofcourse,Woodscouldbecomeanexceptiontothelongevityrule,butNicklaus,Player,Berg,RawlsandInksterdidnotfacethephysicalissuesofWoods,ortheothercomponentsoftheperfectstormthatshipwreckedhim.Checkoutthesenumbers:Amongmen,BenHogan,TomWatson,BobbyJones,ArnoldPalmer,NickFaldo,SeveBallesteros,PhilMickelsonandByronNelsonwonfivetoninemajorsinsixtonineyears.
Amongwomen,MickeyWright,AnnikaSorenstam,KarrieWebb,InbeePark,PatBradley,SeRiPak,BetsyKing,KathyWhitworthandYaniTsengwonfiveto13majorsinthreeto11years.WhatWoodsdidbetween1997,whenhewontheMastersby12strokesinhismajorchampionshipdebutasapro,and2008,whenhewontheU.S.Openonabrokenleginaplayoffafteramiracleputtonthe72ndhole,wasasastoundingastheachievementsthatbookendedthem.Inhisfirst46majorsasapro,Woodswon14andfinishedinthetop-10on15otheroccasions.Whathashappenedsincethatlastmajor–andinJunenineyearswillseparateusfromthatspine-tinglingtourneyatTorreyPines–isjustasremarkableinamorepainfulway.WithTigeralmostcertainlyoutforallthe2017majors,bytheendofthisyearthenumberswillreadlikethis:Inthe38majorssincethe2008U.S.Open,Woodswillhavefailedtofinish72holesinhalfofthem–skipping13andmissingthecutinsix.Perhapsmorepuzzlingisthis:Inthefirst17majorsWoodsplayedafterTorrey,hefinishedinthetop-sixninetimeswithoutwinning.Andonmanyoccasionshewentintotheweekendwithachancetowinwithoutgettingthejobdone.•In2009,hehadatwo-strokeleadafter54holesinthePGAChampionshipbutclosedwitha75tofinishsecondtoY.E.Yang.
•Inthe2011Masters,Woodswasthreebackgoingintotheweekendbutshot74onSaturdayandendedupT-4.•Atthe2012U.S.Open,Tigerwastiedfortheleadafter36holesbutfadedtoT-21.•Andatthe2013BritishOpen,Tigerwastwobackgoingtothefinalround,closedwith74andfinishedT-6.Formorethanadecade,Tigerpulledoffcountlessmiracleshots–6-ironoutofthebunkerattheCanadianOpen;4-ironoutofthebunkeratHazeltineinthePGAChampionship;thechip-inonNo.16attheMastersthatdoubledasaNikeballcommercial;the“better-than-most”puttatThePlayers–andmademoremomentum-maintainingpar-savesthananygolferinhistory.Butthenthemagicranout.Yes,therewereinjuries.Therewasanembarrassingscandal.AndtherewereperhapsthewordsoftoomanyswingcoachesrattlingaroundinTiger’shead.Butdon’tunderestimatethemagicfactor.Latein1997,attheendofWoods’firstfullyearonthePGATour,IaskedhimhowtheTigermaniatravellingcircusthatfollowedhimfromtournamenttotournamentimpactedhim.Tigersaid:“BytheU.S.OpenIwasmentallytiredandbythePGAChampionshipIwasphysicallytired.”
IaskedhowthatimpactedhisplayandTigersaid:“Ilostmyabilitytowillthingstohappen.”ThosewordscomingfromjustaboutanyoneelsewouldhavepromptedmetothrowtheBSflag.ButIhadalreadyseenenoughmagicfromWoodstofeelthatattimeshecouldwillthingstohappen.IaskedforanexampleofwhenhewilledsomethingandWoodsreplied,“35thholeoflastyear’sU.S.Am.Iwasn’tgoingtoallowmyselftomissthatputt.”Indeed,IwasthereatPumpkinRidgein1996whenTigerholeda35-footbirdietorallyfrom5-downandeventuallywintheU.S.Amateurforthethirdstraightyearina38-holebattlewithSteveScott.Andyes,Woodswilledthatballintotheholeonthe72ndholeofthe2008U.S.OpentocatchRoccoMediateandhewilledthatballhepointedintotheholeinhis2000PGAChampionshiptriumphoverBobMay.Butoverthelastnineyears,puttsthatoncelippedinnowlippedout.Theimpossibleup-and-downregularlyconvertedbecameapainfularrayofchunkedandbladedchips.Theotherguypulledoffthebigshots,theimportantshots.
EvenifWoodsbecomeshealthyenoughtoagainplaychampionshipgolf,youhavetowonderthis:Hasallthemagicbeenusedup?Onethingweknowforsure:Whatevercomesnext,Tigerhasleftuswithmemoriesthatwilllastaslongastheytalkaboutgolfevenifthatwindowisnowclosed.
