Let's Play What If...

Now that Tiger is at 13 major titles, there's a bevy of articles out that are talking about what if scenarios.

First up is Ron Sirak, who has it nailed down that Tiger will take #19 at the Old Course in the 2010 Open Championship. He predicts that Tiger would/will have to win six of the next eleven majors to set up this possibility. At first, it seems like this is just another Tigerlove column, but it actually does make sense. Consider the venues between now and the 2010 Open:

• The Masters - Augusta National, Augusta National, Augusta National - We all know Tiger's track record there
  
• US Open - Torrey Pines, Bethpage Black, Pebble Beach - Tiger owns the Buick Invitational played at Torrey Pines. Tiger won the 2002 Open at Bethpage (his first par 70 major win), and obliterated almost every US Open record at Pebble in 2000.
  
• British Open - Royal Birkdale, Turnberry - Been a while since Woods has seen Birkdale (1998), but he did finish top five there.
  
• PGA Championship - Oakland Hills, Hazeltine - The US got murdered in the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills, but Woods did finish top 3 at the last PGA (2002) at the Minnesota course.

It's really not that far fetched. He could easily win the next three Masters and US Opens give his track record on those courses alone. So, why not? Fun to think about at least.

Next, Patrick Reusse doesn't try to play what if with the future, but instead tries to do it with the past. His article talks with a few relatively obscure teachers and observers to explore the question of how many majors Tiger would now have were it not for Hank Haney's involvement.

BBC radio golf analyst Jay Townsend is quoted as saying, ""Everyone other than Tiger who has won a major in the past four years should be grateful for the way Haney has him swinging the club. There has never been a golfer in history with more than a fraction of the talent that this man has. He's going to win his 13th major today (Sunday), and to me, he already should have as many as Nicklaus."

Woods and Haney formed their relationship in the midst of the 2004 season - officially sometime after the Masters. Consider Tiger's major performances since then:

• 2004 US Open - Shinnecock Hills - T17
• 2004 Open Championship - Royal Troon - T9
• 2004 PGA Championship - Whistling Straits - T24
• 2005 Masters - Augusta Nat'l - WIN
• 2005 US Open - Pinehurst #2 - 2
• 2005 Open Championship - St Andrew's - WIN
• 2005 PGA Championship - Baltusrol - T4
• 2006 Masters - Augusta Nat'l - T3
• 2006 US Open - Winged Foot - Cut (throw this one out for obvious reasons)
• 2006 Open Championship - Royal Aberdeen - WIN
• 2006 PGA Championship - Medinah #3 - WIN
• 2007 Masters - Augusta Nat'l - T2
• 2007 US Open - Oakmont - T2
• 2007 Open Championship - Carnoustie - T12
• 2007 PGA Championship - Southern Hills - WIN

Throwing out the '06 US Open, Tiger has competed in 14 majors. Of those 14, Woods has won 5. He has three runner-ups and three other top 10s. That means - according to Townsend - Woods should have another 5 of the remaining nine. Thus, he is saying we should give the first two majors of 2007 and the Open at Pinehurst to Woods if he were without Haney. Considering the respective champions of those events were all first time (and still one time) major winners, I can give Townsend that. We need two more wins in there, though, to get Woods to 18. I can't give him either of Lefty's other major wins because that was when he was almost invincible. There are no others which were glaringly his that he did not take. Let's put him at 16 then.

So, while Townsend's estimation is perhaps a little off, it is amazing to consider that Woods was an aggregate four strokes away from having 16 major titles.