The World Golf Hall of Fame is unique in that you can be inducted while still actively playing on your respected tour. Phil Mickelson was inducted a few years ago and won a major after the fact. Fred Couples and Bernhard Langer have victories on the PGA Tour Champions after their respective inductions as well. I’ve always been fond of these criteria as I find it extremely sad when someone doesn’t take their rightful place in history until after they’re deceased. Sure, it’s a memorable and honorable moment for their family and friends to pay tribute and commemorate their loved one with the fans, but I think we should always try our best and honor them while they’re still with us so they can enjoy it as much as we do.

Last week before the start of The Players Championship, a wonderful class was inducted into the 2022 class at St. Augustine. It was of course headlined by Tiger Woods. The video highlight package they put together was absolutely brilliant. Even though I have seen each moment a thousand times and can probably name the year, the tournament, and the course each took place…I still sat in awe with chills as if it just happened for the first time. My wife noted that a lot of the highlights look the same; red shirt, winning putt, fist pumping madness. And that’s why Tiger is the goat to me. We were treated to a lot of the same for more than a decade. We were spoiled rotten by his entertaining greatness and godly talent.

What may be even more impressive than his video replays of incredibly timely asinine feats is his list of records and accomplishments. To just simply read them on paper is jaw-dropping in itself. It’s amazing a human being did these things within the most difficult game in the world, and did them with all the pressure and expectations in the world on his shoulders.

82 PGA Tour wins – tied with Sam Snead

15 Major Championships – 2^nd all-time

20 career holes in one – 3 on the PGA Tour

7 consecutive PGA Tour wins (2006-2007)

6 consecutive PGA Tour wins (1999-2000)

9 PGA Tour wins in a single year (2000)

142 consecutive cuts made (1998-2005)

Most victories in a single PGA Tour event – 8 Arnold Palmer Invitational, 8 WGC Bridgestone Invitational, 7 Farmers Insurance Open, 7 WGC Cadillac Championship, 5 BMW Championship, 5 The Memorial

68.17 Lowest scoring average ever (2000)

32 wins from 1999 to 2003. No other player won more than 8 times in that span

Won 7 of 11 majors from 1999-2002. He was a cumulative 90 under par in those events, 60 shots better than the closest competitor.

10 major victories before his 30^th birthday

In 2000, he shot one round higher than a 73. It was a 75 in the first round of The Masters where the scoring average was 75.59.

9-time Vardon trophy winner (lowest season scoring average)

683 weeks ranked as world #1. Greg Norman is 2^nd at 331 weeks.

From 2002-2005 he had 1,540 putts from 3 feet and in. He only missed 3 of them.

16-1 in career playoffs. Only loss came to Billy Mayfair at the 1998 Nissan Open.

43 of 45 when holding a 54-hole lead

His 46 wins before the age of 30 would put him 8^th on the all-time list, one ahead of Walter Hagen.

Held all 4 majors at the same time – 2000 US Open, 2000 British Open, 2000 PGA Championship, 2001 Masters. This is known as the Tiger Slam.

40 career wins on the European PGA Tour, 3^rd most all-time. Tiger has never played a full season on the European Tour.

Tiger was 126 under par in majors from 1997-2008, 189 shots better than anyone among that time that played at least 40 rounds in majors.

Played, and won, the entire 2000 British Open without hitting into a bunker. There are 112 sand traps at St. Andrews.

Hit driver one time and led the field in fairways hit during his victory at the 2006 British Open.

Won 6 consecutive USGA titles (3 Junior Amateurs, 3 US Amateurs)

Better than most?

Enjoy the game and each other,

Seth Zipay – Head Golf Professional