Jack vs. Tiger: Who's the Greatest Golfer?

[iacas]

6 hours ago, lastings said:

Off topic, but under no circumstance or reasonable argument could anyone suggest that Mario Lemiux is better than Wayne Gretzky.  That’s just silliness.  

Yes, they could. And it’s been done.

But that was just an example. Let’s stick to the topic.

[Vinsk]

Tiger Woods Stat:

Total career to date he’s finished top 5....

45% of the time. That’s insane.

[boogielicious]

4 hours ago, Vinsk said:

Tiger Woods Stat:

Total career to date he’s finished top 5....

45% of the time. That’s insane.

He’s won a quarter of the tournaments he’s entered. That is even more impressive. 

[Costa389]

Tiger Tiger Tiger, i bet it!

[ChetlovesMer]

11 hours ago, boogielicious said:

He’s won a quarter of the tournaments he’s entered. That is even more impressive. 

I remember reading someplace that over a particular 2 year stretch Tiger won 40% of the tournaments he entered. That's re-gosh-darn-diculous! 

Having written that, there are those who would say that Tiger's dominance over which ever particular stretch you want to choose is more about a weak field than about a dominant Tiger Woods. I don't particularly subscribe to that theory, but it is a theory. 

50 minutes ago, Costa389 said:

Tiger Tiger Tiger, i bet it!

Is sports betting legal in Canada?

[iacas]

It’s a theory with no basis in reality.

[Vinsk]

2 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

I don't particularly subscribe to that theory, but it is a theory. 

It’s a weak hypothesis at best. Certainly not a theory.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Their record in major championships is part of the discussion, though not all of it. Woods has played in 86 major championships (through the 2020 U.S. Open). Here is his record compared to Nicklaus’s first 86:

Jack (age 41):
1st - 17
2nd - 17
3rd - 9
4-10 - 20

Tiger (age 44):
1st - 15
2nd - 7
3rd - 4
4-10 - 15

[saevel25]

42 minutes ago, The Recreational Golfer said:

Their record in major championships is part of the discussion, though not all of it. Woods has played in 86 major championships (through the 2020 U.S. Open). Here is his record compared to Nicklaus’s first 86:

Jack (age 41):
1st - 17
2nd - 17
3rd - 9
4-10 - 20

Tiger (age 44):
1st - 15
2nd - 7
3rd - 4
4-10 - 15

Quality of competition matters

[StuM]

I do not think that question can be answered.  Both are great talents but records cannot be compared since you would also need to take into account the competitors at the events.  

just think, if Tiger were his younger self today against the current tour players he may not win as many, or he could win more tournaments, it is hard to say.

i think we just need to accept that both were the best at their time and appreciate that.

Edited September 20, 2020 by StuM
Correct typo

[iacas]

52 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Quality of competition matters

Indeed.

48 minutes ago, StuM said:

i think we just need to accept that both were the best at their time and appreciate that.

We do not. I do not accept that. Tiger > Jack.

[Vinsk]

3 hours ago, StuM said:

 

I do not think that question can be answered.  Both are great talents but records cannot be compared since you would also need to take into account the competitors at the events.  

 

That’s exactly what’s been taken into account. Tiger won against substantially more difficult fields. Hell in the 1967? PGA CHAMPIONSHIP that Jack didn’t win granted, the field actually had more local pros than PGA TOUR pros. 

[boogielicious]

7 hours ago, Vinsk said:

That’s exactly what’s been taken into account. Tiger won against substantially more difficult fields. Hell in the 1967? PGA CHAMPIONSHIP that Jack didn’t win granted, the field actually had more local pros than PGA TOUR pros. 

And Jack complained about the field being so weak.

[Vinsk]

10 hours ago, StuM said:

i think we just need to accept that both were the best at their time and appreciate that.

True. But Tiger is GOAT. Clearly.

[turtleback]

14 hours ago, StuM said:

I do not think that question can be answered.  Both are great talents but records cannot be compared since you would also need to take into account the competitors at the events.  

just think, if Tiger were his younger self today against the current tour players he may not win as many, or he could win more tournaments, it is hard to say.

i think we just need to accept that both were the best at their time and appreciate that.

 

Anyone who is making the point you are attempting to make but who ever considered Jack the GOAT really has a lot of 'splaining to do.

[Wally Fairway]

I love to see this thread bumped, mainly with retread discussions.
I think it will continue to be bumped, until it is replaced by the Tiger vs BDC (or Wolff, or Cole Hammer, or some kid who is turning 6 this year)
I mean Jack is 80, Tiger is 44, so if generational golfers come around every 40'ish years then maybe it is a kid; unless golf somehow slips to relative obscurity like boxing

[iacas]

6 minutes ago, Wally Fairway said:

BDC (or Wolff, or Cole Hammer

No, to all of those.

[StuM]

10 hours ago, turtleback said:

Anyone who is making the point you are attempting to make but who ever considered Jack the GOAT really has a lot of 'splaining to do.

I never said Jack was GOAT, just best of his time.

My view is comparing generations is too complex. Just think if Jack had the training resources of today, (high speed video, launch monitors, etc.) he may have accomplished even more, or maybe not.  That is the difficulty in trying to identify GOAT.

My point is both are great talents. Neither detracts from the other.