‘I’m shaking in my boots’, Nicklaus jokes after Tiger’s Masters win
Jack Nicklaus wasn’t surprised that Tiger Woods won the Masters on Sunday, while joking that his major record of 18 wins was in serious danger.
Woods ended an 11-year wait for his 15th major title at Augusta National on Sunday, re-igniting his quest to surpass Nicklaus on the all-time list of major winners.
https://twitter.com/jacknicklaus/status/1117494664456699905
Nicklaus’ record seemed safe as houses as little as two years ago when Woods could barely walk and was ranked outside the top 1000, but what a difference 24 months can make.
Still three years younger than Nicklaus when he won his final major, Woods must now be seen as a legitimate contender for the record, and Nicklaus doesn’t seem all that surprised that the winds have changed.
“You just watch it all day long and you say, ‘This is a man who is possessed. He’s possessed to win a golf tournament,'” Nicklaus said on Live from the Masters. “He’s absolutely under total control and he’s going to get it done. And he did.
“I mean there wasn’t any question in mind, after seeing [Francesco] Molinari hit the ball in the water at 12, and Tiger put it on the green. I said ‘tournament’s over.’ It doesn’t make any difference what anyone else is going to do. Somebody is going to make enough mistakes, and Tiger won’t make any, and he didn’t.”
Many have drawn parallels between Nicklaus’ Masters victory in 86, which came after a six-year gap where he didn’t add to his major tally, and Woods’ win on Sunday, but Nicklaus subtly but firmly brushed those parallels aside by suggesting that his victory was even more out of left field than Woods’.
“The difference is that this year Tiger was coming back and he expected to be in contention. I didn’t really expect in ’86 to be in position to win,” he said.
“I got myself in position, and when I did, I remembered how to play. Tiger looked like he got himself in position and he knew how to play.”
Latest
-
Equipment
Miura targets wider market with hollow-bodied IC-602 irons
Miura are out to build on their existing market with new clubs that cast a slightly wider net in terms of player quality.
-
Videos
WATCH: Young woman steps up confidently to drive – and loses club behind her
Golf’s influencer girls can make it look easy.
-
Equipment
Pros give their verdict on Callaway Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X balls
Callaway staffers have now had a good period of time to get used to their new ball offerings, the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X.
-
Videos
WATCH: 7 times the pros horribly fluffed their shots like the rest of us
Just when you think you have it all figured out.
-
Equipment
Collin Morikawa switches his putter again – and marvels at ‘incredible’ results
Collin Morikawa isn’t a professional who changes clubs lightly but he also isn’t averse to moving with the times.
-
Videos
WATCH: Kid pulls off unbelievable flop shot over his dad’s head
The flop shot is all about getting up and down with precision and this kid has it all.
-
Equipment
The clubs that helped Peter Malnati end his title drought at the Valspar Championship
Titleist staffer Peter Malnati ended his long wait for another championship at Innisbrookâs Copperhead Course.
-
Videos
WATCH: Amateur golfer takes hacking to a new level – leaving crowd in fits of laughter
Hackers are going to hack.