History Lesson: The rise of Tiger

[hardcaliber]

The excitement around the comeback has made me wonder about what started it all. He is the biggest story in American sports currently, in a niche sport losing popularity, after not being relevant for 10 years, during peak football season.

 

When Tigermania was just beginning, I was a kid who didn't really care about golf. I didn't become a golf nut until around the time of his downfall. I generally knew what he was doing as a casual sports fan of course, but I didn't follow every development.

 

I continue to be amazed at the cultural penetration and cross over appeal of Tiger. How does a golfer get to be arguably the most popular athlete on the planet and have widespread cultural relevance beyond the rabid fan base of our niche sport?

 

I understand that after umpteen majors, people know who you are and care what you do. The thing that strikes me, is that it seems like tiger had this instant buzz and cross over appeal from the day he stepped on tour. It's like he was able to become an icon and household name after only 2-3 majors. I'm thinking of current young players racking up majors such as McIlroy and Spieth. After getting 3-4 majors very early on, they don't have anywhere near the broader cultural relevance that Tiger seemed to instantly acquire in his early days, maybe with even less on course accomplishment at that time. It just seems so impossible to imagine a young golfer in the current environment reaching that level of pop culture relevance, regardless of how great or dominant the on course performance might be

 

So my question to the people who lived through it is, what was so different about tiger in his early days compared to the young guns now? Was it the Nike marketing machine? Was it the fact that you just didn't see young athletic tour players in those days? How much was race a factor? Some combination of all these things? Was the quality of golf really that awe inspiring? Or am I misremembering what actually happened and it was actually a slow and steady rise after racking up 5, 6, 7 majors?

[cardoustie]

Tiger being multi-racial helps IMO, sorry if I used a non-PC term

 

He was also an incredible junior phenom. Not everyone that excels in junior golf can turn it into a tour career

 

Tiger always being near the top of the leaderboard helped

 

Tiger being very fit and good looking and one of the longest hitters at the time helped

 

Let's not forget the old axioms, people love winners .. and people love a comeback story

[Christosterone]

If someone comes along and wins 79 tournaments and 14 majors he will be a rock star...

 

The reason everyone is obsessed with tiger is the same reason we love jack and Bobby jones...GREATNESS

Jones had a ticker tape parade in NY...he was a National treasure

 

Tiger won 1 in every 3 or 4 tournaments he entered....heck, at one point he had 8 wins in a row...

 

When someone else even sniiffs that level the world will stop and watch...

 

But it takes more than a good year or 2 to get the public’s attention...

 

I think tiger has won 3 different tournaments 8 times...that’s ludicrous...he is a walking [golf] legend

 

-Chris

[MrJones]

Just my personal view....

 

Jordan and Tiger. These are the only athletes that stick out in my mind that really dominated their sport. There were the absolute best during their time and no one (that I knew) would dispute it. They also had the respect of the top players in their leagues who also acknowledged how good they were.

 

I think one of the things that really got me with Tiger was the fact that he was doing amazing things out on the course but remained so focused. He never really did anything intentional, but you could tell how other golfers were intimidated by him. And, at the time, he seemed to be a good guy off the course (to most of the general public). And I think it's always cool, in any sport, to have top guys that you know are almost always at the top of their sport, winning. At one point I remember being surprised any time he didn't win.

[bscinstnct]

I remember seeing this on TV.

 

Never saw golf this way.

 

Got golf clubs ; )

 

 

 

Now, there were other things converging that made the time right to start playing.

 

But, that golf swing got me pumped.

[starsail85]

Nobody played the game like tiger did when he first came out

 

The power swing

The flop shot

The clutch putts/shots

The stinger

Leading the driving distance for one event by 25 yards

12 shot major win in first major as a pro

 

I’m convinced there was something magical going on with the mist make putts -he was superhuman , then along cane YE YaNG and the hydrant

 

He lived up to the hype , which is a rare deal

[hardcaliber]

Thanks for the responses. I agree with most of whats been said. I think one thing that sets tiger apart is that the adoration was there even before the accomplishments. He was one of the few that lived up to the outsized expecations, which speaks to his greatness. The thing I find curious is that it seems like the whole world already cared and followed what he was doing, even before he did it. I'm curious about the factors that created the cultural phenomenon, which seems to have preceded and surpassed the considerable on course accomplishments, at atleast early on.

[Christosterone]

Also, he had a reverse c when he was in preschool...

Absolute nails from the day he was born

 

 

 

-Chris

[cardoustie]

let's not forget the golf world was waiting for the next Nicklaus for a long time

 

A lot of pretenders came and went .... Hal Sutton, Ben Crenshaw, Johnny Miller, Bobby Clampett etc etc .. to name a few

 

It takes a certain love and passion and skill level to stay so good for such an extended period. That's why Nicklaus will always be #1. What a spread from his first to last major. You also have lots of guys that burnout or get tired of the spotlight .. ie Johnny Miller, got into ranching and muscle cars etc

[mosesgolf]

Tiger has always had a history of winning and many of his wins were done in dramatic fashion. Below are just a few

 

1. That putt he made at TPC to win his first US AM vs Trip Kuehne

2. The way he won his 3rd in a row US AM over Steve Scott after being WAY down. That putt he made on the 16th hole (2nd half of the 36 holes) C'mon who wins 3 US AMs in a row?

3. His 97 blowout Masters win

4. Year 2000...................................

5. And on and on.

.

.

.

.

14 majors and the 2008 US Open at Torrey.

 

He's just had a history of winning and winning and winning. That's all it takes really. :D

[legitimategolf]

Tiger was renowned since long before he turned pro. Remember he went on national TV in the 1970s as a two-year old golf prodigy. He hardly came from nowhere. Tiger's rise was more like the fulfillment of some sort of prophecy. The golf world knew about him for a long time. I am from Southern California and even as a non-golf fan I heard about Tiger back in the early 90s.

[gvogel]

The excitement around the comeback has made me wonder about what started it all. He is the biggest story in American sports currently, in a niche sport losing popularity, after not being relevant for 10 years, during peak football season.

 

When Tigermania was just beginning, I was a kid who didn't really care about golf. I didn't become a golf nut until around the time of his downfall. I generally knew what he was doing as a casual sports fan of course, but I didn't follow every development.

 

I continue to be amazed at the cultural penetration and cross over appeal of Tiger. How does a golfer get to be arguably the most popular athlete on the planet and have widespread cultural relevance beyond the rabid fan base of our niche sport?

 

I understand that after umpteen majors, people know who you are and care what you do. The thing that strikes me, is that it seems like tiger had this instant buzz and cross over appeal from the day he stepped on tour. It's like he was able to become an icon and household name after only 2-3 majors. I'm thinking of current young players racking up majors such as McIlroy and Spieth. After getting 3-4 majors very early on, they don't have anywhere near the broader cultural relevance that Tiger seemed to instantly acquire in his early days, maybe with even less on course accomplishment at that time. It just seems so impossible to imagine a young golfer in the current environment reaching that level of pop culture relevance, regardless of how great or dominant the on course performance might be

 

So my question to the people who lived through it is, what was so different about tiger in his early days compared to the young guns now? Was it the Nike marketing machine? Was it the fact that you just didn't see young athletic tour players in those days? How much was race a factor? Some combination of all these things? Was the quality of golf really that awe inspiring? Or am I misremembering what actually happened and it was actually a slow and steady rise after racking up 5, 6, 7 majors?

 

Tomorrow the biggest story in American sports will be the winner of the Auburn -Georgia game or the winner of the Clemson - Miami game.

 

But enjoy the Tiger story while it lasts.

[RickyA12]

The excitement around the comeback has made me wonder about what started it all. He is the biggest story in American sports currently, in a niche sport losing popularity, after not being relevant for 10 years, during peak football season.

 

When Tigermania was just beginning, I was a kid who didn't really care about golf. I didn't become a golf nut until around the time of his downfall. I generally knew what he was doing as a casual sports fan of course, but I didn't follow every development.

 

I continue to be amazed at the cultural penetration and cross over appeal of Tiger. How does a golfer get to be arguably the most popular athlete on the planet and have widespread cultural relevance beyond the rabid fan base of our niche sport?

 

I understand that after umpteen majors, people know who you are and care what you do. The thing that strikes me, is that it seems like tiger had this instant buzz and cross over appeal from the day he stepped on tour. It's like he was able to become an icon and household name after only 2-3 majors. I'm thinking of current young players racking up majors such as McIlroy and Spieth. After getting 3-4 majors very early on, they don't have anywhere near the broader cultural relevance that Tiger seemed to instantly acquire in his early days, maybe with even less on course accomplishment at that time. It just seems so impossible to imagine a young golfer in the current environment reaching that level of pop culture relevance, regardless of how great or dominant the on course performance might be

 

So my question to the people who lived through it is, what was so different about tiger in his early days compared to the young guns now? Was it the Nike marketing machine? Was it the fact that you just didn't see young athletic tour players in those days? How much was race a factor? Some combination of all these things? Was the quality of golf really that awe inspiring? Or am I misremembering what actually happened and it was actually a slow and steady rise after racking up 5, 6, 7 majors?

 

Even though today’s young guys are great, and you can’t imagine someone being much better, Tiger was 10x better than Spieth, Thomas, DJ, Rory. etc.

 

He made 142 consecutive cuts. Think about that number and compare it to today’s greats.

 

From ‘99-‘08, he won 15 of 27 WGC events.

 

 

He has 40 wins on the Euro Tour, 3rd most all time, and never played that tour full time.

 

Combine stats like these with the Nike marketing machine and you ended up with not just a great golfer, but a person that belongs on the Mt Rushmore of sports with people like Jordan, Ali, and Gretzky.

 

[billh17]

The excitement around the comeback has made me wonder about what started it all. He is the biggest story in American sports currently, in a niche sport losing popularity, after not being relevant for 10 years, during peak football season.

 

When Tigermania was just beginning, I was a kid who didn't really care about golf. I didn't become a golf nut until around the time of his downfall. I generally knew what he was doing as a casual sports fan of course, but I didn't follow every development.

 

I continue to be amazed at the cultural penetration and cross over appeal of Tiger. How does a golfer get to be arguably the most popular athlete on the planet and have widespread cultural relevance beyond the rabid fan base of our niche sport?

 

I understand that after umpteen majors, people know who you are and care what you do. The thing that strikes me, is that it seems like tiger had this instant buzz and cross over appeal from the day he stepped on tour. It's like he was able to become an icon and household name after only 2-3 majors. I'm thinking of current young players racking up majors such as McIlroy and Spieth. After getting 3-4 majors very early on, they don't have anywhere near the broader cultural relevance that Tiger seemed to instantly acquire in his early days, maybe with even less on course accomplishment at that time. It just seems so impossible to imagine a young golfer in the current environment reaching that level of pop culture relevance, regardless of how great or dominant the on course performance might be

 

So my question to the people who lived through it is, what was so different about tiger in his early days compared to the young guns now? Was it the Nike marketing machine? Was it the fact that you just didn't see young athletic tour players in those days? How much was race a factor? Some combination of all these things? Was the quality of golf really that awe inspiring? Or am I misremembering what actually happened and it was actually a slow and steady rise after racking up 5, 6, 7 majors?

 

I really think it was a generational thing. Yes,the people really loved the way he played the game. But, before him,the large percentage

of the pros were in their 30's and older. Tiger was the younger people....bold..confident..an in-your-face fist pump. And he was good.

Very good. I really think he won over the older fans with his showing of emotion and his knowledge of the game. And that fist pump?

He upset a lot of folks with it,but he won a lot of fans for it too. The man swung all out...on every shot....and then played the short game

like the ball was glass and didn't want to hit it too hard...smooth and precise . The kid could play golf.

[Z1ggy16]

Also his mannerisms. He made an otherwise boring sport filled with white people whispering and golf clapping, to this black/asian guy fist pumping, yelling at the top of his lungs, and getting people so pumped up they couldn't contain themselves either.

 

Nobody has really done that to any sport in recent memory. He changed the game and the way people thought about it. He wasn't JUST a legendary player, his entire persona changed things.

[Ferguson]

Tiger was a ground-breaking figure.

 

He came along when golf needed an ICON.

 

When Tiger came around they changed and modified golf courses.

They added extra cameras.

They added extra tournament staff.

Golf courses were packed.

There was a buzz around golf.

 

He re-shaped a sport.

 

I think the word "awesome" became popular partly due to Tiger.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

I am about the same age as Tiger grew up in his era from beginning to now. Also lived very close to his college and even played golf with him at Stanford his Freshman year. I had no idea who he was at the time. I only saw that he could do things with a golf ball that I did not know were possible. When I saw him win the 97 Masters I thought what I witnessed a few years prior all made sense now. (I paid no attention to Am golf back then) It is rare to get someone who is that much better than his competition in any sport and what he did from 97-08 was insane. His being multi racial opened up golf to a whole new audience people who never watched golf wanted to watch this transcendent athlete.

[Man_O_War]

i forgive him for his transgressions... just look around and you will see why

[RickyA12]

This really tells the tale. In addition to not being a white guy and Nike’s first golf athlete, the achievements are other-worldly. If you didn’t see it happen you can’t really appreciate how much better he was than anyone else. And it’s not like he was playin against a bunch of scrubs. He changes swings multiple times out of boredom. Without the swing changes, he probably wins another 20 tournaments. Here are some of the achievements...sorry for the length

 

Revel in the insanity that has been Tiger’s historic greatness for the better part of 20 years:

 

40. Woods won 32 times on the PGA Tour from 1999 through 2003. No other player won more than eight times in that span.

 

39. From the 1999 PGA Championship through the 2002 U.S. Open, Woods won seven of the 11 majors contested. Woods was a cumulative 94 under par in those tournaments – 60 shots better than any other player.

 

38. Woods won 10 majors before his 30th birthday. Since the first Masters was held in 1934, the only player to even win five majors before turning 30 was Jack Nicklaus, who won seven.

 

37. On that note: today, there is currently only one player with double-digit PGA Tour wins (not majors, just regular victories) under age 30: Rory McIlroy.

 

36. In majors from 1997 through 2008, Tiger recorded 34 different rounds of 67 or better. No other player had more than 16 such rounds in that span.

 

35. Woods won 46 times in his 20s, 16 more than any other player in PGA Tour history (Nicklaus, again, is second). During the time Woods was in his 20s, the player with the second-most victories before age 30 was David Duval, with 13.

 

34. Woods was a combined 82 under at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational from 1999 through 2009 – 49 shots better than anyone else in that span. Tiger has racked up $11 million in official earnings in that event alone – more than six times what Arnold Palmer earned in his entire PGA Tour career.

 

33. Woods has a career scoring average of 70.86 in the Masters. That is the best career scoring average in that event for any player with at least 50 rounds played. Woods’ 11 top-five finishes in the Masters is second all-time to Nicklaus.

 

32. During the 2000 PGA Tour season, Woods recorded one round higher than 73. It came in the first round of the Masters. He shot 75, on a day when the field averaged 75.59.

 

31. Tiger has won the Vardon Trophy (lowest scoring average on Tour) nine times, four more than any other player (Billy Casper, Lee Trevino). The trophy has been awarded since 1937.

 

30. Woods has earned more than $110 million in official earnings in his PGA Tour career. The year before he turned pro, the Tour’s all-time career earnings leader was Greg Norman – at $9.59 million.

 

29. Tiger was a combined 53 under in the majors in 2000. That was 35 shots better than anyone else that year. Though Jordan Spieth broke Woods’ season scoring mark in 2015 (he was a combined 54 under in the majors), he was just 19 shots better than his closest competitor, Jason Day (-35).

 

28. There are five instances in PGA Tour history where a player won a single PGA Tour event seven or more times. Woods owns four of them. Sam Snead, who won in Greensboro eight times, is the only other player to do it once.

 

27. Woods has spent 683 weeks as world No. 1 – 352 weeks (more than six years) more than any other player in OWGR history (Greg Norman is second).

 

26. A player has won a major championship with a score of 18 under or better eight times. Tiger owns five of those eight instances.

 

25. Woods is, of course, the only man in the modern era to win four consecutive majors – a feat known as the Tiger Slam. The last of Tiger’s four straight major wins came at age 25. The only other players in the modern era to even win four career majors (not consecutive) at age 25 or younger are Jack Nicklaus and Rory McIlroy.

 

24. Woods is the only player in history to win the U.S. Junior Amateur, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open in his career. He won three of each.

 

23. Woods has won nine USGA Championships in his career, tied with Bobby Jones for most all-time. Woods won the 2000 U.S. Open by 15 shots. No other player in the last 100 years has won a U.S. Open by more than nine shots.

 

22. From 2002-05, Woods had 1,540 putts from 3 feet and in on the PGA Tour. He only missed three of them.

 

21. Woods completed the career Grand Slam at age 24. Not only is he the youngest player to win the slam, only five other players in the last 50 years have won a major at age 24 or younger.

 

20. There have only been two instances since 1900 where a player won a major championship by 10 strokes or more. Woods owns both of those instances (1997 Masters, 2000 U.S. Open).

 

19. Woods is the only player in the PGA Championship’s stroke-play era to win the tournament in consecutive years. He’s done it twice.

 

18. Tiger is 16-1 in his career in playoffs on the PGA and European tours. His only defeat came to Billy Mayfair at the 1998 Nissan Open.

 

17. Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year has been awarded since 1954. Woods is the only athlete to win the award more than once (1996, 2000).

 

16. Tiger has held the outright 54-hole lead 45 times in his PGA Tour career. He went on to win 43 of them, good for a 95.6 percent clip. For context - over the last three PGA Tour seasons, players with an outright 54-hole lead have gone on to win 39.7 percent of the time.

 

15. Tiger has held the outright 36-hole lead 33 times in his Tour career. He went on to win 28 of them (84.8 percent). In comparison, Jack Nicklaus’ 36-hole outright conversion rate was 63 percent.

 

14. Tiger’s 46 PGA Tour wins before he turned 30 would be eighth on the overall all-time wins list – one ahead of Walter Hagen.

 

13. Woods has missed 15 cuts on the PGA Tour as a professional. Spieth has missed 13. Spieth was three years old when Tiger turned pro.

 

12. Adjusted scoring averages have been calculated on the PGA Tour since 1988. There are six instances where a player’s season adjusted scoring average was better than 68.6. They all belong to Woods.

 

11. Woods has won 14 major championships. No other player currently age 40 or younger has more than 12 career regular PGA Tour wins (Zach Johnson, who turns 40 in February, has 12).

 

10. Speaking of Zach - Tiger’s 79 Tour wins are 67 more than any other player currently 40 or younger. There are seven other players age 40 or younger with at least eight career PGA Tour wins. Those players – Johnson, Adam Scott, McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Geoff Ogilvy and Bubba Watson – have 67 wins combined.

 

9. Woods is credited with 40 career wins on the European Tour, third-most all-time. Woods has never played a full season on the European Tour.

 

8. Tiger is the only player since World War II to win a PGA Tour event four straight years. He did it two different times.

 

7. Tiger is the only player in PGA Tour history to win eight or more times on a single course. He has done it on three different courses.

 

6. Tiger has won five straight PGA Tour starts three different times. Over the last 60 years, he is the only player to do it once.

 

5. From 1997 through 2008, Woods led or co-led following any round in a major 42 different times. Second on the list in that span was Phil Mickelson – with 13. Woods won 14 majors in that span.

 

4. Tiger has 18 career World Golf Championship victories. Second on the all-time list? Ogilvy. He has three.

 

3. Woods had 142 consecutive PGA Tour events without missing a cut, from 1998-2005. That is 29 more than the second-longest streak in the Tour’s history (Byron Nelson, 113 in a row). There are only four other such streaks even half as long as Woods’.

 

2. In a stretch from the middle of the 1999 season through the middle of the 2001 season, Woods won 20 of the 38 stroke-play events he played on the Tour (a .526 win percentage). In those events, Woods was a combined 472 under, a cumulative score 307 shots better than anyone else. Vijay Singh was second.

 

1. From 1997 through 2008, Woods was a combined 126 under par in majors. There are 138 other players who played at least 40 rounds in major championships in that span. Among that group, Woods was a staggering 189 shots better than anyone else. Second on the list: Joe Ogilvie, at 63 over.

 

[Pigems]

Just my personal view....

 

Jordan and Tiger. These are the only athletes that stick out in my mind that really dominated their sport. There were the absolute best during their time and no one (that I knew) would dispute it. They also had the respect of the top players in their leagues who also acknowledged how good they were.

 

I think one of the things that really got me with Tiger was the fact that he was doing amazing things out on the course but remained so focused. He never really did anything intentional, but you could tell how other golfers were intimidated by him. And, at the time, he seemed to be a good guy off the course (to most of the general public). And I think it's always cool, in any sport, to have top guys that you know are almost always at the top of their sport, winning. At one point I remember being surprised any time he didn't win.

 

Ummmm, what about that Wayne fella? I think his last name was Gretzky or something. He destroyed his sport even more than Tiger destroyed golf.

[cdnglf]

37. On that note: today, there is currently only one player with double-digit PGA Tour wins (not majors, just regular victories) under age 30: Rory McIlroy.

 

17. Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year has been awarded since 1954. Woods is the only athlete to win the award more than once (1996, 2000).

 

 

11. Woods has won 14 major championships. No other player currently age 40 or younger has more than 12 career regular PGA Tour wins (Zach Johnson, who turns 40 in February, has 12).

 

 

4. Tiger has 18 career World Golf Championship victories. Second on the all-time list? Ogilvy. He has three.

 

At least 4 of your points are wrong.

[MrJones]

Just my personal view....

 

Jordan and Tiger. These are the only athletes that stick out in my mind that really dominated their sport. There were the absolute best during their time and no one (that I knew) would dispute it. They also had the respect of the top players in their leagues who also acknowledged how good they were.

 

I think one of the things that really got me with Tiger was the fact that he was doing amazing things out on the course but remained so focused. He never really did anything intentional, but you could tell how other golfers were intimidated by him. And, at the time, he seemed to be a good guy off the course (to most of the general public). And I think it's always cool, in any sport, to have top guys that you know are almost always at the top of their sport, winning. At one point I remember being surprised any time he didn't win.

 

Ummmm, what about that Wayne fella? I think his last name was Gretzky or something. He destroyed his sport even more than Tiger destroyed golf.

 

Haha down here in Alabama Gretzky was someone we heard all about but never saw. It's like we knew he was the best but didn't really know any other players at all. Would you be surprised if I told you Mario Lemieux was the only other well known player in my circle of friends because of one of the best NHL games EA Sports ever made (I think it was either 94 or 96)?

[RickyA12]

37. On that note: today, there is currently only one player with double-digit PGA Tour wins (not majors, just regular victories) under age 30: Rory McIlroy.

 

17. Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year has been awarded since 1954. Woods is the only athlete to win the award more than once (1996, 2000).

 

 

11. Woods has won 14 major championships. No other player currently age 40 or younger has more than 12 career regular PGA Tour wins (Zach Johnson, who turns 40 in February, has 12).

 

 

4. Tiger has 18 career World Golf Championship victories. Second on the all-time list? Ogilvy. He has three.

 

At least 4 of your points are wrong.

 

Not my points. Came directly from the Golf Channel website. Article is a few years old I believe

[cdnglf]

Just my personal view....

 

Jordan and Tiger. These are the only athletes that stick out in my mind that really dominated their sport. There were the absolute best during their time and no one (that I knew) would dispute it. They also had the respect of the top players in their leagues who also acknowledged how good they were.

 

I think one of the things that really got me with Tiger was the fact that he was doing amazing things out on the course but remained so focused. He never really did anything intentional, but you could tell how other golfers were intimidated by him. And, at the time, he seemed to be a good guy off the course (to most of the general public). And I think it's always cool, in any sport, to have top guys that you know are almost always at the top of their sport, winning. At one point I remember being surprised any time he didn't win.

 

Ummmm, what about that Wayne fella? I think his last name was Gretzky or something. He destroyed his sport even more than Tiger destroyed golf.

 

Haha down here in Alabama Gretzky was someone we heard all about but never saw. It's like we knew he was the best but didn't really know any other players at all. Would you be surprised if I told you Mario Lemieux was the only other well known player in my circle of friends because of one of the best NHL games EA Sports ever made (I think it was either 94 or 96)?

 

Ha! Probably NHL '96. I logged a lot of time on NHL '94. The best players in that game oddly were Roenick and Yzerman.

That said, Mario is in almost everyone's top 4 all-time. Wayne is #1, with Howe, Orr and Mario in some order after that.

[jjr]

Also, he had a reverse c when he was in preschool...

Absolute nails from the day he was born

 

[media=]

[/media]

 

 

-Chris

 

Damn, how did I miss that commercial? Awesome! Thx Chris

[Ferguson]

37. On that note: today, there is currently only one player with double-digit PGA Tour wins (not majors, just regular victories) under age 30: Rory McIlroy.

 

17. Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year has been awarded since 1954. Woods is the only athlete to win the award more than once (1996, 2000).

 

 

11. Woods has won 14 major championships. No other player currently age 40 or younger has more than 12 career regular PGA Tour wins (Zach Johnson, who turns 40 in February, has 12).

 

 

4. Tiger has 18 career World Golf Championship victories. Second on the all-time list? Ogilvy. He has three.

 

At least 4 of your points are wrong.

 

 

 

Tiger eats a Cobb Salad (EXTRA EGGS) on Wednesdays before tournaments - TRUE OR FALSE?

[Pigems]

Just my personal view....

 

Jordan and Tiger. These are the only athletes that stick out in my mind that really dominated their sport. There were the absolute best during their time and no one (that I knew) would dispute it. They also had the respect of the top players in their leagues who also acknowledged how good they were.

 

I think one of the things that really got me with Tiger was the fact that he was doing amazing things out on the course but remained so focused. He never really did anything intentional, but you could tell how other golfers were intimidated by him. And, at the time, he seemed to be a good guy off the course (to most of the general public). And I think it's always cool, in any sport, to have top guys that you know are almost always at the top of their sport, winning. At one point I remember being surprised any time he didn't win.

 

Ummmm, what about that Wayne fella? I think his last name was Gretzky or something. He destroyed his sport even more than Tiger destroyed golf.

 

Haha down here in Alabama Gretzky was someone we heard all about but never saw. It's like we knew he was the best but didn't really know any other players at all. Would you be surprised if I told you Mario Lemieux was the only other well known player in my circle of friends because of one of the best NHL games EA Sports ever made (I think it was either 94 or 96)?

 

No worries, I’ll give you a pass on this one ;)

 

96 was my all time favourite NHL game, could score from anyone on the left side of the ice with a Lh shot player hahahahaha. Loved it :)

[baudi]

[JerseyBoy]

It seems to me that the OP was saying what it meant to each individual rather than the actual stats.

 

To me, it was his utter and shear dominance. I grew up watching him and it was something to behold. And like someone else mentioned, it was also apparent to anyone who grew up watching Wayne Gretzky. I grew up in Montreal at a time when The Great One was at his peak and it was also somethin to behold.

 

When either of those athletes were on the top of the game, no one could touch them. No one. And they were on the top of their game A LOT.

 

Growing up, I didn't follow the stats on Tiger. I just watched him a lot. And he won a lot, which to a kid growing up, who was the only one I knew who cared about Golf, was amazing to see. You knew when he was playing, something cool was going to happen most of the time. Sometimes it didn't but those times it did, WOW.

 

I can explain to the younger crew this way. That chip in Jordan had where he chest bumped his caddy and the crowd went nuts? Like that. But every time he played.

 

Right now, there is no one as dominant, nor as consistent as Tiger was then. No one. You can argue who was the "best", or the "most", but in his era, no one could touch him. It was the most dominant display of sport I had every seen. And since,

[SkiSchoolPro]

To the OP, the hype did not proceed the accomplishments. When do you think tigermania started full blast? Other guys like Spieth and Rory have had good starts but remember tiger won his first major he played in as a pro by 12 shots and reached world number one less than a year after turning pro. He was the youngest to win the Junior Amateur at the time of his first victory and is still the only person to have won it three times. Add to that 3 US Am titles and he was very accomplished before stepping onto the professional stage.

 

No, the hype did not proceed the accomplishments. Yes, expectations were high because of his amateur career, but he lived up to them like nobody else has, at least initially. Also, remember that he won five times in 2013 so he hasn't exactly been Irrelevant for 10 years.