[James Brown]

Ok, I would love be to see Tiger 2000 versus Jack 1965.  Play 36 at Pebble and 36 at TOC.  I think Tiger would win, but it would be close.  Would come down to short game and Tiger is better. 

[John McCarthy]

You fools. 

Muirfield Villiage is the only place to have this.  Healthy Jack, Healthy Tiger.  Balata.  Persimmon.  6800 yards.  Modern greens for pace. 

Beat a man in his front yard...that is something.  Man beats you in his front yard...you should have never walked in there. 

[Jim Nugent]

ANGC or TOC.  Tiger and Jack love these courses, have turned in some of their best play there, dominating the world's best. 

You need to normalize the equipment/distance issue.  Also I'd like to see several matches on each course, in varying wind/weather conditions. 

[Tim Gallant]

Why not a course neither has seen? They have already figured out the strategy at courses like TOC and ANGC, and have played in all conditions. Why not put them on a course they have never seen and see who can strategise the best as well as execute the best?

[Josh Stevens]

Surely, given the same equipment, both are very similar players.  Both with huge power, but who generally reined it in,

Both  in their prime played very conservative golf, very precise, fabulous irons, great putters, tacking around courses and only letting the shaft out when they had to or when the odds were in their  favour.  But neither had the best short games in the world.

Muirfield surely.

[Jim Nugent]

Tiger did not have the best short game???

I think the opposite is true.  He had one of the best short games on the planet. 

[jeffwarne]

Surely, given the same equipment, both are very similar players.  Both with huge power, but who generally reined it in,

Both  in their prime played very conservative golf, very precise, fabulous irons, great putters, tacking around courses and only letting the shaft out when they had to or when the odds were in their  favour.  But neither had the best short games in the world.

Muirfield surely.

Josh,
Not the best short game for Tiger?
In Tiger's ballstriking prime he hit it great, but his short game allowed him to win during all his changes and as he got progressively wilder.
Nobody was better around the greens than Tiger for a many years, and he went about 10 years where he didin't miss inside 10 feet.
jack's short game was below average because he rarely missed greens but he was a great lag and pressure putter

[Jason Connor]

Given 72 hours notice so they can slow down the greens, Oakmont.   It's always entreating.


They've also both won at ANGC and it would put on a great show with the reachable par 5s and dramatic par 3s.

[Ronald Montesano]

Healthy Tiger, Hidden Bear

[Kalen Braley]

Gotta agree with Dave here,

I can't even count the number of times he was beyond dead, short-sided, in thick rough, downhill to the pin, and he pulled miraculous saves out of his keester just about every time.

And this wasn't by accident...  I recall his Dad telling how he'd go ahead of Tiger during practice rounds as a kid and move his ball into divots and nasty lies so he could learn how to recover....epic stuff.

[Anton]

Pre- Rees Jones renovation Bethpage Black.  Brown fairways, spotty shaggy rough, rock hard varying speed greens, stones in the bunkers, and trying to drive a tee into the concrete dirt tee boxes.    That would be my pick.   
But as a whole (past & present Bethpage)  I think The Black encompasses all of the traits that would make a fair match between these 2 playing at their prime.  Strong difficult holes balanced with some good scoring opportunities.  Plus both have had success and failure on Tillinghast designs.   

[Joe Zucker]

Gotta agree with Dave here,

I can't even count the number of times he was beyond dead, short-sided, in thick rough, downhill to the pin, and he pulled miraculous saves out of his keester just about every time.

And this wasn't by accident...  I recall his Dad telling how he'd go ahead of Tiger during practice rounds as a kid and move his ball into divots and nasty lies so he could learn how to recover....epic stuff.

I partly agree with this sentiment. Tiger sure was a magician and there are tons of impossible up and downs in his career.  However, I think I've heard Hank Haney say a few times (bytheMin Golf Podcast) that Tiger wasn't that great on the easy or simple shots around the green.  He didn't give it his full attention if it wasn't a difficult shot and his stats suffered.  But when he has a chance to hit hero shot, like 13 at Augusta, no one is better.


I looked at Tiger's rank in the scrambling stats from PGATour.com and he went from average to great to average and back.

Year	Rank
1997	- 71
1998	- 12
1999	- 11
2000	- 3
2001	- 1
2002	- 1
2003	- 57
2004	- 41
2005	- 14
2006	- 10
2007	- 20
2008	- N/A
2009	- 1
2010	- N/A
2011	- N/A
2012	- 4
2013	- 46

[Kalen Braley]

Hey Joel,

Thanks for posting those stats....which seem to bear out the assumption

Of all his seasons on tour, he was top 25 in scrambling in all but 4 of them, and was top 10 in 6 seasons.

That looks pretty darn epic to me...I'd bet maybe only Phil could match that success rate over that many years.

[Andrew Carr]

In a pure fantasy and isn't that what we are doing here?  Wouldn't it be great for Tiger to play Jack where he first met him?  Bel-Air Country Club.  It has hosted a US Am and a Senior Am...seems appropriate.  They are both celebrities now and it is a place of celebrity. The photo ops on the swinging bridge if the match makes it that far...

[Phil Lipper]

I can't imagine this  fantasy match anyplace other than Augusta or the Old Course. Obviously the problem as has been pointed out is what version of Augusta?

[BCowan]

In a pure fantasy and isn't that what we are doing here?  Wouldn't it be great for Tiger to play Jack where he first met him?  Bel-Air Country Club.  It has hosted a US Am and a Senior Am...seems appropriate.  They are both celebrities now and it is a place of celebrity. The photo ops on the swinging bridge if the match makes it that far...

great suggestion and well reasoned.  Refreshing to hear new ideas. 

[Greg Clark]

ANGC vintage '97 or '98.  Tiger won in 97 and Jack finished 6th at 58 in 98.  The course still retained much of the elements Jack would remember from his prime, and Tiger was clearly already comfortable playing it.  Put both in their primes, using the equipment of 97-98 vintage.  Drivers by and large were metal, but sort of between persimmon and 460cc.  Both players use blades and the ball would be The Professional.  Should be a great match.

[BHoover]

Let's make this happen!

[Andrew Carr]

In a pure fantasy and isn't that what we are doing here?  Wouldn't it be great for Tiger to play Jack where he first met him?  Bel-Air Country Club.  It has hosted a US Am and a Senior Am...seems appropriate.  They are both celebrities now and it is a place of celebrity. The photo ops on the swinging bridge if the match makes it that far...

great suggestion and well reasoned.  Refreshing to hear new ideas.

Thank you.  I'm excited to participate in these conversations.  I've been reading GCA for a while and just recently was registered.  Classic "first time caller, long time listener."

[Kalen Braley]

Thought I would add this...  Jack speaking about Tiger

""He has always been a very focused young man with a great work ethic, and is tremendously talented. To count him out of [the majors record] would be foolish, he certainly has a very good chance of doing that," said Nicklaus

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/golf-devil-ball-golf/jack-nicklaus-still-isn-t-ready-to-say-tiger-woods-won-t-catch-his-major-tally-031155919-golf.html

[Mark_Rowlinson]

What kind of competition is this? Match play? (Over how many holes?). Stroke play? (Ditto). Should we allow RT Jones into the competition? What about Hagen - great matchplay record? I love the concept of this fantasy, but I think there are more conditions than we have specified so far.

[John McCarthy]

Mark:  If the field is expanding, give Tiger a 1 stroke lead in the US Open against Mr Hogan in the last group, last round.  Best frontrunner in history v the Wee Ice Mon.  Hogan tossing down a smoke and nailing 3 irons to 12 feet,  Woods with a 6 iron wondering how to put him away. 

[Jason Topp]

Seminole - 1990's equipment.


They both live nearby and both used that era's equipment.  The course is one we have not seen on television much.   

[Jim Nugent]

I looked at Tiger's rank in the scrambling stats from PGATour.com and he went from average to great to average and back.

Year	Rank
1997	- 71
1998	- 12
1999	- 11
2000	- 3
2001	- 1
2002	- 1
2003	- 57
2004	- 41
2005	- 14
2006	- 10
2007	- 20
2008	- N/A
2009	- 1
2010	- N/A
2011	- N/A
2012	- 4
2013	- 46

The amazing thing is that around years 2000-2002 Tiger also was the best ball-striker on tour, and one of the very best putters as well.  Dominance never before seen on tour. 

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