When we’re talking about legendary athletes, the first images that spring to our minds are Michael Jordan, Michael Schumacher, Lionel Messi, and Tiger Woods. While golf doesn’t get the same attention as other sports, Woods is a global superstar. Why is it like that? Because he’s achieved feats, no other player did.
But it’s not just about the records. There are some where he’s not the leader. Tiger Woods has left a deep mark in the history of golf, eventually becoming the true golf GOAT.
Tiger Over Nicklaus
For a long time, every golf enthusiast considered Jack Nicklaus the best player to ever grace the field. And he has the resume to be called a great. However, he lacks something that Tiger has – a unique ability to change the perspective on golf.
It’s fair to say that Tiger Woods changed golf forever. The player was ahead of his time during his best days, and is still a fantastic player even now. Whenever you check golf betting odds online, he’s among the top three or five favourites for each event. The fact that he’s way past his prime shows how great of an impression he left on the sport.
With his modern style of play, Tiger brought swagger to golf. The world has never seen such a player before him. Nicklaus was fantastic, while Seve Ballesteros gave it a European charm. Even with their incredible feats, they just couldn’t propel golf to the mainstream. Until Woods arrived. With his astonishing ability to hit the ball and his fist pumps and club twirls, he redefined the way we watched and played golf.
Tiger was one of the very few golf players who struck deals with popular shoe and equipment companies. Nike used him in many of its promotional campaigns. It’s fair to say that he was just as big as Jordan in the 1990s and 2000s, and that speaks volumes of his ability and how he helped golf grow.
Incredible List of Records
Woods has had a tumultuous time in the past decade, but he’s been back in the limelight for the right reasons recently. As he prepares for a return at the 2022 Masters, news outlets never stop reminding us of his incredible feats.
For example, he’s tied with Sam Snead for most wins at the PGA Tour with 82. Just in comparison, Nicklaus won 73. He’ll break the record with just another win, and that’ll happen sooner than later. Woods is past his peak for years, and still, no one has come close to his record.
He’s also the youngest player to win a Slam at the age of 24, joining legends such as Nicklaus, Sarazen, Hogan, and Gary Player.
He’s second in majors with 15, just three behind Nicklaus. While many will argue that he doesn’t have it in him to win more, let us remind everyone that he won the Masters tournament in 2019, 14 years after the last trophy there.
This is precisely why Woods is the true golf GOAT. Enjoy him while his career lasts – we may never see another player like him.