Will Tiger break Snead's victory record?
Tiger Woods is only 30 years old, but after winning the Buick Open on Sunday, he received a cake with a big "50" on it.
No, Woods isn't celebrating the half-century mark 20 years early. The Buick triumph was his 50th career PGA Tour victory, which leaves him 32 shy of Sam Snead's all-time PGA Tour record.
Will Tiger break Snead's mark? Or will he fall short in his pursuit? ESPN.com's Jason Sobel and GolfDigest.com's Ron Sirak debate in this week's edition of Alternate Shot.
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YES In this space just two weeks ago, I argued that Tiger Woods will surpass Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 career major victories someday. Well, based on the fact that he'll win eight more majors (and possibly more), 25 other titles doesn't seem too far-fetched, does it? For Tiger, it's all about motivation, drive and desire. He will break Nicklaus' major record -- ostensibly certifying his place as the best golfer ever -- for two reasons: because he's good enough and because he wants to. Sure, that might be simplifying the notion of how Woods can accomplish this feat, but it's true. So, why stop there? We know Tiger doesn't enjoy seeing his name as No. 2 or 3 on any list, so what makes anyone think he would stop short of Snead's record? At 30, he might just now be entering his peak years as a golfer. Certainly, he's showing no signs of slowing down, with victories in consecutive starts at the British Open and Buick Open. And there's a precedent that great golfers don't simply lose their game as they get older. Nicklaus won The Masters in 1986 as a 46-year-old. Heck, Snead won in Greensboro just two months shy of his 53rd birthday. Woods earned 50 career victories in exactly 10 full seasons on the PGA Tour. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he could win 50 more titles in the next 10 years, meaning Snead's record could -- and should -- be demolished sometime in the next decade.
-- Jason Sobel |
NO Slammin' Sammy Snead's record is safe for one simple reason: It's not the number Tiger really cares about. The only mark that matters to Woods is Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 professional majors. If Tiger gets there, he also passes Jack's record of 20 overall majors because Tiger has those three U.S. Amateur trophies sitting at home. One of the things that made Snead so remarkable, and Nicklaus as well, is longevity. This is an entirely different generation of athletes and it is not a given that Woods will want to be competing into his 40s. He could be a senator from California by then. Remember, Nicklaus won his last major when he was 46 and Snead won his last PGA Tour event when he was in his 50s. To pass Snead, Tiger will have to average three victories a year for the next 11 years. That's a tall order. But the point is not that Tiger can't do it but whether he will really want to do it. Woods has been on the world stage for almost 20 years already -- almost 30 if you count that "Mike Douglas Show" when he was barely able to walk. That's a long time to be living your life in the spotlight. For Tiger, it always has been about Jack. Those were the records he had taped to his bedroom wall. Woods might want to pass Nicklaus' career total of 73 PGA Tour victories, but that will be as far as he gets. It's all about what matters to him.
-- Ron Sirak |
