Jack Nicklaus, often regarded as golf’s pinnacle major champion with 18 victories, expresses a steadfast belief that Tiger Woods, a fellow golfing great, will never eclipse his remarkable record. Nicklaus, an iconic figure in the sport, achieved unparalleled success with his 18 major wins during a distinguished playing career.
Despite initial expectations that Tiger Woods might surpass Nicklaus, given his extraordinary accomplishment of winning 14 majors in just 11 years (1997-2008), Nicklaus remains confident in the durability of his record. At the age of 31, Woods was only four major victories away from Nicklaus, leading many to anticipate that he would inevitably surpass the magical number of 18 majors. However, as time unfolded, Nicklaus continues to stand by his conviction that his record will remain unbroken.
However, the journey hasn’t unfolded as planned for the 82-time PGA Tour champion. After claiming the Masters championship in 2019, Woods faced an 11-year wait to secure his 15th major victory. The deceleration in Woods’ recent win rate is primarily attributed to his struggles with injuries, a factor that became even more pronounced in 2021.
In a career-threatening car crash in Los Angeles that year, Woods suffered severe injuries, limiting his PGA Tour appearances to just six times since then. Two withdrawals from events due to fitness issues further underscored the impact of his health challenges.
Jack Nicklaus contends that these setbacks played a pivotal role in hindering the 82-time Tour winner from surpassing his major record. Expressing empathy on the Golf Channel, Nicklaus remarked, “If he remained healthy, I think he would’ve gotten it, but he didn’t remain healthy… I feel bad for him.” Woods’ most recent setback occurred at the last year’s Masters, where an ankle injury forced him to withdraw after making the cut, leading to an eight-month hiatus before his comeback at December’s Hero World Challenge.
