Nicklaus Backing Tiger to Come Good
Jack Nicklaus reckons that Tiger Woods will "probably" still break his long-standing major record.
Nicklaus accumulated 18 majors in his storied career, while Tiger has won 14 of them - though, crucially, he has not won one for nearly four years. Not since damaging relvelations about his personal life first became public knowledge in late 2009.
Still, Nicklaus is of the opinion that Woods still has it in him to surpass his record.
"I still think he probably will," Nicklaus said at a Tuesday news conference to promote this week's Honda Classic at PGA National, which lists the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation as its prime charity beneficiary.
Not that Nicklaus doesn't think Woods has his work cut out for him, however.
"He'll have to figure out he is a different person today than he was five years ago and he's got to learn to play," Nicklaus said. "I mean, I was a different person when I was 25 years old than I was when I was 35 years old, and I had to learn how to play because I didn't have the strength when I was 35 that I did when I was 25. I couldn't overpower the golf course. I had to play within it."
The arrival of so much young talent on the golfing scene, typified by current US Open champion Rory McIlroy, is also going to provide Woods with a tough challenge, Nicklaus added.
"They're probably no longer afraid of Tiger," he said.
"Will he win again? Sure, he'll win again. He's too good a player not to win again. But will he win and be as prolific as before? Probably not."
Nicklaus was pleased to hear that Woods entered the Honda Classic in part to benefit his foundation.
"I always thought you try to support where you live and I think that's what he's doing," Nicklaus said. "Of course I look at it in terms of what it'll mean to our charities and what it'll mean to our kids and so forth, but from a golfing standpoint, it's huge."
Source: Golf 365