No doubt you've got heard the comparisons of Tiger and Jack this week. Their facts on the equal age were watched ever in view that Tiger commenced making a severe run at the Golden Bear. Tiger became ahead of Jack's important document when he gained his 14th most important at the 2008 US Open. But now, unless Tiger wins on the Open this week, he's going to fall at the back of Jack for the primary time.
I recognize the good judgment... But it's a chunk misleading, oldsters. The story's extra complicated than that.
Going into this week, Tiger hasn't received a main for the reason that 2008 US Open. That's 24 majors -- 6 years. For the sake of simplicity, I'm going to assume Tiger may not win this week, nor will he win the PGA in Valhalla at the same time as he receives his sport returned in combating shape. That's 26 majors, or 6.5 years.
Let's test how Jack fared from this factor onward in his document major run.
After Jack gained the 1978 Open (main #15), he received a normal occasion the following week however ignored the cut on the PGA. He did not win a major in any respect in 1979 -- he became rebuilding his swing that yr -- after which he gained the 1980 US Open (#16) and 1980 PGA (#17). He then went winless on the majors till his 18th win at the 1986 Masters. In truth, he best received two regular events among his 17th and 18th majors, and he never won a PGA Tour occasion -- predominant or in any other case -- after that.
Let's do a little math here. Between #15 and #16 he was winless for 6 majors -- that's 1.5 years. And between #17 and #18 he went winless for 20 majors -- that's 5 more years. By my calculation, that's 6.5 winless years in the majors... just like Tiger.
But if we're comparing their records at the same age, these barren years are still in Jack's future! From this point on -- after "this week's win" at the Open, that is -- Jack has only 6 more wins of any kind. And Jack was healthy for those years while Tiger has spent his last 6 years trying to get healthy.
To me, this sounds as if Jack is actually the one who's behind. In those 6.5 winless years, Jack played every major and missed only one cut while Tiger didn't play in 6 majors and missed 2 cuts. If Tiger is indeed finally healthy and has his game in any sort of shape when 2015 finally arrives, Tiger has 29 majors left to catch Jack by the same age.
But wait... The oldest guy to win a first-rate changed into Julius Boros, who gained the 1968 PGA at the ripe antique age of 48. If Tiger ought to in shape that feat -- and you know he's aware about this record as well -- that gives him 36 greater majors to overcome Jack.
Granted, a lot depends on Tiger's fitness. But if he is healthful going forward, I positive would not guess in opposition to him. In the 12 months-to-year evaluation, Jack should start dropping some serious ground within the subsequent 12 months or .
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