18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus shared his opinion earlier today on Golf Chanel, as he sat down with Morning Drive hosts Gary Williams and Matt Ginella from Trump National Doral in Miami, Fla., ahead of next month’s WGC-Cadillac Championship. During the interview, Nicklaus discussed the recent challenges facing Tiger Woods’ golf game.
Notable quotes from Nicklaus’ interview are included below:
On Tiger Woods’ recent struggles
Jack Nicklaus – “Tiger is struggling, I don’t think there’s any question about that… I think he’s struggling more between his ears than he is any place else. He’s struggled with the driver most of his life really, but he’s always been able to find the golf ball and get it somewhere back around the green… And now he’s having trouble with the short game. That is not a good combination, to drive it poorly and have a bad short game.”
“You go through things, and you have to have a positive thing happen to you to turn it around… I think Tiger will turn it around. He’s too dedicated, he works too hard at it, he’s got too much talent. He’ll figure it out. And personally, I think he needs to figure it out himself. Because a teacher can’t teach what’s inside your head. You’ve got to be able to put that positive thought into your head yourself.”
On whether he thinks Woods will still eclipse his 18 major championships
Jack Nicklaus – “I still do. Why would I not think that?… He’s got a lot of golf in front of him. But it’s going to be up to him, he’s still got to do it. He may, he may not. Obviously chances are harder for him now than five years ago, but I still think he has time on his side.”
Jack Nicklaus won 18 professional majors, an iconic total that has become the most significant record in golf, and one of the most significant in all of sports. Tiger Woods has won a staggering 14 majors, but his quest to pass Nicklaus has stalled. Here’s how their records compare.
| JACK NICKLAUS: 18 MAJORS | TIGER WOODS: 14 MAJORS |
| 1. 1962 U.S. Open (Age: 22) | 1. 1997 Masters (Age: 21) |
| 2. 1963 Masters (Age: 23) | 2. 1999 PGA (Age: 23) |
| 3. 1963 PGA (Age: 23) | 3. 2000 U.S. Open (Age: 24) |
| 4. 1965 Masters (Age: 25) | 4. 2000 British Open(Age: 24) |
| 5. 1966 Masters (Age: 26) | 5. 2000 PGA Championship (Age: 24) |
| 6. 1966 British Open(Age: 26) | 6. 2001 Masters (Age: 25) |
| 7. 1967 U.S. Open (Age: 27) | 7. 2002 Masters (Age: 26) |
| 8. 1970 British Open(Age: 30) | 8. 2002 U.S. Open (Age: 26) |
| 9. 1971 PGA Championship (Age: 31) | 9. 2005 Masters (Age: 29) |
| 10. 1972 Masters (Age: 32) | 10. 2005 British Open(Age: 29) |
| 11. 1972 U.S. Open (Age: 32) | 11. 2006 British Open(Age: 30) |
| 12. 1973 PGA Championship (Age: 33) | 12. 2006 PGA Championship (Age: 30) |
| 13. 1975 Masters (Age:35 ) | 13. 2007 PGA Championship (Age: 31) |
| 14. 1975 PGA Championship (Age: 35) | 14. 2008 U.S. Open (Age: 32) |
| 15. 1978 British Open(Age: 38) | |
| 16. 1980 U.S. Open (Age: 40) | |
| 17. 1980 PGA Championship (Age: 40) | |
| 18. 1986 Masters (Age: 46) |
