Tiger Woods & the Majors: Which Venues Are Best
by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 9, 2010 7:47 PM EST
in Pro Golf
47 comments
Before Tiger's crash in November, the golf season was closing with a lot of excitement around 2010. In particular, fans and writers were excited for Phil Mickelson's surge in the fall and the docket of major venues that seemingly favored Tiger Woods. With the exception of Whistling Straits, the other majors were home to seven of Woods' 14 major wins.
Since Pebble Beach is host of this week's PGA Tour stop, the talk has focused on the US Open there in June. Woods' last appearance in major there resulted in a record 15 shot win in 2000. As Doug Ferguson writes this week, though, Woods' reputation at Pebble Beach is overstated. He makes a great case that Woods' victories at the regular PGA Tour stop at Pebble were more related to streakiness or one particularly great shot than Woods' presence at Pebble. It's a good case and one worth reading.
That said, it's worth taking a look at Tiger Woods' record at the major venues throughout his career. Tiger has four wins in 13 Masters appearances, but how has he fared at other sites where he has played more than once?
To see, check out our chart after the jump.
Tiger has won majors at nine different venues, four at which he has only played once. Of those nine venues, Woods won a major at eight of them on his first try. (Southern Hills was the outlier.) There are five venues that Woods has contested majors at more than once and is without a win there. Overall, Woods has played majors at 29 different venues, for a conquering percentage of 31%.
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This all provided he comes back
Before some of these are played? What’s your feeling Ryan as to when he’ll return? Do you think he’ll be back for the Masters? I was originally saying no way, but now I’m starting to think otherwise. Who knows though, it’s all a guessing game now and too much speculation
31%
St. Andrews…. Medinah……..Augusta……….Torrey Pines………..Pebble…………Bethpage…….I mean the guy has been so off the charts great, that looking at the chart, and realizing that his “conquering percentage” is 31% . Well it’s just crazy. This year he’s looking at three of his favorite tracks in the majors in Augusta, Pebble, and St. Andrews. IF he plays, these are definitely attractive sites for him.
"The game is swell when it's played well."
by Fairways and Grins on Feb 9, 2010 8:21 PM EST reply actions
Tiger at the British Open..
won 3 times without much wind…but when the wind blew, and he had to get the driver out…not really close. Favorate this year if it’s calm. If the wind blows, say a 4 club wind, I don’t think he will win.
Up to the age of 35, Jack's " conquering percentage" was simular to Tigers
in majors. Jacks record in his 30’s in particular is amazing in itself…40 majors, 8 wins,26 top 5’s, 35 top 10’s. It’s been done before Tiger, but Tiger wins more tour events than Jack did. If Tiger dosen’t play this year, they are level, 14 majors at 35. Tense times ahead…if Tiger grabs 2 in 1 year, the pressure is off…but if he goes majorless it will only increase.
When Dougie starts playing these ridiculous “what if” games, he loses my attention and respect. There is no “what if” – 10 years ago, the US Open was played at Pebble Beach – not Winged Foot, not Oakmont, not Southern Hills – PEBBLE BEACH. When you have to start playing make up games like this – you’re telling people that your point doesn’t have a whole lot of actual merit.
Woods won the US Open at Pebble Beach when he was devouring courses whole. Courses started at par 68 because it was assumed he would birdie all the par 5’s. He was young and fearless – there wasn’t a shot he didn’t absolutely believe he couldn’t make. Same goes for Augusta National and St Andrews, though he played very mature golf at St Andrews, missing all but one or two bunkers in four days.
His comeback win at the AT&T, as Dougie pointed out, came during a win streak. Again, it didn’t matter where they played, he wasn’t going to be beaten. Making up 7 shots in 7 holes just isn’t done – yet he did it.
Calling Pebble Beach his “personal playground” is, of course, journalistic romanticism. He played a number of AT&T’s and only won once, plus the US Open. Since his last AT&T, the greens have been changed, and as many point out, Pebble Beach for the US Open isn’t the same resort course they play for the AT&T.
What gets Woods’ juices flowing is that these three are the three courses most people think of first when they pick their dream courses. They are world famous and the stages for some of the greatest golf in history. The best of the best have won on these courses and their names are written in the history books – Jones…Nicklaus…and Woods.
Woods will play these majors this year and will put maximum effort into winning – and if he can pick off all three – Whistling Straights will receive that same effort. He can’t wait another 10 years to play Pebble and St Andrews along with Augusta in the same year. His sense of history demands it.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
And who knows if Pebble will become that “every decade” course for the USGA. I mean, it seems that way, but who knows. The R&A is definitely in for every 5 years at the Home of Golf.
Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroomryan, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.
by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 9, 2010 8:35 PM EST up reply actions
Pebble has been every 10 years since they started playing the US Open there. They moved it from the end of the decade to the beginning of the decade so it could be (incorrectly) used as the first Open of the new millenium. It’s going to stay an every 10 year spot.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
I’m inclined to agree, but I’m curious how Bethpage will fit into this. For as skeptical as I am about the course, I do think NYC is a place that the USGA just cannot leave for long.
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by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 9, 2010 10:47 PM EST up reply actions
Bethpage is on rocky ground at best. The behavior of the galleries was reprehensible, and that doesn’t fly with players, Tour officials, or the USGA. People were behaving like it was a Yankees / Red Sox game with all the foul language directed at players. There are plenty of great courses in the area – the USGA won’t put the players at risk just to say that they are playing a public golf course.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
See, the problem is that Baltusrol is a PGA course now. So, if the USGA wants to have a NYC base, they have Bethpage, Winged Foot, or…?
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by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 10, 2010 12:28 AM EST up reply actions
After the ’04 debacle?
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by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 10, 2010 12:21 PM EST up reply actions
That wasn’t the fault of the course – it’s a great track. The problem was the people doing the setup and lack of respect for the course. They almost killed those greens in an attempt to make them “US Open” greens.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
There was quite a bit of fighting between the club and the USGA about whose fault that really was. I mean, seems clear that it was the USGA to me.
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by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 10, 2010 2:33 PM EST up reply actions
of course it was – the host course has almost nothing to do with the course setup aside from labor. The USGA (and PGA Tour) sends their people out months in advance to design their setup and they tell the course what they are supposed to do. The club has very little say in the matter.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
story lines
The Fergusons and main stream media have already written the story lines long in advance of TW return. It’s simple, If tiger wins, they say, He’s Back and better than ever" If he doesn’t win they will say, " He’s got to many distractions and will never be the same" Not hard to figure out.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
I don’t think that’s the case. Many are very thoughtful in their analysis. But, it definitely does happen. I’ve seen it happen.
Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroomryan, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.
by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 9, 2010 9:11 PM EST up reply actions
Hmmm – interesting – you seem to be backing the Golf Writer brotherhood all of a sudden. ;-)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
lol.
"The game is swell when it's played well."
by Fairways and Grins on Feb 9, 2010 9:24 PM EST up reply actions
There are plenty of good golf writers. There are a decent number of not so great ones.
I think I have a greater appreciation for the people who create the content after the string of criticism I’ve seen come my way with increased readership.
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by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 9, 2010 10:49 PM EST up reply actions
except that you don’t hide behind the mantle of “journalist” (which, thankfully, you’re not) – if / when you write something we disagree with – you join in the discussion
hey WAIT a minute – are you saying that we old dogs here would have let you get away with this stuff ? :-P
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Nah, I think you guys have generally done a good job in keeping me honest.
I don’t think it’s ok to hide behind your profession for mistakes. That’d be like a doctor trying to dismiss a malpractice suit because they are a MD.
Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroomryan, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.
by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 10, 2010 12:32 AM EST up reply actions
I hope he waits until it warms up,.....
so I can play and not watch, because we won’t see anyone else but him.
The Saints ARE the SUPER BOWL CHAMPS....WHO DAT!
they will surely
be following his every move when he returns. I just hope it subsides fairly quickly. All depends on how he handles his return.
"The game is swell when it's played well."
by Fairways and Grins on Feb 9, 2010 9:13 PM EST up reply actions
Just because Doug Ferguson writes it
does not make it so. His contention is Tiger’s performance at Pebble is “a coincidence”. He looks back and writes about one poor performance, a T53 in 1999. Otherwise, in the other five times Tiger has played all four rounds at Pebble, his finishes are 1,1,2,12 and 13. Otherwise, he had WD and has not played there since 2002, counting this year, that is eight straight years.
Tiger does not play Pebble. He is afraid of getting paired with Harris Barton
I'll keep an eye out for you...at www.oneeyedgolfer.blogspot.com
by One-Eyed Golfer Guy on Feb 10, 2010 9:50 AM EST reply actions
Michael Bolton
I would like to Bob Barker him if I was a pro and he was my playing partner. I’m sure there’s a Michael Bolton Exception somewhere in the Rules of Etiquette. I’d step on his line, cough on his backswing, etc. just to see if I could get him to flip out on me. I think Michael Bolton tackling a PGA Tour pro and throwing some punches would-at the very least-alleviate some of the Tiger coverage.
How did Michael Bolton fet into this thread? Was he paired with Tiger in the pro-am?
For the record, I love Neil Sedaka and I have to admit Michael Bolton has a nice voice, although I can’t stand his hair.
Michael Bolton
is one of the three names I recognise among the amateurs – who is Bob Barker and what’s your beef with Bolton (for my education, pls?).
Apologies
The name “Michael Bolton” conjures up interminable hours standing in medical waiting rooms, grocery aisles, and cheaply-fragranced gift card shops in the ‘90s and being subjected to the plaintive wailing of Bolton as he warbled through songs like, “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You?” and “Can I Touch You There?” At least Kenny G could fade into the background, Bolton’s voice was so over-dramatic that it made my skin crawl.
Perhaps I too am being a bit over-dramatic. I recall having root-canal surgery while listening to the dentist’s Neil Sedaka CD, too, so there’s some Pavlovian aversion to his music as well.
LMAO !!!!
you’re not alone in those sentiments. listening to that endless string of arpeggios is just gawdawful boring.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
HAHAHAHAHA
@ cheaply fragranced gift card shops. First time I’ve heard that one. touche’
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
Understood, Cairo
My equivalent was "I will alllllwaaaaayyyyssssss love yoouuuuuu by Whitney Houston. Shoot on sight. Couple of Bolton songs I like however. If I had a couple of drinks less I could probably remember what they were.
If you had a couple of drinks less
you could probably remember who we were.
Barman - make that a double:o)
PS – Everyone thought “You’re Beautiful” was fantastic – until they heard it for the 1,000th time.
I shall now be rooting for Michael in the pro-am, so there.
Wendy,
they made a movie where Adam Sandler was the Pro, and Bob Barker was at the time, a game show host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT…they got into a big fight on the course, hence, the references….EM…it ain’t ever gonna warm up…started in the 20s this am and now in the 30s…and coming your way.. The only thing to warm our spirits (no, not liquid) is to hang on to the fact ol Jumpin and the pay off…YAAHOO…All good points, but I would add one more…COMFORT…I know that I have gone to a club never played before, but as soon as I was on the Tee box, I felt comfortable…Maybe that’s what Tiger senses…At the very least, if you watch close enough, you can see the subtle changes in his game as he adjusts to the course…make sense?…STUB
Thanks Stub
I did google Bob Barker and found game show host but obviously not the movie reference.
I still watch the repeats
even when I remember the punchlines! Of course, little Ronnie is a keen golfer, so I maintain I am “on topic”. Sort of.
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