Tiger of course, being Tiger Woods… and the Bear would be Jack Nicklaus, always known to fans as the Golden Bear. Ok, so Tiger just won his 15th career major tournament by winning the 2019 Masters, which brings him closer to the record held by Jack Nicklaus who throughout his career won 18 major tournaments. Tiger had not won a major tournament since 2008, and had not won a Masters since 2005, so some in the golfing world had written off his chances of ever catching Nicklaus.
Now, it seems the sports media has been energized and is downright giddy about Tiger being “back in the chase.” Many golfing pundits, particularly those a certain age and younger, already consider Tiger to be the best golfer who has ever lived. The G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time), sort to speak. Tiger is certainly not too old to win more major championships, at age 43, so the possibility of him catching and even surpassing Nicklaus is real. So having said all this, why do I say that “Tiger will never catch the Bear”?
Well, for starters, it’s just wishful thinking. Chances are that Tiger will have a real shot at surpassing the Golden Bear and break his record of career majors. But Tiger will never be the G.O.A.T. in golf. In fact, I even wrote as much in an article for a sports blog several years back.
Let’s look at golf records and credentials for both. One of the most amazing is the number of times each has finished 2nd, or runner-up, in a major tournament. Jack Nicklaus throughout his career finished 2nd in major tournaments an amazing and mind-boggling 19 times. To put that into perspective, the next golfer with the most 2nd place finishes in golf majors is the great (and late) Arnold Palmer, with ten (10). After that comes Phil Mickelson with nine (9), then several other great players in history, until you get to Tiger Woods with six (6). So basically, if Nicklaus had won even a handful of those 19 majors where he finished second, he’d be completely out of reach from Tiger.
Then there is the competition. Jack Nicklaus battled Palmer, Tom Watson, Gary Player, Lee Treviño, Seve Ballesteros, Raymond Floyd. These are all in the top 20 of the list of career major championships won. Tiger has battled the likes of Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, and a few others… but the list pales in comparison to Jack’s.
But the comparison goes beyond golf. With one example I will illustrate what I mean. It was the 2010 Masters tournament, Tiger’s first tournament coming back from his well-publicized scandals in his personal life. I remember watching on TV. Up to that point I had come to accept Tiger’s previous demeanor on the golf course as that of a supremely confident, serious-faced competitor, who couldn’t be bothered with the niceties of interacting with fans. But to my surprise, the Tiger that opened play in the 2010 Masters was a completely different Tiger. High-fiving fans… kissing babies… one would’ve thought he was running for President. I raised an eyebrow as in “Okaaaaaay….”
That fake façade lasted until the end of the tournament, when after playing well enough, he still finished tied for 4th, five strokes behind the winner, Phil Mickelson. It was an emotional win for Mickelson, a very likable player on tour. His wife had been battling an illness, and their emotional hug at the 18th green was almost as emotional for all the fans there. In contrast, when Tiger was interviewed, instead of seizing the opportunity of trying to continue pretending to be human and humble, he was back to his dour, stone-faced self. Even neglecting to congratulate Phil on his heart-warming victory.
It was at that very moment that my mental circuit breaker tripped with regards to Tiger. Ever since then, I’ve rooted against him in every tournament he’s ever played. It’s not just me, either. You can read countless opinions from those who have been around him in some capacity, and the words they use to describe his personality are not very flattering.
Jack Nicklaus, by contrast, is all about class. During his playing days, he became the true ambassador of the sport, winning over legions of fans and drawing admiration not only for his play, but for his demeanor on and off the golf course… a true gentleman.
So Nicklaus, now 79, may have said that he’s “shaking in his boots” now that Tiger seems to be challenging his record of career majors again. But if I could speak to him I’d tell him he’s got nothing to worry about. There is still only one G.O.A.T. in golf… and his name is Jack Nicklaus. And THIS, my friends, is why the Tiger will never catch the Golden Bear.