Tiger Woods’ recent decline in performance has raised concerns about his competitive longevity.

Jack Nicklaus still believes in Tiger Woods’ future in the majors

Tiger Woods’ recent decline in performance has raised concerns about his competitive longevity.

June 7, 2009. Dublin, Ohio, USA. Jack Nicklaus congratulates Tiger Woods after the final round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Required Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

He shot a 10-over 82 in the third round of the 2024 Masters, finishing at the bottom of the leaderboard. This has fueled speculation that his time in the majors may be coming to an end. But Jack Nicklaus doesn’t agree with them. The 18-time major champion is confident the golf legend can turn things around within the next few days. Nicklaus recently attended a fundraiser called the “Legends Luncheon” in Ohio. In a press conference, the legendary golfer said he felt Woods had physical issues that were affecting his game. But the 84-year-old was confident the golf ace could get through this stage. Quoted by Golf Digest, Nicklaus said:

“Tiger has a chance to keep playing. Obviously he’s not playing as well as he used to, but I think a lot of that has to do with his physical issues. I think you have doubts about this. But I’ve seen him hit the ball a little bit recently, I’ve seen him play, and he hits the ball pretty well. He just tries to keep his body grounded while he plays, especially when he has to walk. ”

The PGA Championship is coming up and Woods has already committed to taking part, leaving his fans wondering if he can recreate his Valhalla moment from the 2000s. Jack Nicklaus, who watched Tiger Woods eclipse him at the 2000 PGA Championship, said the 15-time major champion could be competitive if Woods could complete 72 holes. Golden Bear said if the latter can improve his competitiveness in the third round, it could help him win the long-awaited 16th major. “He’s been doing that at Augusta, so he’ll be competitive for at least two rounds. And will he be competitive in the third … If he’s competitive in the third, he’ll be competitive in the third round. will definitely be competitive even in fourth place. This is a kind of progress in your work.

As Nicklaus noted, Woods had a great first two rounds in tough conditions at Augusta National, shooting a 73 and a 72 in the first two rounds to finish the tournament with an above-normal 16. Jack Nicklaus looks back on why he “passed the baton” to Tiger Woods

The Golden Bear last finished in the top 10 at a major tournament back in 1998 at the Masters, but it wasn’t until 2005 that he competed in golf’s most prestigious tournament. But when he saw Woods shine at the 2000 PGA Championship, he knew his time was up.

After consecutive missed spots in 1996 and 1997, Nicklaus did not play in the PGA Championship for the next two years. However, in the 106th edition, the “Golden Bear” participated in the tournament for the last time in his career. He watched Woods shoot at Valhalla and realized his playing time was up. “After those two laps, I said, “Hey, I have to pass the baton to you.” I realized I couldn’t compete in this field anymore. I realized before that, really, boom, right in front of me… spending 36 holes with him and seeing how well he played and how he was in control of everything that was going on. I did.

Nicklaus himself struggled in the latter half of his career. The 84-year-old can play up to three rounds, but there was a time when the 18-time major champion played just 18 holes. He felt that Tiger Woods could extend his career in the coming days if he strengthened his physical condition. It remains to be seen whether the not-so-good Woods can become the legendary Valhalla 18-time major champion this month.