JACK VS. TIGER

[chipingguru]

I dunno about the water but there was a lot of other good players then too, Watkins, Green, Miller, Weiskopf, etc.

Didn't it take a playoff to dispense with 59 year old Tom Watson at the British? I think all the young hotshots were playing in that one.

If he could do that at 59 you don't think he would have given em a good run in his prime?

Would Mickelson hold up to trevino or watson? he's Tiger's main rival right? Somehow I can't picture him beating Jack or Tom or lee down the stretch.

 

[ej20]

I don't think you will get any argument from anyone that the depth of competition is greater now.There is so much money in the game these days.It is just logic that the wins would be spread over a larger number of players.

Tigers A game would beat Jack's.Tiger's A long game would match Jack's but Jack's A short game would not be in the same galaxy as Tiger's.Did Jack win majors by 15 or 12 shots?

 

[natep]

I read that Jack would play conservatively, make few mistakes, and give the other guy a chance to choke.

 

[ej20]

It's a different game today anyway so it's really hard to compare.Players just bomb the driver up there and wedge it on the green out of the rough.Who needs to hit fairways particularly the long guys?Tiger misses a lot of fairways but he is always up there in GIRs.That tells me he is missing fairways at least on the correct side or he is just the luckiest guy in the world.

 

[b90jos]

I just wish I could see stats... in-depth stats. I guess we'll never know.

 

[Brian Manzella]

I just wish I could see stats... in-depth stats. I guess we'll never know.

The USGA and the PGA Tour did record stats in selected events over the years way before the current 1980 stats start. If you search for it hard enough, you'll find it.

Get to diggin!

 

[dbl]

Here are some stats beginning in 1980 for Nicklaus
PGATOUR.com - Jack Nicklaus Stats

1980
71.6% of fairways
72.1% GIR
sand save 31.4%
etc

 

[ej20]

You can get Jack's stats when he was about 40.The PGA started to keep stats around 1980.

He was averaging around 265 with the driver and plenty of guys longer than he was.Granted this is towards the end of his career but some people would have you thinking Jack was hitting it 350.

 

[dbl]

Trevino stats from 1980 onwards...as accurate as Jack.
http://www.pgatour.com/players/00/22/13/stats/1980.html

Tom Watson stats, from 1980 onwards
http://www.pgatour.com/players/00/22/56/stats/1980.html

Lanny Wadkins from 1980 onwards
http://www.pgatour.com/players/00/22/42/stats/1980.html

 

[natep]

Here's a link to a cool page with stats on Jack. No stats like GIR, etc., though.

Nicklaus Museum : Jack's Career

 

[b90jos]

Thanks for the stats.. doesn't seem too fond of the sand

 

[ej20]

Jack is the same age as Trevino.Those stats between 1980 and 1985 showed that Nicklaus was only around 10 yards longer than Lee and Trevino was never considered long.

 

[chipingguru]

Loks like in 1980 Jack was number one in GIR and Total Driving, at age 40. If memory serves me right he won the U.S. Open that year and the PGA by seven shots.

I dont know the answer, but has Tiger ever led the tour in total driving and GIR in a single season?

 

[ej20]

Loks like in 1980 Jack was number one in GIR and Total Driving, at age 40. If memory serves me right he won the U.S. Open that year and the PGA by seven shots.

I dont know the answer, but has Tiger ever led the tour in total driving and GIR in a single season?

Tiger did that in 2000.His scoring average was 67.79 which is the all time record and a full 2 shots a round better than Jack's best season.That means Tiger would have beaten Jack by an average 8 shots in a tournament given their best scoring seasons.

 

[ej20]

No one has ever broken 68 except Tiger.Greg Norman averaged 68.8 in 1993 and that was considered incredible.Byron Nelson did a 68.33 during the year he won 11 straight.I don't believe anybody else has gone under 69.

Tiger has the best A game period....no contest.

 

[natep]

I see that the 67.79 is adjusted scoring average.

His actual average was 68.17

What's the difference between these two stats?

 

[ej20]

I see that the 67.79 is adjusted scoring average.

His actual average was 68.17

What's the difference between these two stats?

It seems that adjusted scoring average only began around 1988.I always assumed this was the way they always calculated average scores.

Adjusted average is more accurate because it takes into consideration course difficulty and varying course conditions.Someone who plays the easiest par 72 courses will of course have a better actual average than someone who plays the hardest par 72 courses.

But Tiger's best actual scoring average of 68.17 is still the best of all time.Byron Nelson could only manage 68.34 during that incredible season when he won 11 straight tournaments.Jack's best ever is 69.81.

 

[wulsy]

Maybe Jack messed hs body up by "slimming" down. When you look at him when he first came on tour he looks really strong. Later in his career he looks pretty weak physically, to be honest, almost like a different person. Same thing with John Daly after his belly operation.

 

[ekennedy]

Seriously, though. Jack made a run at the Masters in 1998. He was almost 60 and could barely walk. And he beat a healthy, young Tiger Woods. That has got to be a product of an amazing mind and a golf swing that still works.

 

[aaron_lohan]

How does David Toms get into the top 3 fairway wood players and mid iron players? a great player but not in the league of Trevino, Watson, Nicklaus, Woods, Seve, Faldo, Irwin. For great fairway wood players why doesn't Lanny Wadkins feature or Colin Montgomerie?