7.2.2015.
At 39, Tiger's performance these last two weeks seems indicative of a turning point in a remarkable sporting career - a downhill ride.
Let's take stock.
In 18 years as a professional golfer, he'd earned from his sport, on and off the course, USD 1.363 billions. That's RM 4.77 billions in total, or RM 265 millions per year. Tiger could have paid for the two submarines Malaysia bought and still have almost a billion change!
Before turning professional toward the end of 1996, he'd won the US Junior Championship for three consecutive years from 1991 to 1993 when he was 15 years old. Then he promptly won the US Amateur Championship for three consecutive years from 1994 to 1996, a feat even Jack Nicklaus couldn't do.
When he turned professional at the end of 1996, he was PGA Rookie of the Year.
He was voted PGA Player of the Year in 1997,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2005,2006,2007,2009, and 2013, eleven of the eighteen years as a pro. That's about 61 % of the time.
He won the Vardon Trophy in 1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2005,2007,2009, and 2013, nine of the eighteen years, or 50 % of the time.
He won the Byron Nelson Award in 1999, 2000,2001,2002,2003,2005,2006,2007, and 2009, eight out of eighteen, or almost 45 % of the time.
He won the 10-million-dollar FedEx Cup twice, in 2007 and 2009, in the last 8 years that the Cup has been contested. That's 25 % of the time.
He was ESPY Best Male Athlete in 1997,1999,2000,2001.
He was AP Male Athlete of the Year in 1997,1999,2000, and 2006.
He has won 139 tournaments worldwide.
He has won 79 times on the PGA Tour alone, the second best record in its history, just 3 short of the record. The statistics up to August 2012 is 74 wins in 277 starts, or a success rate of almost 27% or more than one win for every four competitions entered !
Until May 2014, Tiger has held the no: 1 Golf World Ranking for a total of 682 weeks. That's more than 69 % of the time. The next best record belongs to Greg Norman who held it for a total of 331 weeks, which is slightly more than 48 % of Tiger's duration.
Finally, Tiger has won 14 Majors, second to Jack Nicklaus' 18, the last one won by Jack at age 46, seven more years than Tiger.
Perhaps the most impressive record of all is the fact that Tiger made 142 consecutive cuts from 1998 to 2005. Unfortunately, only a true golfer would appreciate this achievement, no offense to the others.
39 isn't old in golf. Vijay Singh won most of his tournaments after 40. And after 50 there's the Senior Tour, where people like Langer and other less luminous players have won more than once. So for Tiger fans, clearly there is still hope. But the signs are right now not good. Unless the desire remains, and the body is willing.
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2 comments:
It's beginning to show signs
of decadence but My feeling is - no,not yet. He'll break Jack's record. Well see! Great run of statistics you have here!
Hank
I first spotted Tiger's name in a golf magazine in 1995, I think. He was trying to win his third cosecutive US Amateur. In fact I watched his second round finals live. I've been a fan since.
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