The Numbers Don't Lie
Comparative Career Analyses of Jack Nicklaus & Tiger Woods
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Venue Versatility “(Jack’s) major contributions to golf have been in the field of reconnaissance and preparation, course analysis, and tactical planning. To a fair degree, his phenomenal successes have represented a triumph of strength and talent over technique. Many of his famous victories were won when he was off his game.” – Peter Dobereiner Golf Digest Special Edition Lessons from Golf’s Greatest Swings – Spring/Summer 1996 “One thing that makes Tiger Tiger is that he's more willing to bring a shot from the practice tee onto the course than any golfer I know.” – Butch Harmon When reviewing the careers of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, it is necessary to examine how they performed on various tournament sites. Such a study should solidify similarities in their games and versatility as players. Since this is an examination of the two best players in professional golf encompassing two different eras, the impact technology has had on the game should also be realized. Total PGA Victory Distribution Woods leads Nicklaus in the total number of PGA victories at 82 wins compared to 73. What is not typically detailed is the distribution of their respective win totals. The below table provides a high-level summary. Jack Nicklaus & Tiger Woods PGA Victory Distribution Summary Nicklaus Woods Variance Total Number of Victories 73 82 (9) Total Major Championship Victories 18 15 3 Total Full-field Non-major Victories 46 41 5 Total Limited-field Victories 9 26 (17) Total Major Championships & Full-field Victories 64 56 8 Total Different Victories 35 27 8 Total Different Victory Sites 48 39 9 While Nicklaus has nine fewer wins than Woods, his distribution shows greater versatility. Not only did Nicklaus win three more major championships, he won more full-field, non-major events (46 vs. 41). That combination of 64 wins comprises 87.67% of his 73 PGA victories. Nicklaus’ 73 victories were achieved on 48 different courses where the number of different wins was 35. For Woods’ 82 wins, his combined major championship and full-field total of 56 is 68.29%. Woods’ victories were achieved on 39 different courses where the number of different wins was 27. Each number is lower than Nicklaus’, and as a percentage of the overall. The full detail of the summary above would be too voluminous to effectively list. Thus, I have included only the top five events won by each player from most repeat victories to least. Jack Nicklaus’ Top PGA Victory Distribution Detail Tournament Name Tournament Type Victories Number of Venues Percentage of Total Victories Masters Major Championship 6 1 8.22% PGA Championship Major Championship 5 5 6.85% Tournament of Champions Limited-field 5 2 6.85% Sahara Invitational Full-field 4 1 5.48% U.S. Open Major Championship 4 3 5.48% Nicklaus’ most dominant performance was during the Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club with six victories. Although he did win five PGA Championships and five Tournament of Champions titles, they were spread across seven sites. Of Nicklaus’ 73 victories, 24 (32.88%) reside in the above chart. Nicklaus also won four times at the Paradise Valley Country Club and at Pebble Beach Golf Links, but these are considerably less than what Woods accomplished for this particular measurement. Tiger Woods’ Top PGA Victory Distribution Detail Tournament Name Tournament Type Victories Number of Venues Percentage of Total Victories Arnold Palmer Invitational Full-field 8 1 9.76% WGC Bridgestone Invitational Limited-field 8 1 9.76% Farmers Insurance Open Full-field 7 1 8.54% WGC Cadillac Championship Limited-field 7 6 8.54% Masters Major Championship 5 1 6.09% Memorial Tournament Full-field 5 1 6.09% With eight victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, Woods has done something unprecedented in professional golf. Formerly, Sam Snead held the record alone for most wins in a single tournament with eight at the Greater Greensboro Open, yet Woods has equaled that for two events. Of Woods’ 82 PGA victories, 40 (48.78%) occurred in the above six tournaments on 11 different courses. In addition, he won seven Farmers Insurance Open titles. When including the 2008 U.S. Open, Woods won eight times at the Torrey Pines Golf Course. Another review of the two graphics confirms Nicklaus’ ongoing presence in major championships with three of the top five events being the Masters, PGA, and U.S. Open. For Woods, he has proven a greater level of superiority with a total differential of 16 wins in six events vs. five for Nicklaus, yet they are comprised of less-prestigious titles.
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About the Book
Throughout much of the highly-successful golfing career of Jack Nicklaus, many players arrived being touted, "the next Nicklaus." However, only one player has taken that mantle head-on to move forward the standard set by Nicklaus - Tiger Woods. Woods' explosive start in competitive golf at an early age propelled him further and faster in many areas over Nicklaus beginning with his junior amateur days. But has Woods succeeded in de-throning Nicklaus? As both players have repeatedly stated that the standard of greatness in golf revolves largely around performance in the major championships, that will be the focus of this book, but not exclusively. While comparing eras is typically regarded as impossible, the purpose of this book is to quantify and place into perspective these two players' records in such a way as to add debate to the subject of who the greatest player thus far has been.
About the Author
Since first playing a round of golf in the summer of 1981, the game has been a fixture in Wade's life. Whether as a player, spectator, or amateur historian, he has followed its history and progression closely over the years. Upon reading numerous articles, blogs, and discussion boards pertaining to the debate between Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as golf's greatest player, Wade began compiling data on both - in singular and comparative descriptions. What first began as a handful of spreadsheets grew into multiple documents followed by supplemental commentary to enrich the debate and add perspective. This book is the formalized result of those efforts. Wade lives with his wife Jolene in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.