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Tiger Woods marks his 10th year on the PGA Tour this week , and if his 20s are any prelude to his 30s, Woods will break Jack Nicklaus' record 18 major titles and run down Sam Snead's PGA Tour-standard 82 victories before his second decade ends.
There's a library list of precedents, particularly among golf's legends. Nicklaus, Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer; they all hit their primes and won considerably more tournaments once they left their 20s.
Woods, who owns 46 PGA Tour victories and another 17 titles worldwide, understands the chronological concepts of a game that, unlike most other sports, rewards longevity.
Woods' 10 major professional championships rank third on the all-time list behind Nicklaus and Walter Hagen, whom Woods will tie with his next major title. That leaves only the Golden Bear, who won seven majors in his 20s, eight in his 30s and three in his 40s, his last one coming at age 46 in the 1986 Masters.
Nicklaus' dominance in his 20s (30 PGA Tour titles) pales in comparison with Woods'. But Nicklaus claimed 43 of his 73 tournament victories after he hit 30, giving Woods little wiggle room in rewriting the record book. Still, by winning 10 of the 36 majors he's played since turning pro in late 1996, Woods sprinted to a head start in achieving the goal he dreamed about.
Woods' 10 major professional championships rank third on the all-time list behind Nicklaus and Walter Hagen, whom Woods will tie with his next major title. That leaves only the Golden Bear, who won seven majors in his 20s, eight in his 30s and three in his 40s, his last one coming at age 46 in the 1986 Masters.
Nicklaus' dominance in his 20s (30 PGA Tour titles) pales in comparison with Woods'. But Nicklaus claimed 43 of his 73 tournament victories after he hit 30, giving Woods little wiggle room in rewriting the record book. Still, by winning 10 of the 36 majors he's played since turning pro in late 1996, Woods sprinted to a head start in achieving the goal he dreamed about. — USA TODAY
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