Turning 30 may mark Woods' coming of age
The hairline under his Nike cap is receding, and the aches and pains from years of pounding golf balls are more apparent. It used to be nothing for Tiger Woods to train by running six to 10 miles, then doing it again the next day."Now I need another day off," he said.
Ah, Tiger is getting old.
He turns 30 Friday.
And next month, he will begin his 10th full season on the PGA Tour.
But that hardly suggests any sort of dropoff is imminent. Woods, who is coming off a six-victory season that saw him win two major championships, knows all about golf history.
"If you look at most of the guys' careers, it looks like their peak years are in their 30s," Woods said. "Hopefully that will be the case for me. Hopefully my 30s will be better than my 20s. That would be pretty neat to have happen."
And it would be pretty amazing. Because Woods put together in his 20s a run of excellence that has been surpassed by only six players in PGA Tour history during their entire careers.
Woods' 46 official wins rank seventh behind Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson and Billy Casper. Woods' 10 major championships trail only Nicklaus' 18 on the preceding list. (Walter Hagen, who won 44 times, captured 11 majors.)
Not only did Woods win the Masters and British Open in 2005, he contended at the U.S. Open, where he finished second by two shots to Michael Campbell, and at the PGA Championship, where he tied for fourth, two shots behind Phil Mickelson.
Although Woods pointed out that the competition is better than ever, he hits his 30th birthday as the undisputed No. 1 player in the world.
And because golf is a game that allows players to prosper into their 30s and even their 40s, there is reason to believe his greatness can be sustained.
Nicklaus, who won 30 times before turning 30, enjoyed his greatest stretch after turning 31. From 1971 to 1973, Nicklaus won 19 times, including four majors. Nicklaus also won six majors after turning 35, including three after turning 40. One was the 1986 Masters, when Nicklaus was 46.
"How do you compare what he's doing, because nobody has ever done what he's doing," Nicklaus said this year. "He's dominated way beyond how anybody's ever dominated."
Palmer is one who believes Woods will learn to manage his strength. And he also thinks that getting married and having a family can help rather than hinder Woods as he continues.
"Between now and 35 could be the absolute best years of his life," Palmer said.
Palmer is proof. Between the age of 30 and 35, he earned 31 of his 62 PGA Tour titles. He also won six of his seven major championships after turning 30.
Ah, Tiger is getting old.
He turns 30 Friday.
And next month, he will begin his 10th full season on the PGA Tour.
But that hardly suggests any sort of dropoff is imminent. Woods, who is coming off a six-victory season that saw him win two major championships, knows all about golf history.
"If you look at most of the guys' careers, it looks like their peak years are in their 30s," Woods said. "Hopefully that will be the case for me. Hopefully my 30s will be better than my 20s. That would be pretty neat to have happen."
And it would be pretty amazing. Because Woods put together in his 20s a run of excellence that has been surpassed by only six players in PGA Tour history during their entire careers.
Woods' 46 official wins rank seventh behind Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson and Billy Casper. Woods' 10 major championships trail only Nicklaus' 18 on the preceding list. (Walter Hagen, who won 44 times, captured 11 majors.)
Not only did Woods win the Masters and British Open in 2005, he contended at the U.S. Open, where he finished second by two shots to Michael Campbell, and at the PGA Championship, where he tied for fourth, two shots behind Phil Mickelson.
Although Woods pointed out that the competition is better than ever, he hits his 30th birthday as the undisputed No. 1 player in the world.
And because golf is a game that allows players to prosper into their 30s and even their 40s, there is reason to believe his greatness can be sustained.
Nicklaus, who won 30 times before turning 30, enjoyed his greatest stretch after turning 31. From 1971 to 1973, Nicklaus won 19 times, including four majors. Nicklaus also won six majors after turning 35, including three after turning 40. One was the 1986 Masters, when Nicklaus was 46.
"How do you compare what he's doing, because nobody has ever done what he's doing," Nicklaus said this year. "He's dominated way beyond how anybody's ever dominated."
Palmer is one who believes Woods will learn to manage his strength. And he also thinks that getting married and having a family can help rather than hinder Woods as he continues.
"Between now and 35 could be the absolute best years of his life," Palmer said.
Palmer is proof. Between the age of 30 and 35, he earned 31 of his 62 PGA Tour titles. He also won six of his seven major championships after turning 30.
posted by Michelle at 3:33 PM
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