Woods' pursuit of Nicklaus' majors record again hot topic

AUGUSTA, Ga. — As a lanky lad, Tiger Woods taped to his bedroom wall a page of records held by Jack Nicklaus. Listed right above his bed was every milestone of the Golden Bear's career, providing a nightly reminder of where Woods, even then, wanted to wind up.

By Michael Madrid, USA TODAY

Tiger Woods, who has not won a major since June 2008, tees off at this week's Masters looking for his 15th major title. Some believe Woods will not be able to break Jack Nicklaus' record of 18.

By Michael Madrid, USA TODAY

Tiger Woods, who has not won a major since June 2008, tees off at this week's Masters looking for his 15th major title. Some believe Woods will not be able to break Jack Nicklaus' record of 18.

Twenty-five years ago, Woods updated his charts to add Nicklaus' magical victory in the 1986 Masters at 46, when his back-nine charge shook the golf world and Augusta National's pine trees and gave him his record 18th and final major title. At the time, the numeral appeared unreachable for aspiring golfers, a remote destination that was an astounding seven major titles clear of Walter Hagen, the only other professional to reach double digits in major championship victories.

Undeterred, Woods dreamed big.

"It has always been my goal to pass Jack," says Woods, who has won 14 majors. "From well before I turned pro, that's what I've had my eyes set on in terms of golf. … I absolutely want to do it. The benchmark and gold standard in this sport is 18."

Asked Tuesday if he was ready to win this week's Masters — where he tees off in today's first round ranked No. 7 in the world, his lowest ranking since 1997 — Woods smiles.

"Mm-hmm."

Asked if we've seen the best of Woods, he smiles.

"No."

Many aren't so sure.

The former world No. 1's unrelenting march toward the record stalled three years ago following knee surgery and has remained in neutral since a car accident in 2009. Once, not too long ago, the scales were tilted heavily in favor of those who thought his journey to surpass Nicklaus was a foregone conclusion. Now, however, 19th hole debates around the world are more balanced as a growing number of people have begun to question Woods' game and his chances to topple Nicklaus.

"Can he pass Jack? That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?" 2006 U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy says. "I don't know. He certainly looked like he was going to run right past him. We'll see. But if Tiger wins this week — and Tiger definitely can win this week — all of the (media) will say he's back, and that if he's back, he'll pass Jack."

Others disagree. Former touring pro and current Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee says Woods will not catch Nicklaus.

"Ahhhhh, no, I don't think Tiger will catch Jack and pass him," Chamblee says. "He has suffered physical and psychological injury, and he has to win five more to pass Jack. And Tiger is not the player he was before, not by a long shot."

Woods wasted little time in taking the first step of his journey by winning the 1997 Masters in his maiden major as a pro, an astounding 12-shot triumph. He added a second major two years later, then went on a stunning run where he captured six of the next nine and established an aura of invincibility much the same way Nicklaus had. Two years later he started another streak, and after winning five of 12 majors, no one stood between Woods and Nicklaus.

In 2008, in just his 46th start in a major as a pro, Woods won No. 14, on a broken leg, no less, in the U.S. Open. Frank Nobilo, a former touring pro and current Golf Channel analyst, equated Woods to the man of steel.

"It was like he was Superman. It just didn't seem real," Nobilo says. "It wasn't a matter of if he would pass Jack, but when he would pass Jack. But now, the question has changed. It's not a matter of when he will pass Jack, but if he will pass Jack."

While his peers couldn't temper Woods, kryptonite, in the form of a late-night car crash on Thanksgiving 2009, altered his compass on and off the course. His world began capsizing into a torrent of scandalous revelations of infidelity that cost him millions of dollars in endorsements, tarnished his image and led to a divorce from Elin Nordegren. Before his one-car accident, Woods won seven times around the world in 2009, including his 71st victory on the PGA Tour. In 2010, Woods ended the year without a victory for the first time since, he guesses, he was 6. He hasn't won in 2011 in five worldwide events, and 10 majors have passed since Woods last won one, which ties the longest winless stretch in majors in his career (he missed two due to injury).

Heading into his 17th Masters, more people have started thinking the Tiger has been tamed. This collection cite as his major hurdles Woods' age (35), surgeries to his right knee (4), swing changes (he's on his fourth reconstruction) and one shattered aura of invincibility. An expanding depth of talent, including a renaissance of gifted youngsters who haven't lived long enough to have fallen victim to Woods' ability to crush players and their psyches, fuels their side of the debate, too.

Five-time PGA Tour winner Scott Verplank told reporters last year that players were no longer that worried about Woods. Rory McIlroy, who at 21 already has four top-10s in majors the past two seasons, wrote in an essay for Sports Illustrated earlier this year that he wasn't sure Woods would ever dominate again.

"A big part of what he did in the past was built on things no one had ever done," Chamblee says. "And that was to drive it 9 miles with accuracy, dazzle people around the greens and putt as well as anyone. He intimidated the heck out of people. And he doesn't have that anymore.

"Even a superstar loses his game in increments. And when Y.E. Yang beat him in the 2009 PGA Championship, it was a Roger Bannister moment where the rest of the world realized Woods can be beaten when he has a lead in the final round of a major.

Woods still has plenty of people on his side in this deliberation, including Nicklaus. Among the reasons they cite include Woods' desire, commitment, unwavering fire to topple Nicklaus, athleticism, his ability to rebound, his new swing and the old Woods that simply can't be ignored.

"He's got a great work ethic and he's a very talented young man," Nicklaus said this week. "And equipment will help extend his career beyond what it extended mine. I assume that he'll get his focus back on what he's doing, and he will probably pass my record.

"But he's still got to do it. If you look at what he's got to do, he's still got to win five more, and that's more than a career for anybody else playing."

Zach Johnson, who held Woods off down the stretch to win the 2007 Masters, isn't dismissing Woods, either.

"People who say Tiger is done just don't know what they are talking about," Johnson says. "People talk about his slump. Well, there is a slump, but maybe it's a tropical storm instead of a Hurricane 5. The guy was the best golfer in the world nearly every day since 1997. So come on.

"Jack's Jack, and Tiger isn't there yet, but he'll get there."

He'll do so with a new swing. The change has Woods more centered over the ball throughout the swing, which in turn puts less stress on his body, which in turn could prolong the back nine of his career.

Woods is working with Sean Foley, 36, his third swing coach since turning pro. The two began their relationship at last year's PGA Championship in August. Foley, a Canadian who draws on a mix of life experiences, philosophy, geometry, physics and biomechanics in his instruction, says Woods conceptually understood the new swing a long time ago.

"He realized it made sense, because, in the end, it's just mathematics," says Foley, who counts Hunter Mahan, Sean O'Hair, Justin Rose and Stephen Ames among his students. "When the ball is in the air flying a certain way, that's just the end of an equation. If you look at his swings with (former swing coaches) Hank (Haney) and Butch (Harmon) and when he was a kid, there are still a lot of good pieces in those swings. All we are doing is trying to minimize variables and minimize unnecessary movements. His speed and power are still there, the flexibility is still there, his ability to transfer power is still there."

Foley, however, says he doesn't like to project into the future, so he won't take a stand on whether his pupil will pass Nicklaus.

"So, since he's been 8, he's dominated every level of golf he's played," Foley says. "Tiger is the greatest player of all time whether I coach him or not. I'm sure he's going to get to whatever he was going to get to."

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