Was Tiger Woods' 2019 Masters Win a Sign of Things to Come, or Just a Fluke?

Andrew – Anything is possible, but if I had to bet, I would call it a one-off. Not many Majors are won by people in their 40’s. It does happen, but just not often. Also, Tiger has just come off another surgery, and that cannot help his cause. I don’t wish him bad things – it is simply that times wait for no man. – sm

The 2019 Masters win proves that Woods can still do it. However, the rest of the year demonstrated that he is not likely to return to the same high level of consistency. He does not appear to have the physical reserves necessary, especially after surgeries that doctors thought would end his career. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has other great efforts in him. I would be surprised if he can put a string of them together. But that’s just my opinion.

One-Off or Occasional?

While some may argue that Tiger is one of the 5-10 best players in the present, with a lot of parity in skill nowadays, it’s not uncommon for someone to be part of the group of 15 who can contend for major championships. However, it is very rare for one individual to win more than one major in a single year.

You don’t win a major world championship in any sport as a "fluke." There is no way to win a major championship merely by luck. You must outplay the world’s top-ranked competitors over four days, and in golf, that means hitting the ball over 1,200 times in four consecutive days of each 5-hour session. During that event, you performed the best. Period. No question, no uncertainty, and certainly no accident. It was not a fluke; it was a display of his immense skill and resilience.

A Miracle Performance

I would not characterize Tiger's win as a fluke; more like a miracle. With four back surgeries, knee surgeries, and a front-page scandal and divorce, it is easy to contemplate that he is not the physical and mental specimen he was when he was racking up the most legitimate tour wins in history. However, his ambition to surpass Sam Snead as having the most wins – even though several of Sam's wins were not considered genuine – motivates him to keep playing.

He cannot seem to find his game in cool weather, and the penalty in the US Open for missing the fairway puts him at a disadvantage, especially with his inconsistent driver. That leaves the PGA and the Masters as his only shot at winning another major. With Augusta National “Tiger-Proofing” their course and the changing venues of the PGA course, it seems increasingly hard to imagine him winning another major. He will continue to dominate TV and other press when he plays but needs wide fairways in order to win again.