The Next Chapter in Golf History
8/17/2009
The book of Golf History has seen the conclusion of one of its most illustrious chapters. The chapter of the
unbeatable Tiger Woods has come to a conclusion. Tiger’s winning streak of 14 majors after holding a lead at
the end of round 3 ended this weekend when YE Yang launched that unbelievable 3 hybrid over a tree, over a
bunker, and stuffed the ball right next to the pin. The shot was unbelievable at the time, but will prove to be
historic as time passes.
I want to be clear. This is not the end of Tiger Woods. He is still the best player in the world and he will eventually
break Jack Nicklaus’ record for most major championship victories. However, it will be a much tougher road to hoe
than the road leading up to his first 14 major championships.
The players of this next era have emerged and some of the old guard can still play at a high level. Phil Mickelson
can still win a major or two. Paddy Harrington probably has three majors left in his tank. But Lucas Glover, Sean
O’hair, Hunter Mahan, and Rory McIlroy will make take the overall level of competition to an almost unreal level
over the next few years.
Tiger will eventually get his 19th title. Heck, I think 20 plus majors are possible for Tiger. In addition to this, it is
likely that everyone I’ve mentioned above will also win multiple major championships. In fact, the cast of
characters in this next chapter are likely to have resumes that will resemble the final resumes of Jack Nicklaus,
Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Billy Casper, and Seve Ballesteros. If this prediction indeed turns into reality, there is
little doubt that the entertainment and excitement inherent in the PGA Tour will enthrall the entire world.
Another interesting tid-bit regarding this upcoming chapter will be a re-discovery of the great Ben Hogan. Just as
Tiger’s major championship run brought on a re-discovery of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger’s quest for dominance after
receiving a surgically repaired knee should revitalize the legend of Hogan’s return to the game after his
devastating car crash.
Time passes and events occur. But sometimes it takes a miraculous event for us to realize just how great things
have been. YE Yang took down the immortal Tiger Woods on Sunday during the PGA Championship. Now we
can fully appreciate what Tiger has accomplished over the last 14 years. Furthermore, this next chapter will
reveal how well Tiger can handle adversity. I’ve got a feeling that he can handle it quite well.
Time will tell as the words to this chapter are written!