Predict Tiger's 2019 Season

[iacas]

Well, there's that… and now that the final major is over (but there are still tournaments Tiger could win), let's get a start on looking at 2019.

Vote in the poll above.

[billchao]

I'm going with 2 wins, one of them being a major.

[Hardspoon]

Since you accounted for health, I would bet that he wins two events.  The way he is playing is too good not to win...he's putting himself at the top of the leaderboard consistently, and his A-game is up there with the best players in the game.

But...I'd predict no majors, only because if I had to predict the season for any single player (DJ, Spieth, etc.) I'd guess no majors!  I'm pretty sure that every year, there is no player for which the Vegas odds on "will he win a major" give a better than 50/50 chance.  There are just too many good players and there are only four majors.

Man, do I hope I'm wrong, though!

[HJJ003]

Three wins with one being major. I think he wins fairly early (maybe farmers) then wins at Augusta. Takes one more victory (maybe a WGC) sometime during the year. Ok maybe that’s more of what I hope happens then what I think will happen but oh well 😉

[GrandStranded]

I usually wouldn't put too much stock into one tournament, but what he did this week amazed me. I wasn't as impressed as a lot of you were with his year up to this point. He appeared healthy, and played well at times but nothing I thought would have stood out in peoples minds over the season if the name "Tiger Woods" wasn't attached. This week, and today especially, was as close as I remember him playing like the old Tiger since he was, well, the old Tiger. To put up a round like that, hitting only 4 fairways, and having one putt defy gravity was amazing. Some of his pars impressed me more then his birdies. He has the rest of this season, and his offseason, to figure out his driver, and if he does,then you'd have to give him a good a chance to win any event he enters. Long story short, I went with one win, but could easily see more if he fixes his driver. Majors I went zero, only because as someone said earlier, I wouldn't predict anyone to win one. Too many good players out there now.

[billchao]

26 minutes ago, GrandStranded said:

I wasn't as impressed as a lot of you were with his year up to this point. He appeared healthy, and played well at times but nothing I thought would have stood out in peoples minds over the season if the name "Tiger Woods" wasn't attached.

Yes and no. The media coverage is certainly magnified because he is Tiger, but at the same time, any PGA Tour pro in their 40s who was on the shelf for two years with debilitating back issues and suddenly came back to play like a top 25 golfer while being in contention for the last two majors is going to make headlines.

I'm not really sure there's even a good comparison out there. If Anthony Kim came back on tour next year and started making top 10 finishes in majors, it would be a big deal.

[GrandStranded]

5 minutes ago, billchao said:

Yes and no. The media coverage is certainly magnified because he is Tiger, but at the same time, any PGA Tour pro in their 40s who was on the shelf for two years with debilitating back issues and suddenly came back to play like a top 25 golfer while being in contention for the last two majors is going to make headlines.

I'm not really sure there's even a good comparison out there. If Anthony Kim came back on tour next year and started making top 10 finishes in majors, it would be a big deal.

I was referring there to his play before this week, where I believe he was just outside the top 50. (51, I think?) This week he was amazing. The last two days impressed me tremendously. As of now I definitely have him top 20.

Edited August 13, 2018 by GrandStranded

[billchao]

Just now, GrandStranded said:

I was referring there to his play before this week, where I believe he was just outside the top 50. (51, I think?) This week he was amazing. The last two days impressed me tremendously.

He was 50 because he qualified for Firestone. And he was only that low because of the minimum rounds divisor which means his play had to be well above 50 just to make rank 50.

[iacas]

4 minutes ago, GrandStranded said:

I was referring there to his play before this week, where I believe he was just outside the top 50. (51, I think?) This week he was amazing. The last two days impressed me tremendously. As of now I definitely have him top 20.

51st from 656, though, and still with the 40 event divisor.

[GrandStranded]

Just now, billchao said:

He was 50 because he qualified for Firestone. And he was only that low because of the minimum rounds divisor which means his play had to be well above 50 just to make rank 50.

Not try to pick nits here, but I thought he dropped to 51 after Firestone. No big deal though, as I said, I'm super impressed.

[iacas]

1 minute ago, GrandStranded said:

Not try to pick nits here, but I thought he dropped to 51 after Firestone. No big deal though, as I said, I'm super impressed.

He did.

Minimum divisor.

[Vinsk]

I voted 2-3 wins and 1 major. I had heard several analysts mention The Masters being his best bet. But after having the lead at The Open and runner up today at the PGA..hell he’s got a good chance at any of them. And Tiger at Pebble Beach? Good health continues....2019 should be pretty damn exciting.

[sofingaw]

4 Wins, 2 majors. Health staying where it’s at, (or dare I say, perhaps improving a bit?), plus the offseason to get his driver sorted, he’s gonna go off next year. 

[StefanUrkel]

I said Tiger would win more than Rahm the next 10 years, and I was laughed at. The only guy I would buy stock in over Tiger for the next 10 years beat him today. 

[saevel25]

I am going 2-3 wins, one of those being a major.

He's going to be playing at three courses he's won a major at - Bethpage, Augusta, and Pebble Beach. Major comfort level there for him on those courses.

[Wally Fairway]

6 hours ago, StefanUrkel said:

I said Tiger would win more than Rahm the next 10 years, and I was laughed at. The only guy I would buy stock in over Tiger for the next 10 years beat him today. 

FWIW - I'm still laughing, Rahm has 3 wins in the last year. Over the next 10 years I can probably name 10-15 players I'd take to have more wins than Tiger (especially since Tiger plays a limited schedule).
Starting with Koepka, DJ, JT, Molinari, Rahm ... heck I'd even pick Schauffele, Cantlay and maybe even Niemann (because youth will win out).

We can make a bet, I name 15 players and you get Tiger. Payout is $100 per player, whoever has the most wins in the next 10 years (Senior tour doesn't count, as Tiger would qualify by the end of the bet). We can make it 5 years if you'd like.

 

FWIW - I upped my guess from this year to 1 tour win and 0 majors.

Edited August 13, 2018 by Wally Fairway

[RussUK]

2-3 wins and one major. His game is pretty good at the mo, but there are so many young guns coming through the ranks these day's he's going to find it tough to win more than that. You never know though, stranger things have happened.

[DeadMan]

I think he gets 3 tournaments, including one major. Either the Masters or the US Open (which is at Pebble ... how cool would that be for Tiger to win there again?). Who knows about the British - that's always I wild card. I doubt he'll win at the PGA at Bethpage, but you never know.

For the tournaments, I'm thinking somewhere in Florida. Probably Bay Hill, but maybe Honda or Valspar. I wouldn't be surprised to see him win in Mexico City, either. That's a course where you can hit a ton of irons and contend, which is perfect for him. Then probably the Memorial just because that's his jam. That would set up him perfectly for Pebble. I'm really talking myself into that.