Not to take anything away from Vijay’s amazing season, let’s take a look at a few facts and compare Vijay’s 2004 to Tiger’s 2000:
- Tiger won three majors, Vijay one.
- Tiger won two of his majors (the US and British Opens) by record margins.
- Tiger closed in the PGA with a 67; Vijay with a 76.
- Tiger’s year-long scoring average was 67.79 – a full stroke below Vijay.
- Tiger averaged $459,000/event, Vijay is averaging $382,000.
- Tiger had a 2:1 money lead on #2; Vijay 1.8:1 (both times Phil Mickelson).
- Vijay’s last victory was his 24th, 16 shy of Tiger’s total. Vijay is 13 years older.
Of course, both Tiger and Vijay have nine-win seasons, something Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer never accomplished. When comparing Vijay’s season to any other 41-year-old’s in history, 2004 may be the best ever, but Tiger still holds the lead in our minds for the best season of all time.