Padraig Harrington: Tiger Woods Can Still Break Jack Nicklaus' Record Of 18 Professional Majors

EDISON, N.J. – Padraig Harrington still puts his money on Tiger Woods breaking Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 professional majors.

Harrington played the opening two rounds of the PGA Championship with Woods, who missed the cut. Even so, the Irishman saw him hit enough good shots to realize his game will not be gone forever.

“I still believe when he turns up and plays well in a given week, I think he’s well capable of winning any major he plays in,” Harrington said Tuesday. “He still has a good ball flight. He still hits it well. Once he puts it together in a given week, he can win and will going forward. . . . OK, it wasn’t his week that week. But when it is his week, he will win again.”

Harrington said the difference now is that if something can go wrong with Woods on the course, it will. Woods was atop the leaderboard through five holes of the opening round at Atlanta Athletic Club, and one tee shot into the water changed everything. He opened with a 77 and finished outside the top 100 in a major for the first time.

“This is what I would have seen at the PGA,” Harrington said. “Certain he played better, much better than his score. Whereas when he was on top of his game, he always scored really well. It was very rare that you would ever see Tiger Woods walking off a golf course where he had not got the most out of his round, where he certainly didn’t at the PGA. He got the minimum out of his rounds.”

Harrington said Woods appeared frustrated with the technical part of his game, which did not surprise him. Harrington knows better than most, because he always is tinkering with his swing.

“When you’re kind of happy with your game, you tend to get the most out of it,” he said. “You feel like you shot 70 and you end up shooting 68. And when you’re not happy with your game, you feel like you shot 70 and you end up shooting 72. I experience that myself a lot. That’s kind of what I see in Tiger’s game.”

By Doug Ferguson, Associated Press, via Golfweek.com.

Visit Golfweek.com for more terrific golf coverage.

Comments

[Oregonian76]

02:22 PM on 08/25/2011

Tiger has already won 14 majors. He's 35 years old. He needs to get his mind right, of course. But there's no reason to think he can't still win at least 20 majors in his career.

Master's - former champions have lifetime invitations. So he can play in the Master's every single year that he wants. Assuming he even plays until he's 50, that's 15 more times he can try.

US Open - obviously he'd have to qualify if he didn't gain an invite through a prior recent win, but he's likely to play in this one at least 10 more times before he's 50.

British Open - same as US open. So again call it at least 10 more tries before he's 50.

PGA - a little more restrictive in its invites, but again, no reason to think he can't play 10 more times in the next 15 years.

So before Tiger turns 50, we can guess that he'll play 45 times among the 4 majors. Can he win 4 times to tie the record? Can he win 6 times to get to 20 total? There might be safer bets out there, but I'd give it 1:1 odds that it happens.

My prediction: Tiger finishes his Tour career some time during his 50's and makes it to 25 major titles.

[tqcobb]

02:00 PM on 08/25/2011

He's gonna have to really rediscover/redefine his game...good thing he's still a young man

[zaglossus]

01:37 PM on 08/25/2011

Yeh, and I can break the bank in Vegas at the craps tables.

[Raffles Holmes]

01:16 PM on 08/25/2011

Of course, Harrington is going to say that. As of now, I don't see Tiger winning again until he mentally gets his game together. I cannot believe that he doesn't have a 'go-to' swing on the golf course when he starts spraying it. To play at that level and not be able to 3-quarters it around boggles my mind. But, he still has a good number of years to do it, if his body holds up. That's a big if considering how hard he swings at every shot.

[frank day]

11:49 AM on 08/25/2011

I agree.

It will come. Don't know when, but it is inevitable.

Everything will come together and it will become easy again.

Good Luck Tiger.

[Gigity]

11:41 AM on 08/25/2011

So could I, but I won't. Tiger's more concerned with the daily specials at his local Waffle House.

[Winthorpe]

11:36 AM on 08/25/2011

You can't bet that he "can" break the record. You can bet that he will or that he will not.

[factsaboutchina]

11:35 AM on 08/25/2011

Take a year off. For the love of all the porn stars and coke hookers, Take a year off.

Gather your thoughts, rest the leg.

Comeback, everyone loves a comeback. But only when you're truly ready.

[zaglossus]

01:40 PM on 08/25/2011

He's already had plenty of time off. And as the PGA Championship proved, it didn't help. Just like being a concert pianist you've got to practice, practice, practice or, in Tiger's case, compete, compete, compete. Becoming a Zen monk for a year may bring you peace and wisdom but it isn't going to improve your putt.

[Skiwee]

11:00 AM on 08/25/2011

Tiger needs to get his mental game back.....then he'll be in business!

[oftenon]

09:40 AM on 08/25/2011

Tiger has to change his swing thoughts from "I'mborntoplaythisgameohJesusI'mhornyagain" back to "Just Do It"

[wolfdancer]

09:37 AM on 08/25/2011

You got to remember that Tiger won his last major playing on a broken leg. Who was the last guys on the wimpy PGA to do that? That injury plus getting knocked in the head with a golf club set him back, but that doesn't mean he can't come back. His greatest asset as a golf is his mind. He willed himself to win his last major over a major injury.

And, no I don't think he is juiced. That is the dumbest thing I ever heard. Most guys in professional sports that aren't bashers on the baseball or football field take steroids to escalate the healing process after an injury. Roger Clemems wasn't taking steroids to get bigger muscles. He was taking steroids to recover quicker from minor and major injuries and to extend his playing career. Barry Bonds took steroids to build bigger muscles. Clearly, Tiger hasn't gotten bigger nor is he recovering very quickly. He is not juiced.

[Hard Truth]

08:41 AM on 08/25/2011

His body is breaking down from the juice injections.

[VivaldiPickpocket]

07:22 PM on 08/25/2011

Ridiculous.

You're right -- the truth IS hard for you.

[beverlyamy1]

08:29 AM on 08/25/2011

and ill bet he dont!

[319]

10:07 AM on 08/25/2011

Miami Heat?... going down again.

[beverlyamy1]

10:53 AM on 08/25/2011

wanna bet? dont hate on miami cause your boy tiger sucks

[homeroid2]

07:01 AM on 08/25/2011

Harrington should ask Tiger,"how's the family" before every match and then place your bets.

[Biffmeister]

01:44 AM on 08/25/2011

The Golden Bear still rules! The 18/19 combo record won't be touched.
But I wish Mr. Woods well.