Tiger’s on Right History Course

Is Tiger Woods already the greatest ever? Can we at least wait until he cashes his U.S. Open check before we decide?

Meantime, Woods clearly has a chance to turn out as the greatest of all time, say Byron Nelson and Sam Snead--already two of the greatest of all time.

Nelson and Snead believe Woods has what it takes to become the best player in the history of golf. But as good as Woods is, they think it is wise to slow down on the coronation planning.

“Let time go on a little bit first,” Snead said. “Give him a little while longer. What’s the rush? I’ve been watching every move that he makes, and he’s just terrific. He’s the best right now, that’s for sure, but he’s just 24 and he’s got a long way to go.”

Snead, 88, won a record 81 PGA Tour events in his pro career, from 1937-1979. Woods has won 20 times on the PGA Tour since he turned pro late in 1996.

Snead said Woods’ success doesn’t stem from only innate ability but is also the result of his dedication to practice.

“I don’t know anybody who works as hard as Tiger has,” Snead said. “And it shows. He doesn’t hit every fairway, and he doesn’t hit every green, but he always seems to get something out of it. He’s just great. He’s all by himself.”

Woods certainly was all by himself Sunday, when he won his third major championship, the U.S. Open, by 15 shots--the largest margin of victory in major golf history. In 1862, Old Tom Morris won the British Open by 13 shots, a fact that was relayed to Ernie Els, who tied for second behind Woods.

Said Els: “If Old Tom Morris ever played Tiger Woods, Tiger would win by 80 shots.”

Maybe, but hyperbole is all the rage in contemplating Woods’ achievements these days.

He already is one of only seven players to have won three different major championships, and he can join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus with all four if he wins the British Open next month at St. Andrews.

In his brief career, Woods owns scoring records at two majors, the Masters and the U.S. Open.

Nelson predicts that there will be many more major titles to come for Woods. Nelson, 88, won 52 times in his career and, in 1947, won a record 11 consecutive tournaments. He says he has seen enough of Woods to know that he is watching greatness.

“There’s so much rough around the greens and bunkers now, and Tiger, he’s fantastic the way he plays from there,” Nelson said. “He plays better out of that stuff than anyone I’ve ever seen.

“He’s the best player in the world. No one can deny that. I don’t see anything that can take that from him. Now is he as good as Nicklaus was? They’re just two totally different players.

“Nicklaus was just a supreme striker of the ball. Tiger can do all that and more. He plays a different type of game than I ever played or ever saw in my career. I don’t think anyone has ever hit it as consistently far as he does. I just don’t see any weakness in his game. He reads the greens better than anyone I’ve ever seen. He misses putts, everybody does, but he very seldom misses his line.”

No one hit it farther than Woods at the U.S. Open, either. Woods averaged 299.3 yards on his drives on the holes that were used to gauge distance. He also led the field in greens in regulation, which is what can happen when you hit the ball as far as Woods, who then usually uses nothing more than a nine-iron or a pitching wedge to the green.

And when he was on the putting surface, Woods made 21 birdies--more than any other player. He closed out his record victory Sunday with a round of 67 that did not have a bogey. In fact, he didn’t make a bogey over his final 26 holes.

Woods said he spent 2 1/2 hours on Wednesday afternoon working on his putting, moving his hands higher on the grip.

It is that kind of work ethic that vaults Woods into a preeminent position, Nelson said.

“He is still getting better and that shows great determination,” he said. “His toughest job--and one he handles really well--is that a lot of young people would not work to play better. They’d be satisfied. But he’s the best player in the world, and he doesn’t act like it. A lot of people don’t want to work, don’t have that inner drive. He wants to work. He really has a charge going.”

Nelson said Woods’ swing is under control in spite of his distance off the tee.

And, as Snead said, “He can drive it better, longer and do it more often than anyone.”

But is that going to make him the best ever?

Nelson said it is possible, but it’s going to take a long time to prove it.

“What does he need, 19 majors in all?” said Nelson, referring to Nicklaus’ mark of 18 major titles.

“Well, he can do it, but it’s only how long he wants to continue. He’s going to play a lot of majors, and he’s going to win a lot of majors. He might be the best ever. He might win two or three a year for the next 10 years. He has the ability to do that. If he does, then we’ll know for sure.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Fore! Er, Three!

Only golfers to win U.S. Open, Masters and PGA:

* Gene Sarazen (1922, 1932 Opens; 1935 Masters; 1922, 1923, 1933 PGAs)

* Byron Nelson (1939 Open; 1937, 1942 Masters; 1940, 1945 PGAs)

* Ben Hogan (1948, 1950, 1951, 1953 Opens; 1951, 1953 Masters; 1946, 1948 PGAs)

* Gary Player (1965 Open; 1961, 1974, 1978 Masters; 1962, 1972 PGAs)

* Jack Nicklaus (1962, 1967, 1972, 1980 Opens; 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986 Masters; 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980 PGAs)

* Raymond Floyd (1986 Open; 1976 Masters; 1969, 1982 PGAs)

* Tiger Woods (1997 Masters; 1999 PGA; 2000 Open)