Tiger had the golf world by the tail. His pace of winning golf’s four majors was well ahead of Jack Nicklaus’ pace at that age. But Tiger was messing around with the ladies even though he was married to Sweden’s Elin Nordgren. In 2004, it all blew up in Tiger’s face, and that was the beginning of his fall from grace in the golf world. But Tiger has been making a great comeback, even winning the Masters last year for his 15th major championship. Jack Nicklaus is still #1 with 18 majors. Can Tiger still catch Jack?
The average golf fan thinks Tiger’s sexual indiscretions were the sole reason for his eventual demise in the following years. But golf swing instructors and analysts who are worth their salt know better. Tiger also started messing around with a golf swing that was as good as it gets. That’s the main reason for Tiger Woods losing his game for so many years. Yes, he had a lot of orthopedic surgeries that just about ended his career. Fortunately, Tiger is back now, feeling much better, and swinging so, so much better. If Tiger’s body can hold up with age and his surgeries, I think he could win a few more majors, maybe even catch Jack. It’s going to really be tough to do, now that he’s older. But a few a years ago, I didn’t think Tiger could win any more majors because he had lost his swing so badly.
Brandel Chamblee is a former PGA Tour player and for many years, now, an articulate television commentator and swing analyst at PGA Tour tournaments. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona (or did), where I live. When Tiger was well into his slump, Brandel and I were together one evening, talking about Tiger’s downfall. We both agreed it was mostly due to him messing with his golf swing and having the wrong swing instructors. And we agreed as to what exactly it was that Tiger had done to lose his great swing.
In a recent interview on GOLF’s Subpar, Brandel Chamblee said, “I think in 500 years we’ll be talking about Tiger Woods the way we talk about Shakespeare. You can’t sum the guy up, you just can’t.”
Brandel continued, “From 2004, straightaway from when I started at Golf Channel, Tiger Woods was changing his golf swing. From the moment I sat down in the chair I was being asked, why Tiger Woods was changing his golf swing. You think about it, that’s like Michael Jordan changing the way he shoots free throws.”
In recent years, Chamblee has boldly stated that Tiger Woods has gotten less out of his talent than any player in the history of the PGA Tour. Brandel now says of that, “Not only do I stand by it, there’s math involved in that.” He means that Tiger’s Tour win rate corresponds to his poor swing changes. Brandel now says that because of that, Tiger “left 10 majors, minimum, on the table.”
Tiger got so good and just kept thinking of tinkering with this swing to get even better. But Brandel and I would say, “you can’t improve perfection.” And we Brandel and I both compared it to Jack Nicklaus’ approach to the swing. Jack only believed in going to the dance with who brung ya. That is, he and his lifetime swing coach, PGA professional Jack Grout, now deceased, looked only for ways in which Jack might be off from his normal swing, thus not making any substantial changes.
Yet, even with Tiger’s downfall, his career win rate on the PGA Tour is better than anybody ever–winning 22% of all PGA Tour tournaments he entered. That is so phenomenal! But back in the day, from 1996 when Tiger turned pro, to 2004, his win rate was way off the charts. I don’t know what it was, but I think he had won about one third or more of all PGA Tour tournaments he entered.
Tiger has not played on the PGA Tour since the 3-month shutdown due to COVID-19. But he is scheduled to play next week in Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial tournament at Columbus, Ohio, Jack’s boyhood hometown. It will be interesting to see Tiger back in action. I’d like to see what he might say about the bulked-up Mad Scientist Bryson DeChambeau, who won last week and is the talk of the tour right now, averaging 350 yards off the tee.
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