The Tiger Has Swallowed The Bear

The defining elements of Tiger’s resume that elevate him over Jack Nicklaus as the greatest player to ever touch a golf club.

It’s a great irony that, while so many sports fans ignorantly question the validity of golf as a sport, the game has given us one of the great highlight machines in the history of modern athletics in Tiger Woods. He dominated SportsCentre-type highlight shows with a repertoire of shots that is equal parts gutsy warrior and spectacular conqueror. Performances like his clinical coming out party at the 1997 Masters, his demolition of the 2000 US Open, or his 91-hole epic victory at the 2008 US Open, would have launched him into an unheard of level of stardom and prestige had they occurred in this decade, where daily update shows are replaced by secondly Twitter highlights.

Instead, social media has told the story of a fallen icon and a broken champion, undone by a mixture of injuries and the salacious flaws he hid under a pristine public image for over a decade. In fact, people of a particular vintage have glommed onto this narrative as a way to discount his achievements, despite them having seen them first hand during the height of his powers. They continue to hold Jack “The Golden Bear” Nicklaus — golf’s dominant figure in the 60s, 70s, and parts of the 80s, as well as the sake of my own middle name — on a pedestal to challenge Tiger for what is rightfully his: the title of the greatest to ever do it.

It’s unjust, yet unsurprising, that the old guard of a sport as white as they come would grasp at straws to deny a man of colour his spot on the throne, no matter how loudly he may have staked his claim to it. Thus, it is left to younger generations to, as best as possible, make objective arguments out of subjective subject matter and clarify the on-course accomplishments that have been clouded by off-course narratives.

The general structure of most GOAT conversations is largely a balancing act of total career accolades, dominance during their apex, and some auxiliary factors based on the individual dynamic of the argument.

Lets get into it. This is the definitive case for why the Tiger has swallowed the Golden Bear.

Longevity/total accolades

We’ll start with the category where Jack does have an objective edge. There’s not much that can be said against 18 majors and 76 total tournaments won over the course of 26 years. One of the great features of Tiger’s career is how much he was able to accomplish in the 16 years between 1997 and 2013. The downside of that is that Jack, who’s career went uninterrupted by injuries, swing changes, or scandals, will win the longevity argument every time. As of now, Jack has had a longer period of time during which he was winning semi-consistently.

The total body of work is the sticking point for most people on the fence, and the crown jewel in the arguments of Jack proponents. Tiger has more overall PGA Tour wins (79–73, with neither holding the overall record) but Jack maintains an 18–14 lead in terms of major championships, a record which he still holds. As much as it may seem reductionist to base the decision of who deserves to be regarded as the greatest player ever down to major championship count (because who the fuck thinks Walter Hagen is the third greatest player ever? Not me. Not anyone.) there’s no denying that it plays a roll in the conversation.

In any well founded argument, one must give the proverbial devil his due. Regardless of how long it took him to fully acquire them, it is only fair to acknowledge that Jack does have an edge in terms of the total body of accolades between him and Tiger.

Dominance during prime

Tiger’s peak dominance belongs in the rarified air of people like Serena Williams and Usain Bolt, who obliterated their competition with an otherworldly ease that seemed effortless. While Serena and Usain got to watch their competition fight amongst itself for the right to lose to them in unflattering fashion, Tiger was competing against entire fields simultaneously, his aura causing meltdowns tournament wide at the mere sight of his name on a Sunday leaderboard. His playing partners would break under the pressure of playing for the thousands who followed Tiger every week, causing many a young player not to break 80. Meanwhile, Eldrick was smashing fields by eight, 10, 12, even 15 strokes. He comfortably holds the record for most PGA Tour wins by eight strokes or more.

The Big Cat did all this on a series of golf courses fraught with unpredictable elements and features that were increasingly set up to curtail his dominance.

When you talk about Jack during his prime, you can certainly see that his accolades were the best, but you also mention other players in the same breath. There was the Big Three of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and himself in the 60s. There were the likes of Tom Watson and Lee Trevino in the 70’s that had Jack’s number on more than one occasion. Tiger had no rivals — only victims of his era. Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, and Phil Mickelson were great players who’s legacies appear underwhelming compared to their talents.

Especially Ernie. He knows why.

The point is that Jack’s dominance during his prime simply does not measure up to that of Tiger’s. What’s more is that it isn’t very close.

Other factors

• Tiger’s greatest victory was undoubtedly the 2008 US Open, where he beat Rocco Mediate. In a 91 hole marathon while battling two stress fractures and the complete lack of an ACL in his left leg. Also in contention is the 15 stroke annihilation that was the 2000 US Open, where Tiger was the only player under par at minus-12. Jack’s greatest win is widely considered to be the 1986 Masters, where he beat, amongst others, an imploding Greg Norman on the first leg of his infamous “Saturday Slam” while battling old age. Jack was 46 at the time, which still stands as the record for the oldest major winner of all time.
• Jack played in an era where only the top players could afford to play golf full time, with most of the field holding other jobs on the side to make ends meet. Tiger played in an era where tour pros were making six to seven figures in winnings per year, playing full time with more forgiving technology that narrowed the field.
• On an economic level, Tiger’s dominance spawned an explosion in the popularity of golf. His role in growing the sport, intentional or not, is rivalled only by the late Arnold Palmer.

While Jack was able to accumulate more major championships over the course of a longer career, the accolades are close enough that Tiger’s overwhelming dominance while competing against deeper, more financially secure fields more than makes up for the gap. His best shot was better than Jack’s. His best win was better than Jack’s. His best 12 months (do some reading on the Tiger Slam) were better than Jack’s. The entire 16 years that Tiger was largely on top were clearly better than any 16 consecutive years of Jack’s 26 year run. Consider as well that Tiger’s own greatness expanded the game’s reach to different communities and groups of athletes that eventually grew up to become his competition over the later half of his prime.

The debate is over. Clear the throne room, and break out the red Nike polos.

This week on Roll The Tape, Kyle, Afi and I discuss Tiger’s athletic and social legacy. We talk about what he did in the past, how it has impacted golf’s present, and we look forward and project how successful we think his current comeback bid may be.